1. Thessalonicher 5:12

beseech--"Exhort" is the expression in Th1 5:14; here, "we beseech you," as if it were a personal favor (Paul making the cause of the Thessalonian presbyters, as it were, his own). know--to have a regard and respect for. Recognize their office, and treat them accordingly (compare Co1 16:18) with reverence and with liberality in supplying their needs (Ti1 5:17). The Thessalonian Church having been newly planted, the ministers were necessarily novices (Ti1 3:6), which may have been in part the cause of the people's treating them with less respect. Paul's practice seems to have been to ordain elders in every Church soon after its establishment (Act 14:23). them which labour . . . are over . . . admonish you--not three classes of ministers, but one, as there is but one article common to the three in the Greek. "Labor" expresses their laborious life; "are over you," their pre-eminence as presidents or superintendents ("bishops," that is, overseers, Phi 1:1, "them that have rule over you," literally, leaders, Heb 13:17; "pastors," literally, shepherds, Eph 4:11); "admonish you," one of their leading functions; the Greek is "put in mind," implying not arbitrary authority, but gentle, though faithful, admonition (Ti2 2:14, Ti2 2:24-25; Pe1 5:3). in the Lord--Their presidency over you is in divine things; not in worldly affairs, but in things appertaining to the Lord.

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 (Th1 5:1-5). He then exhorts them to the duties of watchfulness, sobriety, and the exercise of faith, love, and hope, as being suitable to their state (Th1 5:6-10). In the next words he exhorts them to several duties they owed to others, or to one another (Th1 5:11-15), afterwards to several other Christian duties of great importance (Th1 5:16-22), and then concludes this epistle (Th1 5:23-28).

5:12 honor (or know): This may be a call either to honor church leaders or to recognize the emerging leaders in the church (1 Cor 16:15-16). True leaders . . . work hard (1 Tim 4:10; 5:17) and govern to serve (Matt 20:25-28). They preside over, as well as help and protect, the church (Rom 16:1-2; 1 Tim 3:4-5, 12). • give you spiritual guidance: Leaders correct both moral and doctrinal errors (Acts 20:31; 1 Cor 4:14; Col 1:28).