14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed.
누가 이 편지에 한 우리 말을 순종치 아니하거든 그 사람을 지목하여 사귀지 말고 저로 하여금 부끄럽게 하라
‘Anyone who do not obey’ would be equal to who do not ‘do what is good’ in v.13. Having learned that God seals us from the beginning to the end (2:13-14); as the manifestation, God’s word flourishes in us (1:9) and lets us endure until our Christ is gloried in us in the end (2:14), mutually enabling each other to sustain our Christian identity (3:10); they do not obey. Then the rest of the believers who obey are to ‘take special note of the person (NASB), 지목하여’ by way of not having anything to do with him. This has a purpose of putting that person to a particular sense of shame.
15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.
그러나 원수와 같이 생각지 말고 형제같이 권하라
‘Putting a person to shame’ here has one purpose only: that he would change his mind so as to listen (obey) and take part in doing what is good. While this process of ‘disciplining’ is going on, he is still to be treated as a fellow believer not as a non-believer. This means that this person too, though he himself is hesitant to fully commit himself yet, is one who God seals from the beginning to the end.
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
평강의 주께서 친히 때마다 일마다 너희에게 평강을 주시기를 원하노라 주는 너희 모든 사람과 함께 하실지어다
Therefore our Lord is the Lord of peace in that he has established peace not only between God and ourselves, but also between brothers. His peace, i.e. the result of his work, is conclusive and comprehensive that it reaches all spheres of life, not just when you are in the church, not just when you read the Bible, but always, and all around. His work takes effect through the sealed you going round, doing your ordinary businesses, eating and drinking, i.e. living.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.
나 바울은 친필로 문안하노니 이는 편지마다 표적이기로 이렇게 쓰노라
In conjunction with false teachers, letters going round (2:2), Paul authenticates his letter by signing it off with his own hand writing.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
우리 주 예수 그리스도의 은혜가 너희 무리에게 있을지어다
This is all gift from our Lord, let us not forget. This is not a hard thing, as Moses exhorted his people (Deut 30:11). This is something our Christ has already accomplished for us and given to us as a gift. All we have to do is to change our mind, listen, and stay with him. – Even this is his grace.
Lord our God, Thank you for your word in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. You took special note of us so as to shame us, but not for good, only for a while. With that gift of grace we remembered you, that we have a Father to turn to, we changed our minds and came back home. This faith is a mystery which you give to your children also as a gift. In this all round gift, that everything has been done by you, what are we to do? Let us not harden our hearts but learn from you and from each other with the heart of flesh, the soft heart, you have created in us. Our body gets old, weakened, suffers illnesses. But your word flourishes and increases. Let us keep acknowledging it even in the face of harshest reality. For you seal us to the end. For Christ glories in us now and forever. Lord have grace on us. Amen.
Image: The stained-glass window number 27 in the Sint Janskerk at Gouda/Netherlands: “The parable of the Pharisee and the publican”. Photograph by Joachim Köhler.