Paul's visit to the church at Thessalonica was brief. Perhaps because of that, he had to teach a lot of the basics through his letters. I Thessalonians 5:12-22 is the crash course for the up and coming church. In modern times, Paul may have turned it into a book, How to Build a Church in 12 Easy Lessons or Twelve Steps to a Successful Church.

"Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest respect and love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil" (I Thess. 5:12-22).

The twelve lessons with their footnotes may have gone something like this:

Lesson 1:  Respect church officials--"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Heb. 13:17).

Lesson 2:  Live in peace with each other--"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).

Lesson 3:  Warn those who are idle--"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Col.3:23-24).

Lesson 4:  Encourage the timid--"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (II Tim. 1:7).

Lesson 5:  Help the weak--"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up" (Romans 15:1-2).

Lesson 6:  Be patient with everyone--"Love is patient; love is kind" (I Cor. 13:4a).

Lesson 7:  Don't pay back wrong for wrong--"Do not repay evil for evil, or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may be a blessing" (I Peter 3:9).

Lesson 8: Be joyful--

Lesson 9: pray continually--

Lesson 10:  give thanks in all circumstances--these three share a footnote--"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:4-7).

Lesson 11:  Don't put out the Spirit's fire; test everything and keep what is good--"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25).

Lesson 12:  Avoid all evil--"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9).

After all that, Paul prays for the results:  "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it" (I Thess. 5:23-24).

Heavenly Father, please bless all the churches worldwide where Your word is preached. Let each church be what You have planned for it to be. Impart vision to each pastor and let each congregation support that vision. Let us lift You up in one accord that all people will be drawn to You for salvation. Amen