Correcting Out of Love, Not Hatred

But again, in case some might be emboldened by this gentleness and scorn to obey his commands, he goes on with the severity of an apostle: “But if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, take note of that man and do not keep company with him, so that he may be ashamed.” And while he warns them of what they ought to observe out of regard for him and for the good of all, and of the care with which they should keep the apostle’s commands, he at once joins to the warning the kindness of a most tender father. As though they were his children, he also teaches them what a brotherly attitude they should cultivate, out of love, toward those he has mentioned: “Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” With the severity of a judge he combines the affection of a father, and he tempers with kindness and gentleness the sentence pronounced with apostolic sternness. For he commands them to take note of the man who scorns to obey his commands, and not to keep company with him; yet he does not tell them to do this out of a wrong feeling of dislike, but out of brotherly affection and with a view to his amendment. “Do not keep company with him,” he says, “so that he may be ashamed”: so that even if he is not made better by my mild instructions, he may at last be brought to shame by being publicly separated from all of you, and so may one day begin to be restored to the way of salvation. [a]