Tuesday / Thursday Expanded Bible Study Outlines
Paul’s Final Exhortation 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
A by Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson
O c k en g a , “After turning away from the practical problems which had been suggested to him by Timothy, St. Paul summarized the general rules for church observance. He addressed his remarks to the brethren who represent the entire church, not some specific class. It is sometimes thought that verses twelve and thirteen are ad dressed to the congregation and refer to its relationship with the officers of the church, and that verses fourteen to twenty-two are addressed to the of ficers in relation to the congregation of the church. According to Paul, the church is one and there can be no distinction between the meaning of brethren in verse twelve and the mean ing of brethren in verse fourteen. The individuals who1are over the church in the Lord exercise their functions as representatives under the Lord. This is in contrast to the hierachical view that the church consists of its clergy.” In the practical portion of the epis tie, chs. 4 and 5, the apostle has en joined upon his readers to be pure and loving, to comfort one another, and to be watchful in view of the Lord’s re-
tum. He now gives a series of closing exhortations. These are not closely con nected. The first relates to church lead ers. The second concerns the disorderly and fainthearted. The third group re lates to the general character of Chris tian life, and the last to the exercise of spiritual gifts. “But we beseech you, brethren” — This indicates that the writer is turn ing to enforce a new line of Christian duty — “To know them that labor among you.” “To know” here means “to know in their true character,” “to respect,” “to appreciate worth.” “Them that labor among you” refers to the of ficers of the church. Erdman, “Evidently the form of church organization was very simple, but it did exist. Even in that primitive Christian society there were persons whom the apostles could designate as ‘them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you.’ ” These three clauses are not to be in terpreted as designating three classes of”officers. They rather indicate three aspects or forms of the service which 32
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