2 Thessalonians 3:6
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul commands the believers, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to keep away from any fellow believer who lives in idle disorder rather than according to the teaching they received.
What Does 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Mean?
Paul now addresses a specific problem in the church: some believers were living "disorderly." The word comes from military life, describing a soldier out of rank, and here it points to idleness and refusal to work, a matter Paul will spell out further. With unusual weight, he commands "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" that the church "withdraw" from such a brother.
This is a serious step, but it is meant to be redemptive, not punishing. The idle were ignoring "the tradition which he received of us," the apostolic teaching about how to live. By gently distancing themselves, the faithful refuse to enable persistent irresponsibility and so help bring the wanderer to his senses. Notice that the offender is still called a "brother," not an enemy. The aim throughout is restoration. The verse shows that real love sometimes means loving accountability, and that a healthy community does not simply look away from harmful patterns.
In the Original Language
ataktos (ἀτάκτως), "disorderly" — out of order or out of rank, like a soldier who has left his proper place.