Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Feb 29, 2024 - Warn Him as a Brother”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsWarn Him as a Brother
Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:13-18
Paul wants the Thessalonians to respond to the unruly, idle brothers among them by excluding them from the Christian community. He wants them to “keep away from” such people (2 Thess 3:6) and not support them in their laziness (2 Thess 3:10) and to “take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed”(2 Thess 3:14). We cannot sit idly by while disorderly people take advantage of others, spread discord in the church, and ruin our reputation in the community (see 1 Thess 4:12). There is also the deeper problem that such people are repeatedly flouting express apostolic commands (1 Thess 4:11-12, 2 Thess 3:6, 12, 14); this is not a new problem in Thessalonica. By keeping our distance from such people, there is hope that they will be “ashamed” of their behavior and prompted to change.
But there is a tone that is important when such steps are necessary. “Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother”(2 Thess 3:15). This is not an action borne of anger or annoyance. We do not recategorize them as enemies instead of friends. We warn them like we would our brothers—with deep concern and strong love. “Warn him as a brother” also indicates that Paul does not want us to refuse to talk to such people. We care about our brother and want him to change and our speech should reflect that. Meanwhile, in this climate of disappointment and challenging relationships, Paul wants them not to lose sight of their goal: “As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good”(2 Thess 3:13).
Love must be tough. When a brother or sister is consistently not living as they should, we may have to challenge them, correct them, or even remove ourselves from them. Yet we are not simply trying to hurt them. We are willing to have hard conversations, risk offending them, and patiently wait for change. “Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”
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One Thing to Think About: Why does the tone with which we speak and act matter so much?
One Thing to Pray For: That I not grow weary in doing good
