Disobedient brothers

2 Thessalonians 3:13-15: But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.  And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Paul exhorts the Thessalonians not to “associate” with disobedient brothers.  What does he mean?  The verb “associate” means “to mix together,” as ingredients in a recipe.  It can have sexual connotations, and Hosea uses the word to describe Ephraim’s unfaithful “mixture” with Gentiles (Hosea 7:8).

The literal meaning of the verb is a clue to Paul’s exhortation.

The church is a community, and that means we have things in common.  Through the Spirit, we receive gifts that we share with other members of the body.  Our gifts “mix” so that we can grow together into maturity in Christ.

But there are some brothers who are immature, or who have sinful habits, and who are living, in part, according to a different spirit.  There are brothers whose lives and habits are a destructive leaven.  Disobedience brothers live in a way that doesn’t mix with a community of Christians.

This doesn’t mean you can’t talk to such a brother.  You may exhort him; you should continue to be a brother to him; you must pray for him.  But until it is clear that he is walking in faithfulness, do not seek intimacy with him, do not breathe in his spirit, do not allow the leaven of his lifestyle influence yours.

This is a hard saying, but we follow Paul’s instructions out of love, because he is a brother and we want him to feel the shame of his sin and turn fully from it.  We do this because we eagerly hope for the day when he will again be at this table with us, when his gifts will be among the ingredients added to the loaf that we are.