Journal

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Bible Text:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

¹² We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

²³ 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. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

²⁵ Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Reflection & Application

1 Thessalonians 5:12-25

“The first section deals with the attitude of the church generally to its leaders. No specific title is used for them (later, words like elders, bishops and deacons became more common), and they are described in terms of the things that they did. They were involved in what was hard work (a term used for Christian work generally by Paul himself) … They were over the congregation…  and they warned people who needed direction. They thus exercised authority in the church, and it was necessary to remind those subject to their authority to recognize the leaders’ position and to show them proper esteem coupled with love. Live in peace may suggest some danger of division between the leaders and the other believers.” [1]

• Reflect on the role of spiritual mentors as described in this text.  Do I have such people over my life?
• What is the significance of the words, “because of their work”?

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

• What picture of the church emerges from Apostle Paul’s exhortations for the believers to “warn … encourage … help … be patient … be kind”?
• Which exhortation in this passage do I particularly need to heed?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Paul has in mind ‘a stable and deep-rooted joy which enables him’ — but even more so a congregation — ‘to cope with disappointments and see them in their true perspective.’ And that true perspective is rooted in the conviction that in any and all circumstances, God is at work on behalf of his people — reason enough to give thanks and rejoice and thereby fulfill God’s will for us.” [2] 

• What are the three commands given as God’s will for me in Christ Jesus?
• What is it about the Christian faith that can draw such qualities out of those who believe? 

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

• Who is the one that will help me remain “blameless”?  
• How does this encourage me and give me hope in my struggle with my sins and in my pursuit of holiness?

[1] Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition. Rev. ed. of: The new Bible commentary. 3rd ed. / edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970. (4th ed.) (1 Th 5:25). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.

[2]  Holmes, Michael W. “, NIV Application Commentary, New Testament: 1 and 2 Thessalonians. By Michael W. Holmes, 46-54. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 1998.

Prayer