2 Thessalonians 3:14

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

The instruction was given to believers disappointed in their hope of immediate deliverance, to keep them from neglecting daily duties and giving themselves to sloth, aimless excitement, and idle waiting, and to hold them to steadfast faith. The disobedience in view is refusal to work by those able to work. Such persons are not to be supported in idleness but are to work quietly and provide for themselves and eat their own bread.

The verse requires the church to identify and withdraw fellowship and close association from anyone who persists in disregarding the apostolic instruction. This is done so that the person feels shame, recognizes the seriousness of the disobedience, and turns from it and from the wrong course. The command is reinforced by the example of laboring to earn a living rather than depending on others. Idleness is sin that harms others, disgraces a profession of faith, brings reproach on the gospel, and may turn others away from truth and righteousness.

Believers should therefore guard their influence and avoid placing stumbling blocks before others. This separation is discipline, not hostility or rejection. The separated person is not to be counted as an enemy but is still to be admonished as a brother, as the next verse requires. If the person refuses that brotherly admonition, he brings ruin on himself and must bear his own sin.

The verse lays upon servants of Christ the Bible rule for dealing with disorderly members within the mixed company gathered by the gospel invitation. That company includes both true believers and mere professors who have never put on righteousness. No human being is given the work of final separation or the responsibility of refusing admittance to any who come, yet within that mixed company discipline toward the disorderly must still be carried out.

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