[QTVOTD] Its not cruel – its a gift to a wayward believer…

“…if anyone [in the church] refuses to obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but simply admonish and warn him as [being still] a brother.” 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 ->me: Paul addressed this issue of idleness in the first letter so it apparently is a problem that is still yet unresolved. The direction has been to follow the example of Paul and his companions when they were there; taking care of their own food and needs through working – likely as tent makers which Paul was known for. This way of rebuking a fellow believer is kind yet firm. Essentially Paul is saying to exhort and then withdraw from close relationship with these idle Christians, not as punishment but as a way to make it clear that they are not living according to the direction of the Word of God. It is important to see that we are not to treat these brothers and sisters poorly (or as an enemy) but to admonish, take note, and withdraw with a prayerful outcome of repentance and conformity. To the outside world I am sure this sounds outlandish, cruel, and elitist. Here is the uber takeaway -> We as Christians have the Holy Spirit living within us, we have the whole divinely written word of God that gives us everything we need, and we have the example of the Lord Jesus Christ — there is no excuse for a believer to be encouraged to operate in a way counter to what they know by receiving the benefits of the body of Christ when they so blatantly act in a way counter to God’s word.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.