2 Thessalonians 3:6

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. He repeats the injunctions, 1 Thessalonians 4:11. WE COMMAND YOU. Hereby he puts to a test their obedience in general, which he had recognized, 2 Thessalonians 3:4. WITHDRAW, [ stellesthai (G4724)] - to furl the sails: to steer clear of (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:14). Some had given up labour, as though the Lord was immediately coming. He had e...

He now proceeds to the correcting of a particular fault. As there were some indolent, and at the same time curious and prattling persons, who, in order that they might scrape together a living at the expense of others, wandered about from house to house, he forbids that their indolence should be encouraged by indulgence, (700) and teaches that those live holily who procure for themselves the necessaries of life by honorable and useful labor. And in the first place, he applies the appellation of _disorderly _persons, not to those that are of a dissolute life, or to those whose characters are stained by flagrant crimes, but to indolent and worthless persons, who employ themselves in no honorable and useful occupation. For this truly is ἀταξία, (_disorder_, (701)) — not considering for what purpose we were made, and regulating our life with a view to that end, while it is

6-15 Those who have received the gospel, are to live according to the gospel. Such as could work, and would not, were not to be maintained in idleness. Christianity is not to countenance slothfulness, which would consume what is meant to encourage the industrious, and to support the sick and afflicted. Industry in our callings as men, is a duty required by our calling as Christians. But some expected to be maintained in idleness, and indulged a curious and conceited temper. They meddled with the concerns of others, and did much harm. It is a great error and abuse of religion, to make it a cloak for idleness or any other sin. The servant who waits for the coming of his Lord aright, must be working as his Lord has commanded. If we are idle, the devil and a corrupt heart will soon find us somewhat to do. The mind of man is a busy thing; if it is not employed in doing good, it will be doing...

Verse 6. _THAT YE WITHDRAW YOURSELVES_] Have no fellowship with those who will not submit to proper discipline; who do not keep their place; ατακτως, such as are out of their _rank_, and act according to their own wills and caprices; and particularly such as are _idle_ and _busybodies_. These he had ordered, 1 Thessalonians 4:11, that they should _study to be quiet, mind their own business, and_ _work with their hands_; but it appears that they had paid no attention to this order, and now he desires the Church to exclude such from their communion. _AND NOT AFTER THE TRADITION_] This evidently refers to the orders contained in the _first epistle_; and that first epistle was the _tradition_ which they had received from him. It was, therefore, no _unwritten word_, no _uncertain saying_, handed

NOW WE COMMAND YOU, BRETHREN - The apostle now 2 Thessalonians 3:6 turns to an important subject - the proper method of treating those who were idle and disorderly in the church. In the previous Epistle he had adverted to this subject, but in the mild language of exhortation. When he wrote that Epistle he was aware that there were some among them who were disposed to be idle, and he had tenderly exhorted them “to be quiet, and to mind their own business, and to work with their own hands;” 1 Thessalonians 4:11. But it seems the exhortation, and the example of Paul himself when there 1 Thessalonians 2:9, had not been effectual in inducing them to be indu

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—The apostle now comes to the conclusion of his Epistle. He beseeches the Thessalonians for an interest in their prayers, that the gospel may be rapidly diffused and glorified by numerous conversions, and that he and his fellow workers may be enabled to preach it unhindered by the opposition of their enemies. He expresses his confidence that the Lord will preserve them from evil and render them obedient to his instructions, it being his earnest prayer for them that they might be directed into the love of God and the patience of Jesus Christ. The apostle then proceeds to admonish them on account of the disorderly conduct which many of them exhibited. He had heard that there were some among them who walked disorderly, and who, either from dread or from excitement on account of their belief in the immediate coming of the Lord, had desisted from their worldly employments....

NOW WE COMMAND YOU, BRETHREN,.... The apostle is now come to the main thing itself he has in view in this part of the epistle, which is to encourage a regard to the discipline of God's house; and to exhort this church to excommunicate, or remove from communion, all disorderly persons; and those who are to do this he points out, and calls upon, and even commands; and these are the fraternity, the "brethren", the society of believers, all the members of the church; for to them to whom belongs the power of receiving members, to them only belongs the power of excluding offenders: the executive power lies in the hands of the elders or pastors of churches; they are the persons by whom the church receives or casts out members; but the power of judgment, or of determining who shall be received into, or who shall be removed from communion, lies in the church, and not in the pastors and elders onl...

2 Thessalonians 3:1. _Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:_ A most important request. What can the ministers of the gospel do, if their people cease to pray for them? Even if their own prayers be heard, as they will be, and a measure of blessing be given, yet it will be but a scant measure, compared with what it would be if all the saints united in their intercessions. Whenever we see the word of God very mighty in one place it ought to encourage us to pray that it may be the same in another place, for it is the same word and the hearts of all men are alike. The same spirit can give the same blessing in every place. Hence Paul says, «Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you.» Now, if any of you in your church are enjoying rich

2 THESSALONIANS 3:6 parela,bosan {B} The reading that seems best to explain the origin of the others is parela,bosan (a* A (D* evla,bosan) 33 88 1827 1845 2005 Basil), whose dialectic termination 1 was corrected later to pare,labon (ac Dc K L P 81 614 1739 _Byz Lect al_). Since the third person is surprising in the context that involves such frequent reference to the second person plural, the introduction of the predominantly Western reading, parela,bete (B Fgr G 104 327 436 442 1611 2005 2495 syrh copsa, (bo) goth arm al...

III. THANKSGIVING, PRAYER, EXHORTATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Chapter S 2:13-3:18 _ 1. Thanksgiving and prayer (2 Thessalonians 2:13)_ 2. Prayer for the Word and for deliverance (2 Thessalonians 3:1) 3. Exhortations (2 Thessalonians 3:6) 4. Conclusions (2 Thessalonians 3:16) 2 Thessalonians 2:13 What blessed reasons are stated here to give thanks to God for what He has done for us and for all who believe! Brethren, beloved of