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Saturday, August 2nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

2 Thessalonians 3:15

Don't consider them your enemies, but speak kindly to them as you would to any other follower.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Commandments;   Fellowship;   Fraternity;   Thompson Chain Reference - Admonition;   Commendation-Reproof;   Duty;   The Topic Concordance - Admonition;   Company;   Disobedience;   Enemies;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Missionaries, All Christians Should Be as;   Reproof;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Excommunication;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Brother;   Church;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Discipline;   Wealth;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Thessalonians, the Epistles to the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Excommunication;   2 Thessalonians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Excommunication;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Admonition;   Brethren;   Brotherhood (2);   Care, Careful;   Thessalonians Epistles to the;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Excommunication;   Salvation;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Yet don’t consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
King James Version (1611)
Yet count him not as an enemie, but admonish him as a brother.
King James Version
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
English Standard Version
Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
New American Standard Bible
And yet do not regard that person as an enemy, but admonish that one as a brother or sister.
New Century Version
But do not treat them as enemies. Warn them as fellow believers.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Legacy Standard Bible
And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Berean Standard Bible
Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Complete Jewish Bible
But don't consider him an enemy; on the contrary, confront him as a brother and try to help him change.
Darby Translation
and do not esteem him as an enemy, but admonish [him] as a brother.
Easy-to-Read Version
But don't treat them as enemies. Counsel them as fellow believers.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet count him not as an enemie, but admonish him as a brother.
George Lamsa Translation
Yet do not consider him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Good News Translation
But do not treat them as enemies; instead, warn them as believers.
Lexham English Bible
And do not consider him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Literal Translation
But do not count him as one hostile, but warn him as a brother.
Amplified Bible
Do not regard him as an enemy, but keep admonishing him as a [believing] brother.
American Standard Version
And yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Bible in Basic English
Have no feeling of hate for him, but take him in hand seriously as a brother.
Hebrew Names Version
Don't count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
International Standard Version
Yet, don't treat him like an enemy, but warninstruct
">[fn] him like a brother.Leviticus 19:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Titus 3:10;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Yet, not as an enemy hold him, but admonish him as a brother.
Murdock Translation
Yet, hold him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yet count him not as an enemie, but warne hym as a brother.
English Revised Version
And [yet] count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
World English Bible
Don't count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Weymouth's New Testament
And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but caution him as a brother.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and nyle ye gesse hym as an enemye, but repreue ye hym as a brother. And God hym silf of pees yyue to you euerlastinge pees in al place.
Update Bible Version
And [yet] do not count as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Webster's Bible Translation
Yet count [him] not as an enemy, but admonish [him] as a brother.
New English Translation
Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
New King James Version
Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
New Living Translation
Don't think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.
New Life Bible
Do not think of him as one who hates you. But talk to him as a Christian brother.
New Revised Standard
Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, not as an enemy, be esteeming him, but be admonishing him, as a brother.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Yet do not esteem him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.
Revised Standard Version
Do not look on him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And count him not as an enemy: but warne him as a brother.
Young's Literal Translation
and as an enemy count [him] not, but admonish ye [him] as a brother;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yet counte him not as an enemye, but warne him as a brother.
Mace New Testament (1729)
however, don't treat him as an enemy, but reprove him as a brother.
Simplified Cowboy Version
I'm not saying they should be treated as enemies, but let your actions be a warning to them, not because you hate them, but because you love them.

Contextual Overview

6 My dear friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I beg you not to have anything to do with any of your people who loaf around and refuse to obey the instructions we gave you. 7 You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing, 8 and we didn't accept food from anyone without paying for it. We didn't want to be a burden to any of you, so night and day we worked as hard as we could. 9 We had the right not to work, but we wanted to set an example for you. 10 We also gave you the rule that if you don't work, you don't eat. 11 Now we learn that some of you just loaf around and won't do any work, except the work of a busybody. 12 So, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask and beg these people to settle down and start working for a living. 13 Dear friends, you must never become tired of doing right. 14 Be on your guard against any followers who refuse to obey what we have written in this letter. Put them to shame by not having anything to do with them. 15 Don't consider them your enemies, but speak kindly to them as you would to any other follower.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

count: Leviticus 19:17, Leviticus 19:18, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 2:6-10, 2 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 13:10, Galatians 6:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Jude 1:22, Jude 1:23

admonish: Psalms 141:5, Proverbs 9:9, Proverbs 25:12, Matthew 18:15, 1 Corinthians 4:14, Titus 3:10, James 5:19, James 5:20

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:3 - pronounce Job 13:24 - holdest me Matthew 18:17 - let Romans 16:17 - mark 2 Corinthians 2:7 - ye Colossians 3:16 - teaching 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - that ye 1 Timothy 1:20 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the Lord God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, "Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:3
except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die."
Genesis 3:4
"No, you won't!" the snake replied.
Genesis 3:6
The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too.
Genesis 3:7
Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:8
Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.
Genesis 3:10
The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"
Genesis 3:13
The Lord God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."
Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the snake: "Because of what you have done, you will be the only animal to suffer this curse— For as long as you live, you will crawl on your stomach and eat dirt.
Genesis 3:15
You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet count him not as an enemy,.... As an enemy of Christ, and the Christian religion, as the Jews and Pagans were; or as an enemy of all righteousness, as Elymas the sorcerer was; as one that has an implacable hatred to good men, and a persecutor of them, and has an utter aversion to them and their principles; nor deal with him in an hostile, fierce, furious, and passionate manner, as if you were seeking his destruction, and not his restoration. This seems to be levelled against the Jews, who allowed of hatred to incorrigible persons: they say t,

"an hater that is spoken of in the law, is not of the nations of the world, but of Israel; but how shall an Israelite hate an Israelite? does not the Scripture say, "thou shall not hate thy brother in thine heart?" the wise men say, when a man sees him alone, who has committed a transgression, and he admonishes him, and he does not return, lo, it is מצוה לשונאו, "a commandment to hate him" until he repents and turns from his wickedness.''

But admonish, or "reprove" him

as a brother; as one that has been called a brother, and a member of the church, and who, though criminal, has no bitterness in him against the church, or against the name of Christ, and the doctrines of Christ; and therefore should not be treated in a virulent manner, but with a brotherly affection, meekness, compassion, and tenderness; and who indeed is to be reckoned as a brother, while the censure is passing, and the sentence of excommunication is executing on him; for till it is finished he stands in such a relation: though this also may have respect, as to the manner of excommunicating persons, so to the conduct of the church to such afterwards; who are not to neglect them, and much less to treat them as enemies, in a cruel and uncompassionate manner; but should inquire, and diligently observe, what effect the ordinance of excommunication has upon them, and renew their admonitions and friendly reproofs, if possible, to recover them.

t Maimon. Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 13. sect. 14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother - This shows the true spirit in which discipline is to be administered in the Christian church. We are not to deal with a man as an adversary over whom we are to seek to gain a victory, but as an erring brother - a brother still, though he errs. There was necessity for this caution. There is great danger that when we undertake the work of discipline we shall forget that he who is the subject of it is a brother, and that we shall regard and treat him as an enemy. Such is human nature. We set ourselves in array against him. We cut him off as one who is unworthy to walk with us. We triumph over him, and consider him at once as an enemy of the church, and as having lost all claim to its sympathies. We abandon him to the tender mercies of a cold and unfeeling world, and let him take his course. Perhaps we follow him with anathemas, and hold him up as unworthy the confidence of mankind. Now all this is entirely unlike the method and aim of discipline as the New Testament requires. There all is kind, and gentle, though firm; the offender is a man and a brother still; he is to be followed with tender sympathy and prayer, and the hearts and the arms of the Christian brotherhood are to be open to receive him again when he gives any evidence of repenting.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. Count him not as an enemy — Consider him still more an enemy to himself than to you; and admonish him as a brother, though you have ceased to hold religious communion with him. His soul is still of infinite value; labour to get it saved.


 
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