such people. The church was to avoid those people to show them that their behavior was unacceptable, so that they would repent and return to the community as “brothers” (2 Thes. 3:15). It was important that false teaching and sinful behavior not be permitted to continue in the church community as if everything were fine, because Paul knew such attitudes and actions could easily spread and poison the whole body. —— Instead of following the example of the undisciplined people in Thessalonica,