the7ones.comFellowship: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
“But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.” — 2 Thess. 3:6
Many times this particular passage is taken out of its context and used as a broad, sweeping command. Paul is focused, however, on those who would not work for a living and instead lived off the generosity of others. This practice was giving the church a bad reputation. Paul had warned the Thessalonians about this problem in his earlier epistle (1 Thess. 5:14).
This passage is relatively simple, but some will claim that the withdrawal that Paul urges here is just a type of avoidance. But as in Romans 16:17, it would not seem in line with Paul’s teaching to command breaking of fellowship for extortioners, drunkards, etc., in 1 Cor. 5, and exact a lesser discipline upon the unrepentant divisive teacher (Rom. 16:17) and those who shame the Lord’s name by taking advantage of His people and being lazy busybodies.
Bottom line: Able-bodied brothers who will not work for their own bread and instead take advantage of the church should be withdrawn from. This withdrawal did not take place on the first warning, as the Thessalonians had been previously cautioned about this problem.
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