2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 14If anyone does not obey our word in this letter, take note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. 15And do not consider him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
These verses highlight how the Thessalonians should treat those who did not work to support themselves but lived in an unruly and undisciplined way. The expectation is that these people would listen to this letter and heed the instruction of the ministry team of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. But in case a person chose not to listen, then this is how the church could respond. Shame (entrapē) was a strong social force in that time. The stronger the connection a person might have to a group, the stronger the shame might be. In a relatively small community like the Thessalonians church, the shame could be significant enough to cause a person to change behavior. The position of honor in this case would be working hard in self-support in imitation of Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
It would be easy in situations like this to come down hard on the undisciplined person. Paul warns the Thessalonians about this in verse 15. Lazy people should not be treated as enemies. This should not be understood that Christians are mean to those on the outside but rather the tendency to mistreat and ostracize people whom we do not like. Paul urges the church to treat these people as brothers, meaning, those who belong to the community of faith but just need some encouragement, guidance, and sometimes strong words to correct their behavior. How we approach people like this is important. We must be culturally and socially sensitive, strong in our admonition, but also full of love.
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