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1Th_5:12. The apostle commences with an exhortation to a dutiful conduct toward the rulers of the church.
δέ ] can only be a particle of transition to a new subject. It were possible that 1Th_5:12 might be in the following closer connection with 1Th_5:11 : Certainly I have praised you, because you seek to edify one another; but this by no means excludes the duty of treating those who are appointed for the government of the church with becoming esteem and respect.[64] At all events, it appears from this that Paul considered this exhortation in respect to the rulers of the church necessary, to prevent the Thessalonians failing in any way in the respect due to them.
εἰδέναι ] to recognise, sc. what they are, according to their nature and position, i.e. in other words, highly to value, highly to esteem. Comp. ἐπιγινώσκειν , 1Co_16:18, and éÈãÇò , Pro_27:23; Psa_144:3; Nah_1:7.
Paul does not by κοπιῶντας , προϊσταμένους , and νουθετοῦντας indicate different classes of persons (Bernard a Picon and others), for otherwise the article τούς would have been repeated before the two last predicates; but the same men, namely, the πρεσβύτεροι , whom the apostles were accustomed to place in newly founded churches, and who in apostolic times were not different from the ἐπίσκοποι ; comp. Tit_1:5; Tit_1:7; Act_20:17; Act_20:28; Winer, bibl. Realwörterb. 2d ed. vol. I. p. 217 f. These presbyters are at first named generally κοπιῶντας ἐν ὑμῖν ] those who labour among you, i.e. in your midst (Musculus, Zanchius, Flatt, Pelt, Hofmann erroneously explain it: on you, in vobis sc. docendis, monendis, consolandis, aedificandis), in order to make it appear beforehand that the εἰδέναι , the esteeming highly, was a corresponding duty due to the presbyters on account of their labour for the church. The expression ΚΟΠΙῶΝΤΑς might, on account of its generality, have been understood of any member of the church they liked; therefore, in order with ΚΟΠΙῶΝΤΑς to make them think definitely on presbyters, Paul adds by way of explanation, ΚΑῚ ΠΡΟΪΣΤΑΜΈΝΟΥς ΚΑῚ ΝΟΥΘΕΤΟῦΝΤΑς , by which presbyters are more particularly described, according to the diversity of their official functions, namely, as such to whom it belongs, first, to direct the general and external concerns of the church; and to whom, secondly, the office of teaching and exhortation is assigned. Incorrectly Theodoret: ΤῸ ΔῈ ΠΡΟΪΣΤΑΜΈΝΟΥς ὙΜῶΝ ἘΝ ΚΥΡΊῼ ἈΝΤῚ ΤΟῦ ὙΠΕΡΕΥΧΟΜΈΝΟΥς ὙΜῶΝ ΚΑῚ Τῷ ΘΕῷ ΤῊΝ ὙΠῈΡ ὙΜῶΝ ΠΡΕΣΒΕΊΑΝ ΠΡΟΣΦΈΡΟΝΤΑς .
ἘΝ ΚΥΡΊῼ ] in the sphere of the Lord, a limitation of προϊσταμένους . Theophylact: οὐκ ἐν τοῖς κοσμικοῖς προΐσταταί σου , ἀλλʼ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ κύριον .
νουθετεῖν ] to lay to heart, then generally to instruct and admonish. It refers particularly to the management of Christian discipline, yet Christian instruction generally is not excluded from it. Comp. also Kypke, Obs. II. p. 339 f.
[64] Already Chrysostom closely unites ver. 12 with ver. 11, but determines the connection in the following form not much to be commended: Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν οἰκοδομεῖτε εἷς τὸν ἕνα , ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν , ὅτι εἰς τὸ τῶν διδασκάλων ἀξίωμα αὐτοὺς ἀνήγαγε , τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε , μονονουχὶ λέγων , ὅτι καὶ ὑμῖν ἐπέτρεψα οἰκοδομεῖν ἀλλήλους · οὐ γὰρ δυνατὸν πάντα τὸν διδάσκαλον εἰπεῖν .