A Command to Withdraw

Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:6–15
Series: Sermons 2001 Rewritten
Date:
Speaker: Ed Rangel
Location: Waupaca Church of Christ
Bible Version: NASB 1995
Sermon Type: Expository

Learning Objectives

1. Explain what Paul commanded in 2 Thessalonians 3:6–15 concerning the disorderly brother.
2. Distinguish biblical withdrawal from personal revenge, cruelty, gossip, or church politics.
3. Show how Christ and His apostles taught the church to deal with unrepentant sin.
4. Understand the purposes of discipline: saving the sinner, protecting the church, and honoring Christ.
5. Apply the command with truth, courage, grief, patience, and brotherly love.

Thesis

Biblical withdrawal is not optional church politics, but a command of Christ given to rescue the disorderly, protect the church, and honor the holiness of the Lord.

Introduction.

1. Second Thessalonians 3 is not a soft passage. a. Paul does not merely offer advice. b. He does not make a suggestion for the elders to consider if feelings allow it. c. He commands the church in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The problem at Thessalonica was disorderly conduct. a. Some brethren were refusing to work. b. Some were becoming busybodies. c. Some were walking out of step with the apostolic teaching they had received.
3. Paul’s command is plain. a. Second Thessalonians 3:6 says to “keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life.” b. Second Thessalonians 3:14 says to “take special note of that person and do not associate with him.” c. Second Thessalonians 3:15 says not to regard him as an enemy, but to admonish him as a brother.
4. The church must hold both sides of the command. a. Withdrawal is real. b. Love is real. c. The goal is not punishment for punishment’s sake, but repentance, salvation, purity, and obedience to Christ.

I. The Command to Withdraw Comes from the Authority of Christ.

A. Paul grounds the command in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Second Thessalonians 3:6 says, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” a. This is not Paul giving personal preference. b. This is apostolic instruction under the authority of Christ. c. To reject the command is not merely to disagree with a preacher; it is to resist the Lord’s authority.
2. The word “command” removes the idea that discipline is optional. a. Churches may handle the matter poorly. b. Churches may act too slowly or too harshly. c. But abuse of the command does not erase the command.
3. The one under consideration is called a “brother.” a. This is not about withdrawing from every worldly person. b. This is about a Christian walking disorderly and refusing correction. c. Fellowship must exist before fellowship can be withdrawn.

B. Jesus Himself taught a process of dealing with sin among brethren.

1. Matthew 18:15 begins privately. a. “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private.” b. The first move is not public exposure. c. The first aim is to win the brother.
2. Matthew 18:16 adds witnesses if the brother will not listen. a. The issue is not gossip. b. The matter must be established. c. Jesus guards both the offended brother and the accused brother.
3. Matthew 18:17 brings the matter before the church if refusal continues. a. If he refuses to listen to the church, he is to be treated as a Gentile and tax collector. b. In that setting, such language meant a break in normal social fellowship. c. The church is not allowed to act as if rebellion is fellowship.

C. The Old Testament shows that God has always cared about holiness among His people.

1. Deuteronomy 17:6–7 required careful witness before judgment under the law. a. God did not permit reckless accusation. b. Facts had to be established. c. The seriousness of discipline demanded seriousness in evidence.
2. Deuteronomy repeatedly says evil was to be purged from among Israel. a. God was teaching His people that sin in the camp was not harmless. b. The community could not pretend rebellion was only private. c. Holiness required courage.
3. Joshua 7 shows the danger of hidden sin among God’s people. a. Achan’s sin affected Israel. b. The people suffered because sin was tolerated in the camp. c. God forced Israel to face what they could not afford to ignore.

II. The Command to Withdraw Was Also Taught by the Apostles to the Churches.

A. Paul gave the same principle to the church in Rome.

1. Romans 16:17 says to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching learned. a. The church must not be naive. b. False teaching and divisive conduct damage souls. c. Love does not require blindness.
2. Paul says to “turn away from them.” a. The church is not to platform disorder. b. The church is not to normalize rebellion. c. The church is not to treat divisive conduct as harmless personality difference.
3. Romans 16:18 exposes the danger. a. Such people do not serve the Lord Christ, but their own appetites. b. Smooth and flattering speech deceives the unsuspecting. c. A congregation that refuses to mark danger leaves sheep exposed.

B. Paul gave the same principle to the church in Corinth.

1. First Corinthians 5 deals with open sexual immorality. a. The sin was known. b. The church was arrogant instead of mournful. c. Paul rebuked the congregation for tolerating what should have grieved them.
2. Paul commanded action. a. First Corinthians 5:5 says to deliver such a one to Satan. b. First Corinthians 5:7 says to clean out the old leaven. c. First Corinthians 5:13 says to remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
3. Paul forbade normal social fellowship with such a one. a. First Corinthians 5:11 says not even to eat with that person. b. The withdrawal had to be recognizable. c. The action was meant to show the sinner and the church that open rebellion cannot be treated as faithful fellowship.

C. John gave the same principle concerning false teachers.

1. Second John 9 warns against going beyond the teaching of Christ. a. The one who does not abide in the teaching does not have God. b. The one who abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. c. Doctrine is not optional furniture in the house of faith.
2. Second John 10 says not to receive such a teacher into the house or give him a greeting. a. This is not a ban on common courtesy to every confused person. b. This concerns support, fellowship, and endorsement of one who does not bring the teaching of Christ. c. The church must not assist error in the name of kindness.
3. Second John 11 explains why. a. The one who gives such a greeting participates in evil deeds. b. Fellowship can make us partners in what we should oppose. c. A church may become guilty not only by teaching error, but by supporting those who teach it.

III. The Purpose of Withdrawal Is Spiritual Rescue, Not Personal Revenge.

A. Withdrawal aims to save the soul in error.

1. Second Thessalonians 3:14 says the disorderly brother is to be put to shame. a. Shame here is not petty embarrassment. b. It is the moral pain of seeing sin for what it is. c. The hope is repentance.
2. First Corinthians 5:5 says the goal is that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. a. The action is severe because the danger is severe. b. A soul is at stake. c. Softness that leaves a man comfortable in sin is not love.
3. Hebrews 10:26–31 warns about willful sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth. a. There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins for the one who goes on sinning willfully. b. The passage speaks of trampling underfoot the Son of God. c. It is terrifying to fall into the hands of the living God.

B. Withdrawal protects the church from the spread of sin.

1. First Corinthians 5:6 says a little leaven leavens the whole lump. a. Sin rarely stays isolated when it is tolerated. b. Others learn what the church will excuse. c. Rebellion becomes easier when the congregation treats it as normal.
2. Israel’s history gives the same warning. a. Achan’s sin brought trouble on the whole camp. b. The golden calf was not a private mistake but a public corruption. c. God’s people are never safe when sin is allowed to wear the clothing of fellowship.
3. A church that refuses discipline teaches by refusal. a. It teaches the sinner that repentance is unnecessary. b. It teaches the weak that sin has no serious consequence. c. It teaches the young that holiness is optional when discipline becomes uncomfortable.

C. Withdrawal magnifies Christ and preserves the purity of His church.

1. Acts 5 records the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. a. They lied to God. b. God judged the sin severely. c. Great fear came upon the whole church.
2. Acts 5:13–14 shows the result. a. The people held the church in high esteem. b. Believers were increasingly added to the Lord. c. Reverence did not weaken the church; it strengthened the church.
3. The church belongs to Christ. a. Acts 20:28 says He purchased the church with His own blood. b. We have no right to make His church a safe house for rebellion. c. Discipline is one way the church confesses that Christ is Lord over His people.

IV. The Command Must Be Obeyed with Brotherly Love and Spiritual Sobriety.

A. Paul forbids treating the withdrawn brother as an enemy.

1. Second Thessalonians 3:15 says, “Yet do not regard him as an enemy.” a. Withdrawal must not become hatred. b. Discipline must not become revenge. c. Correction must not become cruelty.
2. Paul says to admonish him as a brother. a. The relationship is wounded but not forgotten. b. The goal remains restoration. c. The tone must be serious, truthful, and brotherly.
3. Galatians 6:1 gives the spirit needed in restoration. a. The spiritual are to restore the one caught in trespass. b. The spirit must be gentle. c. Each one must look to himself, lest he also be tempted.

B. The command requires courage from the congregation.

1. Church discipline is hard because sin often has relationships attached to it. a. The disorderly brother may be family. b. He may be a longtime friend. c. He may be influential in the congregation.
2. Scripture gives no family loophole that cancels obedience. a. Family love must not outrank Christ. b. Personal attachment must not erase divine instruction. c. The church must obey the Lord even when obedience hurts.
3. Refusing discipline often feels compassionate, but it is not. a. It leaves the sinner unwarned. b. It leaves the church exposed. c. It leaves the command of Christ ignored.

C. The command requires humility from every member.

1. Discipline should never be handled with arrogance. a. The church should mourn sin. b. The church should examine itself. c. The church should act with trembling obedience.
2. No Christian should enjoy withdrawal. a. If we enjoy it, something is wrong in us. b. If we refuse it when Scripture requires it, something is wrong in us. c. The faithful path is neither spite nor cowardice.
3. Love and discipline must stand together. a. First Thessalonians 4:9–10 calls brethren to excel still more in love. b. Second Thessalonians 3 calls brethren to withdraw when necessary. c. The same God gave both commands.

Application.

1. For the disorderly Christian, do not mistake patience for approval. a. Brethren may plead for a long time. b. The church may move slowly because it wants your repentance. c. But if you refuse correction, Scripture does not permit the church to treat rebellion as fellowship.
2. For the congregation, do not confuse love with softness. a. Love warns. b. Love corrects. c. Love obeys Christ even when obedience is painful.
3. For elders, preachers, and spiritually mature members, discipline must be handled carefully. a. Facts must be established. b. The sinner must be approached with the aim of restoration. c. The church must not use discipline as a weapon for politics or personal grudges.
4. For parents and grandparents, teach the next generation that holiness still matters. a. Children should see that sin is not winked at in the church. b. They should also see tears, patience, and real efforts to restore. c. If they see only harshness, they will misunderstand discipline; if they see only tolerance, they will misunderstand holiness.

Conclusion.

1. Second Thessalonians 3 gives the church a command. a. Keep away from the disorderly brother. b. Take note of the one who refuses apostolic instruction. c. Do not associate with him so that he may be ashamed.
2. The command is not isolated. a. Christ taught discipline in Matthew 18. b. Paul taught it in Romans 16 and 1 Corinthians 5. c. John taught it in 2 John.
3. The purpose is spiritual. a. Save the sinner. b. Protect the church. c. Honor Christ.
4. The spirit must remain brotherly. a. Do not regard him as an enemy. b. Admonish him as a brother. c. Pray and work for repentance and restoration.

Invitation.

1. Hear the word. a. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
2. Believe Christ. a. John 8:24 warns that unless one believes Jesus is the Christ, he will die in his sins.
3. Repent. a. Acts 17:30 says God commands all people everywhere to repent.
4. Confess Christ. a. Romans 10:9–10 connects confession with faith and salvation.
5. Be baptized for the remission of sins. a. Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
6. Live faithfully. a. Revelation 2:10 calls Christians to be faithful until death.

Word Study.

Scripture Interlock Table.