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Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother or sister who leads a disorderly life and not one in accordance with the tradition which you received from us. - 2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NASB 2020)

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Now go and learn awhat this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” - Matthew 9:10-13

Notes

Paul's words to the Thessalonians (as well as similar passages elsewhere) are sometimes misconstrued by believers today as direction to shun or keep away from the world. In recent history, there have been large movements among believers to adopt a compound or isolationist mentality, surrounding themselves with everything Christian—from music to content, to education and friend circles—not allowing any contact with the world outside of their Christian domain. At face value, this seems justified, as it addresses what Paul was attempting to confront: the spread of disorderly conduct or sin in the church. In this way, many believers view isolation as the path to purity in their walk with God.

Unfortunately, this view is a misinterpretation of Paul's words and meaning, and stands in direct contradiction to the teachings and actions of Christ, particularly in His modeling of what a believer's life should look like here on earth. As we delve into the Greek, the words to focus on in order to glean Paul's meaning are: to whom was he speaking ("brothers and sisters"), what he was instructing them to do ("keep away"), and from whom (those leading "disorderly" lives).

Looking at the word "brothers and sisters" (ἀδελφός), we can recognize this from the vernacular of the modern church, and the Greek supports this understanding. It stands for, among other things, "one who shares beliefs"—in other words, fellow believers. So Paul was addressing the members of the church at Thessalonica and, by extension, believers everywhere. So far, no surprises.

For the phrase "keep away" (στέλλω), again this does not conflict with the isolationist view, as it literally means to keep away, to keep one's distance, to stand aloof, or to shun. What is telling in Paul's words, however, is the word "disorderly" (ἀτάκτως, an adverb of ἄτακτος). The Greek meaning behind this word is not worldly, sinful behavior, but instead "in defiance of good order, disorderly, holding religious services without regard to established times arbitrarily... behave irresponsibly... without respect for established custom or received instruction... sponging, freeloading."

What Paul is describing is not behavior associated with the world, for the world is not even attempting to follow the religious order of things, so this is not applicable. Instead, this refers to individuals who would be attempting to hold religious services—in other words, believers. The problem seems to extend to these individuals participating in activities of freeloading or sponging.

This aligns with the context of Paul's letter to the Thessalonians in that he was addressing a particular problem: believers who were living "disorderly" lives (likely refusing to work, being busybodies). This is about church discipline within the believing community, not about how to treat sinners or outsiders.

To further support this idea, we can look at the contrasting behavior of Christ as it pertained to His relationship with the world. His entire mission—the whole purpose for Him, the pure and holy God whose very existence demands the utter destruction of anything or anyone imperfect, coming to this world—was to save those His very being could not withstand.

A particular example is found in Matthew 9:10-13, in which we find Christ reclining at table with sinners: prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, tax collectors. What believers would describe today as worldly individuals. This behavior was noted by those "religious" individuals who were not unlike the isolationist believers mentioned in this essay—they shunned the world with very distinct boundaries. This is evident in what they noted about Christ's behavior: "Why is He eating with the tax collectors and sinners?"

Christ's response was so obvious, so painfully plain that it is profound: because they need Me. In this way, Christ demonstrated the model for all believers—not to shun and not to evangelize on a transactional level, but to embed with them, making your life with them.

As believers, we are earthen vessels carrying the very glory of God—His transforming grace, His redeeming love, His life-giving presence. The world desperately needs what we carry, but they will never encounter it if we remain at a distance. Christ didn't call the healthy; He reclined at table with sinners. He didn't shout truth from a safe distance; He embedded His life with theirs. We are called to do the same—not to isolate in pursuit of purity, but to engage the world so fully that they cannot help but encounter the grace we carry. Only by embracing the broken, the lost, and the searching can we become the channels through which God's salvation flows into a world that is dying without it.

Word Study

  • Brothers and Sisters - ἀδελφός, οῦ, ὁ (Hom. [ἀδελφεός]+; accord. to B-D-F §13; Schwyzer I 555; Mlt-H. II 58; PKatz, TLZ 83, ’58, 315f vocative ἄδελφε should be accented on the antepenult in Ac 9:17; 21:20 contrary to the practice of the editions; also GPt 2:5.) ...

    *② a pers. viewed as a brother in terms of a close affinity, brother, fellow member, member, associate fig. ext. of 1.

ⓐ one who shares beliefs (for an associated duality, s. Did., Gen. 127, 6 ἀ. ἐστι τοῦ φαινομένου ἔξω ἀνθρώπου ὁ κρυπτὸς καὶ ἐν διανοίᾳ ἄνθρωπος=brother to the man as he appears from without is the man who is hidden in thought): Jesus calls everyone who is devoted to him brother Mt 12:50; Mk 3:35, esp. his disciples Mt 28:10; J 20:17. Hence gener. for those in such spiritual communion Mt 25:40; Hb 2:12 (Ps 21:23), 17 al. Of a relationship w. a woman other than that of husband Hs 9, 11, 3 al.; 2 Cl 12:5.—Of the members of a relig. community (PParis 20 [II B.C.] al. of the hermits at the Serapeum in Memphis; UPZ 162 I, 20 [117 B.C.] ἀδελφοὶ οἱ τὰς λειτουργίας ἐν ταῖς νεκρίαις παρεχόμενοι; IG XIV, 956 B, 11f. ἀ.=member of the ἱερὰ ξυστικὴ σύνοδος; IPontEux II, 449f εἰσποιητοὶ ἀ. σεβόμενοι θεὸν Ὕψιστον [Ltzm. ZWT 55, 1913, 121]. Mystery pap [III A.D.]: APF 13, ’39, 212. Essenes in Jos., Bell. 2, 122. Vett. Val. 172, 31; Cleopatra ln. 94. See GMilligan 1908 on 1 Th 1:4; Ltzm. Hdb. on Ro 1:13 [lit.]; Dssm. B 82f, 140 [BS 87f, 142]; Nägeli 38; Cumont3 276). Hence used by Christians in their relations w. each other Ro 8:29, 1 Cor 5:11; Eph 6:23; 1 Ti 6:2; Ac 6:3; 9:30; 10:23; Rv 1:9; 12:10; IEph 10:3; ISm 12:1 al. So esp. w. proper names (for ἀδ. in a figurative sense used with a name, cp. the address of a letter PMich 162 verso [II A.D.] ἀπὸ Ἀπλωναρίου ἀδελφοῦ) to indicate membership in the Christian community Ro 16:23; 1 Cor 1:1; 16:12; 2 Cor 1:1; Phil 2:25; Col 1:1; 4:7, 9; 1 Th 3:2; Phlm 1; 1 Pt 5:12; 2 Pt 3:15; AcPl Ha 1, 30 al. Completely ἀδελφὸς ἐν κυρίῳ Phil 1:14. Oft. in direct address 1 Cl 1:1 (cod. A); 4:7; 13:1; 33:1; 2 Cl 20:2 al.; B 2:10; 3:6 al.; IRo 6:2; Hv 2, 4, 1; 3, 1, 1; 4; AcPl Ha 7, 4; 8, 21; AcPlCor 1:16. ἀδελφοί μου B 4:14; 5:5; 6:15; IEph 16:1; ἄνδρες ἀ. Ac 1:16 (rabb. par. in EStauffer, TLZ 77, ’52, 202); 15:7, 13; 1 Cl 14:1; 37:1; 43:4; 62:1. To interpret ἀ. in Ac 15:23 as ‘colleague’ (e.g. PGaechter, Petrus u. seine Zeit, ’58, 141f) is speculative; and the interpretation of ἀ. in 3J 5 and 10 as itinerant preachers (AKragerud, D. Lieblingsjünger im Johannesevangelium, ’59, 105) is based entirely on the context.
ⓑ a compatriot (cp. Pla., Menex. 239a ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ οἱ ἡμέτεροι, μιᾶς μητρὸς πάντες ἀδελφοὶ φύντες; Lev 10:4; Dt 15:3, 12; 17:15 al.; Philo, Spec. Leg. 2, 79f ‘ἀ.’ τὸν ὁμόφυλον εἶπεν he termed a compatriot ‘brother’; Jos., Ant. 10, 201; 7, 371 after 1 Ch 28:2) Ac 2:29; 3:17, 22 (Dt 18:15); 7:2, 23 (Ex 2:11), 25f al.; Ro 9:3.
ⓒ without ref. to a common nationality or faith neighbor (of an intimate friend X., An. 7, 2, 25; 38. Specif. in the sense ‘neighbor’ Gen 9:5; Lev 19:17 al.) Mt 5:22ff; 7:3ff; 18:15, 21, 35; Lk 6:41f; 17:3; B 19:4; Hm 2:2 al.
ⓓ Form of address used by a king to persons in very high position (OGI 138, 3; 168, 26; 36 [both II B.C.]; Jos., Ant. 13, 45; 126) Herod says ἀδελφὲ Πιλᾶτε GPt 2:5.—JO’Callaghan, El vocativo sing. de ἀδελφός, Biblica 52, ’71, 217–25.—B. 107. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv. [^1]*

  • Keep Away - στέλλω
    ① to keep one’s distance, keep away, stand aloof ἀπό τινος (Polyb. 8, 22, 4; cp. Mal 2:5) from someone 2 Th 3:6.
    ② to shun someth., avoid, try to avoid (Hippocr., π. ἀρχ. ἰητρ. 5 Heib. acc. to codd. οὔτʼ ἂν ἀπόσχοιντο οὐδενός, ὧν ἐπιθυμέουσιν οὐδὲ στείλαιντο=‘not keep away from something [of food] … nor avoid what they have their mind set on’; SEG II, 615, 1 στέλλεο Περσεφόνας ζᾶλον. Mal 2:5 uses στ. as a parallel to φοβεῖσθαι, which corresponds to Hesychius: στέλλεται· φοβεῖται) στελλόμενοι τοῦτο, μή τις avoiding or trying to avoid this, lest someone 2 Cor 8:20 (so It., Vulg., Goth., Chrys., Luther, Calvin, and many in later times).—DELG. M-M. TW.

    Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 942). University of Chicago Press. [^1]

  • Disorderly - ἀτάκτως (since Thu. 3, 108, 3; PFay 337, 16 [II A.D.]; POxy 842; PGM 4, 2628; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 45; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 151) adv. of ἄτακτος in defiance of good order, disorderly, holding religious services without regard to established times arbitrarily 1 Cl 40:2 (w. εἰκῇ ‘at random’). ἀτάκτως περιπατεῖν behave irresponsibly 2 Th 3:6 (Isocr. 2m 31 ἀ. ζῆν) apparently without respect for established custom or received instruction, as the qualifying clause καὶ … ἡμῶν indicates (cp. Mk 7:5), 11; the specific manner in which the irresponsible behavior manifests itself is described in the context: freeloading, sponging.—On contractual obligations in the Rom. world s. PCsillag, The Problems of Labour Relations in Roman Law: Oikumene 2, ’78, 239–63. DELG s.v. τάσσω. TW. Spicq. [^1]

Footnotes

[^1] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 148). University of Chicago Press.