Hello friends,
Today, let’s take some time to review some instructions that Paul shared with the Thessalonians on how to interact with one another:
“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14
The first-person plural voice that Paul uses includes the people he mentioned at the beginning of the epistle:
“Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul then expresses his urgency to the Thessalonians. The language he uses, employing the verb “to urge,” conveys a sense of exhortation and pleading with the members of the church. This is the same word that Paul uses with the Romans when he instructs them to present their bodies as sacrifices to God:
“Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Romans 12:1
This exhortation is crucial to Paul; there is a sense of urgency and concern as he pleads with the church to follow the forthcoming instructions.
Paul then identifies three groups of people and provides corresponding action items for the Church:
1. The Unruly:
This term can also mean the undisciplined. These individuals in the church do not adhere to the apostles’ teachings; their behavior contradicts the clear teachings of scripture, and they are not the best examples of Christians.
To them, Paul prescribes “admonishment.” “Admonish” means to caution, advise, or counsel against something, or to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and well-intentioned manner.
2. The Fainthearted:
Being fainthearted means lacking courage or resolution, or being timid. These are individuals whom life circumstances have brought to a point of giving up. They fear what the future holds, have anxieties about everyday life, and have lost hope.
To these individuals, Paul instructs the church to offer encouragement. The kind of encouragement they need is akin to what Paul would share with the church in Philippi—this is “encouragement in Christ” (Philippians 2:1).
3. The Weak:
These are ones who are unable to help themselves; they lack the means or resources to support themselves to move from the place they are to a place they need to be.
To such ones, Paul requests the church to offer help. This help can be of all kinds, from financial support, medical assistance, wise counsel, or otherwise. The church needs to bring together the resources and gifts that it has been blessed with to help them.
4. Everyone:
This final category includes generally everyone in the church, and perhaps even outside the church, encompassing the two aforementioned groups.
To everyone, Paul instructs the church to be patient. This instruction is crucial because in living with people, we all need to be patient since everyone lives life differently. It is very likely that there will be points of collision, so the church needs to be patient with people to live harmoniously together.
Here are some considerations to take from this passage:
- Do not shy away from admonishing one another; it is an act of love meant to restore the unruly.
- Always seek to encourage one another; do not be a source of discouragement. Instead, let us seek out those who need encouragement and encourage them with the encouragement from Christ.
- Let’s be open to help the ones in need. This takes a genuine desire to reach out to people and get to know them so as to identify their felt needs and be able to offer help.
- Be patient with people; we are all walking our own life journeys, and much can be happening in people’s lives. Let’s try to be patient with everyone.
I pray this word reminds us of these responsibilities that we have as believers.
Blessings, Paul.
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