In some languages it may be important to amplify the phrase in this matter, so as to make clear that the reference is to the relation between men and women. Therefore, it may be possible to render this transitional phrase as “in the way in which a man conducts himself toward women he should not wrong his brother.” If our conclusions in the general notes on this passage are correct, the meaning of “brother” here is properly limited to male fellow-Christians.
Do wrong to his fellow Christian is often rendered as “to cheat his brother” or “to do something against his brother,” but it may be necessary in this particular context to render “brother” as fellow Christian. If would be all too easy for persons to understand “brother” in its literal sense, because in this context one is speaking about intimate family relations.
The expressions do wrong to and take advantage of are essentially similar in meaning. The second expression simply reinforces the first. It is, therefore, possible in translation to employ one expression but with some kind of emphatic qualifier, for example, “he should not cheat his brother in anything at all.”
We strongly warned you may be rendered as “we told you forcefully what would happen,” or “we said to you with strong words that you should beware.”
The Lord, as usual (cf. notes on 1.2), means Jesus, but Paul’s thought (as in 3.11-12 and 4.1-3) moves easily between Jesus and God the Father. Paul will return in 2 Thess. 1.8 to the role of Jesus in judgment.
The background of will punish, which is related to the word for “justice,” is the Old Testament idea of retributive justice, whereby a man, a group, or a people was punished, either by God or by a human judge acting on his behalf, in proportion to the crime which had been committed. This was a personal activity, but one related to the law. Modern western culture does not share with the Bible the view of law as based on a personal activity of God. Translators of this and similar texts therefore often have to choose whether to emphasize the idea of just punishment or that of personal hostility. The former is more appropriate, since “avenger” and related words, used by King James Version Revised Standard Version Moffatt (cf. Bible de Jérusalem Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), have come to be associated with vendettas, gang warfare, and similar illegal activities.
In many languages punish is translated literally as “make to suffer.”
Those who do that is literally “concerning all these.” King James Version understood “these” to refer to people: “the Lord is the avenger of all such” (presumably the “brothers” mentioned, though in the singular). But “these” is much more likely to refer to things, that is, in general terms, to the sins just mentioned. “All” has the effect of making the reference more general: “the Lord will punish those who do this kind of thing.” This general reference is brought out by the word “such” in Barclay (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Bible en français courant).
There is much overlap of meaning between told you … before and strongly warned you, the second verb being stronger than the first, and the two together stronger than either would be alone. Some translations combine the two: “we have already most solemnly warned you” (Translator’s New Testament cf. Revised Standard Version), “we told you before with all emphasis” (New English Bible), “we have already very definitely told you” (Barclay cf. Bible en français courant Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The repeated reference to Paul’s earlier oral teaching suggest that he means “we told you before now” rather than “we told before the punishment comes.” Strongly warned could also mean “bore witness” (“testified” King James Version), and Phillips expands this interpretation into “we have seen this work out in our experience of life.” Phillips‘ interesting rendering does not limit or restrict God’s activity of punishing to the “last days,” but the coming judgment is such a frequently recurring theme in this letter that Phillips‘ interpretation is unlikely, and it is not shared by other translators.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .