Lesson 10 *September 1-7
Church Life
(1 Thess. 5:12-28)
Sabbath AfternoonRead for This Week’s Study: 1 Thess. 5:12-28, Matt. 5:43-48, Gal. 5:22, Phil. 4:4, John 15:4-6.
Memory Text: “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21, ESV).
Key Thought: Paul gives these Thessalonians, both leaders and lay members, very practical as well as spiritual advice about how to relate to one another.
Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonians with seventeen admonitions (1 Thess. 5:12-22) followed by a closing prayer (1 Thess. 5:23-27). This week’s lesson begins with three admonitions regarding the attitude of local church members toward their leaders (1 Thess. 5:12, 13). These admonitions are followed by six imperatives regarding how local church leaders should behave toward their people.
Eight brief admonitions follow in the next seven verses (1 Thess. 5:16-22). These can be organized into two groups; three counsels on maintaining a positive Christian attitude (1 Thess. 5:16-18), and five on how to relate to new light in the form of prophecies (1 Thess. 5:19-22).
In the concluding prayer Paul summarizes a main theme of this letter: that believers in Thessalonica and beyond would continue to grow in holiness until the Second Coming itself. In other words, they are to live every day in preparation for the Lord’s return. In one sense, what could be more of a “present truth” message than that?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 8.
Sunday September 2
Response to Ministry (1 Thess. 5:12, 13)
The two verses at the heart of today’s lesson follow the concluding admonition of last week’s lesson to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11, NIV). This work takes place in local churches, in the process of mentoring and discipleship. The lesson today focuses on how disciples should respond to the efforts of their leaders and mentors.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13. What is Paul’s basic point, and how should we apply it to ourselves? In what ways can you better work with, support, and love those who are “over you in the Lord?”
The structure of the Greek of verse 12 indicates that the three phrases in the second half all refer to the same group, the local leaders of the Thessalonian church. Paul calls on the members to “know” these leaders, meaning to notice, respect, or recognize them. The implication being that, perhaps, some in the church were disrespectful of authority.
The word admonish has the connotation of instruct, warn, or even “knock sense into.” Paul acknowledges here that church leaders will often need to exercise “tough love.” This kind of leadership is not always welcome; yet, Paul goes on in verse 13 to ask the members to highly esteem their leaders on account of the difficult issues with which they have to deal. Paul wants all the members of the church to be at peace with one another.
The language of these verses reflects ancient strategies for dealing with people. Thought leaders of Paul’s day knew that dealing with people is delicate work. They encouraged leaders to carefully diagnose the condition of their followers, to be sensitive as to whether or not the follower was open to correction, to choose the right timing, and to apply the appropriate remedy. Above all else, leaders were expected to examine themselves before trying to correct others. Paul added elements to this framework. For the Christian, God is the model of leadership, and the goal of church leadership is a membership who live lives worthy of God.
In some cultures, there is a tendency to distrust and challenge leadership; in others, to blindly submit to it. How has your own culture’s attitude toward authority impacted the church in your area?
Monday September 3
Providing Ministry (1 Thess. 5:14, 15)
In verses 12 and 13 Paul addresses ways in which members in the church should treat their leaders. In today’s passage (1 Thess. 5:14, 15), Paul turns his attention to the leaders of the church and how they should treat those under their care.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:14, 15. What are the ways in which Paul admonishes church leaders in regard to how they treat members? Look at the principles there. How can we apply them to ourselves, whatever our role may be in the church? Meanwhile, how should we apply these principles at work, at home, at play, and wherever we find ourselves? See also Matt. 5:43-48.
Paul encouraged the leaders in Thessalonica to “warn those who are unruly” (1 Thess. 5:14, NKJV). The unruly were members who refused to support themselves, who were willfully difficult to deal with, and who had to be confronted.
In contrast, Paul instructs the leaders to “encourage the timid, help the weak,” and “be patient with everyone” (1 Thess. 5:14, NIV). The “timid” are people who have little self-confidence or sense of worth. They are anxious and worried about many things. Such people matter to God; so, leadership should encourage them.
The “weak” are those with moral and spiritual limitations. They are gullible, easily discouraged by hardship, and fearful of the unfamiliar. Their hearts might be in the right place, but they lack knowledge and are troubled by the past. They need help to survive.
Paul directs church leaders to be patient with everyone. While the first three counsels in verse 14 are fine-tuned to meet various conditions, patience is always appropriate for pastoral care.
Paul probably continues to have leaders in mind in verse 15. Whenever caregivers are attacked by those who don’t appreciate their admonitions, they may be tempted to retaliate. But when leaders retaliate, it demonstrates that their leadership was not motivated by the spirit of Christ. Crucial to sound church leadership is to keep the good of others in mind.
Verses 12-15 presume that there will be mentors and disciples in the church, and it is important that there be a lot of respect and patience in those relationships. But we should not forget 1 Thessalonians 5:11(“encourage one another and build one another up,” ESV). Pastoral care will often go both ways. There are times when the mentors need to be mentored.