to interrogate · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
you
ὑμᾶςhymâs
G5209
you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
brethren
ἀδελφοί,adelphoi
G80
a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — vocative plural masculine
know
εἴδωeídō
G1492
used only in certain past tenses
labour
κοπιῶνταςkopiōntas
G2872
to feel fatigue · verb — present active participle, accusative plural masculine
among
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
you
ὑμῖνhymîn
G5213
to (with or by) you
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
over
προϊσταμένουςproistamenous
G4291
to stand before · verb — present middle participle, accusative plural masculine
you
ὑμῶνhymōn
G5216
of (from or concerning) you
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
Lord
κυρίῳkuriō
G2962
supreme in authority · noun — dative singular masculine, a title
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
admonish
νουθετοῦνταςnouthetountas
G3560
to put in mind · verb — present active participle, accusative plural masculine
you
ὑμᾶςhymâs
G5209
you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may d…
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conve…
1 Timothy 5:17-18 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1 Corinthians 16:18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.
1 Corinthians 16:16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they a…
Titus 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 5:11-15
In these words the apostle exhorts the Thessalonians to several duties.
I. Towards those who were nearly related one to another. Such should comfort themselves, or exhort one another, and edify one another, Th1 5:11. 1. They must comfort or exhort themselves and one another; for the original word may be rendered both these ways. And we may observe, As those are most able and likely to comfort others who can comfort themselves, so the way to have comfort ourselves, or to administer comfort to others, is by compliance with the exhortation of the word. Note, We should not only be careful about our own comfort and welfare, but to promote the comfort and welfare of others also. He was a Cain that…
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 .…
Know them - Act kindly towards them; acknowledge them as the messengers of Christ; and treat them with tenderness and respect. This is a frequent meaning of the word γινωσκω. See on Joh 1:10 (note).
Them which labor among you - The words τους κοπιωντας have appeared to some as expressing those who had labored among them; but as it is the participle of the present tense, there is no need to consider it in this light. Both it and the word προΐσταμενους, the superintendents, refer to persons then actually employed in the work of God. These were all admonishers, teachers, and instructers of the people, devoting their time and talents to this important work.
The Church Fathers
Let us reverence the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us; let us esteem those who have the rule over us; let us honour the aged among us; let us train up the young men in the fear of God; let us direct our wives to that which is good.
"But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves." For Christ indeed has subjected them with so strict a necessity, that He says, "The Scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat. All things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works." (Matt. xxiii. 2, 3) And since he had said, "build each other up," lest they should think that he raised them to the rank of teachers, he has added, See, however, that I gave leave to you also to edify one another, for it is not possible for a teacher to say everything. "Them that labor among you," he says, "and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you." And how, he says, is it not absurd? If a man stand up for thee before a man, thou doest anything, thou confessest thyself much indebted; but he stands up for thee before God, and thou dost not own the favor. And how does he stand up for me? thou sayest. Because he prays for thee, because he ministers to thee the spiritual gift that is by Baptism, he visits, he advises and admonishes thee, he comes at midnight if thou callest for him; he is nothing else than the constant subject of thy mouth, and he bears thy injurious speeches. What necessity had he? Has he done well or ill? Thou indeed hast a wife, and livest luxuriously, and choosest a life of commerce. But from this the Priest has hindered himself by his occupation; his life is no other than to be employed about the Church. "And to esteem them," he says, "exceeding highly in love for their work's sake; be at peace with them." Seest thou how well he is aware that unpleasant feelings arise? He does not merely say "love," but "very highly," as children love their fathers. For through them ye were begotten by that eternal generation: through them you have obtained the kingdom: through their hands all things are done, through them the gates of heaven are opened to you.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Bishop — An overseer. In apostolic times, it is quite manifest that there was no difference as to order between bishops and elders or presbyters (Acts 20:17-28; 1 Pet. 5:1, 2; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3). The term…
Elder — A name frequently used in the Old Testament as denoting a person clothed with authority, and entitled to respect and reverence (Gen. 50:7). It also denoted a political office (Num. 22:7). The “elders…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 5:12
And we beseech you, brethren,.... Not in a natural or civil, but spiritual relation; and what follows relating to the ministers of the word, the apostle addresses this church on their behalf, not in an imperious and authoritative manner, but by way of entreaty, with great humility and strong affection:
know them that labour among you; who were not non-residents, but were upon the spot with them; and where indeed should pastors be, but with their flocks? and husbandmen and vinedressers, but in their fields and vineyards? and stewards, but in the families where they are placed? and parents, but with their children? nor were they loiterers in the vineyard, or slothful servants, and idle shephe…
1 Thessalonians 5:11-14
11. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
11. Quare exhortamini (vel, consolamini) vos invicem, et aedificate singuli singulos, sicut et facitis.
12. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
12. Rogamus autem vos, fratres, ut agnoscatis eos, qui laborant in vobis, et praesunt vobis in Domino, et admonent vos:
13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
13. Ut eos habeatis in summo pretio cum caritate propter opus ipsorum: pacem habete cum ipsis, (vel, inter vos.)
14. Now we exhort you, bret…
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).
