2 Thessalonians 3:15 (LSB)

Passage

And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But as for you, brothers, do not lose heart in doing good.

2 Thessalonians 3:14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, take special note of that person to not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.

2 Thessalonians 3:15 And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually give you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

2 Thessalonians 3:17 The greeting is in my own hand—Paul, which is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "regard", "enemy", "admonish", and "brother". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "regard" and "enemy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "And if anyone does not obey our..." into verse 16's "Now may the Lord of peace Himself...", so "regard" and "enemy" belong inside that flow. In 2 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "regard" and "enemy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.