Bible Dictionary
DISORDERLY
Disorderly describes conduct that is unruly, undisciplined, or out of rank. The New Testament applies it to believers whose lives brought reproach on the gospel and who refused proper order.
Definition
Disorderly describes conduct that is out of rank, unruly, or unwilling to keep proper order. The word comes from military language describing a soldier who does not remain in the ranks. It consequently came to describe people who refuse orderly obedience and conduct themselves improperly.
Biblical Usage
In the Thessalonian Epistles, believers are warned against walking disorderly and are told to withdraw from a brother who does so. The term concerns members of the early church whose lives brought reproach upon the gospel, including conduct inconsistent with quiet and responsible living.
Historical Background
The underlying word is a military term. Its movement from failure to keep ranks to refusal of civil or communal order explains the English sense of disorderly.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>dis-or'-der-li (ataktos): The word is found four times in the Epistles to the Thess (1Th 5:14; 2Th 3:6,7,11), "Withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly."; "We behaved not ourselves disorderly."; "We hear of some that walk among you disorderly." The word is a military term and has reference to the soldier who does not keep the ranks (inordinatus, Liv). Then it refers to people who refuse to obey the civil laws, and thus it gets its meaning, "disorderly." It points to members in the early church, who, by their lives, became a reproach to the gospel of Christ (compare 1Th 4:11,12).</p><p>Henry E. Dosker</p>