_Exhortation to Sobriety and Watchfulness, founded in the Suddenness of the Lord's Coming, and on their Character as Children of Light._ Having spoken so definitely of the Lord's coming, Paul anticipates that the Thessalonians will inquire the time of this great consummation. He therefore reminds t... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:1. BUT OF THE TIMES END SEASONS. When our Lord spoke to His disciples of the coming of the Son of man, they naturally felt a desire to know when it should take place; and Paul, not without reason, supposes that a similar desire may be stirring in the minds of those to whom he has a... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:2. FOR YE YOURSELVES KNOW, and therefore do not need to be reminded; this itself being, however, the most delicate and yet most effectual reminder. Perfectly literally, with perfect accuracy; and perfectly accurate knowledge on this point is, that there can be no perfectly accurate... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:3. WHEN THEY SHALL SAY. When ‘unbelieving and unthinking' men are persuading themselves that there is no cause for apprehension, then destruction comes upon them suddenly. AS TRAVAIL UPON HER THAT IS WITH CHILD. This is the usual expression in Scripture for great anguish, but the... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:4. BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS, THAT THAT DAY SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF. There is nothing appalling to the Christian, in the suddenness of the Lord's coming, for to those who are waiting and longing for Him, He cannot come as a thief and find them unprepared. The ful... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:5. FOR ALL YE ARE SONS OF LIGHT AND SONS OF DAY. As ‘the children of this world' are those who wholly belong to it; as ‘the son of perdition' is the man of whom perdition is the most striking feature, who is bound over to perdition, as that with which he is identified; so ‘the chil... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:6. THEREFORE, LET US NOT SLEEP. There _is_ a conduct appropriate to every position. Our position as children of light implies a certain corresponding wakefulness. We are the children of light because we live in Christ; it follows that we look and long for His appearing, and do not... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:7. THEY THAT SLEEP, SLEEP IN THE NIGHT. Every man has a natural shame of being found asleep in the day-time, no matter what good excuse he has for it, however exhausted and unwell he may be. If even nature thus teaches us to be ashamed of sleeping through the hours God _gives_ us f... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:8. PATTING ON THE BREASTPLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE. His exhortation to sobriety and watchfulness has suggested to him his favourite image of the soldier, or here specially the sentinel, whose commander may come at any moment, who is set between two ‘days' looking back to one sudden ir... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:9. FOR. Paul shows the reasonableness of this hope. GOD HATH NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH. The truest parallel to this expression is that of Peter (1 Peter 2:8), where he speaks of the disobedience of the rejecters of Christ, and adds, ‘whereunto also they were appointed,' set apart,... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:10. WHO DIED FOR US. How salvation is obtained through Jesus Christ, Paul here explains. Christ died for our sake, and especially to secure for us this grand advantage, viz. THAT WHETHER WE WAKE OR SLEEP, WE SHOULD LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM. Recurring to the anxieties of the Thessalon... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:11. WHEREFORE. There being such good grounds for hopefulness about the departed, comfort one another. EDIFY. ‘From the frequent application of the term _house_ or _temple_ to Christians collectively (as 1 Corinthians 3:16, _Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?)_ and individ... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:12. The transition from the last paragraph to this is easy. Having exhorted them to comfort one another, he naturally passes on to inculcate the duty of attending to those whose special work it was to instruct and edify them. TO KNOW. ‘That is, _to appreciate,_ not to be unaware... [ Continue Reading ]
AS Paul's custom was, he concludes this Epistle with a number of practical injunctions suitable to the circumstances of those to whom he writes, and more or less connected with one another.... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:13. TO ESTEEM THEM VERY HIGHLY IN LOVE. There was required not merely an outward deference and submission, but an affectionate regard. Little good can be effected in a church in which the ministers are neither respected nor loved. But this respect and love must have a real object,... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:14. BRETHREN. The counsels of this verse are addressed not to the ministers alone, nor to the people alone, but to all. UNRULY. The connection would lead a reader to suppose that this referred to those who rebelled against the authority of the elders or presiding ecclesiastical o... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:15. SEE THAT NONE RENDER EVIL FOR EVIL. Ellicott objects to the remark of Jowett, that ‘it is not strictly true to say that Christianity alone or first forbade to return evil for evil. Plato knew that it was not the true definition of justice to do harm to one's enemies.' But there... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:16. REJOICE EVERMORE. ‘It is a scandalous misprision, vulgarly admitted, concerning religion, that it is altogether sullen and sour, requiring a dull, lumpish, morose kind of life, barring all delight, all mirth, all good humour; whereas, on the contrary, it alone is the never-fail... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:17. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. One of the Greek commentators (Theophylact) remarks that the apostle now shows how we may continually rejoice, viz. by continuing in prayer and thanksgiving. We obey this precept when our prayers are not fitful and intermittent, but steady and persistent;... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:18. IN EVERY THING GIVE THANKS. ‘For example, (1) in the use of God's gifts: Acts 27:35, _He took bread and gave thanks to God in presence of them all_ (2) In the enjoyment of social converse: Acts 28:15, _whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage._ (3) In acknowledgment... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:19. QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT. The Spirit being first revealed as a cleansing fire and an enlightening flame, is spoken of as being _extinguished,_ when His influence is resisted either by sensual and worldly living, or ‘by a studied repression and disregard of its manifestation, arisi... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:21. PROVE ALL THINGS. Neither in regard to these manifestations of the Spirit's presence, nor in any matter, were they to be led by prejudice and appearances and first impressions, but they were to put things to the proof, to test them. Rules for doing so are furnished by the Apost... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:23. THE GOD OF PEACE. A term occurring towards the close of many of the Epistles see references. Perhaps the title varies slightly in meaning according to the context in which it is found; sometimes pointing rather to the inward peace which the all-seeing and self-reliant God ever... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:24. FAITHFUL IS HE THAT CALLETH YOU. He hath called you to holiness (chap. 1 Thessalonians 4:7), and He will enable you to fulfil His call. He does not mock you; He is in earnest. He abideth faithful; as surely pledged to make you holy as you are commanded to become so. There is a... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:25. PRAY FOR US. The frequency with which Paul asks the prayers of the churches is worthy of remark (Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3; and note on a Thess. 1 Thessalonians 3:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:26. SALUTE ALL THE BRETHREN. To whom was this addressed? Probably to the office-bearers of the church, to whom the letter would be delivered; although in the parallel passages (see references) the members were to salute one another. But in this case Paul sends his own salutation, w... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:27. I CHARGE YOU BY THE LORD. Why this vehemence of adjuration? Was there a danger that the letter would not be read? No better reason can be given than that Paul's affectionate anxiety for the spiritual welfare of his converts broke out in this earnest request that his counsels sh... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Thessalonians 5:28. THE GRACE. That is, the free favour, the unmerited kindness. This is the usual closing benediction with which Paul concludes his letters.... [ Continue Reading ]