THE BASICS
1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-28
12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
1. Respecting Spiritual Leadership (vv. 12-13)
- It is clear that in these two verses, Paul is referring to those who have been given positions of spiritual authority in the local church.
- Paul uses three phrases to describe these spiritual leaders. They which “labor among you.” They which are “over you in the Lord.” And, they which “admonish you” (i.e. give instruction).
Paul is here referencing the pastors (elders) who were responsible for equipping, shepherding, feeding, and instructing the church in faith.
What responsibilities do we have toward our spiritual leaders?
1)
- The Greek word translated know in the KJV means more than merely knowing their names or being acquainted with them. It means “to acknowledge” or “recognize the authority of.”
2)
- The verb “esteem” means to “regard” or “think well of.” But Paul modifies it with an adverb (very highly) that means “quite beyond all measure” or “highest form of comparison imaginable.”
- Paraphrase – Esteem them way beyond what you could imagine!
2. Loving The Brethren (vv. 14-15)
How should we relate to one another?
1) Admonish the “unruly” (v. 14b)
- This word means careless,
- The term “warn” is a strong word which means “to confront.” This isn’t about people calling others out over every perceived infraction or actual minor infraction. This is about confronting those who are unruly or undisciplined.
2) Encourage the faint hearted (v. 14c)
- The term “feebleminded” has nothing to do with mentality. The literal translation of the Greek word is “little-souled, fainthearted.”
- There are
-These are folks who tremble under the weight of life’s problems. They need an affirming word, encouragement, a warm embrace, a shoulder to lean on.
3) Help the weak (v. 14d)
- “Support the weak” literally means to hold fast to the weak! Don’t let them fall.
- Who are the weak believers? These are the believers that have not
- Charles Ryrie says that the symptoms of spiritual weakness include “instability, inability to face persecution, or yielding to the attacks of Satan.”
- How should we handle them? With patient, reassuring love, we must take hold of them and help them stand and walk in the Lord. These weaker brethren need someone to support them like a brace supports a sprained ankle until it is healed.
4) Be
- Charles Swindoll: We might illustrate this term (be patient) with the picture of a long fuse, as opposed to somebody with a quick temper whose explosive anger could be set off in a moment.
- We need to be patient when others don’t seem to be growing at the same pace we are.
5) Refuse to retaliate when
- We mustn’t claim “an eye for an eye” approach when it comes to offense. Rather we should strive to follow Jesus’ words to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).
- To help respond in a good and positive way when mistreated we must watch our motives for why we do what we do in our church. Remember, your motive for serving is God’s glory, not the applause or acceptance of man. We should always serve in love, and be ready to forgive. (cf. Rom. 12:17-21)
- This word means careless,
3. Glorifying God (vv. 16-24)
Paul shared the basics of responding to spiritual leadership, loving our brothers and sister in the church, and now describes how we (the Thessalonians) ought to glorify God.
1) Be
- Rejoicing, in the biblical sense, means praising God for the small things as well as the big things. It means facing even the toughest days with optimism, not because you’ve got everything under control, but because God does.
2) Be prayerful (v. 17)
- Pray without ceasing doesn’t mean we must always be mumbling prayers. The word means “constantly recurring” not “continuously occurring.”
- Praying without ceasing means we don’t give up in prayer. We turn to God in prayer not as our
3) Be
- Paul says to be thankful
4) Don’t quench the Spirit (v. 19)
- Don’t quench the Spirit. What does that mean?
- We grieve the Spirit by doing what we
5) Live
- The purpose of worship is that we might become more like Christ in character and conduct.
- As we seek to live godly, God transforms us. And that glorifies God.
6)
Paul wraps up his first letter with three short requests:
1] Pray for us (and one another)2] Greet one another
3] Read God’s Word together
Conclusion:
- The basics, fundamentals, are the keys to a happy and thriving church.
- Let us respect our spiritual leaders, love our brothers and sisters, and seek to glorify God in all that we do.