1 Thessalonians 5:1-28

When Jesus Christ comes

1 the Thessalonians

Ian Mackervoy

A word list is at the end. It explains words with a *star by them.

Chapter 5

When the *Lord will come 5:1-11

v1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you. v2 For you know very well that the day, when the *Lord shall return, will come as a thief comes at night. v3 It will be at a time when people say, ‘We have peace and we are safe.’ Then all at once, without warning, the *Lord will destroy them. It will be as sudden as the pains of a woman who is having a baby. There will be no escape for those people.

v4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in the dark. That day should not take you by surprise like a thief. v5 That is because you are all people who belong to the light, and to the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. v6 So then, we should not be sleeping like the other people. We must be awake and in control of ourselves, not like those who have drunk too much wine. v7 Those who sleep, sleep at night. And those who drink too much wine do it at night. v8 But we who belong to the day must be in control of ourselves. Our *faith and our love must be like a guard round our hearts. Our hope of *salvation should keep our minds safe, like *helmets that protect our heads. v9 God did not choose us to suffer his anger. He chose us that we should have *salvation through our *Lord Jesus Christ. v10 Jesus died for us so that we might live together with him. That will be true whether we are alive or dead when he comes. v11 So, encourage and help each other, just as you are now doing.

Verse 1 The writers had answered the worries about those who had died. Now they turn to a new subject. This is the question of when Jesus will come again. It seems that some of the Christians had expected Jesus to come soon. But he had not come yet.

‘Times and dates’ is a phrase that they knew meant the end times. The two words together stand for the period of the end as well as the date when Jesus will come. While they were with them, the *apostles had taught about the end times. They had told them that no one knows when Jesus will come. They had also told them about events that must happen before he comes.

There was no need to write to them to tell them that the *Lord will come. They knew that. There was no need to tell them that the time of his coming is secret. But they did need instruction about what will happen when he does come back.

Verse 2 They knew about the day of the *Lord and of his return, because Paul and his friends had taught them about it. But when that day would be, no one could know.

This day is not a single day, as we understand it. Rather it is the day of the *Lord, which covers many events. It will be a time when God will defeat all his enemies (Isaiah 2:12). In his anger, he will destroy them (Isaiah 13:9). This will bring trouble on the earth (Isaiah 13:11; Amos 5:18). It is a way of talking about the time when the *Lord will deliver the nation of *Israel (Jeremiah 30:7-9). It also is a way to speak about the time when God will set up his *kingdom on the earth.

God’s judgement is for those who do not believe in Jesus. Christians will not have to suffer the anger of God. They will meet Jesus in the air and so they will be with him in that day.

The day of the *Lord and of his return will come without warning. It will be like the thief who comes at night to rob a house. The thief does not tell the owners when he is coming. They do not expect him to come. This is what the *Lord Jesus taught in Matthew 24:42-44. The point of this is that the Thessalonians should be ready for the *Lord to come at any time.

Verse 3 The beginning of the day of the *Lord will come as a surprise. Those who do not believe in Jesus will not be ready for that day. They will think that they are safe. It will be a time when at last there seems to be peace on the earth. But, at that moment, when they feel safe and at peace, ruin will come to them from the *Lord.

The dawn of that day will be sudden, just like the pains of a woman who is having a baby (Isaiah 13:8-9). There will be no warning and they will not be expecting it. They will not be able to avoid the anger of God. There will be no escape for them.

Verse 4 Those who do not believe in Jesus are like people living in the dark. They cannot see when the danger comes towards them. So, the coming of the *Lord will surprise and shock them. Like a thief, it will come when they do not expect it. But, those who believe in Jesus are not living in the dark. The day of the *Lord should not come as a surprise to them. They should be expecting it and they should be ready for the *Lord to come.

Verse 5 In contrast to those who do not believe in the *Lord Jesus, Paul describes all the Christians at Thessalonica as children of the light. Light represents life and also goodness. So children of the light are those who have God’s life. And they try to do good. Some of them may be weak or doubting in their *faith. The writers encourage them by saying that they are all children of the light and of the day.

Once they were in darkness but they have been born again into the light. This means that now they are not like people who are living in the darkness. They know that the *Lord Jesus will come. And, when he does come, they should be expecting him. His coming will not be a surprise to them.

When it is night, we cannot see where we are going. We cannot see what is coming to us. Those who do not believe in the *Lord Jesus are like people who walk in the night. All who believe in the *Lord Jesus are ‘children of the day’. They are people who do not belong to night and darkness. They can see where they walk. And they can be ready for what is coming.

Verse 6 Because they are children of the day, they should not be asleep. They should be awake to all that the *apostles taught them. They know the truth and how they ought to live. Those who do not believe in the *Lord Jesus do not know these things. So they are not aware of them. They are like those who are asleep.

Christians know what is right. And they are responsible for what they do. Those who have drunk too much wine lose control of their actions. Those who believe in the *Lord Jesus must never be like that. They must always be in control of themselves. They must be ready for the day when the *Lord shall come.

Verse 7 To explain what he means in verse 6, Paul states the normal pattern of life. People usually go to bed and sleep at night. Those who drink strong drink to excess often do so at night. Because Christians are not ‘children of the night’, they should keep awake. And they should not lose control as those who drink too much do. They are not talking about the sleep that the body needs. But they use that to show that Christians must be awake to the things of God. Those who drink to excess are not in full control of themselves. Those who believe in the *Lord Jesus should always be ready for him to come.

Verse 8 Those who belong to the day are those who believe in the *Lord Jesus. The word ‘day’ here represents the new kind of life that comes by means of *faith in the *Lord. They have this new life with the *Lord Jesus. And that should cause them to be careful how they live. It is the reason why they must be in control of themselves.

The soldiers wore special clothes and had *helmets on their heads. These were to keep them safe as they fought. The Christian life is like a battle. There are the armies of the devil who attack the people of God. Just as the soldiers had to wear special clothes, so do the Christians (Ephesians 6:13-17). They have to be awake and ready for the fight. The special clothes for the Christians are *faith in God and love. The *helmets are like their hope of *salvation. These clothes and *helmets will guard their hearts and minds and keep them safe.

*Faith, love and hope give to the Christians the strength to overcome all the troubles that they have.

Verse 9 God chose all those who have come to believe in the *Lord Jesus. He chose them so that they would escape his anger when he judges the people of the world. He chose them to benefit from what the *Lord Jesus has done. The *Lord Jesus has suffered the anger of God for all that they have done wrong. So, as they accept this by believing in the *Lord Jesus, they are free from God’s anger. The *Lord Jesus has saved them from that anger and from the judgement of God. But more than that, God will raise them up to live again after they have died. So, they will live again with the *Lord Jesus and with God.

Verse 10 Here is how Jesus Christ obtained our *salvation for us. He died for us. He died the death that should have been ours because of our *sin. God judged all our *sins and Jesus took the punishment for us. So, he will save all those who accept that Jesus died for them and trust him. He will save them from the anger of God.

So great was that death that we can be sure about the future life. All who believe in him shall live with him. This is true whether we are alive then or have died. Christians need not fear missing the *Lord’s return. When the *Lord Jesus comes, he will raise them up. And then they will enjoy being with him.

Verse 11 All who believe in the *Lord Jesus have his promise. The promise is that, when he comes, they will live with him. So, they can encourage each other as they speak about these things. They can help those who have doubts and fears. They can help them by showing them that the *Lord accepts them. The writers want them to help each other to be strong and certain in what they believe. They need to help each other to know God better and to love him more. They were doing this already but they should go on doing it.

Respect those who lead you and work for your benefit 5:12-13

v12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who work among you. They lead you and guide you in the things of the *Lord. v13 Appreciate them and love them Appreciate them because of the work that they do. Live calm and quiet lives with each other.

Verse 12 The writers now ask the Christians at Thessalonica to know and to respect their leaders. This would be the proper attitude toward them, because they worked so hard for the church there. They should appreciate all that these workers do for the church.

It was the leaders’ task to direct and to care for the church. When any of the members did what was wrong, the leaders would have to correct them. This can be hard to do. So, those who do it well deserve respect. When any members were in need, the leaders would try to help them. The leaders had to guide the church in the right way. They made sure that the teaching in the church was true to the word of God.

Verse 13 The *Lord had called their leaders to this task and they served him in it. They were working so hard for the good of the church. The Christians at Thessalonica should be grateful for them and for all that they do. Their leaders deserve all the support that they can give. They should love their leaders, as the leaders care for the church.

One of the aims of the leaders’ work is to keep the members in unity with each other. Christians should always try to live in peace with each other.

Various Christian duties 5:14-22

v14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who will not work. Help those who are afraid to be strong. Do what you can to help those who are weak. Be patient with all people. v15 If someone does wrong things to you, do not do wrong things in return. Make it your aim at all times to do good to one another and to all people.

v16 Always let joy fill your hearts and minds. v17 Pray all the time. v18 No matter what happens to you, thank God. This is what God wants from you, as you believe in Christ Jesus.

v19 Do not stop the Holy Spirit from working in your life. v20 Do not refuse to accept *prophecies. And do not think that they are of no value. v21 Test all things. And accept what proves to be good. v22 Have nothing to do with any kind of evil.

Verse 14 There were some of the Christians in Thessalonica who would not work. It was not that they could not work. If that had been true, then it would be right for the church to support them. No, they were just lazy. The members of that church, not just the leaders, should tell them that they must work. They must warn them that it is not right to expect other Christians to provide for them.

There are in any church those who are not sure what they believe. Or there are those who are afraid. The other Christians should talk to them about their doubts and fears. They need help to overcome their doubts and support to calm their fears. Perhaps they need to know that other people love and value them.

Some people there were weak in some way. Weak people need strength and courage. They should not be afraid to tell other people that they are Christians. Christians must hold on to such people and help them to become stronger and more bold. Such people need to know that they are not alone.

In all their relations with these people, the Christians should be patient and kind. They should show respect to all people. And they should have patience with all people.

Verse 15 No matter how wrong the actions of a person are, we should not do wrong things to them. It would be natural for us to want to do it. There was an old rule of ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ (Exodus 21:24). This meant to do to the other person as he or she has done to you. But this is not how Christians should behave. They should forgive. And they should want to do good things to those who have done wrong to them.

Christians should always try to be kind to each other and to all people. This includes being kind to those who have done bad things against them. It is trying to do good at all times, even for those whom they do not like. They should try to be friendly and helpful to all people. As the *Lord commanded, they should love their neighbours. And they should do good to those who hate them.

Verse 16 Some people do not believe in the *Lord Jesus. For those people, joy depends on the good things that happen to them. But the writers are talking about a different kind of joy here. This joy does not depend on what happens. If it did, the Christians at Thessalonica would have little cause for joy.

Real joy comes from knowing the *Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives joy to all who believe (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Christians should allow this joy to be in them and to affect the whole of their life. The new life that they have from God is full of joy. They know that God is with them. So, they can have joy although they are suffering.

Verse 17 To pray all the time does not mean to pray without stopping. Rather it means that they should have an attitude of prayer. They should pray often as a regular way of life. They can pray wherever they are and at all times. It does not have to be in words but it is in the heart and mind looking to God.

They should pray to God often because they depend on him for all that they need in life. They should want to pray to God often because they love him as their father.

Verse 18 God works in all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). So, they should give thanks to God in every good or bad circumstance. He is in control and he allows both good and bad times to come to them. But in the end, the result is always to bless them. They believe in God. So, they can and should thank him for all that happens to them.

God wants them to be full of joy. He wants them to pray at all times and to give him thanks. This is how those who are in Christ Jesus ought to live.

Those who are in Christ Jesus are those who believe in him. They have received the new life that he gives.

Verse 19 This verse in the *Greek means, ‘Do not put out the fire of the Spirit.’ It shows the work of the Holy Spirit as if it were a fire. They must not prevent the Holy Spirit from doing his work. They must not put out the fire.

When people believe in the *Lord Jesus, he sends the Holy Spirit to live in them. He brings into their lives the seeds of good character. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul calls this the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit has to grow in the character of the Christian. The parts of the fruit are love, joy, peace, patience, being gentle, being good, *faith, being humble, and control of oneself. They must continue to work with the Holy Spirit so that this fruit will grow in them.

The Holy Spirit gives gifts to some for building up the church. That means to help the Christians to grow and mature in relation to God. The main *Scriptures that discuss these gifts are Romans 12:6-8; Romans 12:1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11. The Holy Spirit gives these gifts so that the person who has them can use them for the benefit of the church. There is a danger that they might not use the gifts as the *Lord intends.

Verse 20 One of the gifts of the Spirit is *prophecy. He gives this gift so that a person can speak words from God. The person receives a message from God and shares it with the church. The benefit of *prophecy is this: The church can hear what God wants them to hear. It may be that he is warning them about something. It could be that he wants to teach them something. It could be a message about what will happen in the future.

A person with the gift might refuse to speak the message that the Spirit gave. Or the leaders might not let that person give the *prophecy. Or, when a *prophecy comes to the church, they could refuse to hear and accept it. They could stop a work of the Spirit in these ways. They may have done this because there were false *prophecies. But they should make sure that it is from God rather than refuse all *prophecies. They must not deny the worth of the gift of *prophecy. They should desire to have this gift (1 Corinthians 14:1).

Verse 21 The Christians at Thessalonica need to be sure that the *prophecies or other gifts are from God. Some may claim to have a message from God but the church must test that claim. It is important to know if the Holy Spirit is the source of the message or gift. There are copies of the gifts, which come from the enemy or from human sources. There are false *prophets who try to damage the church. There are those who mistake the source of a message or a gift. Christians are to test all of these things to prove that they are from God.

There are standards by which we can test *prophecies and gifts. What they say must not deny what the *Lord has already said. So, their message must not be against what the Bible says. Their purpose must be for the good of the church. All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the help not the damage of the church.

Where the tests prove that the message is genuine, then accept it. Hear what it says. If it is a message from God, believe what it says. Obey the message and do what the *Lord requires.

Verse 22 Where a message or an action has failed the test, then they are to refuse it. They must not accept anything that is false. These false messages and gifts are evil because they could spoil the church. So, the Christians at Thessalonica are to avoid any kind of evil.

Prayer for the Christians at Thessalonica 5:23-24

v23 May God, who gives us calm and quiet lives, make you holy in every way. May he take care of your whole being. That is your spirit, *soul and body. May he make you to be clean and with no *sin, when the *Lord Jesus Christ comes again. v24 God chose you. And he will do it because he is *faithful.

Verse 23 Through the death of Jesus, God has made peace between himself and us *human beings. All who believe and trust in the *Lord Jesus have this peace with God. This means that we can live calm and quiet lives with him.

The prayer of the writers is that God would make the Christians holy. They ask God to separate them from *sin and to keep them for himself. With his help, they would be able to love and to serve him. This is a process in which he changes them to be more like the *Lord Jesus. This process started when they first believed in the *Lord Jesus. God will complete it when the *Lord Jesus comes again (Philippians 1:6).

In this prayer, they ask God to be in every part of the lives of the Christians. They speak about the Christian person as being spirit, *soul and body. These three words together mean the whole person. The ‘body’ is what we can see and feel. The word ‘soul’ means our thinking and feeling. It can also mean our life. ‘Spirit’ means our relationship with God, and also can mean our life. The prayer is that God will keep the whole of them without blame for that time when Jesus will come again.

Verse 24 God calls them to himself to be his people. He will answer the prayer to make them holy. They can depend on him because he has promised to do it. He can be trusted to do all that he has said and planned. It is God’s purpose that they should be holy.

Greeting and blessing 5:25-28

v25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. v26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. v27 I urge you by the authority of the *Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.

v28 The grace of our *Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Verse 25 Paul and his friends often prayed for the church at Thessalonica. Now they are saying that, as we have prayed for you, you also should pray for us. They are asking the Thessalonians to support them by their prayers. Paul, Silas and Timothy were so strong in what they believed. But they still felt the need for the prayers of other Christians.

Verse 26 The writers wanted to greet each of the members of the church at Thessalonica. To do this they asked them to greet each other on their behalf. It was to be with a holy kiss. This means that there is nothing of natural love or sex in it. The greeting is an expression of the love that there is between them. This is the love of brothers and sisters in the family of God.

In that society, it was the custom to greet friends with a kiss on the cheek.

Verse 27 The leaders of the church would have received this letter. So, Paul urges them to make sure that the whole church there should hear its contents. He uses the name of the *Lord as his authority as he asks them to read it to the church.

Verse 28 Grace is blessing for the people of God that they do not deserve. Here it is the grace of our *Lord Jesus Christ. It is the benefit that comes to us because of what he has done. May the *Lord Jesus give you his blessing because he loves you.

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words)

Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
faith ~ trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.
salvation ~ the result of God saving us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do; to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
helmet ~ the special hat that a soldier wears to protect the head.
apostle ~ one whom God sends; especially one of the 12 that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
kingdom ~ the place or territory where a king rules.
faith ~ trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do; to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God.
prophecy ~ the speaking of a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Greek ~ the language that Paul and his friends used to write this letter.
Scripture ~ the books of the Bible.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. He can sometimes say what will happen in the future.
soul ~ means what we feel and what we think.
faithful ~ true and loyal to someone.
humans ~ people.