1 Thessalonians 5:14

Now we exhort you, brethren,.... This is said either to the ministers of the word that laboured among them, presided over them, and admonished them; and the rather, because some of these things here

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. Brethren.

Now we exhort you, brethren: some think the apostle now turns his speech to their teachers, whom he here calls brethren in a more peculiar sense, and because the duties here enjoined do more properly belong to the ministry. But others more truly judge he continues his discourse to the whole church, and the several members of it. The same duties are to be performed by both, though under a different obligation: as in the civil state all are to seek the good of the commonwealth, though the magistrates and the governors are more specially obliged by office. Warn them that are unruly; or admonish, as the same word is rendered in the former verse, here meant of brotherly, there of ministerial, admonition; wherein great prudence is to be used, as to time, place, persons, manner: and the unruly are such as keep not their place, alluding to soldiers that keep not their rank and station, and they are called in the margin disorderly, and that: 1. In civil respects, when men live without a calling, or, being in it, neglect it, or intrude into other men’ s business, and perform not the duties of their civil relations. 2. In natural respects, when men follow not the light of nature, and fulfil not the law of natural relations. 3. In spiritual respects, when men neglect or transgress the rules and order of their walking in their church state, either with respect to their teachers or one another. Admonition belongs to such, and is the first step of church censure when regularly performed. Comfort the feeble-minded; oligofucouv, or the pusillanimous, men of little souls, as the word imports, such as dare not venture upon hazardous duties, or faint under the fears or feeling of afflictions, or are dejected under the sense of sin, and their own unworthiness, or fears of God’ s wrath, and assaulted by temptations which endanger their falling. Support the weak; antecesye an allusion to such as lift at one end of the burden, to help to bear it, answering to the word sunantilambanetai, : The Spirit helpeth our infirmities: and the weak are either the weak in knowledge, weak in faith, that understand not their own liberty in the gospel, ; and hereupon cannot practise as others do; their conscience is weak, ; and so were in bondage to some ceremonial rites, when those that were strong stood fast in their liberty. These are to be supported, dealt tenderly with, and not to be despised, or rigorously used. Or, weak in grace, new converts, babes in Christ, tender plants, not well rooted in the gospel. Be patient toward all men: this duty is universal; the former concerned only the saints. The word signifies longanimity, or long-suffering, and is often attributed to God, .

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. Ver. 14. Warn them that are unruly] Cry Cave miser, Beware the wretch, stop them in their cursed career, tell them that hell gapes for them, and is but a little before them; snatch them out of the fire, saving them with fear, Judges 1:23. Neglect of private admonition, how it stings the consciences of the best at death, see Mr Hiron’ s Life prefixed to the second part of his worthy works. See also Mr Baxter’ s Saint’ s Everlasting Rest, p. 497. Comfort the feeble minded] The dispirited, faint hearted, sick, and sinking under the sense of sin and fear of wrath. A Christian should have feeding lips and a healing tongue. The contrary whereunto is deeply detested, Ezekiel 34:4. Support the weak] Set to your shoulder and shore them up, αστεχεσθε. Deal not as the herd of deer do with the wounded deer, forsake and push it away from them. Christ gathereth his lambs with his arm, and bears them in his bosom, Isaiah 40:11. He had a great care of his weaker tribes when they marched through the wilderness, for in their several brigades he put a strong tribe to two weak tribes, as Judah to Issachar and Zabulon, &c. The Greek word here rendered support, signifieth sublevare alioqui ruituros, saith Beza, to keep up those that would else go to the ground.

(14) Now we exhort you, brethren.—Rather and than now. The writers turn to the presbytery, and explain their duty in the administration of discipline to the flock. The flock will be more apt to receive the discipline when they see with what apostolic authority their pastors are armed. Several special parts of the clerical office are then enumerated. Warn.—The same Greek word as “admonish” in 1 Thessalonians 5:12, and selected for that very reason. The “unruly” or “disorderly” are those who infringe good discipline—said of soldiers who leave their ranks: here notably of those mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 3:11. Feebleminded.—Or, fainthearted, pusillanimous. Such persons, e.g., as were overburdened with sorrow for the dead, or afraid of the persecutions, or the like. Support the weak.—Or, keep hold of them, to help them on. The “weak” are not quite the same as the “feebleminded,” but rather (judging from Romans 14:1 et seq.) those who have not attained that robust common-sense and breadth of conscience which discriminates between truths and superstitions, necessities and expediencies; or who are not yet ripe enough Christians to be sure of standing in persecution. Patient toward all men.—Church officers are not to be rendered impatient by the defects, errors, weakness, stupidity, unbelief of any one, catholic, heretic, or heathen.

Verse 14. Warn them that are unruly] The whole phraseology of this verse is military; I shall consider the import of each term. ατακτους. Those who are out of their ranks, and are neither in a disposition nor situation to perform the work and duty of a soldier; those who will not do the work prescribed, and who will meddle with what is not commanded. There are many such in every Church that is of considerable magnitude. Comfort the feeble-minded] τουςολιγοψυχους. Those of little souls; the faint-hearted; those who, on the eve of a battle, are dispirited, because of the number of the enemy, and their own feeble and unprovided state. Let them know that the battle is not theirs, but the Lord's; and that those who trust in him shall conquer. Support the weak] αντεχεσθετωνασθενων. Shore up, prop them that are weak; strengthen those wings and companies that are likely to be most exposed, that they be not overpowered and broken in the day of battle. Be patient toward all] μακροθυμειτεπροςπαντας. The disorderly, the feeble-minded, and the weak, will exercise your patience, and try your temper. If the troops be irregular, and cannot in every respect be reduced to proper order and discipline, let not the officers lose their temper nor courage; let them do the best they can; God will be with them, and a victory will give confidence to their troops. We have often seen that the Christian life is compared to a warfare, and that the directions given to soldiers are, mutatis mutandis; allowing for the different systems, suitable to Christians. This subject has been largely treated on, Eph. 6. The ministers of Christ, being considered as officers, should acquaint themselves with the officers' duty. He who has the direction and management of a Church of God will need all the skill and prudence he can acquire.

14. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly] More strictly, But we exhort, &c. The Apostle is not passing to a new topic. His exhortation to “peace” needs to be qualified. “The unruly” must not for the sake of peace be left unreproved. It is a false and cowardly peace that leaves disorder to range unchecked.Read admonish for warn—same verb as in 1 Thessalonians 5:12. The Church at large must second its presiding eiders in such admonishing. In every well-ordered community, whether church or school or nation, needful discipline claims the support of public opinion. The disorder that required this general censure was doubtless that hinted at in ch. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (see note), and which had grown more pronounced when St Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians 2:6-15; it was a common injury and discredit.The unruly: better, the disorderly (R. V.), as in 2 Thessalonians 3:11.comfort the feebleminded, support the weak] Rather, the faint-hearted (R. V.). The former verb was used in ch. 1 Thessalonians 2:11 (see note), where the Apostle reminds his readers how he had “exhorted, and comforted (or consoled)” them, “as a father his own children.” The second of these directions also St Paul enforces by his example, in Acts 20:35 : “In all things I have shown you how that so labouring you ought to help the weak.” Comp. Ephesians 4:28, for the same sentiment.“The weak” and “fainthearted” stand in contrast with “the disorderly.” The latter are overbold, and need to be checked: the former are despondent, and need stimulus and help. Fainthearted men think themselves weak, but perhaps are not so; and encouragement may make them bold. The mourners whom St Paul consoled in ch. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, would be amongst “the fainthearted” at Thessalonica.be patient toward all men] longsuffering toward all (R. V.)—“whether weak or strong, whether they try you by their presumption or timidity, by rude aggressiveness or by feebleness and incapacity.” Longsuffering is one of the special marks of Christian grace: “Charity suffereth long” (1 Corinthians 13:4); it was a chief quality of Jesus Christ, and is an attribute of God Himself (1 Peter 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:16; &c.).

Now we exhort you, brethren - Margin, “beseech.” This earnest entreaty is evidently addressed to the whole church, and not to the ministers of the gospel only.

14. Exhort you—Conybeare heads this with a title indicating that it is addressed “to the presbyters.” And undoubtedly the functionaries implied in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 would be the proper persons to