Pastor Rick’s Study Notes:

(PRT) I Thessalonians 5:12-28

v. 12 We ask you also, brothers and sisters, to get to know and look after those who are working hard among you who are devoted to leading you in the Lord and teaching you. v. 13 Appreciate them with high esteem and with love because of their work. Live in peace among yourselves.v. 14 We call on you, brothers and sisters, to caution those who don’t show up or cause discontent; comfort those who are discouraged in their spirit; support those who want to give up; show patience toward everyone. vv. 15-18 Make sure nobody has repaid one hurt or offense with another. Instead run after what’s  good and run toward each other in every kind of rejoicing. Don’t stop praying. Give thanks in every circumstance. For this is what  God in Christ Jesus desires for you all. vv. 19-22 Concerning the Spirit, stop smothering the fire. Concerning words of prophecy, don’t look down on or turn your nose up. Instead, test the soundness of everything; then stick with what proved trustworthy and run from all that is hurtful and wicked. v. 23 And may God, the God is that is fully of peace, set  you apart spirit, soul, and body, wholly and thoroughly without blame and kept safe at the returning presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. v. 24 The Faithful One who calls you will make this happen. v. 25-26 Brothers and sisters, pray also for us; greet everyone in the faith with a holy kiss. v. 27-28 Give me your promise: read this letter wherever the brothers and sisters meet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ go with you.

Study Notes:

v. 12 We ask you also, brothers and sisters, to get to know and look after those who are working hard among you who are devoted to leading you in the Lord and teaching you.

“Get to know” is an interesting turn here – the same word NIV uses “acknowledge”. Know your flock is the demand of the pastor; but know your pastor is essential, too. Get to know your pastor, worship pastor, small group leader, team leader. This seems like it hints at the beginnings of a laity/clergy class system; but in reality, this is the church recognizing the ministry and the time involved in that ministry and making sure he or she can continue. Honor those and lift them up if they are devoted to leading and teaching. Make sure they thrive in life and in continuing to lead and teach. Those who lead are those “who stand before you” to teach, to lead, to pray before the throne for you.

Those who are working beyond tired is the meaning of this older word to work hard.

The three-fold ministry here is: work hard, lead diligently, and teach with encouragement.

v. 13 Appreciate them with high esteem and with love because of their work. Live in peace among yourselves.

Hold them up with high regard and with love because of all that they pour into the work of God among them.  Esteem can be done from a distance; esteem with love is up close and personal. Get to know so you can esteem them. The meaning here is that people of God follow their leaders and serve alongside them. Eph4  – to lead as leaders in order to “equip the church to do the work of the ministry” – the “Everybody Gets to Play” model works.

v. 14 We call on you, brothers and sisters, to caution those who don’t show up or cause discontent; comfort those who are discouraged in their spirit; support those who want to give up; show patience toward everyone.

Live at peace with each other? Here’s how that will happen. Show up for each other. Don’t sow or give into discontent. Instead of feeding the discouragement, comfort and strengthen; when there are those with low willpower, support them instead of running them out. And patience? Yes, patience with all.

Caution is the word for admonish or redirect from a bad action. It has a military meaning – some hint of leaders dressing down a private.

Comfort, or encourage the fainthearted – discouraged in spirit.

4:11 says that some were making others’ business theirs. How does that cause discontent or discouragement?

And how does this first part of the verse cause the second part to happen? Don’t give into unruly and slack behavior. But continue to hold your cool, be patient with all. It is easier to speak truth and wisdom to someone who is weak in the spirit when we are patient and calm.

vv. 15-18 Make sure nobody has repaid one hurt or offense with another. Instead run after what’s  good and run toward each other in every kind of rejoicing. Don’t stop praying. Give thanks in every circumstance. For this is what  God in Christ Jesus desires for you all.

In a culture battle, don’t pay back, don’t wish it, don’t pray for it. Love you enemies, pray for God provision. This is our greatest weapon. Find joy in the journey. Love unconditionally. Pray without ceasing. Thank God for the outcome. Why? Because we love Jesus with all we are, then we love others with all we have to give.

What is God’s desire and design? No matter the conflict, the opposition, love unconditionally… etc. because out of that, you’ll not grow bitter, you’ll not give up, you’ll find good.

vv. 19-22 Concerning the Spirit, stop smothering the fire. Concerning words of prophecy, don’t look down on or turn your nose up. Instead, test the soundness of everything; then stick with what proved trustworthy and run from all that is hurtful and wicked.

Those things that are from God, but unexplainable, are important to our maturing. Not the unbridled spiritual weirdness that ignores the senses, but the attuned hearing of words from God’s Spirit that keep the flame alive and guides lives.

(we can smother or quench, we can grieve or hinder, and we can resist the Holy Spirit – all of these can shut down the activity of God’s Spirit in our hearts.)

Don’t diss prophecy – this word has both forth-telling and fore-telling potential. Both are essential. Sound Biblical grounding with relevant application and openness to God’s present guidance.

Illustration: Wilmore and Southwestern – the revival shut down. How can you smother the fire? By inattention or by over-attention. One the fire goes out completely; the other the fire becomes the reason for gathering. Jesus is our reason for gathering; but we want to give room for the fire.

Test or prove what is right and good; discard what is not. Illustration: bad pear, good pear.

This passage has such a wide interpretation: what is good, what is bad? If read in context, those things of the Spirit, those words shared in the Spirit, test and cling to what is helpful, brush off to the side what is not. “Every kind of evil” then, would be everything harmful that doesn’t pass the test of soundness. 1) Christian, respect the gifts and inspect the fruit of what is said and done. Even those who deliver a word or demonstrate a work of the Spirit, test our hearts to make sure we don’t, in our zeal to win someone over to our point of view, manipulate others to align with our word. Illustration: Naturally supernatural – when we give a word, we step back and let the Holy Spirit affirm it. We don’t have to talk louder or in KJV; we don’t have to work up emotion. God can confirm a word or a work in the heart of the one who needs it.

Paul balances the work of the Spirit in Parousia activity with truth taught and applied.

v. 23 And may God, the God is that is fully of peace, set  you apart spirit, soul, and body, wholly and thoroughly without blame and kept safe at the returning presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a little word that means “that is” of peace. This defines God as the God that peace is the defining element.  Not the gods who bring destruction, guilt, conflict, turmoil inside; the God that is filled with, and the source of peace.

There’s Parousia again. It’s his presence, not completely but soon to be completely.

This is the hinge verse: because you are set apart, do these things. This is what it looks like for a Jesus-follower to demonstrate faith. You are spirit, soul, body, but you are one wholly kept safe.

The God of peace contrasts with the turmoil of a culture gone awry as well as other Christians who might use the things of the Spirit to get their way.

v. 24 The Faithful One who calls you will make this happen.

Literally, “faithful one calling will also do it”

Ephesians 2:13 indicates that being sanctified is being brought near to the things of the Kingdom. We who were far and set apart and brought near. Philippians 1:6 agrees that He keeps us and finishes the work.

Note: set apart and safe are the two results of our willing embrace of God’s work and word. They go together.

v. 25-26 Brothers and sisters, pray also for us; greet everyone in the faith with a holy kiss.

Now that I’ve prayed for you, pray for us also. The kiss of brotherly love is a holy greeting.

v. 27-28 Give me your promise: read this letter wherever the brothers and sisters meet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ go with you.

“Grace with you” no matter where  you go.

The command here is “I adjure you, I charge  you to read this to all who are in the church.” Give me your word… let each home group get this out there.

Small Group Questions:

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28. Focus on vv. 23-28.

1. How have you had to rely on God’s peace in your life this week?
2. Paul reminds us that we belong to the God of peace. What ways do you make this identity of followers, or children of the God of peace, real and present in your life?
3. What does it mean that God has sanctified you, or set you apart as His child and for His purpose, spirit, soul and body?
4. When have you ever been called or felt blameless?
5. How does v. 24 help us see this is a part of the “already and not yet” of being in the Kingdom (where we are, in His eyes fully complete, yet in our daily lives, we are still working on our faith walk)?
6. What is your family practice to greet when you see each other? What do you imagine the greeting of the “holy kiss” meant in Thessalonica?
7. How can we pray for you this week? Who do you need peace with or make things right with because of something you’ve said or done?

Small Group Questions:

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.

1. Have you ever had a mentor or apprenticed with someone? What were the keys to the success of this relationship?
2. How important is it to be an encourager to those who “stand before you” and lead, teach, and pray for you? What ideas come to mind that will help  you “get to know and look after” those who work hard in the church?
3. Discouragement is a real factor in the life of Christians. How does our passage tell us to deal with discouragement and people especially who are discouraged?
4. How does Holy Spirit fire and the gifts of the Spirit help the church? How does it battle against discouragement? How does it help us run after Jesus together?
5. Where in your life today do  you need Holy Spirit fire?