2 Thessalonians 3:15 (WEB)

Passage

Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing what is right.

2 Thessalonians 3:14 If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

2 Thessalonians 3:15 Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:17 The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "If any man doesn t obey our..." into verse 16's "Now may the Lord of peace himself...", so "count" 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 "count" and "enemy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.