2 Thessalonians / Question
Paul says to “take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed” (2 Thessalonians 3:14). At the same time, he says not to regard him as an enemy but to warn him as a brother (2 Thessalonians 3:15).
In 2 Thessalonians 3:13–15, Paul urges the faithful members not to burn out in doing good. At the same time, he gives the community a way to respond to anyone who refuses the instruction carried in this letter: the church should clearly mark that person and limit close association so the person feels the weight of their choice. These lines come at the end of the letter’s practical direction (chapter 3). Just before this, Paul has addressed disruptive behavior connected with refusing to work and becoming a burden or disturbance, and he has offered both example and instruction about responsible living (see 2 Thessalonians 3:6–12).
Paul addresses two needs at once in 2 Thessalonians 3:13–15: steady perseverance among those who are doing good, and a firm, measured response to someone who refuses the instruction carried “by this letter.” The text is explicit that weariness is a real danger (verse 13), and that disobedience here is defined by rejecting the letter’s instruction (verse 14)..
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with 2 Thessalonians 3:14, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
14If any man doesn`t obey our word by this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.