3:6

This is a long sentence in the Greek text. You may need to divide it into several sentences in your translation.

3:6a

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: This is a strong command or warning. Paul used this full expression to show that this was not just a command from himself, it had the full authority of the Lord Jesus.

brothers: See the note on 1:3a.

3:6b

to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life: Paul was warning the Thessalonians that they should not associate with undisciplined people among the believers. It probably means that they should avoid eating with them or meeting them socially. Paul said more about this in 3:14c and 3:15a.

He did not mean that the Thessalonian believers should refuse to let these people attend meetings or exclude them completely. Avoid using a term that would make your readers think that this was what Paul was saying.

any brother who leads an undisciplined life: The word ataktōs, which the BSB translates as undisciplined, is related to the word used in 1 Thessalonians 5:14a. It usually means “disorderly.” As was discussed there, commentators suggest two possible meanings for the word, and the same problem occurs here. The two possibilities are:

1. It refers to a specific form of disorderliness, that of being idle. Paul was therefore referring to a group of Thessalonian believers who had stopped working because they thought that Christ would return very soon. See 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12. (BSB, NIV, GNT, RSV, NCV, CEV, NLT, JB, REB)

2. The word should be understood literally and, therefore, refers to those who were unruly or disorderly, that is, they refused to obey or respect their leaders. (KJV, NJB, NASB, NET, GW)

The commentators are evenly divided between these two views. However, it is clear from the rest of this section that idleness was a real problem among the believers at Thessalonica. Therefore, it is recommended that you follow the first option (1). Related words occur in 3:7b and 3:11a, so make sure you translate them the same way.

brother: Even if you normally translate the term brother (when referring to a Christian brother) using a kinship term, in this context it may be better to translate it “believer.”

3:6c

the tradition: The Greek word paradosis , which the BSB translates as tradition, is the same word that Paul used in 2:15b. It refers to something passed down from one generation to another. Paul used the word to emphasize that what he had taught the Thessalonians was not just his own ideas but something that had been passed on to him from Jesus and that he in turn was passing on to them.

you received from us: There is a textual problem with this part of the verseIn the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament, the evidence is fairly evenly balanced for the two readings “you” and “they.” It is more likely, however, that parelabosan is the original. See the discussion in the SSA for more details.:

1. Some Greek manuscripts have the word parelabete (you received). This is followed by most English translations. (BSB, RSV, NIV, NET, GW, REB, CEV, NASB, NCV, NLT, NJB)

2. Other Greek manuscripts have parelabosan, “they received.” (GNT, NRSV)

There is no great difference in meaning between the two possibilities. It is therefore recommended that you follow the majority of English versions and use the second person plural pronoun “you” to make it clear that everyone in Thessalonica had received the same teaching from Paul and his companions and that it was not just something that had been given to the lazy people.