OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARD OTHERS 1 THES.

5:12-15
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Thessalonians > Our Responsibilities Toward Others 1 Thes. 5:12-15

1Thess. 5:12-15 Our Responsibilities Toward Others CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In 1 Thes 5:12-15, Paul lists eight responsibilities of saved church members in this text. Remember that he is writing

to a local church, v.1:1, so these instructions are directed to saints in a local church. Realistically, a saved person not

affiliated with a local church is going to have a hard time fulfilling all of these responsibilities. These responsibilities

are to:

Know your pastor(s) v.12 you are to know him(them) in the sense of Jn 10:4-5 so that you are not led astray by

deceivers [Eph 4:11-14] notice that your pastor:

1. Labours among you his primary work is to feed and protect you [Acts 20:28-30, 1 Pet 5:2]
2. Is over you in the Lord Heb 13:7, 17, 1 Pet 5:2, Acts 20:28 the flock needs an overseer, and this is one of
the reasons why some men refuse to be in a good local church; they dont want to be under a pastor
3. Admonishes you Acts 20:31, 1 Thes 2:7, 11 [compare Eph 6:4] the flock needs someone who will fulfill 2
Tim 4:2-5 and keep the folks straight through sound teaching and preaching

Esteem them highly in love v.13 1 Tim 5:17-18 pastors are worthy of double honour if they are laboring in the

word and doctrine a pastor is esteemed for his works sake rather than his own sake because the honor is due to

the office, not the man in the office the pastor is a gift to the church [Eph 4:11] but he cant afford to get lifted up in

his position [1 Tim 3:6, 1 Pet 5:3]

Be at peace among yourselves v.13 if the pastor is a good leader, the folks in the church will generally settle

down to work together if someone else in the church or some other group in the church assumes the leadership of

the church, strife will build among the members and they will be at war among themselves rather than at peace [Col

3:14-15]

Warn the unruly v.14 unruly people are people who wont be ruled [see Heb 13:7, 17, again] they need to be

warned for their own good, otherwise they will leave the church or else they will divide the church [Rom 16:17-18,

Acts 20:30]

Comfort the feebleminded v.14 feebleminded is a word describing various mental deficiencies, including

mental retardation so the church is to comfort them, not abuse them or ridicule them or shun them likewise, they

should not be pampered

Support the weak v.14 they are to be supported both within and without the congregation [i.e., orphans on

mission fields] some churches dont want weak members in their congregation and purposely avoid them on

visitation while you cannot build a stable church out of nothing but weak members, you cannot neglect the weak

Be patient toward all men v.14 it can take quite a bit of time for men to come around to the gospel or to grow up

after they get saved so you have to take time with them and be patient [2 Tim 2:24-25, 2 Tim 3:10]

Follow that which is good v.15 dont render evil for evil unto any man [Rom 12:17-21]