Church Unity and Spiritual Growth — 1 Thess 5:12-28 Daily Word

Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to respect their leaders and to live in peace with one another. He further urges them to warn the idle, encourage the fainthearted, and help the weak, while being patient with everyone. He emphasizes a life of faith marked by joy, prayer, and thanksgiving, and calls them not to quench the Holy Spirit.

[Scripture]

[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. (1 Thess 5:12-19, ESV)

[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. (1 Thess 5:20-28, ESV)

[Daily Word]

In 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28, Paul exhorts believers concerning harmony among the saints, the three great principles of the Christian life (joy, prayer, and thanksgiving), the work and discernment of the Holy Spirit, and God’s sanctifying work.

Today’s passage in verse 11 exhorts the Thessalonian believers to encourage one another and outlines the marks of a faithful Christian life.

Paul’s first exhortation is that believers must live in harmony with one another.

First, verse 12 shows that the ministers of the church are engaged in the work of proclaiming the gospel, governing the community, and teaching and instructing the people. Therefore, verse 13 exhorts, ‘Hold them in the highest regard in love, and live in peace with one another.’ This is a call to respect those in ministry and to cultivate harmony between ministers and congregation members.

Furthermore, verse 14 exhorts, ‘Warn those who are idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.’ The idle, as seen in the preceding chapter, are those who, knowing that the Lord’s return is near, refuse to work and instead cause trouble, bringing reproach upon themselves in society (2 Thess 3:11). The fainthearted are those who worry that believers who have died before the Lord’s return may not receive salvation. The weak are those who are spiritually vulnerable to the temptation of food offered to idols or to moral compromise. Toward all of these, believers are called to be patient, to reassure, to comfort, and to pray. [2] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, (Eph 4:2, ESV)

The second exhortation concerns the personal life of faith.

There are three foundational principles of the Christian life: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. A life of constant rejoicing becomes possible when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and wholly commit ourselves to the Lord. Therefore, praying without ceasing and giving thanks in all things are what make it possible to rejoice always. The Word tells us that this is, in particular, the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. (Rom 12:1) Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23)

Therefore, we are exhorted that [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. (1 Thess 5:19-22, ESV) — do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecies, but test everything and hold fast to what is good, and abstain from every form of evil. We must neither absolutize rational judgment so as to dismiss the work of the Holy Spirit, nor swing to the other extreme of fixating solely on the Spirit’s work. Instead, with a reverent heart, we should receive the gifts of the Spirit, test all things, hold fast to what is good, and abstain from every form of evil. For this, we must receive the gift of discernment.

The third point is a prayer that God would sanctify the saints and that their spirit, soul, and body would be kept blameless.

The life of a believer is itself a process of sanctification. Human beings cannot attain holiness on their own. Holiness is entirely the work of God. God alone can establish someone as holy. God desires that the spirit, soul, and body of His people be kept wholly holy until the Lord’s return. And in truth, God will accomplish this very thing — because He is faithful to His saints and because He desires that we be conformed to the likeness of that faithful Lord. (v. 24)

Paul now requests intercessory prayer and asks his fellow workers to greet one another. (v. 25) Believers must not focus solely on their own lives, but look around them and encourage one another toward a holy life. May we remember that this is the will of God for the church and the calling of the Lord’s people, and may we — as a church united in Christ, living in the grace of our Lord — walk faithfully in His name.

1 Thessalonians, Christian Life, Harmony among Believers, Work of the Holy Spirit, Holiness

Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com