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Articles
Imitators of the Churches of God: Gospel Cooperation (I Thessalonians 5:12-15)
“For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus…” I Thessalonians 2:14
Christians have to learn to cooperate while waiting for the Lord’s return. God’s vision for His church is for people from all backgrounds and various walks of life to be united in fellowship in the gospel. However, our differences tend to make unity difficult. In Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica, he provides timeless teaching to help us cooperate with those with whom we are in fellowship.
Cooperation starts with respect. Within the Lord’s church, that begins by respecting our elders (I Thessalonians 5:12-13). The elders of a local church do what they do because they understand Jesus is coming back to take His faithful children home with Him (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). Faithful shepherds are working to help us all reach heaven! That guidance ought to be appreciated. Cooperation also requires respect for all members of a local church (I Thessalonians 5:14). It is not just the elders responsibility to encourage Christians to remain faithful. Each of us must do our part. As Christians, we need to understand the value of each and every soul. If any of our church family are not imitating Christ, we have a duty to encourage them to do better.
Cooperation requires compassion. Whenever we “encourage the fainthearted” and “help the weak” (I Thessalonians 5:14), we need to remember our own shortcomings. Pride will ruin any effort we make to encourage a struggling brother or sister in Christ. The truth is we all need help and encouragement at times. It is a real challenge to put ourselves in another person’s shoes, but compassion makes all the difference. This is another reason why forming close, personal relationships within the church is so important.
Cooperation takes patience. This is especially true when helping those who are weak in faith, but make no mistake: patience is needed “with everyone” (I Thessalonians 5:14). We live in a society that trains us to be impatient about everything. The irony is, while it is difficult to be patient with others, we expect everyone to be patient with us. As Christians striving to get to heaven and help others get to heaven, we have to understand the damage that can be done when we approach a situation without patience. Trust can be destroyed, and relationships can be ruined.
Cooperation means pursuing good-will. Quite frankly, there is no room for revenge in the Lord’s church (I Thessalonians 5:15). God’s people need selfless hearts that are constantly mindful of what is best for others (Philippians 2:3-4). Over time, the pursuit of good for others should become second-nature for a child of God. It just needs to be a part of who we are. This is how Stephen was able to pray to God to forgive those who were in the act of murdering him in Acts 7:60. The pursuit of good-will becomes easier when we stop trying to get the most out of this life that we can, and we instead trust God to provide for our reward.
In a world often divided by our differences, the gospel calls us to a higher standard. As Christians awaiting the Lord’s return, our unity in faith transcends our individual differences. Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians remind us to respect one another, to show compassion and patience, and to pursue goodwill in all our interactions. This gospel-centered cooperation not only strengthens our fellowship but also bears witness to the transformative power of Christ’s love in our lives.
