2Thessalonians 3:6-9 And we enjoin you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to draw yourselves back from every brother walking in a disorderly way, and not according to the teaching which you received from us. For you yourselves know how it is right to act like us, because we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat bread from anyone as a gift, but by labor and toil, working night and day in order not to burden anyone of you. Not that we do not have authority, but that we give ourselves as an example to you, for you to act like us.

These texts, and the rest to verse 15, have puzzled me for a long time because it didn't seem to fit with how Christ taught. So I've been doing a lot of research into the Greek meaning of some of the words and doing a lot of studying to figure it all out. Last week we read;

“Above all, love each other warmly, because love covers many sins.

Welcome each other as guests without complaining.” 1Peter 4:8,9.

But these texts seem to say something different. I looked up the translation from the Greek of what it means to draw yourselves back. The Greek word used here is “stello”. It means to remove one's self, withdraw one's self, to depart, to abstain from familiar intercourse with one. We're not to be good friends with the people who are being disorderly. This is supported in Proverbs.

“Whoever walks with wise people will be wise,

but whoever associates with fools will suffer.” Proverbs 13:20.

In other words, choose your friends carefully. Who you spend time with is going to have an influence on your life. We can still love the person who is living in error, and try to help them, but we shouldn't spend a lot of time with them or we may find ourselves becoming more like them. Christ spent time with people who were considered disorderly and undesirable when he was on this earth. But it wasn't until they accepted Him as the Son of God and chose to follow Him that He allowed Himself to develop a friendship with them. Even then He made sure He spent a lot of time every day with His Heavenly Father. Jesus knew the power of peer pressure. He knew how much one person can influence another. It was only because of His close walk the God that He was not able to be influenced by those around Him.

Our close friendships should only be with those who are living in submission to God and who spend time in communion with God. We can and should try to help lift a soul that has fallen away from God, but only if we're keeping ourselves in a close relationship with God. It is only when God is working through us that we are able to help another.

“It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.” Philippians 2:13