1 thessalonians 5:12-18 personal action
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Answer:
Verse 11 transitions from the passages about Christ's coming to a discussion of healthy Christian communities.
"11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect[188] those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13 esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves." (5:11-13)
The church is building up and encouraging one another, but from Paul's exhortation, they apparently have a problem with respecting leadership. This doesn't necessarily mean that they had bad leaders. You may have great leaders, but could have people in the congregation who covet power for themselves.
Such people speak ill of a leader behind his back and may act disrespectfully to his face. Their theory, often not thought through, is that if I can diminish the leader's respect and power, then I can increase my own influence. But it's a worldly view that seeks to increase one's own influence at the expense of another. The best and most godly way is for the leaders to work together, speak well of one another, and build up each other's influence. Leadership is not a "zero sum game." There shouldn't be just a single winner; everybody can win.