1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 12But we ask you, brothers [and sisters], to acknowledge those who work hard among you and lead you in the Lord and instruct you,13and to respect them beyond imagination in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
Paul, Silas, and Timothy finished addressing the big question of the Thessalonians and begin to wind down their letter with a series of exhortations. Paul’s letters often close with a review of behaviors expected from Christians. These exhortations may or may not be related to the major themes of the letter. In the case of this letter, the commands help the Thessalonians know how to live out their love and holiness in tangible ways. Since love and holiness are abstract ideas, it can be helpful to have these fleshed out as laws, commands, or teachings. This is essentially what the laws of the Old Testament did for Israel. God commanded them to be holy and to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and love their neighbors as themselves. The specific commands God gave show how Israel could do this.
The first exhortation Paul gives to the Thessalonians is to show love to their leaders by recognizing what they do as leaders and teachers and to deeply respect them. Paul describes three qualities of the leaders: they work hard, lead, and teach. Leading a group of believers can be a big challenge. People’s needs are unpredictable and varied, including physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual issues. Leaders need much wisdom to know how to teach people about the gospel and how to live it out. Spiritual leaders do not always work physically hard but mentally and emotionally. Leaders may feel defeated and discouraged when people are slow to respond to their leadership. One of the best ways to help leaders grow is to respect their efforts, listen, and obey their teachings. Paul uses embellished language to emphasize the need.
The last exhortation in verse 13 calls for unity in the church by living at peace with one another. Peace with others and holiness of heart and life go together (Hebrews 12:14). Paul may have inserted this command next in his list because having the church united in peace would benefit leaders and help the overall growth of the church. When people respect the leader, the leader will be better able to resolve conflicts and keep the focus on the mission of Christ. If there are divisions, hurt feelings, or various types of disagreements, it will have a detrimental affect on everyone, from the leader down to the newest or youngest member.
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