2 Thessalonians 3:15

“Yet count him not as an enemy, &c.] As an enemy of Christ, and the Christian religion, as the Jews and Pagans were; or as an enemy of all righteousness, as Elymas the sorcerer was; as one that has an implacable hatred to good men, and a persecutor of them, and has an utter aversion to them and their principles; nor deal with him in an hostile, fierce, furious, and passionate manner, as if you were seeking his destruction, and not his restoration. This seems to be levelled against the Jews, who allowed of hatred to incorrigible persons: they say f19, “an hater that is spoken of in the law, is not of the nations of the world, but of Israel; but how shall an Israelite hate an Israelite? does…”

“admonish him as a brother--not yet excommunicated (compare Lev 19:17). Do not shun him in contemptuous silence, but tell him why he is so avoided (Mat 18:15; Th1 5:14).”

“Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother - This shows the true spirit in which discipline is to be administered in the Christian church. We are not to deal with a man as an adversary over whom we are to seek to gain a victory, but as an erring brother - a brother still, though he errs. There was necessity for this caution. There is great danger that when we undertake the work of discipline we shall forget that he who is the subject of it is a brother, and that we shall regard and treat him as an enemy. Such is human nature. We set ourselves in array against him. We cut him off as one who is unworthy to walk with us. We triumph over him, and consider him at once as an…”

“Admonish him as a brother - Tell him lovingly of the reason why you shun him. 2 Thessalonians 3:16”

“3:15 Don’t think of them as enemies: In the ancient world, social relations with enemies were broken off and punitive action was initiated against them. Paul warns the Thessalonians that discipline against disobedient Christians (3:14) should not result in this kind of attack. Rather, the church should treat them as members of the family, with the hope that they would correct their conduct (1 Thes 5:12, 14).”

“count: Lev 19:17, Lev 19:18; Co1 5:5; Co2 2:6-10, Co2 10:8, Co2 13:10; Gal 6:1; Th1 5:14; Jde 1:22, Jde 1:23 admonish: Psa 141:5; Pro 9:9, Pro 25:12; Mat 18:15; Co1 4:14; Tit 3:10; Jam 5:19, Jam 5:20 2 Thessalonians 3:16”