For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn't behave ourselves rebelliously among you,
"As important as it is to identify the cause and nature of the problem behavior addressed in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, we should not ignore the fact that our passage both begins (2 Thessalonians 3:6) and ends (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15) with exhortations, not to the idle but to the rest of the church. The admonition addressed directly to those Christians who were living improperly (2 Thessalonians 3:12) is, in fact, rather brief." [Note: Ibid., p. 271.] 