INTRODUCTION TO 1 THESSALONIANS 5 In this chapter the apostle discourses concerning the suddenness of Christ's coming, and the necessity of sobriety and watchfulness, and being on our guard with respect unto it, and then proceeds to exhort to several duties of religion, and closes the epistle with... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT OF THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS, BRETHREN,.... Of the coming of Christ, his "appointed time" and "his day", as the Ethiopic version renders it; of the resurrection of the dead in Christ first, and of the rapture of all the saints in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, things treated of in the p... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YOURSELVES KNOW PERFECTLY,.... With great exactness and accuracy, with great clearness and perspicuity, as a certain truth, which was made plain and evident to them, and about which there could be no question; and which perfect knowledge they had, either from the words of Christ, Matthew 24:42,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHEN THEY SHALL SAY,.... Or men shall say, that is, wicked and ungodly men, persons in a state of unregeneracy: PEACE AND SAFETY; when they shall sing a requiem, to themselves, promise themselves much ease and peace for years to come, and imagine their persons and property to be very secure fro... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS,.... In a state of unregeneracy, which is a state of darkness, blindness, and ignorance, and which is the condition of all men by nature; they are born in darkness, and are brought up in it, and willingly, walk in it; they are covered with it, as the earth was c... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF LIGHT,.... Or enlightened persons, whose understandings were enlightened by the spirit of God, to see their lost state by nature, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the insufficiency of their righteousness to justify them before God, the fulness, suitableness, and excellency of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE LET US NOT SLEEP AS DO OTHERS.... As the rest of the Gentiles, as unconverted persons, who are in a state of darkness, and are children of the night; let us not act that part they do, or be like them; which professors of religion too much are, when they indulge themselves in carnal lusts a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY THAT SLEEP, SLEEP IN THE NIGHT,.... The night is the usual season for sleep, and sleep is only for such who are in darkness, and are children of the night; and not proper to be indulged by such who are children of the day, and of the light: AND THEY THAT BE DRUNKEN, ARE DRUNKEN IN THE NIGH... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT LET US, WHO ARE OF THE DAY, BE SOBER,.... As in body, so in mind; let us cast off the works of darkness, and have no fellowship with them; since the day of grace has passed upon us, the darkness is gone, and the true light shines, let us walk as children of the light, living soberly, righteously... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD HATH NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH,.... To destruction and ruin, the effect of wrath; though there are some that are vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction, of old ordained to condemnation, and who are reserved for the day of evil; but there are others who are equally children of wrath, as des... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO DIED FOR US,.... The elect of God, who are not appointed to wrath, but to salvation by Christ, on which account he died for them; not merely as a martyr to confirm his doctrine, or only by way of example, but as a surety, in the room and stead of his people; as a sacrifice for their sins, to mak... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE COMFORT YOURSELVES TOGETHER,.... Either with the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, the second coming of Christ, and the thoughts of being for ever with him, and one another, and so may be a repetition of the advice in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 or with this consideration, that they were... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WE BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN,.... Not in a natural or civil, but spiritual relation; and what follows relating to the ministers of the word, the apostle addresses this church on their behalf, not in an imperious and authoritative manner, but by way of entreaty, with great humility and strong affecti... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO ESTEEM THEM VERY HIGHLY,.... Or, as the Ethiopic version renders it, "honour them abundantly"; for such are worthy of double honour, and to be had in reputation; they should be honourably thought of, and be high in the affections of the saints, who should esteem them better than themselves, o... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WE EXHORT YOU, BRETHREN,.... This is said either to the ministers of the word that laboured among them, presided over them, and admonished them; and the rather, because some of these things here directed to are pressed upon the members of the church in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and which otherwise mu... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE THAT NONE RENDER EVIL FOR EVIL UNTO ANY MAN,.... Not an ill word for an ill word, railing for railing, nor an ill action for an ill action; no, not to any man whatever, not to an enemy, a persecutor, a profane person, as well as not to a brother, a believer in Christ; and this the saints should... [ Continue Reading ]
REJOICE EVERMORE. Not in a carnal, but in a spiritual way, with joy in the Holy Ghost; and which arises from a view of pardon by the blood of Christ, of justification by his righteousness, and atonement by his sacrifice; not in themselves, as the wicked man rejoices in his wickedness, and the hypocr... [ Continue Reading ]
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. Not that saints should be always on their knees, or ever lifting up their hands, and vocally calling upon God; this is not required of them, and would clash with, and break in upon other parts of religious worship, and the duties of civil life, which are to be attended to, as w... [ Continue Reading ]
IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS,.... That is, to God the Father, in the name of Christ; see Ephesians 5:20 thanks are to be given to him for all things, as the Ethiopic version renders it; for all temporal good things; for our beings, the preservation of them; for food and raiment, and all the mercies of... [ Continue Reading ]
QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT. By which is meant, not the person of the Spirit, but either the graces of the spirit, which may be compared to light, and fire, and heat, to which the allusion is in the text; such as faith, which is a light in the soul, a seeing of the Son, and an evidence of things not seen;... [ Continue Reading ]
DESPISE NOT PROPHESYINGS. Or "prophecies"; the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the first coming of Christ, concerning his person, office, and work, his obedience, sufferings, and death, his resurrection from the dead, ascension and session at God's right hand; for though all these are ful... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVE ALL THINGS,.... That are said by the prophets, all the doctrines which they deliver; hear them, though they have not the gift of tongues, and all desirable advantages; do not reject them on that account, and refuse to hear them, for so, many useful men may be laid aside, and the Spirit of God... [ Continue Reading ]
ABSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL. Of doctrinal evil. Not only open error and heresy are to be avoided, but what has any show of it, or looks like it, or carries in it a suspicion of it, or may be an occasion thereof, or lead unto it; wherefore all new words and phrases of this kind should be shun... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE,.... Or "the God of peace himself". The apostle follows his exhortations with prayer to God, knowing the weakness and impotency of the saints to receive them, and act according to them, and his own insufficiency to impress their minds with them; and that unless the Lord ope... [ Continue Reading ]
FAITHFUL IS HE THAT CALLETH YOU,.... Into the fellowship of his Son, and to his kingdom and glory, and who continues to do so, not only externally by his word, but internally by his Spirit and grace. WHO ALSO WILL DO IT. Two things the apostle mentions as the ground of confidence that the above pet... [ Continue Reading ]
BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US. Which is added with great beauty and propriety, after the apostle had so earnestly and affectionately prayed for them; and this is directed, not to the pastors of the church only, but to all the members of it, whom the apostle styles "brethren" in a spiritual relation, as he o... [ Continue Reading ]
GREET ALL THE BRETHREN WITH AN HOLY KISS. In opposition, to an unchaste and hypocritical one. His meaning is, that they would salute the members of the church in his name, and give his Christian love and affections to them. And his view is to recommend to them brotherly love to each other, and to st... [ Continue Reading ]
I CHARGE YOU BY THE LORD,.... Or "I adjure by the Lord"; by the Lord Jesus: it is in the form of an oath, and a very solemn one; and shows that oaths may be used on certain and solemn occasions: THAT THIS EPISTLE BE READ UNTO ALL THE HOLY BRETHREN; to all the members of the church, who are called ... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU, AMEN. This is the apostle's usual salutation in all his epistles, and the token of the genuineness of them, 2 Thessalonians 3:17. Romans 16:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23, 2 Corinthians 13:14. The subscription to this epistle is not genuine, which runs th... [ Continue Reading ]