1 Thessalonians Series: Marks of a Healthy Church and Church Members (1 Thess 5:12-15)

Marks of a Healthy Church and Church Members

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 (NET)

What do healthy churches and church members look like? After teaching the Thessalonians how to live in light of Christ’s coming in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul taught them how to have a healthy church community (v. 12-15). It must be remembered that the Thessalonian church was probably less than a year old. When Paul visited Thessalonica, he preached in the synagogue for three weeks and developed a small following of believing Jews and Gentiles (Acts 17). Then, because of persecution, he had to flee. Soon after leaving, he sent Timothy to check on them because he heard they were being persecuted like he previously was. He found out that they were continuing to excel in their faith in God, love towards one another, and hope in Christ’s coming (1:3). Timothy’s report shared many positive things, however, there were some negatives. In Chapters 4 and 5, Paul addressed these, including teaching them eschatology in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, where he described the second coming, the rapture, and the resurrection and how to live in light of them, community life in 5:12-15, and the Thessalonians’ public and private worship in 5:16-22.

In addition, there were probably some problems in the church dynamic that made Paul focus on their community in verses 12-15. The persecution happening to the church probably caused some level of conflict between the congregation and the leadership. This is why he called for the Thessalonians to acknowledge, esteem, and love their leaders and be at peace with one another in verses 12-13. This is normal when trials occur in an organization or community. People often blame the leadership or one another. The same happened with Israel and Moses in the wilderness (Num 16). In addition, it seems clear some were lazy and had stopped working, possibly because they were waiting for the second coming. This led them to become busybodies in everybody’s business and also for others to have to provide for them (cf. 2 Thess 3:11-12). In verse 14, Paul called for the Thessalonians to admonish the undisciplined, and later in his second letter (2 Thess 3:10-13), he called for them to continue to challenge the undisciplined and said those who don’t work shouldn’t eat. It’s clear there were some community problems in the church.

Paul’s instructions are important for us to hear because there are no perfect churches. They are all full of sinners saved by God’s grace, who are in the slow process of sanctification which won’t be complete until we get to heaven or Christ comes to earth. Because of this, there will at times be conflict amongst members. Leaders will make less-than-desirable decisions and even fail at times. Though there are no perfect churches, churches can become healthy by submitting to God’s Word, extending grace to one another in their failures, and being willing to work hard. Becoming a healthy church takes work, just like becoming a healthy family or person. Consequently, in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15, we’ll consider marks of a healthy church. In verses 12-13, Paul addressed the leaders’ roles and how the church should respond to them, and then in verses 14-15, he addressed how members should respond to one another.

Big Question: According to 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15, what do healthy churches look like?

Healthy Churches and Church Members Aim to Raise Up a Plurality of Leadership

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

When Paul calls for the Thessalonians to “acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you” in verse 12, it’s clear that in the short time Paul was there or when Timothy visited them, a group of godly leaders were set up over this church. The word “those” and “their” in the Greek are plural, referring to multiple leaders (v. 12-13). The leaders were probably the church elders. This was Paul’s apostolic routine. After establishing churches on missionary journeys, Paul always established a plurality of elders in them. For example, at the end of Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey, they returned to the churches they started and established elders. Acts 14:23 says: “When they had appointed elders for them in the various churches, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the protection of the Lord in whom they had believed.” They did not establish one elder in each town but multiple elders. Also, with Crete, after starting churches there, Paul left Titus to establish a plurality of elders in each one. Titus 1:5 says, “The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” Healthy churches have a plurality of elders overseeing the flock, as seen in Thessalonica and other early churches.

Interpretation Question: What exactly are elders and what do they do?

There are several names used for the primary leaders of the church. In 1 Timothy 3:1-2, they are called overseers, some versions translate this as bishops. We see in other places including 1 Timothy 5:17, they are called elders. In 1 Peter 5:2, the verb form of shepherd or pastor is used of them.

Though in some denominations, these are separate positions, in Scripture, they refer to the same position. This is clear from the fact that Scripture uses the terms interchangeably. For example, 1 Peter 5:1-2 (NKJV) says:

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd [pastor] the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers [bishops], not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

Likewise, in Titus 1:5-7, the terms elder and bishop are used interchangeably. It says,

The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer [bishop] must be blameless as one entrusted with God’s work, not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain.

Also, Acts 20:17 and 28 use all three titles interchangeably for the leadership of the church of Ephesus.

From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him ... Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [bishops], to shepherd [pastor] the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

Why does Scripture give three different titles for the same position? The titles focus on the different qualities of the office: Elder refers to the spiritual maturity and wisdom of these leaders. Pastor is a shepherding term referring to their care for others. Bishop or overseer refers to their oversight or rulership of the church.

What are the qualifications of elders? In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, their characteristics are given. They include things like being the “husband of one wife” (1 Tim 3:2, Tit 1:6), meaning they are to be a one-woman type of man. If they are married, they are committed to their spouse alone. If they are single, they are not known for being flirtatious and impure. They must “manage” their “household well,” including raising their children to be faithful. If they can’t run their household well, then they will not be able to run the household of God well (Tit 1:6, 1 Tim 3:4). Elders must not be “contentious” or prone to be “violent” (1 Tim 3:3, Tit 1:7). Elders are often criticized and sometimes attacked. If they are people prone to anger, they will cause great damage to the church and its testimony. Elders must be “hospitable” (1 Tim 3:2). The word literally means a “lover of strangers.” They must love people of different races, ages, and socio-economic backgrounds because God loves them. The overarching quality is that they must be “above reproach” or “blameless” (1 Tim 3:2, Tit 1:6), meaning they have no overt sin or valid accusations of wrongdoing in their life. Almost all the qualifications are aspects of character. To serve as an elder, these people must be people of godly character who can represent God to the congregation and the world. This is also true of people God uses in general. When God looks for a person to use, he finds a person of character. As was said of David, he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14 NIV).

With the description of elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, there are only two non-character traits. The first one is they must be an “able teacher” (1 Tim 3:2). Titus 1:9 says it this way, “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Teaching/preaching must be their spiritual gift; however, there are different levels of this gift. Some may preach from the pulpit, as they are gifted at keeping the attention of a large audience and explaining difficult doctrine in simple, practical ways. Other elders may excel in small groups or one-on-one. It is a known principle of pedagogy that teaching smaller groups or individuals is typically more effective than teaching the masses. Implied in their ability to teach is that they must have been taught. God prepares his spiritual leaders through formal training like Bible school or seminary but also through informal ways like sitting under a good pastor and being mentored by him or simply self-study. The disciples did not go through the formal training of a rabbi, but they sat under Christ for three years. Because of this, the Sadducees marveled at them when they taught because they were untrained. Acts 4:13 says, “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.” When the Sadducees called them “uneducated,” this referred to them lacking formal training. Likewise, God has often used informal avenues to educate his spiritual leaders. Billy Graham never attended seminary. Dwight L. Moody’s education never went past the fifth grade and yet he was one of the world’s greatest evangelists. A bible college in Chicago is named after him. It’s a shame that many denominations have gone past the requirements of Scripture and excluded many that God has called simply because God chose to train them through informal routes.

As mentioned with the descriptions of elders, the first non-character trait is that they must be able teachers, but the second is more controversial. According to Paul, elders had to be male. When one considers Paul’s teaching on eldership in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, he always used male pronouns. For example, 1 Timothy 3:4 says, “He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity.” Today, there are two views on this. Complementarianism takes the face-value teaching of Paul and only allows men to serve in the role of elders. Egalitarians believe that when Paul taught that only males could be elders or teach the congregations in Ephesus (1 Tim 3:1-7), Crete (Tit 1:6-9), and Corinth (1 Cor 14:33-36), he was referring specifically to those churches because of issues happening in them or to not be offensive to the culture. However, instead of giving a cultural argument for males being the pastors in the church of Ephesus, he gave a creation argument. In 1 Timothy 2:12-13, he said, “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet. For Adam was formed first and then Eve.” Essentially, Paul argued that it was God’s ordained plan for male leadership from the beginning of time, both in the home and the church. Also, in 1 Corinthians 14:33-34, Paul said, “… As in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.” His argument there is that his teaching on women practicing restraint in church was not cultural or specific to Corinth, but that it was for all churches. In addition, it was taught in the law. This refers to the creation argument in 1 Timothy 2:13 or to the fact that in the tabernacle/temple God commanded that the priests were to only be males. It could refer to both. For this reason, historically, complementarianism has been the primary view of the church. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the first woman ordained in a recognized denomination was in 1853 by the First Congregational Church in New York. Consequently, this wasn’t a controversial doctrine for the first 1800 years of church history. However, during the women’s rights movement in the 1800s, believers began to reinvestigate the traditional understanding of those texts. Again, some would see Paul’s teaching about men only being elders in the same light that most see his command for women to wear head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11:5. They would say it was a cultural teaching that does not need to be directly applied today.

Either way, the clear quality of healthy churches we see in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 is the fact that they had a plurality of leadership, even though Thessalonica was a new church plant. Again, this is clear from the plural pronouns “those” (v. 12) and “their” (v. 13). This was the common pattern of New Testament churches. They were not one-person-ruled but ruled by a plurality of leaders. Again, when Paul went to Ephesus in Acts 20, he contacted the “elders” of the church to have a meeting. Acts 20:17 says, “From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.” When Paul told Titus to set up an eldership in Crete, he again used the word “elders.” Titus 1:5 says: “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” He was not to appoint an elder in every town but elders. Healthy churches follow the biblical model of a plurality of eldership.

Application Question: Why is a plurality of elders in a church important?

Having a plurality of elders is significant for many reasons.

1. A plurality of elders creates balance among the leadership.

No single pastor has all the spiritual gifts needed to lead a church. Pastoral ministry includes not only teaching and leadership but also aspects of counseling, administration, accounting, event planning, forecasting, community outreach, marketing, etc. In a plurality of elders, one elder may excel in leadership, while another may have a particular gift in counseling. One may excel in administration, while another excels in public teaching. They may all have a measure of ability in these areas but typically each will have certain strengths. This creates a balance in the leadership of a church and protects elders from burnout.

2. A plurality of elders helps prevent hazards, like overwork, pride, authoritarianism, spiritual abuse, and other failures.

We saw this with Moses who was judging all the cases for Israel, big and small. In Exodus 18:17-18, his older, wiser father-in-law said, “What you are doing is not good! You will surely wear out, both you and these people who are with you, for this is too heavy a burden for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.’” Likewise, according to a 2013 study from the Schaeffer Institute, 1,700 US pastors leave the ministry each month, citing depression, burnout, or being overworked as the primary reasons. Certainly, these numbers would significantly decrease if the pastor’s workload was better shared amongst other leaders.

Also, a plurality of elders may help protect pastors from pride which can come with any leadership role, especially when a person is exceptionally gifted. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Young believers are especially prone to this. In 1 Timothy 3:6, Paul warned against placing a person in eldership too soon because of this temptation. He said, “He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact.” Pride can lead to lust, greed, authoritarianism, and many other hazards. A plurality of shared leadership helps protect from these.

3. A plurality of elders allows more people to be cared for.

Obviously, when more are serving in leadership, this allows for more people to be ministered to and cared for. As a church continues to grow, they should add more elders for prayer, service, and teaching opportunities. In addition, deacons should be added to help free the elders to focus on their core functions—prayer, teaching, and leadership. That’s what the early church did in Acts 6 when there arose a need to better care for the widows in the church. Acts 6:2-4 says,

So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

In the expression “wait on tables,” the word “wait” is the verb form of the word “deacon.” Consequently, many believe these were the first deacons of the early church.

4. A plurality of elders provides further accountability for the teaching in a church.

In 1 Corinthians 14:29, Paul said this about prophets speaking in public worship: “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” When a prophet spoke, the other prophets had to “weigh,” or judge, what was being said. Most prophecy in Scripture is not foretelling a future event but forthtelling—prophetically calling people to obey God’s commands in Scripture. An element of prophecy is simply insightful teaching applied directly to the hearts of individuals, people, and even a nation. When this would happen in churches, the other leaders were called to weigh the teaching, to test if there was error in it and discern how to apply it. Certainly, there is a sense in which all church members must weigh the teaching to make sure it’s correct and provide a sense of accountability for a teacher, even as the Bereans did in Acts 17. Acts 17:11 (NIV) says this about them, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Though every member should test the teaching, according to Paul, other leaders in the church serve a special role in testing the public teaching (1 Cor 14:29). A plurality of elders helps provide more accountability for the teaching in a church.

5. A plurality of elders provides more wisdom, leading to a church’s spiritual success and protection.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “When there is no guidance a nation falls, but there is success in the abundance of counselors.” In the same way a good president hires a wise cabinet to make decisions about health care, education, housing, and even faith, the leadership of a church should likewise be diverse to help bring godly counsel—leading to spiritual success and health in a church. The word “success” can also be translated “safety” as in the ESV. A plurality of godly leadership helps a church prosper and protects it, both in spiritual matters and temporal ones. There is success and safety in the abundance of counselors.

6. A plurality of elders allows for continuity in a church.

Often when a pastor leaves a congregation, there is a tremendous amount of instability. In the process of finding a new pastor, the church often struggles and loses many of its members. However, this happens less when there is a strong plurality of eldership in a church.

In addition, when a pastor leaves a church, the church often hires someone from outside the church whom they don’t know and who doesn’t really know the church. This is often a difficult process with less than-desirable results. First Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 calls for churches to select elders based on very detailed criteria like how they run their homes, their hospitality, temperament, and the obedience of their children, which is hard to discern with an outside candidate. The most ideal setup is for churches to constantly be raising up leadership from within the church to have a stable congregation and easy succession when a primary teaching elder leaves.

The benefits of a plurality of leadership are legion, which is why God gives it as a model in the New Testament. Church leaders and members must aim for this ideal by seeking to raise up leaders who will faithfully serve their local church and other local churches as they move on.

A Call to Serve

With all that said, though Paul was probably referring to the elders in Thessalonica, as that was his apostolic routine to set up elders in every church, certainly his words in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 apply to other leadership positions as well. As with the first church in Jerusalem, the apostles couldn’t do it all, so deacons (and probably other ministry positions) needed to be raised up. Most churches need people to serve in youth and children’s ministry, men’s and women’s ministry, worship team, ushers, hospitality, and small groups. As we consider the need for a plurality of leadership in healthy churches, we must be challenged to pray for God to raise up workers to serve in our local church and be willing to serve (Matt 9:37-38). Specifically, with elders, in 1 Timothy 3:1, Paul said, “If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.” No doubt, God may be calling some to prepare for such a work because it’s noble and needed. But also, as mentioned, there is a need for various leadership positions in the church. God made the church a body with each member being a part. As Ephesians 4:16 says, “As each one does its part, the body grows in love.” How is God calling you support the leadership of your church or possibly serve in leadership (formally or informally)? Healthy churches raise up a plurality of leadership.

Application Question: Was Paul’s teaching that females should not serve as elders/teachers cultural and temporary or enduring for all congregations (cf. 1 Tim 2:9-3:7, Tit 1:5-9, 1 Cor 14:33-35)? Why or why not? Has your church experience been under a plurality of elders or a solo-elder/pastor? What are the benefits and weaknesses of both models? How can church leaders and members seek to continually develop the church’s future leaders (cf. 2 Tim 2:2)? How is God calling you to support your church leadership and possibly serve in leadership (formally or informally)?

Healthy Churches and Church Members Appreciate, Respect, and Lovingly Minister to Their Spiritual Leadership

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

As mentioned, it’s possible some conflict was happening in the church between the people and the leaders, which is why Paul called for them to acknowledge their leaders and be at peace with one another. When things are difficult in a country, organization, or even a church, people tend to blame and criticize the leaders. That may have been happening in the Thessalonian church, as they suffered persecution. Consequently, Paul sought to correct or reemphasize the proper relationship between church members and their leaders. He describes three ways church members should respond to their pastors.

Observation Question: What are three ways church members should respond to their pastors, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13?

1. Church members should respond to their pastors with appreciation and respect for their work.

The word “acknowledge” in verse 12 can be translated “honor” (NLT), “respect” (ESV), “appreciate” (Amplified Bible, NASB 1995), or “recognize” (NKJV). The Greek word used here (oida) literally means to know by experience. It has the sense of knowing the pastors and having sincere gratitude for their work. In addition, Paul says that believers should “esteem them most highly” (v. 13), which can also be translated to “show them great respect” (NLT). Both words (acknowledge and esteem) have the sense of appreciating and respecting pastors for their work. This is especially important because pastors deal with a lot of criticism (both internally and externally) about their preaching, leadership, mannerisms, clothing, family, and everything else, which leads many to become defensive, feel inadequate, live with great discouragement, or quit altogether. The more we get to know them and their work, the more likely we will acknowledge and esteem them instead of attacking, neglecting, or taking them for granted.

Observation Question: In what three ways did Paul describe the work of pastors in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13?

Paul described the work of pastors verse 12 as those who “labor among you,” “preside over you in the Lord,” and “admonish you.” (1) The word “labor” means to labor to exhaustion (v. 12). In 1 Thessalonians 2:9, Paul said this about his pastoral labor in Thessalonica, “For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.” He probably worked during the day as a tent-maker to provide for his needs and labored in ministry at night and on weekends (i.e. the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day). Likewise, pastors commonly labor to exhaustion in serving the flock, as they study and preach the Bible, pray for, counsel, and disciple the members, and oversee the administration of the church. Many also work another job to better provide for their family and ministry. Certainly, they should aim for balance by practicing sabbath and prioritizing their health and family; however, this is at times difficult to do. Many spiritual failures ultimately come from pastors being unbalanced with their work and family life. Because of this, healthy congregations urge and help pastors maintain balance by assisting with their workload, making sure they take at least one day off a week, and probably offering a sabbatical after a certain number of years served to keep them fresh. Spiritual ministry comes with a tremendous amount of warfare that accumulates and commonly wears out church ministers (cf. Eph 6:10-13). We must understand the uniqueness of pastoral ministry and aim to protect our pastors.

(2) As mentioned, in verse 12, pastors are also said to “preside” over the flock in the Lord. This means they are called to lead, provide for, and protect people. Because they are Christ’s undershepherds, they have spiritual responsibility and authority over the church. However, it must be said that the authority only applies to their labor “in the Lord” as verse 12 says. This means that their authority does not apply further than their proper teaching and application of Scripture and their oversight of the church in general. Consequently, they do not have authority over church members’ families, careers, money, hobbies, weekends, or life decisions. We must be very careful of spiritual leaders who go farther than their authority “in the Lord.” Abusing spiritual authority is a common characteristic of cults and unhealthy churches.

Scripture makes it clear that even though spiritual leaders are over the flock as shepherds, they are also under the flock as its servants. Therefore, the chief characteristics of spiritual leaders are not authority but humility, a godly example, and service. In Mark 10:42-45, Christ said it this way:

Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Also, in 1 Peter 5:3, Peter commanded this of pastors to keep them from abusing their authority. He said, “And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.” Again, be careful of spiritual leaders who are controlling. When their instructions are outside of Scripture, it lacks spiritual authority. And when they lack godly character, they undermine the spiritual authority of the Word they teach. In addition, spiritual leaders step outside of their spiritual authority when they come between a person’s relationship with God on issues Scripture does not clearly address. Healthy pastors must always encourage their church members to stay close to their Overshepherd, Christ, so they can discern the best paths for their family, work, involvement in the church, and future. Pastors, certainly, should advise as best they can, but they should also realize that God wants to, ultimately, make his people dependent on himself, the Good Shepherd, not the undershepherds. Church members can have an unhealthy dependence on undershepherds. This happens when undershepherds do not properly point people to God and his Word, which creates a dependence on them and their counsel, and also when members unduly exalt their leaders. In Corinth, the church members started to become tribal around their leaders, some saying, “I’m of Paul” and “I’m of Apollos” (1 Cor 1:12). Similarly, parents can unwittingly create this type of unhealthy dependence in their children. When the children become adults and can’t make basic decisions or provide for themselves, they are stunted in their growth. If parents never teach their children to be independent and to follow the Lord, they handicap them for life. It’s no different for pastors who create an unhealthy dependence in their church members. We must be careful of this tendency, whether from the pulpit or the pew.

Challenging Our Pastors

With that said, in leading a church, pastors will make mistakes, and because of that, members must test everything they say and teach by God’s Word. And when they are off, or seem off, we must gently reveal that to them in Scripture and trust God to convict them, even as they should do with us. When they are in clear violation of God’s Word, we must apply the principles of church discipline Christ gave to his church in Matthew 18:15-17. It says,

If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.

As Christ taught, we should go to erring pastors or church members one-on-one. If they respond, praise God. If they don’t respond, we should bring another to lovingly challenge them. And if they still don’t respond, we should bring it to the church. Practically, bringing it before the church may mean bringing it before other elders (which is another reason to have a plurality of elders in the church). If they still don’t respond, Christ said the church should treat them as a tax collector or Gentile—meaning they should be disciplined by being removed from their leadership position and possibly the church itself.

With that said, when pastors are properly handling the Word and seeking to lead the church as best as they can, we should obey and honor them, including on wisdom issues that are not clearly defined in Scripture (to have small groups or Sunday school, to have service at 9 am or 11 am, to pursue a building plan or not, etc.). Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.”

Again, pastors are over the flock, so they must guide the church and individual members according to God’s Word and its wisdom, but they are also under the flock as its servants, so we must appreciate and respect them for their work.

(3) The last descriptor Paul gives of the pastors’ ministry is that they “admonish” the congregation (v. 12). To “admonish” means “to caution,” “to reprove gently,” or “to warn.” By preaching the full counsel of God in Scripture, pastors should challenge us to repent and turn away from sin. This means if one is going to a church and never feels challenged or rebuked by the messages, they might be at an unhealthy church. One of the Bible’s purposes is to rebuke us for sin and challenge us to do right. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says it this way: “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.” Since the Bible reproves, corrects, and trains us for righteousness, if we never feel admonished for our sin at church, then the Word is not being preached or not being preached consistently. Again, Paul says we should appreciate and respect our pastors for their labor. It is hard to be the mouthpiece of God, especially when church members or the world-culture conflict with God’s Word. It’s hard to rebuke what has become tolerated, accepted, or even celebrated in the world and also the church. However, that is what pastors are called to do by admonishing the flock. Because of this prophetic ministry, pastors experience a great amount of spiritual warfare seeking to hinder and ultimately stop their ministry. The weight of this ministry often leaves pastors spiritually, emotionally, and physically exhausted and discouraged. A common saying amongst pastors is to not quit their jobs on Monday (when most pastors are recovering from Sunday ministry). Again, Paul called the Thessalonians (and us) to appreciate and respect our pastors because of their ministry to us and the Lord.

Application Question: How can we practically appreciate and respect our pastors?

• We appreciate and respect our pastors by getting to know them more.

As mentioned, the Greek word for appreciate (oida) literally means to know by experience. The more we get to know our leaders, the more we will appreciate them instead of being indifferent, critical, or unkind to them. After service, greet them and introduce yourself. If possible, take time to meet them for coffee or a meal. By getting to know them, we will appreciate them more. This is also true with other ministry leaders and church members, as we get to know them more deeply.

• We appreciate and respect our pastors by letting them know when they are doing a good job.

It’s easy to take people who serve us for granted, including our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, policemen, military, etc. However, when we tell them, thank you, we appreciate them. As mentioned, pastors are often the brunt of excessive criticism—the enemies’ criticism, self-criticism, and the criticism of others (both valid and invalid). Often constructive criticism is needed so they can grow, but even that can at times be hard to hear, especially if not given at the right time, in the right tone, or with the right information. However, by also offering praise and thanksgiving, we bring a needed balance, which hopefully can be helpful for their success and long-term perseverance in ministry.

• We appreciate and respect our pastors by obeying them when they exhort us from the Word and lead the church according to their prayerful convictions.

As mentioned, Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.” For this reason, when we join a church, we must make sure we feel comfortable with both the teaching and leadership. If we don’t feel comfortable submitting to the leadership and their teaching, maybe we should consider another church. As the writer of Hebrews said, complaining about and criticizing the leadership will be of no advantage to us, meaning it could lead to God’s discipline. Certainly, we get a picture of this when Miriam and Korah unrighteously complained against Moses, and God disciplined them in Numbers 12 and 16. It’s better to be in a church where we will respect and honor the leadership as God has called us to, than to gossip, criticize, and stir up conflict, potentially leading to discipline. Again, this does not mean we should never challenge our leadership, we should lovingly do so. But when we challenge them, it must clearly be a failure in Scripture or a wisdom short-coming and the manner is very important. We should always speak the truth in love, and we should give God time to confirm that in their hearts or not confirm it (Eph 4:15, 2 Tim 2:24-26). God ultimately changes hearts not us; therefore, most times, we should humbly and gently offer counsel and let God do the rest.

• We appreciate and respect our pastors by generously providing for them and their families in special ways, including through a salary.

First Timothy 5:17 says, “Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching.” Double honor refers to respect and pay. “Honor” literally means “price.” It’s translated that way in 1 Corinthians 6:20, when it says our bodies were bought with a price. This is where we get the term honorarium. Also, 1 Corinthians 9:14 says, “In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel.” When possible, pastors should be generously compensated.

However, a salary that provides for a pastor’s family is not the only way we provide for them generously. This can be done in many ways. Galatians 6:6 says, “Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it.” We must share in all good things with those who teach us. This includes praying for them, encouraging them, and generally doing good to them because we know them, understand the nature of their work, and care for them.

How else did Paul call the Thessalonians to respond to their leaders?

2. Church members must lovingly minister to their pastors.

After saying we should appreciate and respect our pastors, in verse 13, Paul said we should “esteem them most highly in love because of their work.” A pastor’s job is very difficult. As mentioned, he is called to be over the flock as a shepherd, but he is also a sheep himself and needs to be shepherded and cared for. He is called to be over the flock, among the flock, and under the flock as he serves. He is also called to be a model for the flock, though he is, at the same time, a sinner just like the other sheep. Because of the complexity of this relationship, sometimes there can be a strained relationship with the congregation. Sometimes, the congregation feels let down by a pastor. Maybe, they don’t like his sermons. They wish the sermons were more practical, less deep, more deep, more charismatic, less charismatic, shorter, or longer. They feel like he is not among the flock enough or as approachable as they would like. In every church, the pastor will fail expectations because the expectations are diverse and sometimes even unspoken. One of the ways we help our pastors overcome all the difficulties they experience, including the heightened spiritual warfare, is through loving them. When many pastors feel like quitting because of difficulties in ministry, it is the love of the congregation, even if only through a few members, that often keeps them going. Again, Paul said, we should “esteem them most highly in love because of their work” (v. 13).

Application Question: How can we better lovingly minister to our pastors?

• We lovingly minister to our pastors by sacrificially serving them.

The word “love” used in verse 13 is agape. It is God’s love. And when God loved us, he sent his Son to die for us (John 3:16). He sacrificed for us. That is a characteristic of God’s love. It’s sacrificial. Consequently, we show our pastors love by sacrificially serving them. This may show up in a variety of ways, including potentially offering to babysit their kids so they can go on a date with their wife, taking them out for a meal, going out to coffee with them while having no personal agenda but to ask questions, listen, and pray for them. Pastors commonly listen to others’ problems and pray for them, but often feel like they have no one to share with and receive prayer from in return. Though commonly around people, most pastors confess struggling with loneliness in ministry. If they share struggles with others, it might be used to attack or harm them. We love our pastors and help them overcome many of their struggles by sacrificially serving them.

A great example of sacrificially serving a pastor is seen in the Galatians’ initial relationship with Paul. When he visited them, he had a disease, most believe it was an eye disease, and they graciously served him while he was sick. Galatians 4:13-15 says,

But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you, and though my physical condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God, as though I were Christ Jesus himself! Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

Initially, when Paul founded the church, the Galatians welcomed Paul and treated him like he was an angel of God. And though his illness was a burden to them (“put you to the test,” 4:14), they were very sacrificial in their caring for him. Paul said they were so sacrificial, they would have pulled their eyes out to help him (v. 15). They apparently were very appreciative and sacrificial in their love. Are we sacrificially loving our pastors as well?

• We lovingly minister to our pastors by faithfully praying for them.

It’s commonly been said if Satan had one bullet to shoot at a church, he would shoot a pastor. Consequently, their family, ministry, mind, body, and sleep are constantly under attack from the one who wants to hinder the progress of the church. In response, church members must lovingly minister to their pastors by faithfully praying for them.

Very aware of his needs, call, and the special warfare he was under, Paul commonly asked the churches for prayer. Consider a few of his request:

Pray for me also, that I may be given the right words when I begin to speak—that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel,

Ephesians 6:19

At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may make it known as I should.

Colossians 4:3–4

Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored as in fact it was among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith.

2 Thessalonians 3:1–2

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf. Pray that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea and that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.

Romans 15:30-32

Paul asked for prayer for his preaching, that right words would be given to him, that he would speak confidently (or boldly), and for open doors to share God’s message. In addition, he asked for prayer for deliverance from those who would do him harm and that his ministry would be acceptable to those he served. We should pray the same for our pastors, praying for their study, preaching, counseling, leadership, and protection. We should also pray for their families—for their spouses and children to know the Lord and his love, for them to be unified, and protected from the evil one.

• We lovingly serve our pastors by forgiving them when they fail.

First Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) says, love “is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” When our pastors fail, we should forgive. Again, that doesn’t mean we never confront them or even pursue discipline (if the failure is gross); however, either way, we should forgive them, as an act of love. We should forgive them, and they should forgive us when we fail.

Are we lovingly serving our pastors? Our pastors have a responsibility to care for us, but we also have a responsibility to care for them. Are we appreciating and respecting them or are we indifferent and/or critical of them? And as we lovingly minister to our pastors, we are loving and ministering to the Lord and will be rewarded by him. In Matthew 10:40-42, Christ said this to his disciples:

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.

By ministering to faithful pastors in practical ways, we participate in their ministry and will be rewarded in accordance with that ministry (receiving a prophet’s reward and a righteous person’s reward). Even a cup of cold water given to a young disciple will be rewarded by God.

As Paul urged the Thessalonians to do with their pastors, healthy churches appreciate, respect, and lovingly minister to their pastors. Are we doing the same? In unhealthy churches, pastors and their congregants have an unhealthy dynamic, whether of abuse, undue worship, or total neglect.

Application Question: How have you seen pastors at times abuse their authority or fall into other sins? Why does this so commonly happen? In what ways have you seen pastors and their families be taken for granted, overworked, and/or hurt by their churches? What are some practical ways to better appreciate, respect, and lovingly serve pastors? How have you seen specific churches do this well? How is God calling you to better honor and serve your pastors or other spiritual leaders?

Healthy Churches and Church Members Labor for Peace Amongst One Another

…Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:13b

After telling the Thessalonians how to properly minister to their leaders, he abruptly calls for them to be at peace amongst themselves. In context, this may refer to the church members living at peace with the church elders by honoring, loving, and obeying them, but it could also just be a general admonition for the entire congregation. Either way, one of the greatest difficulties of church ministry is the reality of conflict. With the Galatian church, there was conflict happening in the congregation. In Galatians 5:15-16, Paul said: “However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” Since the Galatians were living in their flesh instead of the Spirit (by not living in God’s Word and obeying it), they were constantly in conflict with one another. Since he mentioned being “consumed by one another,” it probably referred to the church conflict being so bad that it might destroy not only the witness of the church but also the church itself. With the Corinthian church, there was conflict in it as well. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, they were getting into factions around their religious leaders. Some were saying they were of Paul, others of Apollos, and others of Jesus (the really spiritual ones). In 1 Corinthians 1:13, he says, “Is Christ divided?” In Chapter 6, these believers had gotten to the point where they were suing one another, going to court in front of nonbelievers to decide their cases. In 1 Corinthians 6:1, 7-8, he said:

When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? … The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters!

The Philippians were having conflict between two women which apparently threatened to split the church. In Philippians 4:2-3, he said:

I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I say also to you, true companion, help them. They have struggled together in the gospel ministry along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.

With the Romans, they were having conflict over nonessential matters, such as days of worship and types of food to eat. In Romans 14:10, Paul said this:

But you who eat vegetables only—why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything—why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Even with the Ephesians, though no clear conflict was stated, it is implied when he called for them to be “making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:3).

To be involved in a church for any significant amount of time (and not just visiting her) means that one will encounter conflict. This is one of the most stressful parts of serving in ministry. Unfortunately, there is often conflict within the worship team, amongst the deacons, the general congregation, and even at times with the elders. Why is there conflict? Though redeemed, saints are just sinners like everybody else. However, something that makes churches different from many other communities and organizations is their diversity. A church is meant to be multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-generational. It’s intended to be diverse in socio-economic status and political views. A school, college, club, or sports team typically is very homogeneous, including having people around the same age, interests, and even socio-economic status. Even the military which is probably one of the most diverse secular organizations can’t have people of certain ages or health statuses. Because the church is so diverse, it is especially prone to conflict.

With the early church, Jews and Gentiles who were different culturally and had historically hated each other now were gathering together for worship. Slaves and the rich were now worshiping and serving together, which was not happening in any other forum. It was shameful for slaves and the rich to mingle together. However, in Galatians 3:28, Paul described the church inhabitants this way: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” All these people from different backgrounds gathered together because of their new identity in Christ.

With that said, as mentioned, though diverse and unified by God, the early church still had conflict. In Acts 6, even amongst the Jews, there was division. The Greek Jewish widows were being neglected while the Hebrew widows were being cared for. Though together at church, there was still ethnocentricism and partiality happening in the church, as still unfortunately happens today. It’s commonly been said that the number one problem in the church is people getting along. Though God has done so much to change us through the Spirit, each believer has enough flesh residing in them to destroy family, friendships, and church relationships. This is why Paul calls for the Thessalonians (and us) to be at peace with one another (v. 13).

Application Question: How can we live at peace with one another as a church, though we are different?

1. To live at peace with one another in church, we must focus on our commonalities.

Instead of focusing on what we differ on (ethnically, politically, culturally, and socio-economicly), we should focus on what we have in common in Christ. Paul said it this way in Ephesians 4:3-6 and Philippians 2:1-2:

making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

Though different in many ways, instead of focusing on our difference, we should focus on the fact that we have the same God, same gospel, same Holy Spirit living in us, same baptism, same Bible, same future destiny, and the same purpose to glorify God and make disciples of all nations. What we have in common is much greater than our differences.

With that said, this is a general conflict resolution principle. Often two people in disagreement have many things in common. A husband and wife might fight over how to discipline the children. However, what they have in common, even within their disagreement, is the fact that they both want their kids to be righteous and mature. They just disagree on the model of developing those traits. They should work from the fact that they agree on the outcome, though not the process. With saints who disagree on some issue, often they can start with the fact that they both love the Lord, want to honor him, and hopefully, they both don’t want others to stumble in the faith because how they handle their disagreement. As a general principle, to live at peace with one another in the church, we must focus on what we have in common, especially in Christ.

2. To live at peace with one another in church, we must discern the difference between a wisdom issue and a sin issue and treat them differently.

Sin issues like someone practicing sexual immorality, lying to or abusing others, errant teaching on primary issues like the gospel, the deity and humanity of Christ, etc., are not little issues but major ones. As mentioned before, we must practice the steps of church discipline to protect the health of the church when these are happening (Matt 18:15-17). We should go to someone one-on-one to point out the error in a gentle and loving manner. If they don’t respond, we should lovingly confront them with someone else. If they still don’t respond, we should bring it before the church (including the elders), and if they still don’t respond we should separate from those members living in sin.

However, the problem is many people treat wisdom issues like they are sin issues; consequently, people start conflict in churches over the style of music played, whether the lights should be on or off during worship, and other non-essential issues. Likewise, the Roman Christians were having conflict over foods eaten and days worshiped on.

This is also important for other relationships at work and home. When we are upset, we should ask, “Is this a sin issue or wisdom issue?” “Did he sin or could he just have done something better or wiser?” We should treat these issues differently, including being more gentle towards those failures. First Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Wisdom issues many times should be covered by love while sin issues should at least be corrected in love.

3. To live at peace with one another in church, we must humbly love others and put their interests first.

As mentioned, with the Roman Christians who were dividing over secondary issues (like the food eaten and the days worshiped on), Paul called for them to walk in love towards one another by not causing someone to stumble over a nonessential issue. In Romans 14:15, Paul says: “For if your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy by your food someone for whom Christ died.” Essentially, he says if our friend is distressed by our eating a certain food (or drinking a certain drink or wearing certain clothes), we should choose to love that person by giving up our right. In Romans 14:21, Paul said, “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything that causes your brother to stumble.” Previously, in Romans 14:18, he said, “For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.” When we sacrifice our rights and privileges to help someone who is weak in the faith—someone stumbled by our practice of a nonessential right or privilege—God is pleased by our faith. Certainly, this is a principle married couples need to apply all the time. Most fights in marriages are over nonessentials. Rather than fighting, it’s easier just to give up our rights and opinions to love someone else if it is that important to them. Paul taught this principle in another way in Philippians 2:3-5 (NIV). He said:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Essentially, Paul says in humility, put others first. Listen to what they are saying and choose to give up your interests and opinions to care for them. This is hard because we are naturally prideful and selfish. We also believe the way we see things is the most correct. Even if it is, we should care more about that relationship or person, than our opinion or our desired outcome from a decision. Certainly, some decisions are more important than others, but even then, we must be extremely gracious in how we talk with others who disagree with us. If we do that, though we may not agree, mutual respect can often be gained. As mentioned, Ephesians 4:15 says to speak the truth in love. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.” If we are going to be at peace, we must care more about others and their interests than our own.

4. To live at peace with one another in church, we must live in the Spirit to produce the fruits of love, peace, patience, and self-control.

With the Galatians who were fighting with one another, Paul said this in Galatians 5:15-16: “However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” He then described the fruits of the flesh, which is our default in our fallen bodies, and the fruits of living in the Spirit, which is our ability as born-again believers with the Spirit residing in us. In Galatians 5:19-23, he said this:

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God! But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Again, the works of the flesh (our default) are hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, and selfish rivalries (v. 20) and the fruits of the Spirit are love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. God has given us everything we need in the Spirit to have peace in our churches and relationships with other believers. If we are true believers, then we have access to these supernatural fruits, which the world does not have. We have access to agape love, patience, gentleness, and self-control. These are all supernatural and given by the Spirit as we abide in him. Paul told the Galatians who were devouring one another that if they lived in the Spirit, they would not produce the fruits of the flesh, including discord, jealousy, selfishness, and bursts of anger.

No doubt, this is the reason many Christian marriages, families, and churches are in discord. Though believers have the Spirit, they are not living in him. They are not making their home in him. We can only live in the Spirit by a life of discipline, and many believers have little to none. They don’t daily read the Bible and pray consistently. They don’t consistently fellowship with other believers, nor confess their sins and pray for one another so they can receive deliverance and healing (Jam 5:16). Often, they only worship on Sundays if then. By being a visitor to the Spirit and not a resident, the flesh commonly dominates them. Outbursts of wrath and discord are common at their workplaces, with their families, and even in their churches. They live with a critical spirit instead of a gentle, loving one.

If we are going to live at peace with one another in the church, congregants with one another, pastors and congregants, and pastors with one another, we must all choose to live in the Spirit by a disciplined lifestyle of worship and obedience to God.

5. To live at peace with one another in the church, we must be willing to get involved with others’ conflicts and help bring reconciliation.

With the Philippian church, Paul called a person to help Euodia and Syntyche work out their conflict. In Philippians 4:2-3, he said:

I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I say also to you, true companion, help them. They have struggled together in the gospel ministry along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.

The word “companion” is probably the person’s given name and therefore should not be translated. The name is Suzugos in the Greek. By calling him true suzugos (companion), Paul was saying he was living out his name. He was a true companion, someone who helped others. Likewise, we’ll commonly have to play that role in our families, small groups, ministries, and churches. When two people disagree, we’ll need to listen to both sides, pray for them, point out truth and error, correct them through biblical counsel, and help them forgive each other and reconcile.

Unfortunately, this may also need to happen with bigger conflicts between church members (or even potential Christian communities and organizations). In 1 Corinthians 6:4-5, the conflict between the church members was so toxic they filed lawsuits over the issues. Consequently, Paul rebuked them for this. In 1 Corinthians 6:4-5, he said: “So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians?” Instead of going to court before unbelievers (who have different values), he recommended setting up wise, mature believers to mediate between the two sides. Before that, he said this in verses 2 and 3: “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters!” His logic was since believers will rule and judge with Christ at his coming, how come a wise church member or members can’t be set up to judge fairly between two believers in conflict? Again, if we, as a church, are going to be at peace with one another, we may need to get involved in others’ conflicts to give a listening ear, empathy, prayer, and sound biblical counsel.

A good thing to remember when involved with others’ conflict is that there are always three sides to every story. There is what he says, she says, and then there is the truth. Proverbs 18:17 says it this way: “The first to state his case seems right, until his opponent begins to cross-examine him.” It’s very easy to take sides when only listening to one person (especially if they are friends or family). However, when listening to the other person, we’ll commonly find there is probably a middle ground with short-sightedness on both sides. We all tend to see events, including disagreements, in a way that paints ourselves or our views in a more favorable light. Consequently, when listening to others, we should recognize that natural tendency and withhold judgment until we have prayerfully listened to both sides. In addition, when working through our own conflict, it’s helpful to humbly recognize that our sight is not typically twenty-twenty. This is why Christ said for us to take the log out of our own eye to better minister to others (Matt 7:5).

If we are going to live at peace with others, we’ll commonly have to get involved in others’ conflicts and help mediate.

6. To live at peace with one another in the church, we must have a sober understanding of the detrimental consequences of discord, both individually and corporately.

As we soberly understand the severe and various consequences of discord, it should make us zealously labor for reconciliation with others and between others.

Application Question: What are some of the consequences of living in discord?

• Discord among believers hinders evangelism.

In John 17:20-21, Christ prayed this:

I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.

When believers are unified, it is a tremendous witness to the world who is constantly in discord organizationally, politically, ethnically, culturally, and domestically within families. Unity among a people who are so diverse proves that something supernatural is happening. However, when the church is just like the world, in constant conflict, people see no difference between us and them and may even see us as worse.

When Warren Wiersbe was a pastor, he would try to evangelize the unbelieving neighbors and family of church members. However, when doing this, he quickly found out that the unbelievers knew about every church split and conflict in the city, which hindered his witness. Discord hinders our witness to the world as well and dims the beauty of Christ.

• Discord among believers hinders God’s power and blessing in our lives and churches.

Psalm 133 says,

Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers truly live in unity. It is like fine oil poured on the head, which flows down the beard—Aaron’s beard, and then flows down his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion. Indeed that is where the Lord has decreed a blessing will be available—eternal life.

With the priest, oil would be poured on his head to symbolize the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to do ministry. Likewise, when churches walk in unity, God’s Spirit moves upon them in a special way to transform members, empower them, and reach the lost. However, disunity hinders or removes God’s empowerment. Similarly, the dew on Mount Hermon symbolized the rich fruitfulness God brings when there is unity. However, discord removes fruitfulness from our lives, families, and churches. Instead of sanctification, the church grows in immaturity. Instead of evangelism, unbelievers are pushed away. Instead of God being glorified, he is defamed. Discord hinders or removes God’s power from our lives, families, and churches.

• Discord brings God’s discipline and opens the door for the devil to attack and bring destruction in our lives and communities.

In Matthew 18:23-35, God gave a parable about an unforgiving servant. Because the master had forgiven his servant a great debt and that servant refused to forgive another servant a lesser debt, the master threw him in prison to be tortured. Matthew 18:32-35 says this:

Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Since Christ’s disciples would be handed to the prison guard for torture if they did not forgive from the heart, we must ask, who are the torturers? It seems clear from other acts of God’s discipline that this refers to demons. With Saul, when he was being disobedient to God, a demonic spirit from the Lord was sent to torment him. First Samuel 16:14 says, “Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.” With the man having sex with his father’s wife, Paul called for the church to hand him over to Satan. First Corinthians 5:5 says, “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” Through being tormented by Satan, the hope was that he would return to God and be truly saved (like the prodigal son returning home; Luke 15:17-18). With the two false teachers mentioned in 1 Timothy, Paul also handed them over to Satan. In 1 Timothy 1:20, he said: “Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.”

It's very clear that though Satan is God’s enemy, God uses him to at times discipline his saints (or those who profess to be saints), so they can repent and do what’s right. This is certainly true in the area of forgiveness. Unforgiveness hurts us more than it hurts others. No doubt this torment can show up in a variety of ways, stirring up anger and violence in relationships, bringing mental or physical sickness on those harboring unforgiveness, and creating worse consequences from their continued wrong choices.

In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul warned againt holding grudges by saying, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.” The word “opportunity” can also be translated “foothold” (NIV), which is a war term. When we are in conflict with others, Satan seeks a foothold to wage war against us, our relationships, and our ministry. He seeks a foothold but his ultimate desire is to control and eventually destroy us.

If we are going to be at peace with one another, as Paul encourages the Thessalonians, we must have a sober understanding of the consequences for not being at peace, not reconciling with others. It (1) hinders evangelism, (2) removes God’s power and blessing from our lives and communities, and (3) opens the door for God’s discipline and Satan’s attack. Certainly, we cannot change people’s hearts who will not forgive us or work towards reconciliation. But in obedience to God, we can practice Romans 12:18 which says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people” and 1 Thessalonians 5:12, “Be at peace among yourselves.”

As mentioned, we must labor to have peace with others by (1) focusing on our commonalities in the Lord, (2) discerning the difference between sin issues and wisdom issues and treating them differently, (3) humbly loving others and putting their interests first, (4) living in and producing the fruits of the Spirit instead of the flesh which is prone towards discord, (5) getting involved with others conflict to help bring reconciliation, (6) and recognizing the detrimental consequences of discord.

How is God calling you to be at peace with others in the church and help others pursue peace?

Application Question: Why are churches so commonly in conflict? How have you seen or experienced church conflict? What is living in the Spirit and how does it help deliver us from conflict (Gal 5:15-23)? In what ways does conflict give the devil a foothold in our lives and communities? How is God calling you to pursue peace in your family, friends, work, and church relationships and help others do so?

Healthy Churches and Church Members Patiently Minister to One Another, Especially to Those Struggling

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

After commanding the Thessalonians to honor and serve their church leadership and encouraging them to seek peace among themselves, he urges them to minister to those who were struggling in the church. Throughout church history, there have been significant pendulum swings as far as who conducts the ministry in the church. Before the Reformation in the Middle Ages, the church tended to see the pastors/priests as those whom God ordained to do the ministry of the church, and therefore, the laymen did very little, if at all. Even studying the Bible apart from the church leaderships’ guidance was frowned upon. However, during the Reformation, the reformers focused on the priesthood of every believer, that all believers were called to study the Bible, teach it, and serve the church and the world. Though not as pronounced, those swings have continued throughout church history. At times, there has been a form of anti-clericalism, where people started to distrust pastors and look with suspicion upon spiritual leadership and seminary education. Church members will say, “We all have the Holy Spirit, and therefore, pastors are not necessary!” Seasons like this typically grow out of long periods of spiritual abuse by leadership. At other times, the church has swung to the other extreme where it exalts those in pastoral ministry and minimizes the importance and ministry of the laymen. Pastoral leaders start to monopolize the ministry in such a way that laymen can’t pray, teach, or offer the ordinances. The only thing laymen can do is attend church and tithe. Neither extreme is correct. Ephesians 4:11-12 says this about God’s call on pastors: “And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ.” Pastors and teachers are greatly needed and have been given as gifts of Christ to the church (Eph 4:8, 11). However, they should be aiming to work themselves out of a job, as they train church members to evangelize, teach the Word, counsel others, and administer the sacraments.

When Paul called for the Thessalonians to minister to those struggling in the church, he, no doubt, included the elders but was referring to everybody. Each church member has the responsibility to minister to one another and especially to those struggling. Church ministry is not just for pastors but for everybody.

Observation Question: Who are the three types of people struggling in the church and how should church members minister to them, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:14?

Paul focused on three types of people struggling in the church and shared how we should minister to them.

1. Church members should admonish the undisciplined.

The word “undisciplined” in ancient Greek literature was commonly used of soldiers in an army. The undisciplined were those walking out of rank and being disorderly by not submitting to the leadership. Many believe that Paul was referring to those who were no longer working jobs because they were waiting for Christ to come. In response, the church members graciously provided for their needs because of their laziness. It seems in 1 Thessalonians that this problem had just begun, but by the time Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians, it was in full bloom. In 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 10-12, he said this:

But we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they received from us… For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.” For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat.

1 Thessalonians 3:6, 10-12

Certainly, the undisciplined referred to these people, but it also probably referred to any church members not faithfully following the Lord. It could refer to those being lazy by not faithfully coming to church gatherings. In Hebrews 10:25, the author described those who were forsaking the assembly of God by not faithfully coming to church meetings. The undisciplined could refer to those who were living in some type of unrepentant sin, like sexual immorality, lying, or even teaching false doctrine. In addition, the undisciplined in a church commonly start to criticize and gossip about the leadership. Instead of passively accepting their spiritual rebellion and listening to their gossip, church members should admonish or warn (KJV) them so they can repent and get right with God and his church.

Though, as a church, we are individuals with different spiritual gifts, personalities, and callings, we are also part of Christ’s body and therefore must be uniform in gathering, worshiping God, and obeying his Word. When we are not walking in line with Christ, our head, and his body, we are out of rank and need to be encouraged to get in rank for the glory of Christ, the good of the church, and that of the world. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Paul argued that everything we do, specifically in public worship, should be done to strengthen and edify the church and others and not ourselves (v. 4-5, 12, 19, 26, 31). Certainly, that’s true in all aspects of church life.

Are we walking in rank or are we out of order? Are we passively accepting those who call themselves Christians but live like the world, or are we in love exhorting and warning them? We should warn them by clearly expressing from Scripture God’s expectations and reminding them of God’s discipline. Hebrews 12:6 and 8 says, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts... But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons.” In the same way that God disciplined Jonah when he was in sin, he will not let true children of God live in spiritual laziness, worldliness, sexual immorality, or some other type of rebellion. As a good Father, he will discipline them so they come back to Christ. And if there is no discipline, it may prove that they are not God’s children. To warn people, we must lovingly explain where they are wrong, show them the consequences of remaining in sin (on themselves and others), and show them how to get right, all from Scripture and practical application that aligns with it.

Application Question: Why is it important to warn others who are in sin? How should we warn them, and what are wrong ways to do so? Share a time when someone lovingly warned you about an area where you were not right with God, and how you responded. Who is God calling you to lovingly warn so they can be right with God?

2. Church members must comfort the fainthearted.

The word “fainthearted” can literally be translated “little souled.” The NIV translates it “disheartened,” and the NLT translates it “timid.” The word refers to a person who is fearful, discouraged, and feels like giving up or quitting in the midst of some difficulty. We all have times like this, especially when going through extended hardship. However, some are more wired this way by temperament and therefore constantly need encouragement. No doubt, since the Thessalonians were being persecuted, many in the church struggled with bouts of anxiety and discouragement, and God’s remedy was for other church members to encourage them. This is important to hear because often when someone is anxious, discouraged, or depressed, they tend to isolate themselves from others. Sometimes they feel like nobody else will understand them or that being alone with God is the only way to be healed. Certainly, there is a place for being alone with God to be in his Word and prayer, but we must also recognize that God also brings grace through Christ’s body. In fact, often, the best remedy for a weary soul is to be around fellow believers. In James 5:16, James said this to the sick, “So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” The “sick,” mentioned in James 5:14-15, does not necessarily only apply to those physically sick, but it could also apply to those who are emotionally distressed or discouraged. As Christ’s body, God will often bring healing through us to others and also from others to us. We are meant to be conduits of his grace.

A great example of a person comforting someone who was discouraged is in the story of Jonathan and David. David was greatly discouraged from the constant persecution of Saul and had hidden himself to be protected. In response, Jonathan went to David to encourage him. First Samuel 23:16-17 says this:

Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him through God. He said to him, “Don’t be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this.”

God had previously promised David that he would be king, therefore, Jonathan reminded David of this promise to encourage him. We must do the same with others who are weary and discouraged. When someone is anxious about the future, we should remind them of Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

As they choose to not worry but instead give thanks and pray in everything, God promises to give them peace. We should also remind them of Matthew 6:33, “But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” As we make our focus knowing God and serving him, he promises to meet all our needs. In addition, when someone is waiting on God for a change in circumstances but feels like giving up, we must remind them that God’s goal for us in trials is to create perseverance, character, and hope. Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.” James 1:4 says, “And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.” Because perseverance is a character trait God wants in his children, he commonly makes them wait. Abraham waited. Joseph waited. Moses waited. David waited. Jesus waited. God makes his saints wait, and he blesses those who faithfully do so. He develops their character and trust in him and then commonly provides the grace they’ve been waiting for. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.”

Furthermore, when someone is confused and prone to doubt God because of unfortunate circumstances, we must comfort them with the promise of God’s sovereignty and goodness. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” We must believe that God is sovereign (meaning in control), righteous, and for us. There is no event happening in the world that is outside of God’s sovereign control, and God is using even bad things for our good.

Not only should we pray for others who are fainthearted and remind them of God’s promises, but it is also helpful to at times remind them of others who did not faint in their trials and how God worked things for their good. With Joseph, God used the evil works of his brothers and the lies of Potiphars’ wife to eventually exalt him to second in command over Egypt, so he could save many lives. With Moses, after being a prince in Egypt, God allowed him to become a shepherd in Midian for forty years, so he could prepare him to shepherd Israel and deliver them from slavery in Egypt. With Christ, God took the worst thing in the world, the Son of God being murdered by evil men, and made it the best thing in the world through the resurrection and offering us the gift of salvation. To comfort the fainthearted, we must remind them of God’s promises and faithfulness to others and also pray for them.

Application Question: What Bible story or passage do you find most comforting when discouraged and why?

3. Church members must help the weak.

The word “help” means to hold firmly, cling to, support, or hold up. It means that we should not let the weak fall into sin. The weak could refer to those who are spiritually or physically weak. In 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14, Paul refers to believers with very sensitive consciences as being spiritually weak. Their consciences are so weak that they even perceive certain things as sin when they are not actually. In 1 Corinthians 8:7-9, Paul said this about those eating food offered to idols:

But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled. Now food will not bring us close to God. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do. But be careful that this liberty of yours does not become a hindrance to the weak.

Though we have freedom to eat food offered to idols, believers who were saved out of idolatry were caused to stumble by others exercising their freedom around them. Likewise, though believers are free to drink alcohol, others who were saved out of excessive drinking or come from conservative backgrounds may be tempted or offended by our use of that freedom around them (or at all). This means believers should not just ask themselves what is acceptable, they must also ask what is wise and loving for those around us. In Romans 14:21 and 15:1, Paul said this: “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything that causes your brother to stumble…But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.” The strong may often have to give up their rights, even if only in certain situations or around certain people, to lovingly care for those with sensitive consciences.

The spiritually weak could also refer to those who are young in the faith and therefore vulnerable in many areas, including resisting worldly pressure, struggling with doubts about the faith, and being tempted by false doctrine. In Ephesians 4:14, Paul referred to spiritual children as being tossed to and fro by all types of doctrines. We should grab a hold of these people, mentor them, hold them accountable, and help them grow in Scripture so they will not be led astray into sin, false teaching, or back into the world.

As mentioned, the weak could also refer to those struggling physically in some way, such as with financial or health problems. We should come beside them to pray, listen, encourage, and support in whatever way we can. In a healthy church, members care for the weak and don’t just take care of themselves. In the church in Jerusalem, the church members began to sell all they had to care for the poor in the church. Acts 2:45 says, “and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.” In healthy churches, church members care for one another, but especially the weak.

Application Question: What do you think about the statement, “A major difference between a young Christian and a mature one is that the young Christian commonly focuses only on what is right (according to Scripture), while the mature also focuses on what is wise (to best love others)”? When dealing with those who have sensitive consciences, what is the proper balance between teaching them correct doctrine and sacrificially loving them by giving up certain rights? How is God calling you to support the weak in your church or in your midst?

4. Church members must be patient with all.

“Patient” can also be translated “long-suffering.” The “all” probably refers to the vulnerable groups in the church, though it certainly has applications to any relationship—family, friends, co-workers, etc. As we minister to the undisciplined who are rebellious towards God, the fainthearted who are discouraged and feel like giving up, and the weak who are vulnerable in some area spiritually or physically, we must be patient and long-suffering. We must be patient because change and breakthrough often take time. We must be patient because while ministering to them, we’ll commonly get discouraged and feel like giving up, especially when they are not listening or repeatedly fail. We must be patient because our Lord never gives up on us. According to Scripture, being patient and longsuffering is one of his characteristics. Psalm 103:8 says: “The Lord is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.” It’s also a fruit of the Spirit God has given us (Gal 5:22). As we are patient in prayer and serving others who are struggling or falling away, often God slowly and miraculously changes them. In fact, God often takes the roughest and most difficult people and makes them his greatest witnesses. He certainly did that with Paul, the author of this letter. Paul persecuted and imprisoned Christians and yet became possibly the greatest Christian witness to ever live. Others have seen God do the same with others. Warren Wiersbe shared this story about difficult kids in church:

A pastor friend and I were chatting after I had spoken at a service in his church, when a red-headed boy about ten years old came running past us, heading up the center aisle. “Have you ever noticed,” remarked my friend, “that the biggest scamps in the Sunday School usually turn out to be pastors or missionaries?” Patience!

We must remember this well. Galatians 6:9 says, “So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.” We will reap a harvest if we do not faint!

In healthy churches, the members patiently minister to one another, especially those struggling such as the undisciplined, the fainthearted, and the weak. How is God calling us to minister to the weak in the church?

Application Question: Why is patience so important in ministry? How have you seen God change a person who was spiritually dull or rebellious or change a relationship that seemed past repair? How have God and others been patient with you? What are some helpful tips to enable us to be more patient with others?

Healthy Churches and Church Members Do Not Seek Revenge, But Instead, Overcome Evil with Good

See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Paul called for the believers to never return evil for evil. Not returning evil for evil was especially important because the Thessalonians were being persecuted. In places where the church is persecuted, the church might focus primarily on fighting back, including through contentious disagreements and political attacks. When Christ was taken unjustly by the Romans, Peter immediately grabbed a sword and cut off someone’s ear (John 18:10). Likewise, in Luke 9:51-56, when Christ decided to stay in a Samaritan village while traveling to Jerusalem but was rejected by the Samaritans, James and John said in response, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” (v. 54). Since they were mistreated because of their Jewish faith, the disciples wanted Christ to have everybody burned up. No doubt, that was a temptation for many of the Thessalonians as well, especially those who previously held powerful positions in Thessalonica before they accepted Christ. Today, as Christians seek to spread the gospel of the kingdom and biblical values, there is a temptation to respond harshly to people who don’t agree with us morally, religiously, or politically. And instead of winning people to Christ, they push people away from him. Paul clearly warned that Christians should never return evil for evil but instead pursue what is good for all.

This is not only true when responding to the world which at times marginalizes Christians or even persecutes them, it’s also true when believers hurt one another. Again, in context, it seems like some of the church members may have been upset with the elders in the church. In addition, because some were being unruly in the church, instead of seeking to love them by turning them back to Christ, the faithful may have been tempted to harshly rebuke them and fight with them. Christians will at times fail one another, but instead of returning evil for evil, we must instead only return what is good. Christ taught this, and it’s emphasized throughout the New Testament. In Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV), Christ said:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

In applying Christ’s words, Paul described his and his companions’ response to evil in 1 Corinthians 4:12-13, “When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure, when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner…” In 1 Peter 3:9 and 21-23, Peter, who wrote the entire book on how to suffer righteously, said:

Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing… For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly.

Instead of seeking vengeance, we entrust justice to God and seek to bless those who harm us. Romans 12:19-21 said it this way:

Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This does not mean we never go to the government authorities. Certainly, we should. Soon after calling believers to never take personal vengeance (Rom 12:19-21), in Romans 13:1-7, Paul taught the Roman believers that God has given us government authorities to judge wrongdoers and to reward the righteous. So instead of seeking vengeance on our own, we pray for God to bring justice, but we also go to the police or the court, as a means of receiving God’s justice. And when the police and courts are unjust, we can take comfort in the fact that God is not. He will bring justice in this world or the next. In the meantime, we should overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). We pray, serve, and peacefully protest when there are opportunities, but we never return evil for evil.

This is important to continue to have peace in the church when we fail one another, but it’s also important to maintain our Christian witness in a world that is antagonistic towards Christ, his followers, and their beliefs. Though the world maligns our beliefs, they should not be able to malign our character as we follow Christ and return good for evil. First Peter 2:12 says it this way: “and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.” The hope is that as we bless those who wrong us, they may ultimately come to know Jesus and glorify him for our faithful witness at his coming.

If believers instead return evil for evil, they will eventually destroy themselves, their families, and the church. In Galatians 5:15, Paul said, “However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.” And if believers respond harshly to the world who maligns and persecutes them, they will turn the world away from Christ. God promises blessing to the meek, those who are gentle in response to harm. In Matthew 5:5, he said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Responding gently to those who hurt us is a proof that we are truly born again and that God lives in us. It’s proof that we will eventually inherit the earth at Christ’s coming.

How are we responding to those who mistreat us? Are we returning good for evil or evil for evil? When we return good for evil, it demonstrates to those watching that we are God’s children, as we demonstrate his character. Again, Matthew 5:44-45 says,

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Lord, let this be true of us as your children!

Application Question: In what ways is harshness and persecution towards Christians and their beliefs growing around the world? How have you seen Christians, instead of being meek and gentle in response to wrongdoing, be harsh towards others, especially politically? What are the dangers of returning evil for evil both within the church and outside of it? How can Christians practice returning good for evil to those who hurt them?

Healthy Churches and Church Members Practice Meaningful Local Church Membership

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

As we consider all of Paul’s exhortations in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15, we must remind ourselves of the importance of meaningful local church membership. At times in the New Testament, the word “church” refers to the universal church, such as in how Christ gave his life for the church (Eph 5:25). At other times, it refers to the churches in a region or the local church. In 1 Corinthians 16:19, Paul said, “The churches in the province of Asia send greetings to you. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, with the church that meets in their house.” God wants local churches in a city to bond together to pray for, serve, and reach a city. And he wants Christians in a city, to commit to, join, and serve a local church to be part of God’s work in that area. The local church is the expression of God in a specific city, town, or neighborhood. It’s not God’s will for Christians to simply float around from church to church, dating a bunch of churches and never committing to one. And it’s certainly not God’s will for believers to not attend church at all. Hebrews 10:25 says, “not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.”

For believers to fulfill 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15, including honoring and serving their church leaders, the church leaders caring for the members, and church members ministering to one another, all must know who are part of their local congregation. Church leaders must know who they are responsible for before God. Again, Hebrews 13:17 says they will have to “give an account for their work” of “watching over souls.” Good shepherds know their sheep and the sheep know them (John 10:14). The church leaders must know who are part of the flock and who are just visiting, who are committed and who are just checking the church out. It’s the same with church members serving one another and their leaders. Church members can’t honor and serve every church leader, they can only do that with the local church they have committed to. Though the doctrine of “official” church membership may not be explicit in the New Testament. It is clearly implied throughout Acts and the epistles, which is why almost all contemporary churches practice it.

Have we committed to a local church and allowed the members to commit to us for the protection and development of our faith? We can’t be healthy Christians without being members of a local church, actively praying for and serving her and allowing the church to do the same for us. We can’t reach our community, neighborhood, and city by ourselves, but we can do it as a part of a local expression of Christ’s body, the church. Are we committed to her?

As we consider how healthy churches and church members practice meaningful local church membership, it’s good to remember the vows that many churches require new members to recite when they join as examples of meaningful church membership.

HAVING accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we the new members of this church, through the grace of God, humbly and solemnly undertake with His aid:

• To work for the advancement of Christ's Church.

• To contribute regularly to the support of this church and the spread of the Gospel throughout the world.

• To engage in personal and family devotion and seek the religious education of our children.

• To remember each other in prayer, and by sympathy and concern, share others’ burdens as a fellowship of believers.

• To strive to be obedient to the teachings of Christ in our daily living.

• To participate whenever possible in the worship services and activities of this church.

• To unite with another church as soon as possible upon leaving this church, so we may continue in Christ’s work.

WE PRAY FOR DIVINE GUIDANCE AND HELP IN THIS EARNEST ENDEAVOR.

May God give us renewed grace to recommit to meaningful membership with our local church or to join a local church and make these our commitments. Healthy churches and church members practice meaningful local church membership.

Application Question: How has the transient work and student cultures contributed to a lack of meaningful church membership for many believers? How can believers better navigate these transient cultures and still experience meaningful church membership with those who are transient or when they, themselves, are transient? What role does “commitment phobia” play in many believers not committing to and joining a local church? How is fear of commitment also negatively affecting many other institutions in society such as work and family? How is God calling you to better pursue meaningful local church membership?

Conclusion

In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15, Paul emphasized marks of a healthy church and church members, so the Thessalonians could test themselves and realign their lives with those marks. We can do the same.

1. Healthy Churches and Church Members Aim to Raise Up a Plurality of Leadership

2. Healthy Churches and Church Members Appreciate, Respect, and Lovingly Minister to Their Spiritual Leadership

3. Healthy Churches and Church Members Labor for Peace Amongst One Another

4. Healthy Churches and Church Members Patiently Minister to One Another, Especially to Those Struggling

5. Healthy Churches and Church Members Do Not Seek Revenge, But Instead, Overcome Evil with Good

6. Healthy Churches and Church Members Practice Meaningful Local Church Membership

Application Question: What aspect of the text or sermon stood out most and why?

Prayer Prompts

• Pray for God to bless our pastors, deacons, and other spiritual leaders. Pray for God to encourage them, bless their families, and use them to strengthen and equip the church.

• Pray for God to raise up more godly leaders in our local church and the church abroad to love and shepherd believers and reach the world.

• Pray for God to pour out a spirit of unity in the church and deliver it from all division, false teaching, and the devil’s attacks.

• Pray for God to abundantly grow the fruits of the Spirit in our lives and our churches: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and deliver us from acts of the flesh, including anger, discord, and unforgiveness.

• Pray for God to pour out a spirit of repentance and healing on the church, that he would bring back the prodigals, encourage the disheartened, strengthen the weak, and that his Spirit would move through the church members to bring healing and restoration.

• Pray for God to be merciful to those who persecute the church and its members, propagate ungodly laws, and do evil. Pray that God would bring them to repentance and faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, so they can be saved. Also, pray that God would bring justice now and when his Son comes. Lord, come! Lord, come!

• Pray for God to give his saints grace to never return evil for evil but to overcome evil with good, both with the world and those who fail them in the church.

• Pray for God to enable our local churches to practice meaningful church membership where believers commit to one another, pray, serve, and forgive one another, and reach the world together.