Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
All Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 3:15 Go To 2 Thessalonians 3
John Chrysostom
AD 407
By this he shows that he has assigned a heavy punishment against him, in depriving him of freedom of conversation.
For if to be a receiver even with many others is worthy of disgrace, when they even reprove while they offer it, and withdraw themselves, how great is the reproach, quite sufficient to sting the soul. For if only giving rather tardily, and with murmuring, they inflame the receivers— for tell me not of impudent beggars, but of the faithful— if they were to reprove while they give, what would they not do? To what punishment would it not be equal? We do not do so, but as if we had been greatly injured, we so insult and turn away from those who beg of us. Thou dost not give, but why do you also grieve him? Admonish them, he says, as brethren, do not insult them as enemies. He who admonishes his brother, does it not publicly. He does not make an open show of the insult, but he does it privately and with much address, and grieving, as hurt, and weeping and lamenting. Let us bestow therefore with the disposition of a brother, let us admonish with the good will of a brother, not as if we grieved at giving, but as if we grieved for his transgressing the commandment. Since what is the advantage? For if, even after giving, you insult, you destroy the pleasure of giving. But when you do not give and yet insult, what wrong do you not do to that wretched and unfortunate man? He came to you, to receive pity from you, but he goes away having received a deadly blow, and weeps the more. For when by reason of his poverty he is compelled to beg, and is insulted on account of his begging, think how great will be the punishment of those who insult him. He that dishonors the poor, it says, provokes his Maker. Proverbs 14:12-31, Septuagint For tell me, did He suffer him to be poor for your sake, that you might be able to heal yourself— and do you insult him who for your sake is poor? What obstinacy is this! What an act of ingratitude is it! Admonish him as a brother, he says, and after having given, he orders you to admonish him. But if even without giving we insult him, what excuse shall we have?
