1 Thessalonians part 7
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 | Final Thoughts to the Growing Church
Be at Peace with One Another | 12-22
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Paul gives us a series of commands which are reminiscent of a teacher trying to finish a lesson before the bell rings. I picture Paul sitting at the table with Timothy and Silvanus writing away. They are about out of paper having gone through a few revisions already and writing letters to other churches, as well. Timothy looks up and says, “Hey, Paul. This is our last sheet.” Silvanus replies, “But we still haven’t talked to them about leadership and prayer!” Paul, with determined conviction states, “I got this.”
Now, I have no idea if this scenario is remotely true, but I have been in the classroom enough to know that it is a rare occurrence for a teacher to complete everything they want to teach to their students. There is always much more for the students to learn. But Paul has certainly dealt with the important matters and now, he wants to provide some principles for the Thessalonians to take their faith further. As we go through this list, keep in mind, these are not defined steps for the church, they are guiding principles. So, let’s begin.
Respect those who labor among you.
Paul urges the Thessalonians to respect those whose work places them in leadership positions in the church. They are working for the Lord, and so they should be respected as God’s workmen. Naturally, pastors and paid staff are the first people that come to mind, but the fact is many people take leadership positions in the church who are not paid. The Sunday School teacher, the small group leader, the leaders over children, youth, senior adults, the worship leaders, the elders (whether officially titled or not), and the administrators all work for the Lord taking responsibility for the ministry of the church. Any time one can say “So-and-so is in charge of that,” then that “so-and-so” is one “who labor[s] among [us], and are over [us] in the Lord.” They are to be respected, because quite frankly, most of the time it is a thankless job that most people don’t want to do, but we would all notice very quickly if it was not being done.
The Lord has gifted all believers with skills and talents to be used in the church, and we should respect those who exercise their gifts.
Be at peace
One of the best ways to respect our Christian leaders is to be at peace with one another. It is far easier to lead a group of people who are not fighting and instigating problems. But look closely at how Paul uses this phrase. It is sandwiched between the sentence prior which spans verses 12-13a and the next sentence which is verse 14. This linguistic sandwich is to emphasize the imperative—be at peace among one another. In fact, each of these commands Paul gives points us toward peace with each other.
The road of church health leads to peace.
Just as a life lived in the Spirit of the Lord leads to peace, so too does a church functioning in the Spirit of the Lord lead to peace.
Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with all
Now we come to the toe-stepping phrases. I have put these together because the principle is simply—if someone isn’t working, then get them moving. Paul gives us three reasons why a member of the church isn’t exercising their gifts. First, they could be idle. Never underestimate the power of sheer laziness. Even the best of us can find ourselves in lazy ruts. We excuse it in any number of ways, but when we catch ourselves in a fit of “not working in the Lord,” then we must first ask, “Am I just being lazy?” Perhaps my excuses really are just excuses.
But the second reason may be the truth. Sometimes people just get tired. We get tired because the work doesn’t appear to be showing fruit, or we have been at the task for so long. Sometimes we see fruit, but we get frustrated because it feels like we are the only ones doing anything. It’s not that we are lazy, we are just tired and need someone to come alongside us and encourage us.
And third, we are to help the weak, because they are not working because they can’t. Those who are strong in the Lord must come and hold on to those who are weak. The word for “help” literally means to “hold on to” someone. The strong must hold on to the weak in order for them to exercise their gifts. The picture is reminiscent of Moses leading God’s army against the Amalekites. As long as Moses held his arms up, Israel would be winning. But if his arms fell, then the Israelites would begin to falter. So, Aaron and Hur took a stone and sat Moses on it, and then they held up his arms for him. Israel won the war because Moses had two helpers holding him while he performed his duties.
Some of you may feel this weakness and think, “Preacher, I need two people to come help me do this thing if it’s going to get done.” To that I say, “You’re right! Let’s find you two helpers!” I am a firm believer there should always be two teachers (or two facilitators, or two leaders, whatever title they have) for every ministry and small group. Leaders, if you can’t name at least one helper who works alongside you (and two would be better), then let’s find you a helper. You may feel strong now, but at some point, the weakness will set in.
Every believer should be working in the church with a defined job—whether as a leader or a helper.
Before we move on, I want you to notice one more thing. With these three clauses, notice the verbs in use. The ‘weak’ need someone to hold on to them. The ‘faint-hearted’ need someone to encourage them. These are not negative judgments. These verbs acknowledge the facts of the situation. But notice that first one—‘admonish’ the idle. That verb implies a confrontation. If a believer is simply idle, with no valid reason of weakness or faint-heartedness, then that believer should expect the leaders to admonish him. As my older brother told me, and as I always told my students, I say again, “Excuses are like rear-ends...everyone has one, and they always stink.” Don’t sit on the sidelines. Get in the church and get active!
Do good, not evil
Even when evil has been done to us, Paul says, “Do good.” This principle has been said time and again in a number of ways. Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Martin Luther King said, “You cannot overcome evil with more evil—only good.” Paul will write in Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Mother Theresa said, “You can’t get back at the devil by acting like the devil...overcome evil with good.”
It is one of the absolute hardest principles for Christians to master, because it is a heavenly wisdom that rubs against every inkling of sin in us. “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord” and yet, we want to take vengeance for ourselves any time we are wronged. But it won’t happen. We will not end the cycle of hatred, violence, and bitterness by continuing to sow seeds of vengeance.
Do good—even if it doesn’t make sense.
Do good—even if no one else is.
Do good—even if you are harmed when doing it.
Do good—because it is the only way to overcome evil in this world.
Rejoice, pray, and give thanks...always!
“God is good...all the time. And all the time...God is good.” It is a wonderful chorus that sometimes feels overused, but it should be overused, because it can’t be overused. Paul says to rejoice always, because we always have a reason to rejoice. Consider this command comes after a chapter and a half on the return of Jesus and three chapters on the wonderful things God is doing for the salvation of the Thessalonians!
If you have Jesus, then you have every reason to rejoice!
“Pray without ceasing” because we must stay in constant contact with the Spirit. As the Lord leads us through our day, we must always be willing to listen to His nudges. Listen to the Spirit and He will guide your steps.
“Give thanks in all circumstances” because even the trials of this life are tools for God’s purpose and work toward our benefit. James says, “Rejoice when trials and tribulations arise.” Paul also wrote, “We know that all things work for the good of those who believe.” Be thankful because the Lord is doing great and marvelous things!
Do not quench the Spirit
This admonition comes at time in the Church when Christians are still working out which doctrines to hold and which to remove. Questions regarding the identity and nature of Christ, questions regarding the role of the Old Testament, and questions even regarding the Spirit Himself circulate among the Mediterranean. We tend to forget that when Paul and the other New Testament writers put pen to papyrus, they were surrounded by a culture of religious variety that the world would not see until the 20th century. Today’s 21st century Christians have much to learn from our first and second century brothers and sisters. The answer for this confusing time is to lean on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding.
The answer to our confusing age is to listen to the Holy Spirit.
So, how do listen to the Spirit and not quench Him? Paul gives us a few guidelines.
First, we are not to despise prophecies. We are not to dismiss the supernatural or messages from God that may come in strange places. In fact, the more a Christian studies the prophetic literature, the more the Christian understands what God calls for His people—and the more ready to listen to the Spirit’s call.
Second, we are to test everything. In doing so we will be able to hold to the good and drop the evil. It is healthy for Christians to study prophecy and listen to the Spirit’s voice, but we must also remember God is not the only spiritual force active in this world. We must discern between the godly and the devilish. But God has not left us unarmed in this spiritual battle.
How can we know the godly from the devilish? False teachers are recognized by their fruit (Matt. 7:15-23). They lack love (1 Jn 2:9-11), deny the humanity of Christ (1 Jn 4:1-3), disobey the commands of Jesus (1 Jn 2:3-6), and they contradict the teachings of the apostles (Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1; 5:1-2, 12-15). Jude also adds they are more focused on their monetary gain and passions than they are God’s people (Jude 8). The Holy Spirit points people toward godliness and Christ. If a teacher promotes anything less, then they are not from the Lord.
Be Blessed to Bless | 23-28
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Brothers, pray for us.
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
The concluding statements are a blessing and a call to action. First, the blessing: Paul asks God to sanctify them completely, and their whole self—spirit, soul, and body—be kept blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ. And he concludes this blessing with a reminder of God’s faithfulness, and the firm statement, “He will surely do it.” Paul is convinced God will remain faithful to this congregation. God has proven faithful throughout the centuries, and the first three chapters of Thessalonians recount God’s faithfulness in Thessalonica.
If Jesus begins a work in our midst, we can rest in His faithfulness to complete that work.
God has a purpose for our salvation. He is removing the sin corruption that has destroyed His Good Creation. Our walk with Him is headed toward this end. Thus, when Paul writes the God of peace will sanctify our whole self—spirit, soul, and body—he is writing this knowing God’s will in our lives. God wants to sanctify us, therefore any step we take that allows for our sanctification will be blessed.
Paul then gives a charge—pray for the apostles, greet the congregation, and have this letter read to everyone.
Pray for the leaders of the churches. All over the world, there are planters, pastors, and leaders who are serving the Lord in their areas. Pray for them. Pray for the persecuted brothers and sisters who serve amidst government persecution. Pray for the brothers and sisters in areas that have largely abandoned any concern over spiritual matters. Pray for the brothers and sisters who are in areas “haunted by the ghost of Jesus Christ” (Flannery O’Conner).
“Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss” is a phrase that typically puts modern Americans in a state of unease. In the Mediterranean world, both old and modern, exists the practice of kissing the cheek of someone to greet them. Thank of greeting your aunt...only it’s everyone. The meaning is simply greet everyone. Paul is saying ‘hi’ to everyone.
The last charge is most interesting. Theologians often ponder how much the New Testament writers knew their letters would become the New Testament. Here, we see Paul wants his letters passed around because this message is important for all the churches.
The next step in our faith will always include telling someone what God has done in our lives.
Continue the work God has given you. He is forming us into a new creation in which sin has been removed, peace reigns in our hearts, and we are in tune with the Holy Spirit. As we walk and work in the Lord, then He will complete the task of making us His people for His glory. And then, we will be able to bless others with what God has done in our lives and point them toward God as well.
Our blessing is to be a blessing.
But if today, you have not surrendered to Jesus asking for cleansing of sin, then today, take that first step. Turn from sin and turn toward the God who created you, loves you, and wants to give you eternal life.