2 Thessalonians 3 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered
A response and reply to the notes on 2 Thessalonians 3 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).
King James Version
SAB comment
My comment
1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
6 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 he received of us.
Secondly, the apostle Paul also explains how we should withdraw in verses 14-15:
Compare this to the practise of the Jehovah's Witnesses as explained in Watchtower 1981 September 15 p.22:Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Lastly, if we look at the context, we see that the apostle Paul defines disorderly walking as a busybody, who did not work to earn a living, see verses 10-11. He commands them to “work, and eat their own bread,” verse 12. These verses are not about doctrinal matters, and not about shunning."disfellowshiping" is what Jehovah’s Witnesses appropriately call the expelling and subsequent shunning of such an unrepentant wrongdoer. ... a simple "Hello" to someone can be the first step that develops into a conversation and maybe even a friendship. Would we want to take that first step with a disfellowshiped person?
7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
Those who will not or cannot work should starve to death.
11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
And the purpose is that he may be ashamed, which John Gill explains as:as little as can be in common and civil conversation, lest he should take encouragement from thence to continue in his sin, and lest others should think it is connived at; and much less at the Lord's table, or in a sacred and religious conversation, or in a way of church fellowship and communion;
that he may have his eyes turned in him, as the word signifies, and he may be brought to a sight and sense of his sin, and be filled with shame for it, and loath it, and himself on the account of it, and truly repent of it, and forsake it; and this is the end of excommunication, at least one end, and a principal end of it, to recover persons out of the snare of the devil, and return them from the error of their ways:
15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.
Although this epistle (1:1, 3:17) claims to have been written by Paul, many scholars think it was a forgery.1
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Jehovah's Witnesses use these verses to justify disfellowshipping anyone who disagrees with the Watchtower's teachings.