ἀτακτέω, ἄτακτος, ἀτάκτως
atakteō, to be disorderly; ataktos, undisciplined, disorderly, rebellious; ataktōs, in disorder
atakteō, S 812; TDNT 8.47–48; EDNT 1.176; MM 89; L&N 88.246; BAGD 119 | ataktos, S 813; TDNT 8.47–48; EDNT 1.176; MM 89; L&N 88.247; BAGD 119 | ataktōs, S 814; TDNT 8.47–78; EDNT 1.177; L&N 88.247; BAGD 119
In 1 Thess 5:14, St. Paul asks the community to take back the brothers who are living in a dissolute manner (noutheteite tous ataktous). In his second letter, he more severely prescribes keeping away every brother who is leading a dissolute life (ataktōs peripatountos, 2 Thess 3:6, 11), giving himself as an example: “We ourselves did not lead a disorderly life in your midst.” It would not be necessary to insist on the meaning of ataktos—“not remaining in his/her/its place, out of order, undisciplined”—if a certain number of exegetes did not suggest translating it “idle, lazy.” But the usage of the verb, the adjective, and the adverb in the Koine, notably in the first century AD, confirms that the word covers any breach of obligation or convention, disorders of life in general; and the usage is decisive.
On the cosmic level, matter was “disorderly and confused,” then God takes it from disorder to order. In military parlance especially, the word is used with respect to negligent officers (P.Hib. 198, 149; from the third century bc), an army in disarray, undisciplined or insubordinate soldiers. In addition, “disorderly” modifies “multitude, crowd.” In a political context, Josephus compares people who live unencumbered by laws and rules (“those who live in a lawless and disorderly fashion,” tōn anomōs kai ataktōs biountōn) to those who observe order and common law. In the social realm, if sons do not meet the financial needs of their parents when necessity arises, they become subject to a penalty of a thousand drachmas, according to testamentary convention. In apprenticeship agreements, it is provided that if the apprentice is guilty of misconduct or has been absent for one reason or another, he must work additional makeup days.
The moral sense is constant from T. Naph. 2.9, which prescribes doing everything “in order and with good intentions, in the fear of God, doing nothing disorderly (mēden atakton poiēsēte), out of due season,” to Iamblichus, who calls passion “disorderly, culpable, unstable” (Myst. 1.10 = 1.36.13). Morality lies in not letting reason follow its course with disorderly haste. Ataktoi andres (Philodemus of Gadara, D. 1.7.6) are apaideutoi. Diodorus Siculus goes so far as to equate the life unshackled by moral norms to the life of wild beasts: “settling down into an ataktos and beastlike life and go out to various pastures at random” (en ataktō kai thēriōdei biō kathestōtas sporadēn epi tas nomas exienai 1.8.1). Finally, the ataktoi are rebels, the disobedient, or insurgents, even impious troublemakers; a regulation from Delos covers the possibility that pilgrims may conduct themselves improperly in the sacred places.
In sum, the ataktos is the who is defective in action, irregular, against the rule; and since in the Christian life the “order” is established by God or the leaders of the church, disorder can mean sometimes a shortcoming or a discordant note, sometimes law-breaking and moral dissoluteness. The ataktoi Thessalonians free themselves from the rule of community life. One thinks of sins against brotherly love, a propensity to favor discord, a refusal to accept the customs or discipline of the church. Certain “troubled” ones seem particularly stormy, befuddled types who disturb the peace (1 Thess 4:11–12). At any rate, “their walk is not in line” (Gal 2:14). They are “culpable” and probably stubborn.
