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.
He now proceeds to the correcting of a particular fault. As there were some indolent, and at the same time curious and prattling persons, who, in order that they might scrape together a living at the expense of others, wandered about from house to house, he forbids that their indolence should be encouraged by indulgence, “Il defend aux Thessaloniciens d’entretenir par leur liberalite ou dissimulation...
Our apostle here enters upon a new subject, namely, that of such discipline; not only exhorting, but commanding and requiring them to excommunicate from their society every brother or Christian professor walking disorderly, and not after the tradition or doctrine delivered by him against such persons. Note here, 1. That though the apostle did oftentimes entreat and beseech, yet he had authority to enjoin and command; We command you, brethern.
we command you--Hereby he puts to a particular test their obedience in general to his commands, which obedience he had recognized in Th2 3:4. withdraw--literally, "to furl the sails"; as we say, to steer clear of (compare Th2 3:14). Some had given up labor as though the Lord's day was immediately coming. He had enjoined mild censure of such in Th1 5:14, "Warn . . .