1 Thessalonians 5:14

And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all.

While primarily the duty of elders, Paul so phrased this edict as to make it applicable to all "brethren," thus involving every Christian in the need of admonishing, correcting and encouraging others.

The disorderly ... "Originally a military term (for a soldier who fell out of the ranks, or failed to keep step), the term came to be used of idle and careless habits."[26] Regarding the particular disorder which might have been in evidence at Thessalonica, Moffatt has this: "The particular form of insubordination at Thessalonica was idleness."[27] Paul would deal with that effectively in the second epistle to the Thessalonians.

Encourage the fainthearted ... This word is "Feeble minded" in the KJV, but the present-day connotations of that term make the ASV far preferable.

Support the weak ... Where is there an eldership that is not concerned with the "weak"? People who are weak in faith, weak in their commitment, weak in their attendance, weak in their duty of giving, weak in all departments - these are the constant concern of elders, and should be the concern of all Christians.

[26] Peter E. Cousins, op. cit., p. 497.

[27] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 41.