Verse 14
Failure to abandon the idle lifestyle after having received the further warnings in this epistle should result in increased ostracism (cf. Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5:9; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Titus 3:10-11). This discipline would, hopefully, embarrass the offender into changing his or her ways.
". . . allowing a believer to persist in blatantly unchristian, exploitive, and disruptive behavior is not a kindness-neither to the church nor to the errant believer nor to the watching non-Christian public." [Note: Martin, p. 285.]
Paul put social pressure to good use here. It is regrettable that in our day social pressure often has very little influence on erring brethren. Rather than submit to church discipline many Christians simply change churches. Strong measures may be necessary in some cases so the offender feels the need to repent and to live in harmony with the will of God.
"The treatment of such a man is to withdraw from close fellowship with him. . . . It [the Greek verb sunanamignusthai] literally means ’Don’t mix yourselves up with him’." [Note: Morris, The Epistles . . ., p. 149.]
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