Chapter # 3 Paragraph # 2 Study # 1
March 13, 2016
Humble, Texas
(064)
1769 Translation:
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.
7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
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.
15 Yet count [
him] not as an enemy, but admonish [
him] as a brother.
1901 ASV Translation:
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 they received of us.
7 For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
8 neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
9 not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, that ye should imitate us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat.
11 For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies.
12 Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well-doing.
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.
15 And [
yet] count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
- I. The "Command(s)".
- A. Since the word translated "command" is first used in 3:4, there may well have been this question: "What command(s)?"
- 1. A perusal of the letter reveals a paucity of "commands", the first of which may be 2:3 where there is a "command" of sorts regarding being deceived ("Let no man deceive you...").
- 2. The next "command" is 2:15 where Paul exhorts the brethren to "stand fast and hold the traditions which [they] have been taught...".
- 3. That is pretty much the whole of "commands" to this point in the letter.
- B. This "command" is pretty heavy-duty and the instruction and "command" is the focus of this extended paragraph (the word "command" is found four times in this one paragraph).
- 1. The command has to do with the treatment of those who refuse to walk in the "tradition" which Paul and his ministry team established by their own example.
- 2. In its briefest terms, the "command" is to have nothing to do with those who refuse to walk with the Lord in this particular matter.
- II. The Weight of the Command.
- A. It is given "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"; the very person Who, Himself, is sought to be the One Who will summon and establish the believers (2:16). It is beyond clear that This Lord intends for believers to be serious about their relationship with Him to the degree that there is a high level of intolerance of those who refuse. The importance of this is revealed in 1 Corinthians 16:22 where Paul simply declares "accursedness" upon any/every one who does not "love" the Lord Jesus Christ. Interestingly, the kind of "love" of which he wrote is the Abrahamic "friend of God" kind mentioned in James 2:21-23. This comment sets the bar pretty high.
- 1. There are ten references to "The Lord Jesus Christ" in this letter and nine other references to "The Lord".
- 2. There are only two references to "the name" (1:12; 3:6).
- B. "Restrain yourselves" from every brother who is "walking disorderly".
- 1. "Disorderly" has two distinct characterizations in this text: "not walking according to the traditions..." and "working not at all, being busybodies..." (3:11).
- a. This "traditions" issue is specifically addressed: "...we behaved not disorderly...neither did we eat...for naught; but wrought with labor and travail night and day".
- b. Thus, "walking disorderly" is specifically addressed as having, and acting upon, a "leech" mentality.
- 2. "Restrain yourselves" also has a specific characterization: "have no company with him..." (3:14).
- a. Throughout the Bible there is a potent thesis that "bad company corrupts good morals" to the point that refusing to "have company with" those doing evil is a primary demand.
- b. However, 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 makes it clear that this is restricted to "one who is called a brother". There is this, though, in Paul's comment in 5:10 that to not "company with" the wicked would, of necessity, mean "going out of this world" if it applied to everyone. This means that 5:11's "...with such an one no not to eat" does not mean only "not to eat with such a one" because refraining from eating would not mean having to "go out of this world".
- 3. The faulty person is called a "brother" and Paul insists upon his being a "brother" (3:15).