12 And we ask you, brethren, to know those labouring among you, and leading you in the Lord, and admonishing you,
Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this `is' unprofitable to you.
that ye also be subject to such, and to every one who is working with `us' and labouring;
for they did refresh my spirit and yours; acknowledge ye, therefore, those who `are' such.
and by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace that `is' towards me came not in vain, but more abundantly than they all did I labour, yet not I, but the grace of God that `is' with me;
and we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the infirm, be patient unto all;
An aged person thou mayest not rebuke, but be entreating as a father; younger persons as brethren;
(and He manifested in proper times His word,) in preaching, which I was entrusted with, according to a charge of God our Saviour,
and thou didst bear, and hast endurance, and because of my name hast toiled, and hast not been weary.
`And to the messenger of the assembly in Pergamos write: These things saith he who is having the sharp two-edged sword:
`And to the messenger of the assembly of Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who is having his eyes as a flame of fire, and his feet like to fine brass;
`And to the messenger of the assembly in Philadelphia write: These things saith he who is holy, he who is true, he who is having the key of David, he who is opening and no one doth shut, and he shutteth and no one doth open!
`And to the messenger of the assembly of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the witness -- the faithful and true -- the chief of the creation of God;
I am afraid of you, lest in vain I did labour toward you.
And after these things, the Lord did appoint also other seventy, and sent them by twos before his face, to every city and place whither he himself was about to come, then said he unto them, `The harvest indeed `is' abundant, but the workmen few; beseech ye then the Lord of the harvest, that He may put forth workmen to His harvest.
`Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to feed the assembly of God that He acquired through His own blood,
all things I did shew you, that, thus labouring, it behoveth `us' to partake with the ailing, to be mindful also of the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
And some, indeed, did God set in the assembly, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, afterwards powers, afterwards gifts of healings, helpings, governings, divers kinds of tongues;
Wherefore also we are ambitious, whether at home or away from home, to be well pleasing to him,
ministrants of Christ are they? -- as beside myself I speak -- I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;
then saith he to his disciples, `The harvest indeed `is' abundant, but the workmen few; beseech ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he may put forth workmen to His harvest.'
And I hope, in the Lord Jesus, Timotheus to send quickly to you, that I also may be of good spirit, having known the things concerning you,
for which also I labour, striving according to his working that is working in me in power.
Those sinning, reprove before all, that the others also may have fear;
the labouring husbandman it behoveth first of the fruits to partake;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
The apostle, having spoken in the end of the foregoing chapter concerning the resurrection, and the second coming of Christ, proceeds to speak concerning the uselessness of enquiring after the particular time of Christ's coming, which would be sudden and terrible to the wicked, but comfortable to the saints (v. 1-5). He then exhorts them to the duties of watchfulness, sobriety, and the exercise of faith, love, and hope, as being suitable to their state (v. 6-10). In the next words he exhorts them to several duties they owed to others, or to one another (v. 11-15), afterwards to several other Christian duties of great importance (v. 16-22), and then concludes this epistle (v. 23-28).
1Th 5:1-5
In these words observe,
1Th 5:6-10
On what had been said, the apostle grounds seasonable exhortations to several needful duties.
1Th 5:11-15
In these words the apostle exhorts the Thessalonians to several duties.
1Th 5:16-22
Here we have divers short exhortations, that will not burden our memories, but will be of great use to direct the motions of our hearts and lives; for the duties are of great importance, and we may observe how they are connected together, and have a dependence upon one another.
1Th 5:23-28
In these words, which conclude this epistle, observe,