BUT WE REQUEST OF YOU,
BRETHREN THAT YOU APPRECIATE THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY LABOR AMONG YOU:
Erotomen (1PPAI) de humas adelphoi, eidenai (RAN) tous kopiontas
(PAPMPA) en humin: (1 Corinthians
16:18;
Philippians 2:19;
Hebrews 13:7,17
) (2:9;
Matthew 9:37,38;
Luke 10:1,2,7;
John 4:38;
Acts 20:35;
1 Corinthians 3:9;
15:10;
1 Corinthians 16:16;
2 Corinthians 5:9;
6:1;
11:23;
Galatians 4:11;
Philippians 2:16;
Colossians 1:29;
1 Timothy 5:17,18;
2 Timothy 2:6;
Revelation 2:3)
Now in 1Thessalonians 5:12-22 Paul
gives general instructions for the church, a section Denney subtitles
"Rulers and ruled".
Pastor Ray Stedman sounds a
serious warning in his introduction to this next section...
I heard a man say, "The most
important thing in learning to relate to others is personal honesty.
Once you learn to fake that," he added, "everything else is easy!"
Many people, unfortunately, seem to follow that philosophy. Perhaps
one of the most discouraging aspects of modern-day living is not so
much the moral collapse of leaders, such as we have seen many examples
of recently, but the low level of ethical behavior on the part of many
Christians.
I do not understand what has happened
to the Christian community. Believers who go regularly to church, and
profess to believe the Bible, often seem to go along with practices of
the world around them with hardly any consciousness that what they are
doing is unbiblical and really wrong. They lie without hesitation. They
evade paying their bills. They cheat on their taxes. They ignore needy
people. They fail to keep appointments. They freeload shamelessly. They
lose their tempers. They grow critical and caustic. They desert their
mates. If the Apostle Paul were here he would be very concerned about
this. To him, the mark of true Christian faith is that it changes
everything you do and say. It affects every area of your life. A
Christian may no longer act as he did before he came to Christ. This is
very clear in the letters of the apostle. Every letter that he wrote
ends with pointed, practical applications to daily situations of the
truth that he had set out.
The letter of First Thessalonians is
no exception. The closing verses of Chapter 5, to which we now come, are
wonderfully practical guidelines on how to live Christianly, in three
areas of life. First, how to act toward the leaders of a church; we do
not say much about this at Peninsula Bible Church, but it is part of the
record of the New Testament. Then, how to live with other believers,
whether at home, at work, or wherever. And finally, how to live toward
God and respond to the situations where he puts you. (Read the full
message
Loving Christianly)
Request (2065)(erotao from
éromai = ask, inquire) means to ask for,
usually w implication of an underlying question. The verb does not
carry the note of an authoritative command but rather that of a friend
making an urgent appeal to a friend. The term suggests that those
making the request stand in a position of familiarity with those being
treated.
Erotao provides the
most delicate and tender expression for prayer or request with the one
asking and the one being asked being on an equal level, such as the
Lord Jesus asking of the Father.
Brethren (80)
(adelphos from collative a = denoting unity + delphús
= womb) is literally one born from same womb and so a male having the
same father and mother as reference person. Figuratively, adelphos
as in this verse refers to a close associate of a group of persons
having well-defined membership, specifically here referring to fellow
believers in Christ who are united by the bond of affection.
Hiebert observes that...
The solicitous tone indicates that
the writers were aware that difficulties did exist in the Thessalonian
church regarding the subject now being dealt with. It must be borne in
mind that Timothy had just returned from Thessalonica and had given a
detailed report of the situation in the church. Sound principles of
guidance for their assembly relations are therefore now set forth.
Instructions are given concerning their relations to their leaders
(1Thes 5:12-13) as well as their duties as a congregation toward
faulty members (1Thes 5:14-15). It seems obvious that some feelings of
tension and misunderstanding had arisen between the members and their
leaders. The members seemingly had not appreciated or rightly
understood the nature and function of their leaders. (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
Appreciate (know) conveys the idea that the saints at
Thessalonica need to come to know the worth of their leaders, They
must not remain ignorant concerning them but by careful consideration
come to a full understanding of their true character and diligent
labor.
Appreciate is not most accurate rendering of "eido" (to know) which
in context is recognition of the vital function for which these
leaders have been gifted. The practical result of such acknowledgment
will be cooperation with and submission to their nurturing
admonishments.
Vincent writes that we are
to...
Recognise them for what they are,
and as entitled to respect because of their office.
This does not mean simple face recognition, but that the people are to
literally know those who labor among them (today this would refer
especially to pastors and staff) well enough to have an intimate appreciation
for them and to respect them because of their value.
Spurgeon explains this verse
this way...
You see, in the church of old they
edified one another, but for all that they did not cast off God’s
ordinance of Christian ministry. There was rule in the church then as
there should be now; and the apostle, when he speaks of this
individual edification, this mutual instruction, does not forget to
notice those who were the pastors of the flock. He says, “Know them
which labor among you and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
and esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.”
Stedman writes that
appreciate...
is, "know them." Recognize them. Be
aware of them. Do not take them for granted. I know of churches where
pastors are treated as hired servants; they are there to respond to
the whims of the board of the church or the vote of the congregation.
They are treated with little or no respect and at times are severely
mistreated. That is a shame. Here the apostle is saying, "Get to know
your leaders. Understand that they are people and do not ignore them."
(Ibid)
Hiebert makes some
interesting observations on this passage writing that...
Ministers are often urged, and
rightly so, to "know" their members, but here the members are called
upon to "know" their leaders. And surely much of the tension that at
times develops between the pastors and members would be dissipated if
the members would learn to know and appreciate the duties and
ministries of their spiritual leaders. Such a recognition and
appreciation of their spiritual leaders is "a purely spiritual
exercise possible only to spiritual persons. Non-spiritual persons
cannot recognize, and would not acknowledge, spiritual workers or
their work.
Some scholars hold that the
terminology indicates they are not ordained officers in the church but
rather voluntary workers. Certainly the three present tense
participles stress the work of these men rather than the dignity of
the office, but that does not prove the Thessalonian church was still
without duly appointed leaders.
From Acts 14:23 it is clear that it was Paul's practice to appoint
elders in his recently established churches. And even if we accept the
assertion of some, that the missionaries were driven out of
Thessalonica before they had time to appoint elders over their
converts, that does not prove that the church remained unorganized.
Those who had been former attendants of the Jewish synagogue would be
familiar with the basic organization of the synagogue and would thus
know how to secure the needed leadership for the church. That the need
for a definitely constituted leadership for the group would soon be
felt is certain. That they remained without the needed organization
and appointed leaders is highly improbable. If the church had not been
properly organized and remained without qualified leaders, would not
Timothy have attended to that need while he was there? This
exhortation to the members takes it for granted that the ministerial
overseeing of their leaders was an essential function in the church.
When this passage is combined with 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, "it becomes
plain that this was a community which had an accepted leadership and a
pattern for enforcing conformity to the standards of the Christian
community"6 But it is clear that their organization was simple, and
thus nothing like the organized hierarchy operative in many churches
today.
The plural "those" points to a plurality of elders in the church. This
is in harmony with Paul's practice of establishing leaders for his
churches (Acts 14:23). These men were naturally chosen from among
their own numbers on the basis of their willingness and abilities.
Since they apparently continued their secular employment for a
livelihood, several would be chosen to work together in giving the
needed overseeing and leadership to the group of believers.
The work of these leaders is set forth with three present tense
participles, delineating their continuing activities. The use of
participles instead of nouns of office presents these leaders as
exercising specific ministerial functions rather than being given
official status. (Ibid)
Diligently labor (2872)
(kopiao
from
kopos
= labor, fatigue)
This root word
kopos
(see
word study) is used in
secular Greek of “a beating,” “weariness” (as though one had been
beaten) and “exertion,” was the proper word for physical
tiredness induced by work, exertion or heat.
Kopiao was common used among
the down-trodden masses of the Roman world.
Kopiao
means to to exhibit great effort and exertion, to the point of sweat
and exhaustion. To physically become worn out, weary or faint. To
engage in hard work with the implication of difficulty and trouble.
Kopiao speaks of intense toil even to the point of utter
exhaustion if necessary. The work described by kopiao was left
one so weary it was as if the person had taken a beating.
Kopiao
describes not so much the actual exertion as the weariness which
follows the straining of all one's powers to the utmost.
Stedman writes that those in
leadership...
work hard. They spend hours toiling
in difficult and sometimes demeaning work. Contrary to what some
people think, it is not true that pastors work only one day a week.
The ministry is a very demanding job. (Ibid)
Lightfoot says that
kopiao
is used especially of the labor
undergone by the athlete in his training.
MacArthur adds that
kopiao
does not stress the amount of work,
but rather the effort. A man’s reward from God is proportional to the
excellence of his ministry and the effort he puts into it. Excellence
combined with diligence mark a man worthy of the highest honor.
(MacArthur,
John: 1Timothy Moody Press
or
Logos)
Henry Blackaby says that God will wear you out when you are
in the center of His will and in fact
Paul repeatedly uses kopiao to describe the
quality of labor involved in ministering for the Lord. He is not
referring to those who work hard at their job as in a field but those
who perform the spiritual labor among the saints in the church in
Thessalonica. A review of some of Paul's uses of kopiao in the NT
gives one a good sense of why these workers were to be appreciated...
Acts 20:35 In everything I
(Paul) showed you that by working hard in this manner you must
help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He
Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
Romans 16:6 (note)
Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you...16:12
(note)
Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa,
workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard
in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 4:12 and we
toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless;
when we are persecuted, we endure;
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by
the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove
vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the
grace of God with me. (Comment: Note the juxtaposition of human
effort and God's grace. We are to work hard and yet it is God working
in and through us and thus He alone receives the glory!)
Galatians 4:11 I fear for
you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. (Comment:
Paul fear that some might fall prey to the false teaching of the
Judaizers who added works and legalism to salvation by faith alone.)
Philippians 2:16 (note)
(The saints at Philippi were to keep) holding fast the word of life,
so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did
not run in vain nor toil in vain.
Colossians 1:29
(note) And for this
purpose (to present every man complete in Christ, a mature believer
ever being conformed to the image of the Son) also I labor (kopiao),
striving (agonizomai)
(How?) according to His power, which mightily works (Greek = energeo ~
God's power, His grace, His Spirit, "energized" Paul) within
me.
1Timotny 4:10 (note)
For it is for this (with a view to
the promise which godliness holds forth so that it might actually be
fulfilled -- see note
1Ti 4:8)
we labor (kopiao)
and strive (agonizomai),
because we have fixed our hope on the living God, Who is the Savior of
all men, especially of believers.
1 Timothy 5:17 Let the
elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially
those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
2 Timothy 2:6 (note)
The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his
share of the crops (karpos).
Hiebert comments that...
"Who work hard among you" is
broad enough to include various types of work and might in itself
include Christian workers in the church who held no office of any
kind. It might be allowed to involve any service to the church by any
of its members. But the following two participles, linked to the
preceding by "and," make it clear that their leaders are in
view: those who "are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you."
Their labors are in the realm of leadership and admonition. (Ibid)
Here is an illustration of a
laborer among the fields of Africa...
Henry C. Morrison was a little
known hard worker
in God's missionary fields, toiling some forty years in the difficult
fields of Africa. As the story is told, he became sick and had to
return home to America, and as providence would have it, the boat he
returned on was also carrying a well known guest. As the great ocean
liner docked in New York Harbor there was a great crowd gathered to
greet President Teddy Roosevelt who received a grand
welcome-home-party after his widely publicized African Safari.
Resentment seized Henry Morrison, and he turned to God saying "I have
come back home after all this time and service to the church and there
is no one, not even one person here to welcome me home." Then a small
voice came to Morrison reminding him "You're not home yet." Our
ultimate harvest is yet future and our future reward is out of this
world!
As sure as this
future "appreciation" is here in
Thessalonians God is calling for us to appreciate men like Henry
Morrison in this life also.
AND HAVE CHARGE OVER YOU IN THE
LORD AND GIVE YOU INSTRUCTION: kai proistamenous (PMPMPA) humon
en kurio kai nouthetountas (PAPMPA) humas: (Acts
20:28;
1 Corinthians 12:28;
Titus 1:5;
Hebrews 13:7,17;
1 Peter 5:2,3;
Revelation 1:20;
Revelation 2:1,8,12,18;
3:1,7,14)
(14;
1 Timothy 5:1,20;
Titus 1:3;
2:15)
MacDonald comments that...
This verse is one of many in the
NT that shows that there was no one-man rule in the apostolic
churches. There was a group of elders in each congregation, pastoring
the local flock. As Denney explains:
At Thessalonica there was not a
single president, a minister in our sense, possessing to a certain
extent an exclusive responsibility; the presidence was in the hands of
a plurality of men.
However, the absence of one-man
rule does not justify every-man rule. The assembly should not be a
democracy, but an aristocracy, the rule of the best qualified. (MacDonald,
W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or
Logos)
Have charge over (4291)
(proistemi from
pró = before, over + hístemi = place, stand) literally
means those who are placed before you or over you.
Proistemi has the basic meaning of “standing before” others
and, hence, the idea of leadership. It describes one who presides over
exercising a position of leadership. It also includes the idea of
having an interest in, showing concern for, caring for or giving aid.
Hiebert adds that proistemi...
literally means "standing before,"
hence to be at the head, to direct, to rule. It may denote informal
leadership or management of any kind, but papyrus usage establishes
that it can be used of various kinds of officials.' It points to the
spiritual guidance these men are giving to the church, a recognized
function of the elder. It combines the concepts of leading,
protecting, and caring for.' (Ibid)
The IVP Bible Background
Commentary notes that proistemi was used
for those who “have charge” (NASB,
NRSV) or “are over” (KJV, NIV) the Thessalonian Christians was
especially applied in the Greco-Roman world to patrons (The
social superior in the Roman patron-client relationship, who granted
favors to and acted as political sponsor for his clients, or social
dependents. The obligations in the relationship were viewed as
reciprocal; clients were to grant the patrons honor as their
benefactors), sponsors of clients ( A person socially dependent
on a patron in Roman society) and religious associations. (Keener,
Craig: The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. 1994. IVP)
Here are the 7 other NT uses of
proistemi...
Romans 12:8 (note)
or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with
cheerfulness.
1 Timothy 3:4 He (overseer)
must be one who manages (proistemi) his own household well,
keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man
does not know how to manage (proistemi) his own household, how
will he take care of the church of God?)
1 Timothy 3:12 Let deacons
be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and
their own households.
1 Timothy 5:17 Let the
elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,
especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
Titus 3:8 (note) This
is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to
speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful
to engage (here proistemi speaks of a responsible
preoccupation with something) in good deeds. These things are good and
profitable for men.
Titus 3:14 (note)
And let our people also learn to engage (proistemi) in good
deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
Vincent writes the use of proistemi refers...
to any position involving
superintendence. No special ecclesiastical office is meant.
Stedman comments that...
The English translators of the
Scriptures were in a church that had a highly structured hierarchical
leadership. Thus, many Scriptural references are translated in that
direction. The phrase, "those who ... are over you in the Lord," is
not a good translation. It reflects a relationship that Scripture
everywhere speaks against. Jesus said to his disciples, "do not be
called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers."
{Mt 23:8}. Christians are brothers. That is not practiced in very many
places, unfortunately. What is really being said here in Thessalonica
is, "respect those who labor among you and stand before you in the
Lord." The apostle is referring to those who stand in front and lead
the whole group. There is no suggestion of anyone being "over" others.
Tradition has caused this proper translation to be lost sight of down
through the years. It badly needs correction. What Paul is saying,
therefore, is, "follow your leaders." (Ibid)
In the Lord - This phrase
clearly identifies these men not as secular leaders (as one might
think of leading men in the community) but as those who lead in
connection with spiritual concerns in the sphere of the Lord --
as His appointees, under His authority, etc
Stedman comments that...
Leaders have been appointed by the
Lord Jesus, regardless of the human process by which they were chosen.
That does not mean that they cannot be changed or that in the course
of events they will not go someplace else. What it means is that when
they are in leadership they are to be regarded as the Lord's men and
the Lord's women. He has sent them among us. (Ibid)
Hiebert adds that...
Their position does not stem from
personal ambition but rather from their spiritual maturity. Their
position of leadership in the church is based upon the recognized fact
that both they and those being led are in the Lord. "His
Lordship underlies their leadership." Their authority is not that of a
formal ecclesiastical hierarchy but rather is "one exercised in the
warmth of Christian bonds." (Ibid)
Give instruction (3560)
(warning, cautioning, gently
reproving, exhorting) (noutheteo from noús = mind +
títhemi = place) literally means to place in the mind and so to
warn or give notice to beforehand especially of danger or evil. The
idea is to lay it on the mind or heart of the person, with the stress
being on influencing not only the intellect, but also the will,
emotions and disposition. The idea is to counsel about avoidance or
cessation of an improper course of conduct. Noutheteo has the
connotation of confronting with the intent of changing one’s attitudes
and actions.
Vines writes that
noutheteo
is used, (a) of instruction, (b) of
warning. It is thus distinguished from
paideuo, “to correct by discipline,
to train by act,”
Hebrews 12:6 (note);
cf.
Ephesians 6:4 (note).
The difference between admonish
and teach seems to be that, whereas the former has mainly in
view the things that are wrong and call for warning, the latter has to
do chiefly with the impartation of positive truth, cf.
Colossians 3:16 (note);
they were to let the Word of Christ dwell richly in them, so that they
might be able (1) to teach and ‘admonish’ one another, and (2) to
abound in the praises of God.
Admonition differs from
remonstrance, in that the former is warning based on instruction;
the latter may be little more than expostulation. For example, though
Eli remonstrated with his sons, 1Sa 2:24, he failed to admonish them,
3:13,
LXX.
Pastors and teachers in the churches are thus themselves admonished,
i.e., instructed and warned, by the Scriptures, 1 Cor. 10:11, so to
minister the Word of God to the saints, that, naming the Name of the
Lord, they shall depart from unrighteousness,
2 Timothy 2:19 (note).”
(Vine,
W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
Words.
1996. Nelson)
Trench adds that the idea
of noutheteo
"is the training by word—by the
word of encouragement, when this is sufficient, but also by that of
remonstrance (an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or
grievance), of reproof, of blame, where these may be required; as set
over against the training by act and by discipline, which is paideía."
(Trench,
R. C. Synonyms of the New Testament. Hendrickson Publishers. 2000)
Trench goes on to say
that admonishing is a most needful element of Christian
education. He says that noutheteo when the need calls for it
can be earnest and even severe and is much more than a feeble
remonstrance like the priest Eli gave to his worthless sons (1Sa
2:12).
Scripture records that
"Eli was very old and he heard all
that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the
women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And he said to
them, "Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all
these people? No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the
LORD'S people circulating. If one man sins against another, God will
mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede
for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for
the LORD desired to put them to death." (1Sa
2:22-25)
The results of Eli's failure to
admonish are recorded in
1Sa 3:13
"For I have told him that I am
about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew,
because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not
rebuke (Greek Septuagint translates this Hebrew word with
noutheteo) them."
Warning and admonishing
is as critical for the leaders in the church as it was for Eli. Note
that warning and teaching belong inseparably together, as the constant
counterpart of knowledge and action.
Paul in his parting words to the
Ephesian elders reminded them that
"from among your own selves men
will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after
them" and therefore they had to "be on the alert, remembering that
night and day for a period of three years (note what Paul did for 3
years! Is this an active
aspect of ministry in the modern day church?)
I did not cease to
admonish (noutheteo)
each one with tears." (Acts
20:30-31)
Note that in this passage Paul
gives us a model to imitate when we admonish. In verse 31 Paul clearly
demonstrates a spirit of humility ("with tears") Paul was not
unsympathetic, mean-spirited, or callous with them, and
neither should we be when we are
called to admonish one another.
Richards adds that...
admonishing is a ministry
calling for much warmth and closeness. There is no hint of a distant
judgmentalism or of criticism launched from some height of supposed
superiority. Paul's admonitions were stimulated by a deep love for
young believers. His love was so deep that his admonitions were often
accompanied by tears. Paul does not see admonition as an exclusive
prerogative of leaders. The members of the body of Christ at Rome were
"competent to instruct [admonish] one another" (see note
Romans 15:14),
and all believers are called to exercise this ministry with one
another (see note
Colossians 3:16).
When we love our brothers and sisters and have a genuine concern for
their well-being, we can hardly hesitate to encourage them to live
godly lives and thus bring glory to the Lord." (Richards,
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
Paul exhorted the
Colossian saints to
Let the word of Christ richly dwell
within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing
one another... (see note
Colossians 3:16)
When Christ's word is richly
dwelling in God’s people they are wise and discerning and
"enabled" to admonish one another.
Paul wrote to the Roman
saints letting them know that he was
convinced that you yourselves are
full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to
admonish
one another. (see note
Romans 15:14)
In a note on the
Romans 15:14
passage John
MacArthur writes that noutheteo...
is a comprehensive term for
counseling. In this context, it refers to coming alongside other
Christians for spiritual and moral counseling. Paul is not
referring to a special gift of counseling, but of the duty and
responsibility that every believer has for encouraging and
strengthening other believers. Tragically, many Christians today have
been convinced that competent counseling can only be accomplished by a
person who is trained in the principles of secular psychology—despite
the fact that the various schools of psychology are, for the most
part, at extreme odds with God’s Word and frequently with each other.
Although they may profess that “all Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness” (see note on
2 Timothy 3:16),
many evangelicals—both those who give and those who receive
counseling—do not rely on the full sufficiency of God’s Word.... When
God’s Word rules our hearts (cf note
Colossians 3:16),
His Holy Spirit makes us “rich in the true wisdom” and prepares us
to admonish one another, to “teach and help one another along the
right road.” The place for Christians to counsel and be counseled is
in the church. That is not, of course, to say that it must be done in
a church building, but that it be Christian counseling Christian. That
principle applies to general admonitions among fellow believers, as
Paul mentions in this text, as well as to counseling regarding more
serious and prolonged problems confronted by a biblically oriented and
spiritually gifted Christian minister." (MacArthur,
J: Romans 9-16. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
(bolding added, reference links added)
Paul considered himself a
spiritual father to the local churches, and it was his duty to warn
his children --
"I do not write these things to
shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children" (1
Corinthians 4:14)
Children who are not warned can
get in a lot of trouble! Using the noun form (nouthesia) Paul
instructs fathers, writing...
"And, fathers, do not provoke your
children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction (nouthesia) of the Lord." (see note
Ephesians 6:4)
(Fathers, are you warning
your children? It is
critical for their well being in a amoral society which has run amuck
and scoffs at the life giving Biblical principles like this one in
Ephesians!)
In admonishment there is
a moral emphasis, in teaching a doctrinal emphasis.
The Wycliffe Bible commentary
says that
"The ‘doctor of souls’ has a
warning and teaching ministry, not self-centered but
patient-centered."
Guzik
has a practical comment on
admonishing
noting that
The work of warning - or helping to
impart understanding - was a passion for Paul in ministry (Acts
20:31). It is also the job of church leaders (1Thes
5:12) and of the church body in general (Col
3:16), providing
that they are able to admonish others (Ro
15:14).
