What Does 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Mean?

(6) **We command you.**—The practical conclusion of the letter. These words take up the expression in 2Thessalonians 3:4, “Ye will do the things which (at any time) we command you; now the thing which we command you is this.” **In the name of our Lord.**—To do anything in a person’s name seems to mean, in the first instance, the actual pronouncing of the name in the performance of the action—to do it name on lip, just as to “come in a rod” (1Corinthians 4:21) literally means *rod in hand.* Thus, miracles are commonly said to be performed “in the name of the Lord,” viz., with the audible repetition of His name (for instance, Matthew 7:22, Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17); and for examples of the way in which the name was literally so used, we may refer to Acts 3:6; Acts 9:34; Acts 19:13—in the last case the name being employed as a mere incantation or charm. See also Philippians 2:10, where, as the adoration paid to Jesus Himself is the point, the phrase must mean, “mentioning the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.” From this mention of the name in performing an action, our phrase assumes, at any rate, two distinct meanings: (1) As in Colossians 3:17, it implies an invocation or attestation of the person named, or a recognition of his presence and interest in the matter, in which sense it has passed into the common language of Christianity, into legal formulas, &c. (2) Here, and usually, it means a claim to the *authority* of the person named—to act officially as his representative with full powers. (See Notes on John 14:13; John 14:26.) Thus the prophets spoke “in the name of the Lord”—*i.e., *as His authoritative exponents (James 5:10); St. Paul commands (Acts 16:18), and retains a man’s sins (1Corinthians 4:5) “in the name of the Lord”—*i.e., *as His official spokesman or ambassador; the priests are to administer the unction of the sick with like authority (James 5:14-15). So here, the Thessalonians are not to think that in disobeying St. Paul’s injunctions they are rebelling against a mere human authority; Christ Himself speaks to them through St. Paul’s lips. Yet, commanding with all this tremendous authority, they are still but “brethren” (Matthew 23:8). **Withdraw yourselves.**—The striking word here used is (in its simple form) only found besides in 2Corinthians 8:20 : “avoiding this.” In a still more striking compound, it occurs in Acts 20:20; Acts 20:27; Galatians 2:12; Hebrews 10:38. It is a metaphor from the language of strategy a cautious general shrinking from an encounter and timidly drawing off under cover. Perhaps, we might illustrate it by the familiar English *“fight shy of* every brother.” A social excommunication rather than ecclesiastical seems chiefly meant, though the latter might perhaps be involved. **From every brother**—*i.e., *every Christian. It was impossible to be so strict about the outside world. (Comp. 1Corinthians 5:10-11.) The man still remains a “brother” (2Thessalonians 3:15). **Disorderly.**—The word is rendered “unruly” in 1Thessalonians 5:14, and is possibly suggested by the military metaphor above. It means properly “out of rank.” The kind of irregularity which is meant is made clear by 2Thessalonians 3:10-11. The worthy Bengel quaintly makes this an opportunity for denouncing the Mendicant Orders: “An order of mendicants, then, is not an order; if the Thessalonians had bound themselves to it by a vow, what would St. Paul have said?” **The tradition.**—See Note on 2Thessalonians 2:15. The word must imply systematic and definite teaching; and we see here again that a clear code of ethics was part of the apostolic catechism. (See Note on 1Thessalonians 4:1) **He received.**—The best rendering is, *which they received*—*i.e., *all the brethren who walked disorderly. The word “receive” is the regular correlative to “tradition” or “deliver.” (See, *e.g., *Mark 7:4; 1Corinthians 11:23; Galatians 1:9; Colossians 2:6.)