QT 20/09/2026 Sun 1Thessalonians 5 Work Hard. Applaud Hard Workers. 勤奋工作。称赞勤奋的人。
QT 20/09/2026 Sun 1Thessalonians 5 Work Hard. Applaud Hard Workers.
READ https://www.esv.org/1+Thessalonians+5/
What if you knew Jesus could return at any moment—but you had no idea when? Would you panic, or would you live differently? In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul shows us how to wait: stay awake, stay faithful, and keep building others up. Let’s discover what that looks like today!”
There is an important tension in 1 Thessalonians 5: waiting for the Lord’s return is not passive waiting. Paul connects readiness for the Day of the Lord with faithful Christian living in the present.
(1) Readiness is expressed through faith, love, and hope
In vv. 1–11, Paul does not tell believers to calculate when the Day of the Lord will come. Instead, he tells them to live as children of light. The “breastplate of faith and love” and the “helmet of the hope of salvation” describe a life already oriented toward Christ.
So the question is not merely, “When will He come?” but, “How should I live while I wait?”
Paul's answer is clear: remain spiritually awake, sober, faithful, and encouraging toward others.
(2) Christian waiting involves active service
In vv. 14–15 Paul moves from the general call to readiness to very practical relationships within the church:
- admonish the idle,
- encourage the fainthearted,
- help the weak,
- be patient with everyone,
- do not repay evil for evil,
- pursue what is good.
This means that waiting for Christ is not an excuse for inactivity. The anticipation of His coming should make believers more attentive to the needs of those around them.
(3) Verses 12–13 give a particularly important correction
1 Thessalonians 5:12–13
[12] We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, [13] and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (ESV)
The passage emphasises respect for those who “labor among you,” particularly those who exercise spiritual leadership and admonition. There is an interesting contrast with the observation about idleness. Paul expects the church to recognize labour—not merely visible results, but the often demanding work of caring for, teaching, correcting, and building up God's people.
The church therefore has responsibilities in both directions:
*Leaders: faithfully labor, lead, and admonish.
*Congregation: respect and esteem them because of their work.
*Everyone: pursue peace and seek one another's good.
The Christian who is waiting for Christ should not become a burden to others but a blessing to others.
Reflection
The passage ultimately turns our eyes away from speculation about the timing of Christ's return and toward faithfulness in ordinary Christian life. We wait for the Lord by remaining awake in faith, loving others, serving diligently, encouraging the weak, correcting the idle, pursuing peace, and continually seeking the good of others.
In that sense, the best preparation for the Day of the Lord is not knowing when He will come, but being found faithful when He comes.
Prayer
Father, thank You for Your love and for the hope we have in Christ. Help us to stay awake, faithful, and ready as we await the Day of the Lord. Keep us from idleness, strengthen us to serve others, and teach us to encourage and build one another up. May our lives honour You while we wait for Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
QT 20/09/2026 星期日 帖撒罗尼迦前书 5 勤奋工作。称赞勤奋的人。
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/1ts/5/
如果你知道耶稣随时可能再来——却完全不知道具体时间，你会怎样？你会惊慌失措，还是会过上截然不同的人生？在《帖撒罗尼迦前书》第5章中，保罗向我们展示了如何等候：保持警醒、坚守信德，并持续造就他人。让我们一起来探索这在今天具体该如何实践！”
《帖撒罗尼迦前书》第5章中存在一种重要的张力：等候主的再来并非被动地等待。保罗将为主的日子做好准备与当下忠心的基督徒生活联系在一起。
(1) 预备之心通过信心、爱心和盼望得以彰显
在第1至11节中，保罗并没有告诉信徒去推算“主的日子”何时到来，而是吩咐他们要活出光之子的样式。“信心的护心镜和爱心”以及“得救盼望的头盔”，描绘了一种已经以基督为中心的生活。
因此，问题不仅仅在于“祂何时再来？”，而在于“在等待期间我该如何生活？”
保罗的答案很明确：在灵里要警醒、清醒、忠心，并鼓励他人。
(2) 基督徒的等候包含积极的事奉
在第14–15节中，保罗从对随时准备的普遍呼召，转向了教会内部非常实际的人际关系：
- 劝诫懒惰的人，
- 鼓励胆怯的人，
- 帮助软弱的人，
- 对所有人要有耐心，
- 不要以恶报恶，
- 追求良善。
这意味着，等待基督的到来不能成为不作为的借口。对祂再来的期盼，应当促使信徒更加关注周围人的需要。
(3) 第12–13节给出了一个特别重要的纠正
《帖撒罗尼迦前书》5:12–13
12 弟兄们，我们求你们要敬重那些在你们中间劳苦的人，就是在主里面治理你们、劝戒你们的人。 13
又因为他们的工作，你们要用爱心格外尊重他们。你们应当彼此和睦。
这段经文强调要尊重那些“在你们中间劳苦”的人，特别是那些行使属灵领导权并进行劝戒的人。这与关于懒惰的论述形成了耐人寻味的对比。保罗期望教会能够认可这种劳苦——不仅是对可见成果的认可，更是对那常常充满挑战的工作的认可，即关怀、教导、纠正并建立神的子民。
因此，教会在这两方面都负有责任：
*领袖：忠心劳苦、带领并劝诫。
*会众：因着他们的工作而尊重并高度看重他们。
*每个人：追求和平，彼此求益。
等候基督的基督徒不应成为他人的负担，而应成为他人的祝福。
反思
这段经文最终引导我们不再去揣测基督再来的时间，而是将目光转向在平凡的基督徒生活中持守忠心。我们通过在信仰中保持警醒、爱人如己、勤勉事奉、鼓励软弱者、纠正懒惰者、追求和平，以及不断寻求他人的益处，来等候主。
从这个意义上说，为主的日子做的最佳准备，并非在于知道祂何时再来，而在于当祂再来时，我们被发现是忠心的。
祷告
天父，感谢祢的爱，也感谢我们在基督里所拥有的盼望。求祢帮助我们在等候主的日子来临之际，保持警醒、忠心并随时准备就绪。求祢保守我们远离懒惰，赐给我们力量去服侍他人，并教导我们彼此鼓励、互相建立。愿我们在等候耶稣的日子里，以生命来荣耀祢。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
