Book of 1st Thessalonians
Commentary
Commentary
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Author: Christopher J. E. Johnson Published: Feb 8, 2024 [creationliberty.com] |
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Introduction
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
-Matthew 28:19-20
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
-1 John 2:26-27
If you would like more information on these topics, I recommend the following resources here at creationliberty.com:
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Thessalonians refer to the Christians living in Thessalonica, a city within the region of Macedonia, on the coast between Philippi and Berea, formerly called Therme (or Salonichi in some languages), but renamed by Philip, the King of Macedon after he conquered the city. Roughly 50 years after the birth of Christ, Paul traveled from Philippi to Thessalonica, and converted some of the Jews and Greeks living there, which formed the initial Thessalonican church, and this letter was the first of all the New Testament epistles written by Paul.
Paul wrote this letter in response to a riled Jewish mob who assaulted the house of Jason, where Paul and Silas were staying, forcing them (along with Timothy, and some other companions) to flee in the night to Berea, but the mob followed them. Paul was forced to flee from Berea to avoid the violent Jews, but he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica with alms and this epistle, to reassure and encourage the newly converted brethren, to instruct them in their duties to the Lord, to stand fast in the truth of Christ's doctrine, to depart from their sins, to repove the unfruitful works of darkness, to rebuke false doctrines, and to sanctify themselves from false teachers.
Chapter 1
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[v1] Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul opens his formal letter as he always did, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, with a greeting that included his wishes of God's grace and peace on them all. Although modern preachers often include fancy titles with their names, Paul did not participate in such practices because they are vain and lofty, which leads people to respect persons (which is sin, Jms 2:1), and would also lead to them to adopt such titles, thereby carrying a semblance of arrogance through their perceived rank, and thus, as a humble servant, he expressed only the blessings of the Lord God for their good.It appears that Silvanus and Silas are the same person, and that both Silas and Timothy were at Thessalonica with Paul when he preached to the new converts, which is why their names are noted to the church, since they all would have been familiar with the three. This epistle was also intended to give relief to the church to hear that the three Christians men were safe, since they had to flee the Thessalonica under dire circumstances, being hunted by violent Jewish men.
[v2] We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
The gift of salvation is given to each individual, but added Christians to the church is a gift to the church, as having new members is refreshing and encouraging for the work of the ministry. Paul adds that they remember them all "in OUR prayers," meaning that both in private and together with his companions, they pray for the peace and grace of the saints in Thessalonica.[v3] Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Paul does not mean that he remembers their work "without ceasing" in the sense that he thinks of nothing else, but rather, it should be taken in context with the previous verse, meaning that when he prays, he always considers them, praying for the good of their work for the Lord Jesus Christ. A "labour of love" consists of those things which, under any other circumstance, one would not continue in daily work, but for the love of God, a believer will endure great hardships with longsuffering, with motivation and cheerfulness performing the duties pleasing to God the Father and Christ the Son, focusing on what is acceptable according to the Word of God, rather than the precepts of men.[v4] Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
The election refers to a choice made by God (2Th 2:13), or in other words, by the grace of God, through the unmerited gift we have received, has chosen us to be His children. There are some who have proposed the idea that "election" only refers to the Jews, but that idea is erroneous because the election refers to the spiritual seed of Abraham, which is applied to all those who have come to repentance and faith, both under the Old and New Covenants. God's election of Christians was a doctrine taught to the brethren in Thessalonica, which they received and believed, so this is a doctrine they know.[v5] For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
Paul does not say "our gospel" in the sense of ownership because, in the next chapter, he calls it the "gospel of God" (1Th 2:2), indicating that he meant that it was "our gospel" in the sense that he believed it, preached it, and practiced it. This phrasing was necessary for the purpose of distinguishing the true gospel which was preached by Paul from the false gospel that was preached by false teachers.The gospel Paul preached not only came to the Christians of Thessalonica by word of mouth to the ears of the hearer, but also through visual demonstration, which was the power of miracles worked by the Holy Ghost through Paul. This is a grace they received that we do not receive today, in that we have it through word only, which Jesus said that we were blessed more for believing without seeing. (John 20:29)
Paul then engages their memory to when they were saved, when they had first heard the truth of the Gospel of Christ preached to them, to remember them as they were among them. Paul and his companions were not men who were lavish, handsome, and wealthy, nor were they men who persuaded them with good words and fair speeches as false teachers will do (Rom 16:17-18), but rather, they were humble and plain in speech, persuading them with the truth of the Scriptures, working for their keep with their own hands, taking nothing from their brethren, and even suffered persecution and unjust reproach for their sakes, that they might hear the Gospel of Salvation to be saved.
[v6] And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
Not followers of the apostles as if the apostles were their saviors, but in the sense that they heard and adopted the truth of the Gospel just as the apostles did, having received it as the Word of the Living God, not by the wisdom of men. They believed the Gospel in much tribulation, under harassment and threats of physical violence from the Jews in Thessalonica, while others fell away by peer pressure, they believed whole-heartedly, and were gifted the joy and peace of the Holy Ghost in the midst of strife.[v7] So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
This is not said in the context of suffering, because all the Christians in these cities suffered persecution and tribulation, but the Thessalonians were chief in terms of charity and meekness. They were the last to receive the Gospel of Christ, were first in their example of works meet for repentance (Mat 19:30, Acts 26:20), being excellent in their practice of pure religion (Jms 1:27) and dedication to the doctrine of Scripture.[v8] For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
This is not to say that the preaching of the Word of God started in Thessalonica, because it was preached beforehand in other cities, but that it "sounded out" in the manner of a trumpet, drawing much attention, quickly becoming famous by word of mouth in Philippi, Corinth, Berea, and many other cities. This could have been partially due to the fact that Thessalonica was a prominent trade city, which carried word far and wide, and partially that many chief women of influential and wealthy families were converted to Christ (Acts 17:4), which caused a lot of chatter.Those who received and believed the Word of God preached by the apostles also faithfully followed the commandments of Christ by word and deed. Therefore, Paul had no reason to instruct them concerning the preaching of Scripture or their faithful walk in it because they were performing their duties in excellence.
[v9] For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
Those who gave report of what they saw and heard testified of the boldness, honesty, and affection of those who preached in Thessalonica, which reflected the same the apostles had when they first preached in the city, and that they had immediately "turned to God from idols," throwing off the old man to put on the new man (Eph 4:22-24), to worship God in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)[v10] And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
We Christians are to do our duties here on earth and wait for the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, to return from Heaven to gather His saints. Paul reminds Christians of their hope, that Christ is risen from the dead for our justification, and that we are saved from the wrath that will be poured out onto the world in the last days. (Rev 7:9-12, Rev 8)(Read "The Beginner's Guide to Christian Rapture" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Chapter 2
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[v1] For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:
That is, the Thessalonian Christians knew better than those who were giving report (as indicated in the last chapter) of the preaching of the apostles when they first brought the Gospel of Christ to the city. They knew that the apostles did not work vanity, to put on a show of fake holiness like the false teachers, nor did they come speaking so-called "wisdom" of the words of men (1Co 2:13) for the covetous purpose of making merchandise of the people. (2Pe 2:3)[v2] But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
Paul and his companions had suffered much before coming to Thessalonica, which means that the suffering they endured there was just business as usual, and if their ministry had been vain (as it is with false teachers), they never would have come to Thessalonica in the first place. They had already heard what happened at Phillipi, when Paul rebuked the damsel possessed by a devil, causing financial ruin to certain businessmen, which resulted in the apostles being beaten and imprisoned. (Acts 16:16-24)This is not contention from Paul in the sense of strife, arrogance, and hatefulness because such contentions are condemned within the church (1Co 11:16) Any contention that is good would be those made in terms of debate, which is a challenge of ideas, morals, and philosophies to win the hearts and minds of the people to the truth, earnestly contending for the faith (Jude 1:3) to save souls. (Pro 11:30) However, in this context, it would be more appropriate to say that they were preaching the Gospel of Christ "with much contention" from the violent mob of Jews who hated the truth.
[v3] For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
Exhortation is meant in the sense of encouragement, in which Paul exhorted them to the practices of grace and duties of the faithful. He did not preach to them any deceit, neither in deceit of false doctrine, nor in the manner of false teachers, in which they may preach some things correct, but with uncleanness in their hearts, intending to gain clout or money for themselves by their preaching, or with guile, to create a false doctrine that suits their own sinful tastes, and gathers the simple-minded to help justify himself.[v4] But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
This is stated in the manner that Paul and his companions, in their humility, knew they were not worthy to be ministers because of their many past sins, but were permitted to preach by the grace and gifts of God, by His good pleasure, taking the weak and wicked, and transforming them into His servants and children, that they would be trustworthy to preach the Gospel of Christ. There was no guile in their hearts to be menpleasers (Col 3:22), to gain their approval, which is the natural habit of false teachers, but knowing that the Lord God was the trier of reins (Jer 17:10) and the Judge of all that is in the heart, the apostles were under a much more strict scrutiny from the Lord, and therefore had a greater accountability than false teachers.[v5] For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
Flattering words are those used to gain favor or influence, and are most often said in deceit, meaning that the purpose of the false teacher's words are simply to give the audience a fanciful, feel-good opinion of themselves, to massage the pride of the heart. In Paul's day, they were not preaching about sin near as much as they were trying to gain popularity from the crowd, and today, two thousand years later, we are facing the same problem with fake preachers. The apostles came to the people with plainness of speech, which Paul calls upon God as his witness to the truth of his heart, not coming to the people with complex or charismatic words, by which corrupt men will use a "ministry" to influence people into respecting their persons, so the "ministry" itself becomes their justification for covetousness, thus hiding beneath a cloke that says "ministry" on the outside, but says "greed" underneath.[v6] Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
The glory of men is the popularity and honor received from men, and false teachers use flattering words mentioned in the previous verse to receive that esteem, because people tend to love those who make them feel good, but hate those who make them feel bad; or in other words, their feelings are the god they worship. Paul never took advantage of them in this regard, neither those of Thessalonica or anywhere else, because he did not seek fame or fortune, and proved himself in the matter, that he honored the Lord Jesus Christ only, that he went one step further beyond his duty, to work for his keep, not just in preaching, but in physical labor, that he would take nothing from them, and that they might believe the Gospel preached unto them.[v7] But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
By "gentle" in this context, Paul means that he came to them with a meek and humble spirit, not speaking to them with any superiority of authority over them, as is common with false teachers. He compared his care for them in the manner of a mother with a newborn baby, in which she carefully attends to the child with nurishment and patience, suffering the cries of complaint with kindness, and brings herself low to do demeaning tasks that the child might grow strong.[v8] So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
That is, Paul was not desirous of praise and honor from them, but desirous of the good of their souls, that they would be secure not just in eternal life through the salvation of Christ, but in blessings from God through their faithfulness and good works. Paul and his companions not only preached the Gospel of Christ to them, but were ready and willing to lay down their lives for them, to sacrifice of their time and energy, and to suffer the reproach and persecution from the world, for their good, just as a parent to a child.[v9] For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
Paul was a tentmaker by trade (Acts 18:3), and found work wherever he went since need for that craft was in high demand. Thus, when he was not preaching the Gospel, debating the Jews, sleeping, or eating, he worked to earn his keep because he did not want the Thessalonians to view him as one who wore a cloak of covetousness, which might hinder the Gospel. Those who work diligently and honestly in the preaching of the Word of God know that it takes a great amount of work, in much reading, writing, studying, thought, preperation to teach, and prayer for the wisdom and understanding from the Lord, and furthermore takes great faithfulness and dedication because it is a job that is (quite often) not only thankless, but creates many enemies, some of whom will persecute the preacher, and so to work an occupation apart from that to earn one's keep through another method is an act of great love and charity that should not be considered lightly.[v10] Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
Although the Thessalonians were witness to what Paul had said previously, this is a preface to what follows, namely that God and men were witness to the conduct of the apostles. They acted "holily and justly and unblameably," which is not to say that they were holy or just or blameless of themselves (because all holiness is imputed to us by and through Christ, Rom 4:22-25), but that their hearts and minds were free from the impurities that are found in false teachers, who are full of uncleanness (Mat 23:27) and deceit. (Rom 3:13)[v11] As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
This is a continued description from the last verse, in which he reminds them of their past experience with the apostles, and how the Thessalonian Christians were urged to flee from sin, to look to Christ, to trust in God, and do the good works that reflected a heart given repentance and faith by the Holy Ghost. In combination with exhortation, Paul preached comfort, which comes knowing that we are sinful and flawed in every way, but that remission of sins and justification comes by the rightousness of Christ imputed to us, and that our trust in the grace of His saving blood as the atonement of all sin is our strength, which is well pleasing to God the Father. Paul gave these instructions to Thessalonica, and to us, the church as a whole throughout time, "as a father doth his children," with authority and wisdom given to him by Christ, but also with affection to see them prosperous in their works for the Kingdom of Heaven, that they might receive great reward in the final day. (Luke 6:35)[v12] That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
This is not to say that one can imitate God in all His glory because we cannot be like unto Him in that regard, but rather, that we would walk in a pleasing manner to the Lord, bringing for works worthy of the repentance He has given to us. (Luke 3:8) When we are called out of darkness into the light, it is our duty to walk in the light (Eph 5:8), which means we ought to live our lives in fellowship with Christ, as ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world, and not as the Gentiles live, in pride, conceit, concupiscence, covetousness, and wantonness, without consideration of the depravity and corruption of their flesh.[v13] For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
The phrase "without ceasing" is not meant in the sense of every hour of every minute of every day, but rather, in Paul's daily prayers, he expresses his thankfulness to God the Father for His mercy on the Thessalonian Christians because their salvation and sincerity in good works were all due to the working of the Holy Ghost upon the hearers of the Gospel. It is important to note that the "word of God" used here is not in the sense that every word spoken by Paul or the other apostles were the Word of God in the manner we read in the Scriptures, which were written under inspiration of the Holy Ghost, but rather, their preaching was the subject matter of the Word of God, and therefore, was the doctrine of God, and not the doctrine of men. (i.e. "the word of men")This "word of God" was received by the Christians as the immutable truth, having their eyes opened to sin as being the evil which it is (Rom 7:13), without need to take away from, nor add to, its basic principles, which cannot be denied by a rational mind; it is only denied by an irrational heart. Therefore, because they held the truth to high esteem, it resulted in the effectual works worthy of the repentant heart given to them by the Holy Ghost.
[v14] For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
When they were saved, they dedicated themselves to the doctrines and works of Jesus Christ, patiently enduring the reproach and persecution from the Jews, suffering the same suffering as the other churches. (Heb 11:25) This is the what is means when Paul mentions the churches "in Judaea," which he adds "are in Christ Jesus;" not to superfluously emphasize that the churches are of Christ, as they obviously would have to be, or they would not be classified as the church, but rather, that the churches were not nationalized under the doctrine and authority of the Jews, and that the church operated independently of them, which resulted in the same suffering from the Jews both in Israel and in Greece.[v15] Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
Though it is argued by the Jews that the execution was performed by the Roman government, Pilate believed that Jesus was innocent, and intended to release Him, but the Jews were (to his surprise) relentless in their demand of His execution, so Pilate allowed them to do what they pleased, but took no part in it. (Mat 27:22-24) The Jews also killed their own prophets, the men who delivered the righteous judgments of God to the Israelites (Mat 23:31), and instead of admitted their sins, confessing what they had done, they created tombs to honor the prophets to make themselves look good, as if they followed the Word of the Lord through the prophets, when in fact, the true prophets of God were silenced by their hands. (Mat 23:27) Just as the children of God were persecuted by those who claimed to follow God, so the early churches were persecuted by those who claimed to follow God, and still today, the church suffers reproach and persecution by those who claim to be the church, and are willingly blind to the fact that their words and actions are not only contrary to the Scriptures, but are also contrary to the minds of men, being irrational from both a civil and religious perspective, even in the eyes of the heathen.[v16] Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
Of course, the vast majority of Jews did not believe the Gospel of Salvation in Christ, but what did that have to do with the Gentiles? Even if the Gentiles believed the Gospel of the apostles, that would have no bearing on the Jews in any way, and therefore, this demonstrates the vile corruption of their hearts, in which they were so vindictive, that they wanted to prevent the Gentiles from hearing the Gospel as a means of salvation, rathering that the Gentiles remain dedicated to pagansim than to hear anything that might turn them away from their sins.Thus, Paul concludes that the Jews "fill up their sins alway," or in other words, they lived up to iniquities of their forefathers, doing all manner of evil to justify themeselves. (Mat 23:31-36) The wrath mentioned is not the wrath of the Jews, nor the wrath of those who they have victimized, but the wrath of God against wicked men, in which there will come a day in which the wrath of the Father will be poured out on all those who mocked and laid hands on His children.
[v17] But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
That is, Paul and his companions wanted to spend more time guiding the new Christians in Thessalonica, but were forced to flee because of the viciousness of the Jews. The "short time" does not seem to be meant in the sense of how quickly they were forced to leave the city, but seems to be more contextually in the sense of the Day of Judgment referred to in the previous verse, in which our lives are but a "short time" on this earth, and that they would meet in heaven again soon. In the meant time, Paul reminds them that they are separated by presence only for a "short time," and that his heart and mind was present with them, which means his desire to see them again was great, which is why he thought of them continuously in prayer.[v18] Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Paul would have only left Thessalonica temporarily and returned as soon as possible, perhaps visiting more than once, but were prevented from doing so by Satan, or rather, Satan's sinful grip over the mob of Jews. There was always the threat of them laying a trap for him, for there was seemingly no end to those who hated Paul and the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and so it was easy for the Jewish mob to find allies, especially among false teachers, who would benefit from Paul's persecution and death, and would gladly act as informants to report on his location.[v19] For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
We Christians who study and understand the Gospel know that our hope and joy is in the promises of Christ and His mercy, but as for our hope in the world, it is the church, and so those of us who are of Christ are family that we are relieved to see after our stressful work and tiresome journeys. The "crown of rejoicing" is a crown in the sense of visual appeal, meaning that the only physical glory we have are those who are born again in Christ in this world, and they will be together with us at the end of the world, the Day of Judgment, to meet the Lord in the air and forever be with Him. (1Th 4:17)[v20] For ye are our glory and joy.
The church is the fruit of the ministry, and so as the farmer takes joy in the fruit of his harvest, so do ministers of the Gospel of Christ take joy in the conversion of the saints through the labor of preaching.Chapter 3
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[v1] Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
That is, Paul, Silas, and Timothy could no longer bear not knowing what was happening with the church in Thessalonica, so Paul thought it was best that Silas go make the rounds in other parts of Macedonia, while Timothy departed for Thessalonica to give help and get word of their condition. Meanwhile, Paul would remain in Athens by himself to dispute with the Jews and Gentiles by himself. Although traveling alone was always more dangerous, it was also more inconspicuous, which would allow the apostles to avoid mobs, since sightings of a group of men was always more distinguishable from sightings of a lone traveler.[v2] And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
Timothy was said to be "our brother," not in the sense of blood relation, but of the spiritual seed of Abraham, born again in Jesus Christ. It should be noted that Paul did not give Timothy the title of "Brother" as is often done in modern church buildings because we were not given an example to use such titles of honor among the church.(Read "Titles Are Unbiblical in the Church" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Timothy was a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which Paul emphasizes was given to him by God, and not men, and he also notes him as a "fellowlabourer," meaning that he was a close friend that worked together with the apostles in study, prayer, preaching, etc. Timothy was not sent to establish the Thessalonians in the Gospel of Salvation becaue they had already received it, but rather, he was going to establish new converts in the principles of Christian doctrine, since they were new and did not have much direction, and to give them comfort "concerning your faith," to know how to respond to the reproach from the Jews by the study of the doctrine of faith in Christ.
[v3] That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
Not just the afflictions they saw against the apostles, but also their own, as it would have been a hard hit to their consciences after becoming new converts to Christ, and immediately seeing the apostles flee from threats on their lives. It is better than a veteran, who has suffered many hardships, would guide the new Christians in the way they should live, and what they should teach, so they would not be moved from their stance on the Word of God by scoffers. Paul adds that the Thessalonian Christians already knew that the apostles were appointed to do this work, so that not only can trust in the Lord that they will find a way to get them the help they need, but also that they are used to this kind of tribulation, that they should not worry.[v4] For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
When they were first saved, they had a short time to hear the preaching of the Word of God, and learn about the guarantees that we Christians must suffer persecution (i.e. the act of inflicting unjust pain on others) and tribulation (i.e. affliction, distress, troubles, etc) for standing on the truth of Christ, and that a false convert falters in the face of such things. (Mat 13:21) However, if a Christian is not taught that such things are normal for those who teach the truth, they might lose their boldness when such conflicts arise, which is why it was important for Paul to remind them, namely, that what they had seen happen to Paul and Silas (Acts 17:1-5) should not be discouraging to them; rather, they should be more emboldened that they are doing what is right by Christ.[v5] For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
Paul speaks of his own concerns for the Thessalonian Christians in this context, which was obviously shared by his companions, as indicated in verse one, and they agreed to send Timothy to get word and help them. Paul expresses his deep concern that a false teacher might come to tempt them to turn away from the Gospel of Christ in some manner, instead of exposing the viper, as is the duty of Christians (Rom 16:17), and thus, the labor and suffering of Paul, Silas, and Timothy would have been meaningless, which was not said in concern for the reputation of the apostles, but for the concern of the well-being and guidance of the new converts, that they would not be hindered in their growth to produce fruit. (Luke 11:52)[v6] But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
Timothy met Paul in Corinth (not in Athens, Acts 18:5) and brought the good news about Thessalonica, that their faith was strong, and they practiced the charitable works of Christ according to the principles they were taught when they first believed, gladly suffering affliction for Christ's sake. Furthermore, Timothy found that false teachers had not persuaded them away from the doctrine of the apostles, and that the Christians in Thessalonica had a great desire for them to return, so Paul reassured them that the sentiments were mutual.[v7] Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
While Paul worked in Corinth, not only to earn his keep with his own hands, but also to preach the Gospel of Christ, debating the Jews, and suffering the "affliction and distress" that came as a result of it, he was greatly relieved and comforted that the fruit of his labor was not in vain, and that their faith in the Gospel of Christ was well-grounded, so that they overcame the world by it, even without the apostles present to help them. (1Jo 5:4)[v8] For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
Paul is now saying "we" in the sense of all Christians, not just the apostles, as a way of confirming the saints in Thessalonica based on the good testimony Timothy had given him, and thus, Paul showed them that he trusted and believed the report by affirming them to be the church. Paul did not say "if" to mean that there was doubt because he firmly preached against the works-based doctrines of false teachers (Eph 2:8-9), but rather, he reasoned with them that the establishment of their faith is proven by their consistent exercise of the grace and liberty which Christ gave to them when they were saved. (Jms 2:17)[v9] For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
The apostles had already thanked God for them, but once they had received word that they were faithful to their calling, without the apostles' oversight, he asks what more thanks they could give to God than they had already given? This is said in the sense that he did not know where to begin to offer more thanks to God for His mercy, that he had brought the entire church so much joy because of His kindness on His children; a kindness we have never deserved, and are given by grace alone.[v10] Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
Relentlessly, both in prayers by day and at night, the apostles prayed that the Lord would permit them to return to Thessalonica, and although sentiments on that may have been lost due to technology, such as phones and the internet, where we can see and hear our loved ones just about any time we please, if that were taken away, and were not able to regularly communicate with our loved ones, we would better understand these sentiments. However, the return visit was not only for joyful visits, but also instruction, which is not to say that they had little love for the Gospel, but a misunderstanding which caused a lack of faith in some aspects, as Timothy would have reported some things which needed correcting, to perfect their faith in the Gospel.[v11] Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
This is worded in a way to help us understand that God is the omniscient, all-powerful Lord over heaven and earth, the Creator of all, and the Judge over all, but also our Father, so that we fear Him as Lord, but also plead with Him as children would to a father, having affection mingled with fear (Gal 4:6); also, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also the Creator and Judge of all (Col 1:16), but that He is our Savior, who sacrificed Himself to pay the debt of our sins, and is the bridegroom of the church. (Luke 5:34-35) Paul appeals to the will of God, that no one can come or go without the permission and direction of the Lord, having the Holy Ghost prevent them in certain circumstances from preaching the Gospel in certain regions (Acts 16:6), and so when the time comes that Paul could return (if he were allowed), then it would be by providentially, according to His timing and guidance.[v12] And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
This was a prayer to God that He would make the church in Thessalonica to increase in number as the other churches, and that they would receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance, as did the other churches. The correction and instruction unto the perfecting of their faith would assist them in this regard, as well as increasing not only their brotherly love towards one another (1Pe 2:17), but also their love for their neighbors, to treat them the way they would want to be treated, and to show all men the charity of Christ by the example He and His apostles have set for us.[v13] To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
It is easy for the anxieties of the world to affect us, and bring us to doubt in our own minds, if there is no firm establishment of faith in our hearts, which is why it is so concerning that false teachers would establish a flimsy foundation in them, which would make the job much harder to have to undo the damage done, in addition to establishing a firm foundation on the truth. And if at any time Christians were to falter, they should be corrected and instructed again to the foundation upon which they were saved, that they would be "unblameable in holiness," not that they can be holy of their own works, but that Christ is the only one who is unblameable in holiness, and therefore, in order for us to receive that holiness from Him, we must be well established in the faith of His doctrine, which will be seen by others through the works which we do; our works not being the foundation of our faith, but when Christ is the foundation, and our faith in His teaching is sure, the works follow naturally, so if the works are incorrect, then the foundation of faith is faulty, and must be corrected to fix the error of our ways.(This is why there are so many churchgoers nowadays who hate correction. Pro 3:11, Pro 15:10)
This well-established faith should be prevelent at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the master who went on a far journey would return to find his servants working well, instead of being lazy and apathetic. (Mark 13:32-37) The lazy servants are those who did not take the Word of God seriously because they had no firm establishment of faith in them, and therefore they are rejected in the Day of Judgment (not by their works, but by their faith, or rather, lack thereof), but those who are established in their faith will be taken up to heaven with the rest of the saints of God by the Lord Jesus Christ in the final day, which emphasizes the reason why Paul was concerned for the new converts at Thessalonica.
Chapter 4
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[v1] Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
Or in other words, Paul is making a humble request to the church, calls them "brethren" to affirm them in their faith, and then adds that the following is an exhortation, which is said because, although the word 'beseech' is used with affection in a kind manner, it is somewhat authoritative, whereas the word 'exhort' is an encouragement to do a particular action, which calls upon the liberty and charity of the individual to abide by what comes next. Presumably, this is said in two ways because people react in different ways, as some look for authoritative command by those who are trustworthy, while others prefer a doctrinal discourse by which they can think and decide for themselves, and Paul is trying to persuade both types, but doing so by the Lord Jesus Christ, that they would know that this is the exhortation and beseeching of the Spirit of God.The "walk" of a Christian is simply meant as the path you travel, or in other words, it is the principles and actions by which you live your life, and to travel the narrow path (Mat 7:13-14), it requires the strength, wisdom, and guidance of Jesus Christ because it is impossible to "please God" without the blood of Christ to cleanse our souls and guide us in His ways. (Heb 11:6) Thus, in the things that please God, which are acts of kindness, mercy, patience, charity, etc, we ought to do, that we "would abound more and more," or in other words, that not only would those good works be spread abroad as a testiment to the glory of Christ, but also that we would be surrounded by those same good works in the sense that the church as a whole would benefit from them.
[v2] For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
These commandments would be understood in the sense of "how ye ought to walk and to please God," which would be concerning faith, charity, baptism, communion, study, and how we interact with the world. These things were commanded in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by His authority, to know that they may have received these things by the hearing of the voice men, but the doctrine is from Christ.[v3] For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
There are two aspects to sanctification (i.e. separation for a holy use), spiritual and physical, both of which are necessary. Spiritual sanctification is that which is done by the Holy Ghost, which man cannot do for himself, in which Jesus Christ sets our inward desires of mind and heart to be in line with the will of God, and gives us affections for the doctrines of His Word. Physical sanctification is that which is done by our actions in this world, that we would not only turn from sin (i.e. there are those who turn from sin but are not faithful to Christ, and vice versa), but also follow that which is in accordance with sound doctrine. The commandment to "abstain from fornication" is a reference to physical sanctification, which is any sexually motivated activity outside of the bounds of marriage, which would include adultery, pedophilia, incest, sodomy, or any other related activity.[v4] That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
The "vessel" in this instance is referring to the body, which could mean both one's own body, in that we have possession of the body the Lord has given us, and should use it in accordance with His commandments unto holiness, or could also mean in possession of the body of one's spouse (1Co 7:4), particularly the wife, who is the weaker vessel, and subject to the authority and command of her husband. (1Co 11:3) Having strength and authority over her, the husband takes more responsibility to use her in a manner that is honorable, which is according to the nature of God's creation, and although the marriage bed is undefiled (Heb 13:4), it can be defiled by bringing others into it who are outside of the marriage covenant.[v5] Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
Concupiscence is unbridled lust, which is not referring to lust in a more natural sense, which exists for the purpose of bearing children, but in an unnatural sense, with an uncontrolled lust, to fulfill it willingly without restraint and concern for the law of God. The unbelieving heathen do such corrupt sexual deeds without thought of consequence, being reprobate (i.e. giving themselves over to sin, to serve it as they would serve a master, Rom 1:28-29), and they "know not God," which is not said in the sense that they do not know OF God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because most know His name and perhaps some of His laws, but they do not know Him in the sense that they cannot see the light of His Word, nor can they see Him as a benevolent Savior by which they would be thankful for His many great mercies.[v6] That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
That no man go beyond the bounds of the marriage covenant in adultery, nor beyond the bounds of the nature of creation in sodomy, pedophilia, beastiality, and incest because to do so would be to "defraud" others. Fraudulent activity is when one cheats against an honest system of ownership and trade, by using false weights and measures (Pro 20:10), taking advantage of simple-minded or weak men subtlties and mainpulations, and since the marriage covenant concerns property ownership, the man and woman of that contract are owned by each other, meaning that one who cheats against that contract are defrauding the property of others, which also applies to sodomy/homosexuality (because the same sex are fornicating and defiling the property of what would have been cleanness in a standard male/female marriage), pedophilia (because it destroys the innocence, perverts the flesh, and damages the value of the body for marriage—males nor females should not enter into marriage covenants until they have physically grown in full bloom, 1Co 7:36), beastiality (because it is a contradiction to nature, and invites disease, which devalues the property of the body), and incest (because it is fornication that violates the commandment of God, Lev 18:6, which can also lead to unwanted pregnancies that result in genetic disabilities in the children), as all of them are an affront against the royal commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself (Mar 12:31), lowering the overall value of that man or woman by stealing what would contractually belong to someone else in the marriage marketplace.[v7] For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Anyone who would claim to have liberty in Christ to live a life of fornication and adultery, defrauding their neighbors, is a liar because God has never called men into the impurity of lust. God has called us, the church, to holiness, not of ourselves, but of Christ, who is the source and giver of all holiness, and therefore, we being free in Christ also means we are Christ's servant (1Co 7:22), because we were purchased at a heavy price (1Co 7:23) which also means we are called to do His good works, one of which is to turn from fornication and adultery of any kind.[v8] He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
Those who would despise this commandment, meaning that they would reject it, disgusted by the thought of it, or think it beneath them, and ignore it, having no conscience of it, are not just desping men (i.e. the preachers of Christ's Gospel of truth), but they are rejecting the Lord, disgusted by the thoughts of God, thinking the Almighty beneath them, ignoring the Lord Jesus Christ, and having no conscience according to His Word. Those who have no conscience against these sins are those who have no working of the Holy Spirit in them to convince them of their sin, to give them righteous judgment of their actions, and to spur their hearts and minds to righteousness, which is the very essence of sanctification that Paul prefaced in verse three.[v9] But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
Or concerning brotherly love, which is a shift of subject matter concerning love (i.e. favor, affection, and selfless sacrifice) for the brethren of the church, there was no need for him to go into detail on that subject because they knew the commandments well. We Christians are taught to be kind to one another, not just in charitable giving, but also courtesy and consideration of one another, to have a demeanor and openness that is inviting to conversation, and that our conversations, even those that might begin in turmoil, would result in lifting the spirits of those around us.[v10] And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
The Thessalonian Christians had no respect of persons because they showed love for their neighbors and the brethren, both strong and weak, rich and poor, and not just in Thessalonica, but throughout the region. However, Paul urges them to increase this love even more than they had already done, in that true love goes deeper than that which makes us feel good because real love demands that we rebuke wrongdoing for the sake of others (2Ti 4:2), love bears the heavy burdens of others, love exhorts others to good works, love instructs and gives wise counsel, and extends to many other areas of both great and small importance in various aspects of our lives.[v11] And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
We should focus our minds "to be quiet," which is said in the sense of backbiting, talebearing/gossip (Pro 26:20), and anything that would disturb the tranquility of households and neighborhoods, that we should live honestly and peaceably, so not to encourage animosity and contention, not among our neighbors, nor among the church. Wicked men stir up strife and persecution because of the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, but we should not be the source of it, and if we strive to do anything in that regard, we should strive for peace in our community.The phrase "mind your own business" refers to the mind being focused on our own private affairs, and attending to the duties that we have in our own households. We can grieve with the grief of others, rejoice in the joy of others, and help where help is needed, but we ought not to interject ourselves into their business, meaning that we should not direct, manage, or oversee their duties and responsibilities.
One of the ways to "be quiet, and do your own business" is to have work of your own to do, which most people had in Thessalonica, since the Gospel of Salvation is given to the poor and needy to who had to work to eat, but there were some who either did not want to work because others would give them meat for free, and others who were wealthy, such as the chief women who were converted to Christ, and did not work. (Rom 12:10-11) Having work to do keeps us focused on our own tasks, and creates abundance by which we can be charitable, which means that it is the duty of all Christians in the church (as the Holy Ghost commanded through Paul), whether great or small in stature or status, should have industrious work to do, by which we create, produce, grow, or repair things necessary for both the Gospel of Christ and our communities.
[v12] That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Although this can be taken to be a general proverb, it is a continuation of the context of the previous verse, which is that we should be honest with our neighbors in all matters of work, meaning that we should pay all men what we owe and have our debts settled. This should obviously be done in the church, but Paul emphasizes that these things should be done honestly even when it concerns profane and vile men of the world, that we would be seen as the peaceful followers of Christ who are honest, and can be trusted at our word, so that the holy name of Christ should not be slandered by our actions, and that by working honestly in this regard, we would not become like the slothful man who always owes something to others because he is not diligent with his hands. (Pro 12:24)[v13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Those who are "asleep" are those Christians who are dead in this context, which is a way of expressing that, although they are dead in the flesh, they will rise again one day with Christ, and so they are asleep in the sense that one sleeps, in which their senses are shut down and they have no interaction with the world, but it is for a short time, and will return by the power of Christ. Although Paul and his companions escaped the wrath of the Jewish mob, others in Thessalonica did not escape, and so either by natural causes, or by murder, Christians were killed, and therefore naturally causes grief, they should not sorrow in the same manner that the world sorrows, who have no hope of the resurrection in Jesus Christ.[v14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Paul is not questioning whether or not we believe that "Jesus died and rose again" because this is an obvious requirement to be a Christian, but rather, he is making an general argument, namely that if it is true that Christ died and rose from the dead, then those who are dead will be risen and brought together with Christ at His return, as Paul said in the previous chapter. (1Th 3:13) Those who have been born again in Christ are secured in Him by His gifts of repentance, faith, and grace to the remission of our sins, and so we are bound to Him and His church, so that wherever He is, there we will also be. (John 14:3)[v15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
The "word of the Lord seems to be a revelation that Paul had received from God, and now gives it to us to know that "we which are alive," which is meant in the physical sense, not in the spiritual sense because in the spiritual sense, we are all alive, but only some of us still live in the flesh. (i.e. Not living according to the flesh, but alive with flesh. Rom 8:12) The word 'prevent' is not used in this context in the sense of "hinderance," but rather, it is used in the sense to precede, or to go before, which is correlated to Paul explanation of this mystery in 1st Corinthians 15:51, which says "We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed," and so the proper interpretation of this verse is that those who are alive in this world, still living in the flesh, will not be gathered before those who are dead in Christ because those who are asleep will rise first, which Paul emphasizes in the next verse.[v16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
This is not said in any indirect manner, as if the Lord Jesus Christ will send angels or His saints an ministers in His stead, but that He will "descend from heaven" directly, in both visible body and spirit, confirming the expectation of the Christians who look for His coming (Mark 13:35, 1Th 2:19), and He will come "with a shout," which is either a call to battle like a commander over his army, or the shout of the angels and saints all at once, in a joyous victory at the glory of the King of Kings fulfilling His merciful promise to them that believe.There is the voice of the archangel in addition to the shout, which is likely Michael the archangel, referred to in Jude 1:9, which may be orders given by the leader among angels to the messengers of God according to the will of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and "with the trump of God," which is the sound blown by an instrument, and has been commonly used to introduce the coming of royalty, or a call to battle, gathering the attention of all who hear it, and is called "the last trump" (1Co 15:52), which may refer to the seventh trumpet sounding as described in Revelation 11:15. At this time, "the dead in Christ shall rise first, of all those who have died in the flesh with repentance and faith in Christ, both those who died peacefully with their hope in Him, and those who were martyred for their faith, will be risen, to reflect the form of Christ after His resurrection, and afterwards, the saints still alive in the world will be take up to be with Christ, as Paul goes on to say...
[v17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Those Christians still alive in the world will be brought up to be with the Lord in the air, changed into a form fitting for His faithful servants, and gathered together with the rest of the saints "in the clouds," either indicating the location in which this will happen, or that the clouds themselves serve as a medium of transportation. At that point, we will forever be with the Lord Jesus Christ, to have direct fellowship and communion with Him, in His presence, reigning in the new heavens and new earth (2Pe 3:13) for a thousand years (Rev 20:6), and then ascending afterwards to the third heaven forever, to the glory of eternity, where the joy and peace of God will be enjoyed and praised without end.[v18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
In the face of adversity, in the trials of tribultion, in the hardships of affliction, we should comfort one another with the reminder that when we Christians die, we are not dead in the spirit, but only asleep, resting with Christ, until the day comes where all who suffered for Christ will be vindicated, when the truth of His Word will be glorified, to be gathered together with our beloved brethren, where we will be changed into new glorious bodies that will not suffer corruption, to walk and talk with Jesus, our merciful savior, face-to-face, and never be parted from the comfort in the family of God the Father forever and ever. Amen.Chapter 5
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[v1] But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
Concerning any questions Christians might have about timing of Christ's return, whether it was the the hour, the day, or the year, there was "no need" to write of such things, because it is not for men to know the day or the hour (Mat 24:36), nor was it expedient, because such things are the obessions of the world, in which they try to become the predicter of all things to pridefully gain the applause and worship of men, rather than looking to the edifying things of faith, which are to exhort the church in good works of charity meet for repentance.[v2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
The knowledge of the Christians in Thessalonica on this matter was understood in its fullness. When Christ appears the second time, He will show Himself in His full glory, and so the description of a thief (Mat 24:43) is not a reference to the character of Christ (because He is sinless), as if He had to sneak around or flee when noticed, but the manner in which He will appear, which is suddenly within the season that we Christians (who look for the signs of the season, Mat 24:32-33) will know to look for Him, while the rest of the world relaxes in the ignorance of their sin.[v3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
When the wicked, who have not been born again in Christ, will say "peace and safety," meaning that they will make declarations that in willful blindness and unbelief in the Scriptures, thinking they are secure in their persons, property, and happiness, then "sudden destruction cometh upon them" as it did the days of Noah (Luke 17:26-27), during the worldwide flood that destroyed all those who were not in the safety of God's Ark, as it did in the days of Lot (Luke 17:28-30), when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and as it did in the days of the destruction of Jerusalem. All of these had signs for the season, just like a woman who is in her final month of pregnancy, knowing the season in which labor would come, but not knowing the day or hour in which the sharp pain would suddenly come upon her, so to will the people not know the day or the hour Christ will return, and when the time comes, none will escape God's righteous judgment; no Christian will be left behind, and no unregenerated person will be saved from wrath.[v4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
We who are of Christ, and have knowledge of the Scriptures by the grace of the Holy Ghost, "are not in darkness," which is meant not only in the darkness of sin from which the Lord Jesus Christ has saved us, but also in the darkness of blindness, having our eyes opened by the Holy Ghost to understanding. (1Co 2:14) Therefore, through the knowledge of the Scriptures, we know Christ's prophecy of the season, and the signs surrounding that time, so that when we see the signs of the times come to pass, we will know it is the final days, and would watch for the coming of the Lord, being unsurprised by His coming.[v5] Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
We have been given the light of Christ, which comes with some of the knowledge of God in Christ through His Word (2Co 4:4-6), and so we are "children of the day," which in this context is not meant as walking openly in the light (although we do, through the grace of Christ), but in the sense of the daylight of the Gospel, verses the children of the night, which are the hypocritical Jews, and others whose works-based ideologies deny Jesus Christ by their doctrine. These not only walk in darkness, but they prefer it, for they are sinners unrepentant and unregenerated, who will not see their sin as sin, and so seek religious rituals to pridefully justify themselves so they will not have to be humbled before God. (Jms 4:6)[v6] Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
This is not meant in the sense of death, but sleep as in they have their eyes closed and are walking in darkness concerning the truth. We ought not to do as those others do, which is not said in the sense of the world, for they obviously have no understanding, but this is said concerning those who profess to be religious or spiritually devout to God, such as the Jews did, pridefully declaring themselves to be preachers of the truth, while they are lazy in duty, willingly ignorant of the Scriptures, and glorify themselves to be called by fancy titles that will give them preeminence. (Mat 23:5-10) They are willingly blinded to the wrath that will come upon them, but we should watch; not only to watch for Christ in the season of His return, but to watch over ourselves and the church, our hearts and minds, to resist temptations of sin, to guard against evil practices, to watch out for the snares of the Devil, and to "be sober," which is to do all things in moderation, not to abuse the pleasures of this world, to keep control over our fleshly lusts, not to think of ourselves greater than we ought (Rom 12:3), and not be excessively concerned with the cares of this world. (Mark 4:19)[v7] For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
Those that have no concern to be watchful against sin and vanity do so because they are in darkness, otherwise, the Holy Ghost would have given them a conscience to do that which was good in service to Jesus Christ. It is shameful in most cultures to be drunk during the productive hours of the day, and so it is most frequent that those who turn away from sobriety to drunkenness will do so in the darkness of night, or in other words, when men prove themselves to have no care for sin, or have no concern for the truth of Scripture, or have no mind or heart to judge themselves in righteous judgment, they show themselves to be children of the night.[v8] But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
The children of the day do not turn to the bottle to drown out the duties and responsibilities of their calling, but rather, they embrace the soberness of the mind and heart to do works meet for the repentance, according to the grace of Jesus Christ. The breastplate, which covers the vital organs of the body, will spiritually cover the vital parts of our spirits, which is made of faith in the grace of Christ and love to the Lord and our neighbors, both of which must operate together to be legitimate, and they become our protection from the children of the night who would silence and harm us. Our minds are covered by the helmet of salvation, which was guaranteed by the promise of Jesus Christ, and when the children of darkness would surround us in affliction and tribulation, to create a situation they would view as hopeless to us, we are protected from fear by the hope of salvation, knowing that sufferings of this world pale in comparison to the sufferings of the wrath of God, from which we are saved in Christ.[v9] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Although all men are deserving of the wrath of God, He has adopted the faithful into His family, and therefore, as children of God, we are not appointed to wrath as those who are unregenerated by the Holy Ghost, with whom God has been very longsuffering (Rom 9:22) because of His great kindness, in that He wants all to come to repentance (2Pe 3:9), although few will. No one can find salvation through any other method than repentance for the remission of sins by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and therefore, because God gave us repentance (2Ti 2:25) and Christ authored faith in us (Heb 12:2), we have been appointed, by His mercy, to the His eternal glory and comfort in the Kingdom of Heaven.[v10] Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Jesus did not just die to protect us, or as one Christian might be martyred for the sake of the church, but as atoinment for sin. The "wake or sleep" phrase is not used in this verse according to the context it was previously, that one "should live together with" Christ while asleep (i.e. living in darkness), nor should it be thought that one's works of watchfulness will gain him entrance to heaven, but rather, it is said more simply that no matter which state we are in, no matter how vulnerable, we have the promises of Christ, or that whether we live or die, the promises of Christ are certain.[v11] Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
We should comfort one another with the reminder that our sins have atonement through Jesus Christ, and because of Him, we are not appointed to the wrath of God. All the distresses of the saints' lives will be comforted in the final day, and will last forever. Therefore, in times of distress, we ought to "edify one another," by study and discussion about the doctrines of Scripture, having conversation and praying together, to establish a firm foundation of faith in the Gospel of Christ, and Paul adds a compliment to the Thessalonians, that they did these things regularly.[v12] And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
This verse shifts context to consider the ministers of the Gospel, which is not said in any heavy-handed manner of authority, but as a humble exhortation, and begins by telling the church to "know them," or in other words, to look for them and find them by analyzing what they teach and what they do. There are many slothful men who get a seminary degree to gain honor and money, but the servants of God study hard in private to show themselves approved of God (2Ti 2:15), and the results of their work can be seen by the fruits of their labor, that they are not slothful, but faithful and patient in their work. (Heb 6:9-12)These men are "over you in the Lord," which is not said in the sense that they are to be lords over the church, but rather, they are to be examples to the flock. (1Pe 5:2-3) The faithful ministers of Christ do not take honor to themselves, to gain prestige through title, nor are they appointed by men because the Lord must give men gifts to do the work through the guidance of the Holy Ghost. (1Co 2:13) They only have authority in the church for the purpose of serving the needs of the church, to feed the church with the doctrines of Christ, and to instruct them in the holy things of God, as well as their duties in this world, but not in any tyrannical manner, as one who would deceive the church to lead men into false doctrine, or abuse the people's respect of his authority to introduce newly crafted doctrines that would lead them astray.
[v13] And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
This is not said in the sense of the abominations of the world, in that they highly esteem the lusts of the flesh and imaginations of the thoughts of the heart (Luke 16:15), but rather, this is a high honor for those who labor (without guile or hypocrisy) in the word and doctrine (1Ti 5:17), which is not done in respect of their person, to honor their rank and title as simple-minded people often do, which is sin (Jms 2:9), and a common sin among church buildings all over the world, but rather, they are to be highly honored "in love," which is charitably, according to the liberty in Christ, after they have first been assessed to be faithful ministers, "for their work's sake," meaning that their work (if they do it faithfully) is for the spreading of the Gospel of Christ to the world, so that Christians ought to honor that work by highly esteeming the preachers of the Gospel, that hearers might turn their ears to hear truth of Jesus Christ.Paul adds that the church should be at peace in regard to the preachers of Christ, or more specifically, there should not be disagreement and contention on every small matter, and that they should not be condemned for every minor word of error, as if they were to be divine in flawlessness. The love and charity of the church should be willingly given to them in friendship, with patience and understanding, remembering that they are members of the church in the same regard as all the other Christians, and although the ministers are the servants of Christ for the church, they should lovingly receive honor for the sake of the work of the Gospel, and also in maintenance, that the church would charitably help them financially provide for their families as they do the hard work of teaching. (1Ti 5:17)
[v14] Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
This is not directly only at the ministers, but to the church as a whole, that they would all work together towards the following virtues. First, that they would offer proper warning and rebuke to those who are "unruly," which are those who are generally ungovernable, either in labor (i.e. laziness) in which they prefer to live off the handouts of the church rather than work to provide charity, or in overstepping their bounds of business (i.e. busybodies) to spread gossip and rumors that cause unbiblical divisions and contentions, or are generally quarrelsome in unrighteous judgment, especially when they have been offered Biblical warning. (Pro 3:11)Also to "comfort the feebleminded" (or weak-minded), which are those who lack resolve under pressure, in which they will crumble under the burden of losing friends, family, and property due to the persecution of the world, and the stress of their tribulations discourages them into Satan's temptations; we who have a firm resolve, experienced in loss, and strengthened by hardship, should give them comfort by renewing their minds with the promises given to the church in the Gospel of Christ. We should also "support the weak" in the sense that they are weak in faith and understanding of the Scriptures, and "be patient toward all men," in the sense that we should try our best to be longsuffering with the unruly, feebleminded, and weak, that we would not return evil for evil or railing for railing, but rather, a blessing of wisdom and understanding. (1Pe 3:9)
[v15] See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
When a man does an evil action against us, we ought not repay that with an evil action, nor when a man speaks lies and hypocrisies against us, should we return lies and hypocrisy because such things are not becoming of a servant of Christ, and it is good for us to remember that repaying evil with kind words and actions properly represents Christ (Mat 5:44-45), but we should also remember that God takes account of every word and action. (Mat 12:36) All men will have to give account for all they say and do, and by remembering that, it can help us to do good, knowing that there are dire consequences (both in this life and in eternity) for the unjust words and actions of men.We should look to and model ourselves after "that which is good," which means we should do that which is honest, faithful, loving, temperate, and patient. (Gal 5:22-23) There are churchgoers (perhaps those who only profess faith) that believe these things should only be done to those within the church, and act arrogantly and spitefully to the rest of the world, but we who are faithful to Christ should show these good virtues to all men as the opportunity arises, to good for their benefit as they have need. This is not said in the sense of worldly rejoicing, as they take joy in the pleasures of sin for a season (Heb 11:25), but in the spiritual sense, in which we are joyful for the justification of Christ, for the remission of our sins by His shed blood, for the gifts of repentance and discernment, that we can learn the Word of God to judge righteous judgment on ourselves and others, that we are free from the legalist obedience to rituals, that we are invited to communion with the Living God through prayer, and that we have holiness imputed into us by the Lord Jesus Christ apart from our works, so that our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life according to the certain assurance of His grace. This is not said in the sense that we should be in a constant state of humble request to the Lord, or that we should be on our knees for twenty-four hours every day, because it would be impossible to fulfill our duties in this world if we were to do that. We must eat, drink, and sleep, we must work hard to be fruitful so we can be charitable to others, we must provide for our families, we must preach the Gospel, and we need time in rest, all of which requires us to have our focus on other things. Paul says this in the sense that daily prayer should be a foundation of the duties of a Christian, not that one sins if he does not pray, but that prayer is necessity because we rely on the blessings of God to accomplish all the duties we have in this world, and that God invites us to ask of Him for His blessings as a child would to his father, so He would give us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, prosperity (both spiritual and physical), resolve, motivation, strength, and persistant fervence for the things of heaven, and that we ought to do these things both in our personal, private prayers, as well as together as a church.
[v18] In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
That is, for all that we have, whether food, or drink, or clothing, or shelter, or safety, or peace, or pardon, or regeneration, or comforts, or any other good thing, we were given them by the mercy of God, and therefore, not only is He due praise, glory, honor, and thanks for His great kindness, but it is His will of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to give thanks to the Father for all gifts, whether temporal or eternal. To 'quench' means to "extinguish," as if to put out a flame, and because it is impossible to put out the Holy Spirit as one would put out a fire, Paul means we ought not to hinder in any way the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Although we might quench the passions of those who believe and preach false doctrine, because they trust in their own hearts rather than the Gospel (Pro 28:26), we ought not to quench a man's zeal of Christ, so that he would become lukewarm (Rev 3:15-16), nor should we put out the light of a man's faith, nor the fire of his love for Christ and the church, which can be done if we are not vigilant, meaning that he might see us indulging in some sin, or spiritually yoking together with the world in some manner, to weaken their resolve and cast doubt.[v20] Despise not prophesyings.
That is, we ought not to consider the prophesies (in the sense of the foretelling of future events) of Scripture to be of low value or importance. The prophecies of the Old Testament concerned the identity and works of Jesus Christ, and provided information on His resurrection from the dead, which were fulfilled in the Gospels. Jesus Christ also prophesied many things, which were fulfilled by the apostles and the New Testament church, or came to pass after His ascension, such as the destruction of Jerusalem. The apostles prophesied things that have yet to come to pass concerning the final days of persecution and tribulation of the saints, as well as the final antichrist. These prophecies add understanding to the doctrines of Scrpiture, and should not be taken lightly.Furthermore, prophesying is also used in the sense of the teaching of doctrine, which are the explanations and interpreations of the Word of God, as I am doing in this commentary. For example, in the days of Paul, the gift of tongues (i.e. speaking in other languages that the speaker has not learned, being gifted by the Holy Ghost to speak to others in their native language) was despised by some who did not have the gift, and therefore, they saw it of little value or importance, just as today, if one has the gift of prophesying in the sense of the gift of teaching, but cannot read, write, or speak Hebrew, Latin, or Greek, their preaching is despised and rejected by those who see it of low value or importance.
We ought not to despise or scoff at any of these things, but rather, we should study to show ourselves approved of God (2Ti 2:15), and then accept the preaching of that which is good according to the Scriptures, but sharply rebuke that which is comes of error or deception. (2Ti 4:2, Tts 1:11-13)
[v21] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
This is not said in the context of the world, in which men might prove matters in a court of law, but rather, this is said in the context of God's Word, in which we are to heavily consider the doctrines of Scripture, and weigh them against the doctrines of men, to determine what is true or false. We are to test preachers, teachers, and prophets, to see if they are of God the Father, or their father the Devil. This is direct instruction for us NOT to trust every person who teaches, nor to trust every person who claims to be of Christ, but to be ready and willing to hear, and then test what we have learned in the Scriptures to what they say and do, which is something that the Thessalonian church struggled to do because their charitable spirits were not sprinkled with healthy caution (likely due to them being babes in Christ at the time, who were stripped of their parental figureheads, the apostles, early in their learning stages), and Berea had set a better example for them to follow. (Acts 17:11)Therefore, once we have studied and proven a matter, we should "hold fast that which is good," or in other words, that which reflects the good doctrine of Scripture, that shapes us to the things of honesty, charity, faithfulness, hope, and fruitfulness to the philosophy of the Holy Ghost. (Col 2:8) This means we ought to cling to sound doctrine of Scripture, no matter who may war against us, no matter their station, rank, education, or lineage, no matter the troubles and sufferings they might cause us, to always stand firm on the Word of Truth from the Lord Jesus Christ in the face of harsh adversity.
[v22] Abstain from all appearance of evil.
This verse is typically taken to mean the appearance of sin, even if one is not exercising sin, to avoid things that appear to be sinful, which is good, but I am convinced that is not the full meaning of this verse in this context. Paul warned them not to "quench not the Spirit," to "despise not prophesyings," and to "prove all things" in previous verses, all of which put a heavy emphasis on the doctrine, which leads us to the conclusion that we should "abstain from all appearance of evil" doctrine.As I pointed out in my comments on the previous verse, the Thessalonians had issue with being willing to hear the Word preached to them, and search the Scriptures daily to verify the legitmacy of those things preached (Acts 17:11), which means they ought not to have automatically accepted them simply on the basis that they were preached with a charismatic presentation. (Rom 16:17-18) Rather, they should hear the word, then rebuke it if it is wrong, rather than to hear the word, and say nothing for the sake of social niceties, which would mean that, if a preacher goes unrebuked for his false doctrine, whether done in private or public (depending on the circumstance), onlookers might see the church's silent consent, and therefore, they would appear to accept evil doctrines.
It logically follows that if one refuses to accept evil doctrine, and rebukes in soundly, then he will not accept an appearance of sinful practices either because outside of the cup and platter will be clean, if we clean the inside first. (Mat 23:25-26) Therefore, in many cases, readers put emphasis on the end result of this commandment, to avoid appearing to others to be doing anything sinful in the physical activities, but the priority of this verse should be to abstain from the wicked doctrines of men, which flood most church buildings around the world today.
[v23] And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul notes the "God of peace" to emphasize the fact that all true peace comes from the grace of the Lord, and that to be in accordance with the doctrines of His Word is to be in unity with the Holy Spirit and fellowship with Christ, and therefore, will result in the church being in the same Spirit, being at peace with one another in one accord. (Phil 2:2) Paul prayed that God would sanctify them "wholly," which is not meant in the sense that Christ sanctifies is because it is absolute and cannot be quantified by a mathematical modifier, but rather, this is said in the sense of ourselves, for the gradual work we put into learning, gaining understanding and knowledge, then applying it by judging our own words and actions, then converting, correcting course, and separating ourselves from evil doctrines and wicked practices. (1Pe 3:15)The 'spirit' and 'soul' are thought by some to be the same thing, but in Scripture, they seem to be distinguished in two ways. Although both are invisible, and although both do refer to the same being, the "soul" can refer to the affections, while the spirit can refer to the mind's understanding. One could say they are the difference between the heart and mind, but that is only my speculation based on Hebrews 4:12, in which the Word of God is said to divide the soul and spirit, and knowing that the Word of God tells us the heart is deceitful against the mind (Jer 17:9), therefore this is my conclusion. Paul's pray was that our mind, heart, and body would all be "preserved blameless," which is not to say that we are expected to be sinless, but to be kept unto Christ, in that the Holy Ghost would guide us by our consciences to do what is good, to turn from sin, to have repentance of our wrongdoing, and thereby, we would be sanctified and kept safe from most of the dangers and perversions of this world, to be presented to Christ faultless because of His grace, and to be blameless and pleasing in the eyes of the Father.
[v24] Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Not an individual calling to ministry, but a general calling of all Christians to salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven, and because God is faithful to His promises, He "will do it," meaning that He will sanctify us by the Holy Ghost, and He will preserve us "blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is a loving and humble statement which follows all that Paul had prayed for them, knowing the blessings of extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the good works that Paul had done, he requests that they all pray for him, which is, in part, a declaration of their qualification as born again Christians in the work of the Gospel of Christ, and that their prayers are impactful to bring him divine blessings.[v26] Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
This is not to say that we ought to kiss one another in greeting, because such things are dependent on the culture in which one lives, but rather, this is said in opposition to a hypocritical or deceitful kiss, such as was given to Christ by Judas during his betrayal. (Luke 24:48) Thus, greetings between the church should be loving, from a pureness of heart, without lust or deception to put on a show of fake holiness, as is common with false converts and false teachers.[v27] I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
Or in this context, Paul entrusts the church, according to the will of God by the Holy Ghost, to read his letter to all the "holy brethren," not that they were holy of themselves, but had been made holy by the blood of Christ, meaning all those born again. This seems to indicate that this epistle was directed to some of the more foundational members of the church, or perhaps to some of the elders, and so it was noted that all should hear it, that they might receive the wisdom of God and instructions of the Holy Spirit therein.[v28] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Paul ends his letters as he often did (Rom 16:20, 1Co 16:23), with his earnest and honest wish for the blessings of grace in Jesus Christ to rest upon them, and "Amen," which means "truly" or "of the truth" which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
