1 Thessalonians 5:12

These προϊστάμενοι are not officials but simply local Christians like Jason, Secundus, and perhaps Demas (in whose houses the Christians met), who, on account of their capacities or position, had informally taken the lead and made themselves responsible for the welfare and worship of the new society. The organisation is quite primitive, and the triple description of these men's functions is too general to permit any precise delineation of their duties (cf. Lindsay's The Church and the Ministry in the Early Centuries, pp. 122 f.). κοπιω̄ντας denotes the energy and practical interest of these people, which is further defined by προϊσταμένους (a term with technical associations, to which ἐν κυρίῳ is added in order to show that their authority rests on religious services) and νουθετοῦντας (= the moral discipline, perhaps of catechists, teachers and prophets). An instinct of rebellion against authority is not confined to any one class, but artisans and tradesmen are notorious for a tendency to suspect or depreciate any control exercised over them in politics or in religion, especially when it is exercised by some who have risen from their own ranks. The community at Thessalonica was largely recruited from this class, and Paul, with characteristic penetration, appeals for respect and generous appreciation towards the local leaders.