2 Thessalonians 3:14

“And if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, note that man, that ye have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed”

“If any man”: God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). “Obeyeth not our word by this epistle”: “If any one disregards what we have said in this letter” (TCNT). “Paul sums up the issue bluntly with this ultimatum” (Robertson p. 60). The only proper response to the letters of the apostles is obedience. The written letters of the apostles pack just as much authority as their oral teaching. Their letters accurately express what they taught, and they pack this much authority, because Jesus was speaking through them (1 Corinthians 14:37). “Note that man”: “He is to be. marked man” (Knox). “Sign, mark, token. Put. tag on that man” (Robertson p. 60). “Take special note of him, which implies some form of public censure” (Stott p. 193). “That”: Here is the result of recognizing such an individual as being disobedient to the word of God. “Ye have”: An obligation that rests upon the shoulders of every member.

“No company with him”: “Mingle or associate with. Paul will use it again later when telling the Corinthians not to have fellowship or even eat with Christian brothers who are openly guilty of such offences as immorality, dishonestly, idolatry and drunkenness, 1 Corinthians 5:9; 1 Corinthians 5:11” (Stott p. 193). “To the end”: The intended goal or aim of this withdrawal. “That he may be ashamed”: “Till he is ashamed of himself” (Knox). Cases do and will arise in which members become so stubborn that they must be withdrawn from (Matthew 18:15). The responsibility of administering this discipline rests upon the shoulders of every member. Unfortunately, the impact of withdrawal is negated when misguided members try to "lessen the impact", and continue to associate with the withdrawn. In this situation some members think that they are doing the person. favor or trying to help them. But in reality, they are saying that their way of handling the situation is better than God's. Such "good intentions" start to look like arrogance, when they are measured by this section of Scripture. When church discipline happens we really need to take. good look at the total picture. The person causing the problem is the person who being withdrawn from. The person in sin needs to feel ashamed, and we need to give people the opportunity to feel the damage that their sin is causing. Comfort can only be given when the person repents. Withdrawal gives the sinner the opportunity to really reflect upon what they are doing, and the price that such. sin is costing them, that is, fellowship with God and fellowship with people who love them. Stott bemoans the conditions of many modern denominations when he says, “This verse contains some of the most important teaching in the New Testament on the subject of church discipline. To be sure, many churches nowadays would do nothing. The administration of discipline has fallen into disuse. Our Lord and his apostles were of. different opinion” (p. 193).