2 Thessalonians 3:6–14

Verse 6. Charge, or declare; or by the Greek, we command.—In the name of our Lord. This may signify a separation by excommunication. Witham.—That you withdraw, and so forth S. Chrysostom upon this place, Saint Augustine, Theophylactus, and others understand Saint Paul as speaking of a kind of excommunication. But Saint John Chrysostom on verse 13 and 14 seems to restrain its meaning to a prohibition for the guilty to speak to any body, unless they spoke to him, if their conversation tended to exhort him to repentance. Theophylactus likewise remarks that this punishment was formerly much dreaded, though now not in use.

Verse 8. Burthensome. By the Greek, he understands those who being idle, and not keeping themselves employed, lead a disorderly life. Witham.

Verse 9. If I, to whom you are indebted for the preaching of the gospel, have yielded my claims, unwilling to receive any thing from you, and even labouring with my own hands for the necessaries of life, how are those to be borne with who do nothing, and yet will be supported at another’s expense? for Saint Paul had witnessed amongst them some of this idle disposition. Estius.

Verse 10. Not work. By prying with curiosity into other men’s actions. He that is idle, saith Saint John Chrysostom will be given to curiosity. Witham.—The apostles, like our Lord, were fond of introducing popular saying or axioms. Another, and not unlike the former, is found in one of the Jewish rabbies, Zeror:

Qui non laboraverit in Prosabbato, nè edat in Sabbato.

Verse 12. Eat their own bread, which they work for, and deserve, not that of others. Witham.

Verse 14. Here the apostle teaches that our pastors must be obeyed, and not only secular princes; and with respect to such as will not be obedient to their spiritual governors, the apostle, (as Saint Augustine affirmeth) ordains that they be corrected by admonition, by degradation, or excommunication. Cont. Donat. post Callat. c. iv. 20. & l. de correp. & grat. c. iii.