1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

Notice, not all who are struggling spiritually should be treated the same way.  Different situations call for different tactics. Paul refers to three categories of brethren who need help.

First, those who are unruly need to be warned.  Who are the unruly?  The word unruly means,  “to set oneself outside the order, to evade obligations, to act without discipline, or irresponsibly.”  Vines Dictionary tells us that it is a military term that refers to those who are not keeping rank or are insubordinate.

Paul had just written about esteeming the elders highly in love (ver. 13).  Those who are unruly are members of the local church who are undisciplined and insubordinate toward the elders.  They refuse to follow the rules, even when the rules the elders set forth are from God.  These brethren should not be ignored, but instead should be warned.

Strong says that the word “warn” means, “to put in mind, i.e. (by implication) to caution or reprove gently…”  Who is to do the warning?  Every member of the local church, who has the opportunity, must do the warning.  Paul was not just referring to the elders or the preacher.  He was instructing the entire church.  When we all do our part in this, it strengthens the church and saves souls.

Second, those who are fainthearted need to be comforted.    The fainthearted are those who are for some reason discouraged.  We are not told why they are discouraged.  We know that in the context of the book, some were disheartened because their loved ones had died and they were worried that they would miss out when the Lord returned (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  However, it really does not matter what the cause of their faintheartedness was, the brethren were to do what they could to comfort them.

Most congregations, at any given time, have members who are discouraged by life.  Maybe they are depressed because they seem to keep failing spiritually, at least in their own minds.  Perhaps their job has become a daily burden to them and just living has become tough.  But, like the brethren at Thessalonica, the reason for their despondency is not as important as brethren realizing that they need comforting.  Those who are hurting do not need warnings, they need to be consoled by those who love them.  They need to be told that everything will be alright, and why such is the case.  They need to be reminded that God is in charge, and He knows all about their struggles.  Let us all do our best to fulfill Paul’s apostolic exhortation, and do what we can to comfort members when they get down and become discouraged.  After all, we would want brethren to do the same for us.

Third, those who are weak need to be helped.  Paul is probably referring here to those who are in some way weak in the faith.  The weak should never be looked down upon, talked about negatively, or disdained; they need to be helped and strengthened.  If their weakness is not a matter of doctrine, they need to be received.  Paul said, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (Romans 14:1).  If their weakness is related to their spirituality, they need to be instructed, encouraged, and supported until they have the strength to stand on their own.  When we leave the weak to help themselves, they just get weaker until they finally die.  We must do better than that.  Remember, Paul said, We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak…(Romans 15:1).

In all these areas, Paul said that we must have patience.  People do not usually change overnight.  Jesus died on the cross so that we could all go to heaven.  The least we can do is help one another.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.