Church Discipline, Translation Notes, and 2 Thessalonians 3:14

The phrase in question appears in 2 Thessalonians 3:14:

"And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed."

Your King James Bible includes a marginal note that suggests an alternative rendering: “or signify that man by an epistle.” This note reflects how the translators understood the underlying Greek and their desire to make the range of possible translations visible to the reader.

subsection*King James Marginal Notes and Their Purpose

The King James translators occasionally placed marginal notes in the text. These notes typically serve one of two functions:

• To indicate a legitimate alternative translation of the same Greek or Hebrew expression.
• To clarify a sense of the word or phrase that might not be obvious in the main text.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:14, the marginal note is of the first type. It does not question the main text but suggests that the Greek could legitimately be understood slightly differently. The translators are effectively saying: “We have rendered it this way in the main text, but the grammar allows another construction as well.”

This practice reflects a humility and transparency. Rather than hiding textual or grammatical ambiguities, they openly share them, inviting readers to weigh the options.

subsection*The Two Main Senses in English

The main text reads:

"And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed."

The marginal alternative effectively reads:

"And if any man obey not our word, by an epistle note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed."

The difference lies in how the phrase “by this epistle” (or “by an epistle”) is connected syntactically:

1. Main text sense: “If any man obey not our word by this epistle” — that is, the disobedience is to the word as communicated in this epistle. Then: “note that man, and have no company with him.”
2. Marginal sense: “If any man obey not our word, by an epistle note that man” — that is, when someone refuses to obey, send or use an epistle to mark or signify that person and instruct others to have no company with him.

In English, the difference is almost like shifting a comma: does “by this epistle” modify “obey not our word,” or does “by epistle” modify “note that man”?

subsection*Why Both Readings Are Grammatically Possible

The Greek syntax allows some flexibility in where we attach the phrase corresponding to “by this epistle” or “by epistle.” Greek does not use the definite article “the” in the same way English does, and the case structure allows for some different nuances.

Thus, the translators judged that either of these senses could be drawn from the Greek. They settled on one for the main text but did not want to obscure the other as grammatically legitimate. Hence the marginal “or signify that man by an epistle.”

subsection*Evaluating the Two Options

subsubsection*1. Main text: disobedience to “our word by this epistle”

On this reading, Paul is saying:

“If anyone refuses to obey what we have written in this letter, mark that person and avoid fellowship so that he may be ashamed.”

This fits naturally with the immediate context. Paul has just given instructions to the Thessalonians concerning idleness, work, and proper conduct. He then says that his written word—“this epistle”—is authoritative. Those who disregard this epistolary instruction are to be disciplined by the assembly.

This sense emphasizes the authority of Paul’s letter as a vehicle of apostolic teaching.

subsubsection*2. Marginal note: “note that man by an epistle”

On the marginal reading, the idea is more procedural: if someone refuses to obey apostolic instruction, then the church is to “note” or “signify” that man “by an epistle.” That could suggest some form of written communication—perhaps a letter from Paul or a formal notice within the church—identifying the disobedient person and directing the congregation not to keep company with him.

This is grammatically possible but arguably less natural in the immediate flow of the passage. It seems more complex: Paul would be prescribing a written communication process rather than simply assigning responsibility to the congregation to recognize and discipline the disobedient.

Because of this, the translators appear to have judged the first sense—disobedience to the apostolic word given “by this epistle”—as more straightforward for the main text, while still admitting that the other could be defended linguistically.

subsection*The Value of the Marginal Note

The marginal note does not indicate a contradiction or an error. Rather, it preserves the nuance that the Greek could mean either:

• disobedience to Paul’s written word “by this epistle,” or
• marking the person “by epistle.”

In practice, both senses point toward the same general reality: the congregation is to recognize and respond to persistent disobedience to apostolic teaching, and formal communication—whether embodied in Paul’s letters or in subsequent epistles—plays a role in that process.

The presence of the marginal note is a hallmark of the King James tradition’s openness. The translators do not insist that readers simply accept their choice without question; they share linguistically viable alternatives and allow serious readers to weigh them.

subsection*Modern Translations by Comparison

Many modern translations render the verse along the lines of:

“If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person...”

They almost always choose the first sense and typically do not note any alternative in the margin. This can give the impression that the text is more narrowly settled than the Greek strictly requires. The King James, by contrast, shows its work and invites the reader into the interpretive process.

subsection*How to Use Both Readings

Because both renderings are grammatically defensible and doctrinally compatible, a careful reader can profit from both:

• The main text underscores that apostolic doctrine, when written in an epistle, carries binding authority for the church.
• The marginal sense reminds us that formal written communication—epistles, letters, decrees—may rightly be used to identify persistent disobedience and to guide the congregation in appropriate separation.

In either case, the core thrust of 2 Thessalonians 3:14 remains: the church must take seriously those who refuse to obey apostolic teaching and, in love and sobriety, apply corrective discipline so that the offender “may be ashamed” and, ideally, restored.