1 Thessalonians / Question
Paul refers to those who “labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). He says to esteem them very highly in love because of their work and to be at peace among themselves (1 Thessalonians 5:13).
In 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 Paul urges the believers to recognize and respond rightly to people who carry responsibility in the church. These leaders work hard among them, guide them “in the Lord,” and offer corrective instruction. Because of that work, the church should treat them with deep respect and active love. These lines sit inside a rapid series of closing instructions near the end of the letter (5:12–22), following Paul’s earlier teaching about readiness and steady living (5:1–11).
Paul’s focus is local church life. He assumes there are people within the community who work hard among the believers, who stand in a leading role “in the Lord,” and who give warnings/corrections (explicit). The community is to recognize them, to hold them in high regard, and to do so in love (explicit).
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with 1 Thessalonians 5:12, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
12But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you,