Second Thessalonians: 2 Thessalonians 3:14-Those Living a Disciplined Lifestyle Must Not Associate with Those Who Unrepentantly Do Not

2 Thessalonians 3:14 But, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that someone is absolutely refusing to obey our command through this epistle, then each one of you must for your own benefit continue to make it your habit of publicly identifying him for the purpose of making it your habit of not associating with him in order that he would become ashamed. (Lecturer’s translation)

2 Thessalonians 3:14 is composed of a first class conditional statement, which contains two commands with the second identifying the purpose for the first.

This first class conditional statement is then followed by a hina purpose clause, which presents the purpose of these two commands.

Those described in the protasis are those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were unrepentantly disobeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

It required that those in this community living an undisciplined lifestyle by refusing to work for a living, make it their habit of eating their own bread by making it their habit of working to support themselves in a manner characterized as an unobtrusive, tranquil lifestyle.

The commands in the apodosis are directed to those in the Thessalonian Christian community who were living a disciplined lifestyle because they were working to support themselves.

Obedience to these commands would result in those living a disciplined lifestyle separating from or not associating with those who were unrepentantly living an undisciplined lifestyle.

Thus, they were unrepentantly disobeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 or in other words, the former was to refuse to have fellowship with the latter.

The protasis of this first class conditional statement asserts that if and let assume that it is true for the sake of argument that someone in the Thessalonian Christian community absolutely refuses to obey the command issued by Paul, Silvanus and Timothy in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

The apodosis asserts that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community who was living a disciplined lifestyle must for their own benefit continue to make it their habit of publicly identifying this person who is disobedient to this command for the purpose of making it their habit of not associating with them.

The hina purpose clause asserts that the purpose of these two commands was that those living a disciplined lifestyle would not associate with those who are living an undisciplined lifestyle as a result of unrepentantly disobeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

These two commands in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 stand in contrast with the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

Therefore, the contrast is between those who were living an undisciplined lifestyle obeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 and the consequence of them not obeying this command.

The consequence, of course, is presented here in 2 Thessalonians 3:14, which would be that those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were living a disciplined lifestyle by working to support themselves, practice church discipline with those who were disobeying this command.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:14, the present tense and the active voice of the verb hypakouō, “is…to obey” whose meaning is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ou, “absolutely refusing” expresses the idea that these individuals “exist in the state of” absolutely refusing to obey the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

In other words, they were in an unrepentant state of disobeying this command.

They were thus individuals who had undergone the three stages of church disciplined which the Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples in Matthew 18:15-17 and were thus to be excommunicated.

In the apodosis, the verb sēmeioomai (σημειόομαι) speaks of “publicly identifying” anyone in the Thessalonian Christian community who refuses to obey the command issued by Paul, Silvanus and Timothy in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

The present imperative conjugation of this verb sēmeioomai (σημειόομαι) is a customary present imperative, which is expressing the idea that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community who was living a disciplined lifestyle must “continue making it their habit of” publicly identifying anyone in their community who disobeyed the command in 2 Thessalonian 3:12.

The implication is that they were already practicing this command.

This interpretation is indicated by the fact Paul, Silvanus and Timothy affirm the faithfulness of the Thessalonian Christian community to the gospel in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12.

In fact, in these verses, they commend them for their post-justification faith in the gospel and the practice of the love of God with each other and with those outside their community despite experiencing great persecution.

Also, in 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Paul affirms that those who were living a disciplined lifestyle were performing actions, which are characterized as being divine good in quality and one of those actions would be the practice of church discipline in relation to the undisciplined in their community.

Furthermore, the contents of 1 Thessalonians 5:14 records that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy authoritatively exhorted and encouraged each member of this community to begin to make it their habit of providing the undisciplined with instruction and continue doing so.

Also, in 2 Thessalonians 3:14, the middle voice of the verbs sēmeioomai (σημειόομαι) and synanamignymi (συναναμίγνυμι) is an indirect middle which is expressing the idea that it was “for the benefit of” the disciplined members of the Thessalonian Christian community to practice discipline with regards to those who were not disciplined.

This practice of church discipline with these undisciplined individuals in their community would benefit them because God’s holy character requires it.

Secondly, it would benefit the testimony of the church and it would also produce unity and purity of the church.

Lastly, discipline is for spiritual edification and restoration of the individual who is living an undisciplined lifestyle.

The verb synanamignymi (συναναμίγνυμι) and the negative particle me (μή) denies the idea of a member of the Thessalonian Christian community who was living a disciplined lifestyle associating with those in their community who were unrepentantly not living a disciplined lifestyle and thus disobeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

The present tense of this verb synanamignymi (συναναμίγνυμι) is also a customary present which is expressing the idea of a member of the Thessalonian Christian community who was living a disciplined lifestyle “continuing to make it their habit of” not associating with a member of their community who was disobeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

This indicates that they were already obeying this prohibition.

The infinitive conjugation of this verb synanamignymi (συναναμίγνυμι) is functioning as an infinitive of purpose which identifies the purpose for which each member of the Thessalonian Christian community who was living a disciplined lifestyle was to publicly identify any member of their community who was disobeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

Thus, the purpose of this public identification of those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were disobeying this command was to not associate with them in order that they may be put to shame by their sinful behavior.

Therefore, the apodosis in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 required that those in the Thessalonian Christian community who were living a disciplined lifestyle by making it their habit of working to support themselves were to practice church discipline in relation to those who were disobeying the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:12.

Specifically, it refers to those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were living a disciplined lifestyle practicing the final stage of church discipline with regards to those in their community who were unrepentantly disobedient to Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Spirit inspired command to work for a living and not be idle.

This interpretation is indicated by the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching in Matthew 18:15-17, which required the Christian community not associate with those in their community who refused to repent from their sin after being confronted alone in private about their sin, and then after being confronted by two or more witnesses and then finally after being confronted by the entire community.

Therefore, Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 is speaking of the fourth and final stage of church discipline, which is excommunication.

Now, the hina purpose clause hina entrapē (ἵνα ἐντραπῇ), “in order that he would become ashamed” in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 presents the purpose of the two commands in the apodosis of 2 Thessalonians 3:14.

They were to publicly identify them for the purpose of not associating with them in order that they would become ashamed by their sinful behavior.

This experience of shame for their behavior was designed to lead them to repentance, which would first involve the confession of sin (1 John 1:9) in order to be restored to fellowship with God and the church followed by obedience to Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching in order to maintain that fellowship.

So therefore, the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 to not associate with those who were unrepentantly disobeying the command to work for a living in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 resulted in the obedient members of the Thessalonian Christian community not experiencing fellowship with them.

2 Thessalonians 3:14 is not the first time in Second Thessalonians that Paul has ordered those living a disciplined lifestyle to practice church discipline with those who were unrepentantly not living a disciplined lifestyle since he does so in 2 Thessalonians 3:6.