The Shape of Community: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.

The letter was read aloud to the gathered church. Each instruction landed on specific hearts.

Acknowledge those who work hard among you. Stephanas thought of the elders who had guided them through Paul's absence. The ones who stayed when trouble came. The ones who taught when questions arose.

Who care for you in the Lord. Proistamenous—those who stood before, who led, who managed. In the Lord—not domination but service.

Who admonish you. Noutheteo—put in mind, warn, correct. The leadership that spoke hard truths.

Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Highest regard in love. Not grudging respect but loving honor. Because of their work—the work justified the honor.

Live in peace with each other. Eireneuo en heautois. The community at peace. No factions. No feuds.

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Different people needed different responses.

Warn those who are idle and disruptive. Ataktoi—the disorderly, the undisciplined. Some in Thessalonica had quit working, expecting Christ's imminent return. They disrupted others.

Encourage the disheartened. Oligopsuchoi—the small-souled, the fainthearted. Some were overwhelmed, ready to quit.

Help the weak. Asthenon—those without strength. Physical weakness, spiritual weakness, social weakness. Help them.

Be patient with everyone. Makrothumeo—the long fuse. Everyone. Even the irritating. Even the slow. Everyone.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Nobody pays back wrong for wrong. The cycle of retaliation stopped. The vengeance surrendered.

Always strive to do what is good. Dioko—pursue, chase. Actively hunting for ways to help. For each other—the church family. For everyone else—the watching city.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Three short commands. The heart of Christian living.

Rejoice always. Pantote chairete. Not when circumstances permitted—always.

Pray continually. Adialeiptos proseuchesthe. Without ceasing. Not formal prayers only but ongoing conversation.

Give thanks in all circumstances. Not for all circumstances—some were terrible. In all circumstances—gratitude regardless.

For this is God's will. They wanted to know God's will? Here it was. Joy, prayer, thanksgiving. In Christ Jesus. Located, enabled, shaped by Christ.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

Do not quench the Spirit. Sbennumi—extinguish, suppress. The Spirit was fire. Don't douse him.

Do not treat prophecies with contempt. The Spirit spoke through believers. Don't dismiss it. But test them all. Dokimazo—examine, prove. Not gullible acceptance. Testing.

Hold on to what is good. Kalos—the beautiful, the excellent. When prophecy proved true—hold it.

Reject every kind of evil. Poneros—wicked, harmful. Every kind. Every form. Abstain entirely.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.

The prayer rose. God himself. Personal divine action. The God of peace—shalom, wholeness.

Sanctify you through and through. Holoteleis—wholly complete, entirely. Not partial sanctification but total.

May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Spirit, soul, body. The whole person. Kept blameless. Amemptos—without fault. At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The parousia. Ready when he arrived.

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

The promise undergirding the prayer. The one who calls you—God the caller. Is faithful—pistos. And he will do it. Divine faithfulness guaranteed divine completion.

Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

The request. The apostle needed prayer. Even Paul. Even missionaries. Pray for us.

Greet all God's people with a holy kiss.

The greeting that made the church family. A holy kiss. Philema hagion. The affection sanctified.

I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

The charge. Enorkizo—put under oath. Solemn. Before the Lord. This letter read to all. Every believer must hear it. No private knowledge. No elite access. All.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The benediction. Grace. Charis. Of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you. Present. Active. Sufficient.

The reader finished. The church sat in silence.

Rejoice always.

Pray continually.

Give thanks in all circumstances.

Do not quench the Spirit.

Test everything.

Hold to the good.

The God who called them would sanctify them through and through.

He was faithful.

He would do it.