3:14 Failure to abandon the idle lifestyle after having received the further warnings in this epistle should result in increased ostracism (cf. Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5:9, 11; Titus 3:10-11). This discipline would 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."74
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.
3:15 However, Paul warned against overreacting. The church should always treat the offender as a brother, not an enemy. We warn brothers, but we denounce and condemn enemies. The aim of all church discipline must be repentance followed by restoration.75
"The situation is different from that envisaged at Corinth, where someone who is called a brother' (ean tis adelphos onomazomenos. . .) lives and acts in such a way as to give the lie to his Christian profession; that person is to be treated as an unbeliever, with no entitlement to the privileges of Christian fellowship (1 Cor 5:11)."76
