Christ's Instructions

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255) 1Thess 5:12-13a . . Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who
work hard among you, who are over you in The Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

I would say that if the officers in your church are just too impossible for you
to respect then it's time to abandon ship. Don't mutiny though because
mutiny is just as much a sin as heresy. The rank and file aren't called to
reform church officers; but to cooperate with them. (Heb 13:17)

If they can't cooperate with them; then I sincerely believe the rank and file
should leave and find a church where they can because Christ isn't pleased
with grudging cooperation; rather, with whole-hearted cooperation. (cf. Mark
12:30)
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256) 1Thess 5:13b . . Live in peace with each other.

In this instance, "each other" likely refers to the fraternity of believers to
whom Paul penned the letter, i.e. Christ's body rather than the world at
large.

The category of peace Paul is talking about is social; viz: harmony in
personal relations. The Hippies and the peace-nics failed to achieve peace
primarily because they couldn't be civil among themselves unless they were
high on mood-altering drugs.

Peace can be defined as: calm, pacific, tranquil, at rest, quiet, and free of
trouble, friction, and strife.

A lack of peace is characterized by war, quarreling, debating, vendettas,
hostility, grudging, fault finding, nit picking, chafing, competition, rivalry,
cold shouldering, factions, taking sides, cliques, hostility, militancy, disorder,
antagonism, fighting, conflict, struggles, words that hurt instead of heal, etc.
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257) 1Thess 5:14a . . We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly

The "brothers" in this case likely addresses church managers.

The Greek word translated "unruly" basically means irregular; viz: out of
order; disorderly.

Unruly people are like kindergartners. Little kids are disruptive, boisterous,
and impulsive. They go off-subject and say whatever they want right out of
the blue. They provoke and antagonize each other, they don't listen, they
talk out of turn, can't stay in their seats, and they meddle and can't mind
their own business: but that's to be expected from their age group.

When I hear of four supposedly adults on a television talk show throwing
hissy fits and walking off the set, and/or talking out of turn; and
spontaneously interrupting each other in mid sentence-- sometimes all four
speaking at once --I have to wonder.
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[Dan Clarkston]

So Webers_ Home does not allow himself to become hostile, he just puts you on ignor before that happens. "Love thy neighbor ..." what beautiful words ... easy to say, difficult to follow.

Some folk have their own agenda

 

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258) 1Thess 5:14b . . Comfort the discouraged

A discouraged person is someone who's given up all expectation that a
situation will improve or change; viz: they're in despair.

In order to obey that directive, it's necessary to become personal with the
people with whom you attend church. Too many Christians are like little
islands of humanity in church. They warm a pew on Sunday morning and
then get up and leave without bothering to spend even one minute mingling.
They don't attend Sunday school because in Sunday school you meet
people-- you associate with them; you get to know them, and they get to
know you.

As disagreeable as that might be for private types of Christians, Sunday
school is the best place in church to go for sympathy, for encouragement,
and for support. Unfortunately, not many Christians are comfortable with
negativity; and tend to distance themselves from people down in the dumps.

Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot released a sentimental song back in
1975 that speaks volumes about sympathy. Its lyrics are very touching.Here's
a few that I feel especially apropos.

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call.
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all.
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

NOTE: In Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book "Ten Stupid Things That Men Do To
Mess Up Their Lives" she lists men's propensity to fix things. In other words:
instead of simply lending a sympathetic ear to people's problems, some men
tend to see people with problems as "broken" and in need of repair-- i.e.
damaged --and then of course they take the initiative to begin offering
unsolicited remedies. No; the idea is to console the discouraged rather than
talk them out of their low state of mind.

FYI: There are quite a few sites online offering helpful lists of Sympathy Do's
and Don'ts that are pretty easy to find via search engine query.
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259) 1Thess 5:14c . . Support the weak

That could probably be stretched to mean any number of things; but I
should think it includes care for your church's aged and/or infirm; viz;
people on crutches, people getting around in wheel chairs, people who can
no longer drive a car, people lacking enough health to even leave their
residences and go shopping on their own, people stuck in assisted living:
that sort of thing.
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260) 1Thess 5:14d . . Be patient with everyone.

The Greek word translated "patient" speaks of giving things space to happen
in their own good time. (cf. Jas 5:7-8)

I would say that in this case, it speaks of giving people a chance to either
catch on or catch up. For example: we all perfectly understand what we're
saying while those listening may need to have us restate ourselves in
different words in order to clarify a misunderstanding.

And there are occasions when we need to give people time to get used to a
new idea or a new method, etc. which at first they robustly resist.
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261) 1Thess 5:15a . . See that none render evil for evil unto any man;

Reciprocation is a normal response to abuse, injustice, and ill will but it isn't
an acceptable response; unless of course turning the other cheek is
somehow no longer in vogue for Christ's followers.

● 1Thess 5:15b . . but ever follow that which is good, both among
yourselves, and to all men.

Christian conduct isn't a temporary uniform kept in the closet just for
Sunday mornings like the patrons attending periodic costume conventions,
e.g. Star Trek, Anime, Super Heroes, Games, Comic Books, etc.

No, Christian conduct is every-day wear: in the home, on the job, at school,
at the beach, at the mall, at the park, at the beach, in restaurants, at the
dentist, in amusement centers, at the zoo, at the circus, on the internet, et
al; in other words: ever-followed; not just at church on Sunday morning;
which makes ever-following that which is good somewhat stressful at first;
until it becomes second nature, i.e. a habit.
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262) 1Thess 5:16 . . Rejoice evermore.

I think we'd better include the passage below with the one above.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish,
spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by
God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in
the last time.

. . In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--
of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire --may
be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus
Christ is revealed. (1Pet 1:3-7)

In other words: regardless of the severity of our misery, we're supposed to
take heart in the fact that it's temporary, that it serves a divine purpose;
and that there's the reality of something much, much better in store for us
down at the light at the end of the tunnel.

NOTE: The salvation ready to be revealed in the last time is most likely the
resurrection that Paul spoke of in Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:12-57, and 1Thess
4:13-18. In other words; had not Jesus' crucified dead body been restored
to life, his followers would've had no hope of bouncing back from death, i.e.
his made theirs possible.
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263) 1Thess 5:17 . . pray continually

The Greek word for "continually" basically means: uninterruptedly; viz:
without omission. Webster's defines omission as: 1) something neglected or
left undone, and 2) apathy toward, or neglect of, duty.

Believers who pray seldom, or not at all, are like a young man in the military
who never writes home until his parents complain about his silence. (I wrote
home so infrequently when I was in the US Army back in the 1960's that my
dad finally threatened to contact my company commander about it.)

You know, I have to admit, that even if I had a red phone installed in my
home with a secure line direct to God's desk, it would gather dust and
cobwebs from lack of use. I sometimes suspect that's one of the reasons
trouble comes our way. It's to provoke some of us to call home.

It's not that I don't like God; it's just that all my life I've been conditioned to
feel peripheral, i.e. marginalized; important to no one. My natural siblings
are just the opposite. They have always perceived themselves at the center
of the universe-- essential to its existence --while I have always perceived
myself as not even belonging in the universe; let alone being at its center
and/or having anything to do with its existence.

But feelings of unimportance are a handicap: not just in life, but in the
spiritual realm too. It is just about nigh unbearable for believers like myself
to comply with 1Thess 5:17 since we simply cannot believe ourselves missed
by anyone; especially Christ's Father who we believe in our hearts must
certainly prefer the company of people far more interesting than ourselves.
But that command applies to everybody whether we think God cares or not.
All must comply; no exceptions.
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264) 1Thess 5:18 . . Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will
for you in Christ Jesus.

The Greek word for "give thanks" basically means to be grateful. This goes
much deeper than just common courtesy. Appreciation is an attitude; which
Webster's defines as: to value or admire highly.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Whether that's so or not matters
little as one should never let disagreeable circumstances make them bitter
and resentful towards God; for example:

● Job 1:20-22 . .Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and
he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: Naked I came from my
mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and The Lord
has taken away. Blessed be the name of The Lord. Through all this Job did
not sin nor did he condemn God.

● Hab 3:17-18 . . Although the fig tree fails to blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no
food; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in
the stalls: yet I will rejoice in The Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

● Rom 8:35-39 . .Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? Just as it is written: For Thy sake we are being put to death all day
long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

. . But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved
us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I was right in the middle of the Cuban missile crises as a young US Army
paratrooper with the 101st Airborne division back in 1962. My unit was fully
armed and equipped, ready to be in the air within one hour had President
Kennedy given us the green light. A confluence of time and circumstances
made me a part of that incident. In other words: it was just dumb luck.

But it wasn't dumb luck that led me to Christ, no, it was his Father that led
me, and not by happenstance, rather, by a deliberate effort born out of
God's sincere desire to do what's best for me even as a man with a history
of vandalism, dishonesty, theft, arson, and animal cruelty.
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265) 1Thess 5:19 . . Quench not the Spirit.

People were quenching the Spirit long before there was any such thing as a
Christian; even before the Flood.

"Then the Lord said: My Spirit will not contend with man forever" (Gen 6:2)

The Spirit's contention was accomplished by means of preachers, e.g. Abel
(Luke 11:50-51), Enoch (Jude 1:14) and Noah (2Pet 2:5)

Had the antediluvians listened to the preaching that the Spirit made
available to them, the Flood might have been averted.

Nowadays when Christians fail to listen to the preaching and/or teaching
that the Spirit makes available to them, they end up drifting away from God
instead of working with Him

● 1John 1:6 . . If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in
the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth
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266) 1Thess 5:20 . . Do not despise prophecies.

The Greek word translated "prophecies" basically refers to predicting the
future; for example: Matt 25:31-46, 1Cor 15:51-52, 1Thess 4:13-17, 2Pet
3:10, Rev 16:18-20, Rev 20:11-15, and Rev 21:1.

Webster's defines "despise" as (1) to look down on with contempt, loathing,
or aversion, (2) to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful, and (3) to
regard as unworthy of one's notice or consideration.

Just the opposite of relegating prophecy to the status of a superfluous field
of study below one's dignity and/or likely not to hold one's interest; is a
morbid fascination with it to the extent of construing prophecy to mean all
sorts of things except what it actually says in writing.

I'm pretty sure that the prophecies Paul means for us to avoid despising are
bona fide scriptural prophecies rather than crazy stuff that's likely not to be
inspired but rather, the product of some kook's fertile imagination.
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267) 1Thess 5:21-22 . . Evaluate everything carefully; hold fast to that
which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

In context: every form of evil pertains to the wild utterances of prophesy
mongers. They seem to show up most often whenever there's a major crisis;
e.g. insane government policies, economic collapses, massive earthquakes,
tsunamis, and diseases like the Black Plague, Spanish flu, and the Corona
Virus, etc.
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268) 1Thess 5:26 . . Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

I honestly doubt that Paul actually meant that the hierarchy should
physically kiss the congregation, rather, in a manner of speaking, to say
"hello" for Paul, from him to them.

In America, it's common for friends to end a letter, or a cell text, or an
instagram with xoxoxo; which means hugs and kisses; which aren't literal,
rather, non physical expressions of affection; which are harmless enough--
and certainly far more sanitary --but if your congregation does go in for
kisses, be very sure your contact is holy rather than sensual.

"All the brethren" would include those on the spectrum. Some of them don't
even like to be hugged, let alone bussed; and if you should perchance try to
make physical contact with an autistic Christian, you're liable to cause them
a panic attack; so go easy on the touchy-feely stuff.
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269) 1Thess 5:27 . . I adjure you by The Lord to have this letter read to all
the brethren.

I think it safe to say that Paul wasn't talking about picking out a verse here
and there as a spring board to a sermon, no, he meant the whole epistle,
not just excerpts.

The word "adjure" has a variety of meanings; they all pretty much relate to
putting someone under a solemn obligation (e.g. Matt 26:63-64) viz: church
officers who neglect reading Paul's epistle(s) to their congregations are in
serious dereliction of duty.
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270) 2Thess 2:1-4 . . Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not
soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by
letter as from us, that the day of Christ is at hand.

. . Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God,
presenting himself that he is God.

The temple of God will be located in the city of Jerusalem in the country of
Israel. Seeing as how there is no temple there now, then we should beware
falling prey to fanatical claims that the current global chaos is a sign that the
end is underway.
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271) 2Thess 2:15 . . Brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which
you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

The "traditions" to which Paul refers are in two categories: (1) word of
mouth, and (2) in writing. Seeing as how Paul and his contemporaries are no
longer available for personal appearances, then the only reasonably reliable
traditions in existence are the ones they left us in writing, i.e. the new
testament epistles.
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272) 2Thess 3:6-10 . . In the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, we command
you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live
according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know
how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with
you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it.

. . On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we
would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not
have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you
to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: If a man
will not work, he shall not eat.

People unemployed due to circumstances beyond their control are exempt
from that directive. It specifically targets what we here in the USA call a
bum: which Webster's defines as someone who sponges off others not
because they can't find work; but because they have an aversion to work;
viz: they avoid work as if it were an inconvenient imposition on their leisure
time.
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273) 2Thess 3:11-13 . .We hear that some among you are idle. They are not
busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord
Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you,
brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

I'm pretty sure that the "brothers" in that passage are church officers seeing
as how it speaks of "some among you" which would indicate the
congregation.

Some might not think that holding down a job qualifies as good Christianity
but it certainly does, especially when working for a living is categorized as
"doing what is right".

● 1John 3:7 . . Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who
does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
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