1 THESSALONIANS 5
5:1
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
But of the times and the seasons- this is an expression used by the Lord Jesus just before He ascended to heaven, Acts 1:7. He had been asked by the apostles as to the timing of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, verse 6. Far from denying that such a thing would happen, (which many a-millenialists do deny will happen), the Lord simply says that the timing of that event is not for them to know. So there is a close connection between “times and seasons”, and the return of Christ to earth to set up His kingdom. The reason they do not know is that the length of the present age of grace is not known, and until that period comes to an end the Tribulation Period cannot start.
The times referred to here have to do with the clock, so would be day-time and night-time. The seasons would have more to do with the character of the period, so relates to night and day. The apostle uses these words metaphorically in verses 4-8. At the beginning, God made the light, and then called that part of the 24-hour cycle of the earth’s rotation “day”. He called the time when light was absent, “night”. When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, God brought a darkness over the earth, and the sun was darkened. So it was that the psalmist foretold that He would be able to say, “I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent”, Psalm 22:2. So it was the night season as to its character, but day-time in relation to the clock.
Brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you- they did have need for him to write about one aspect of the Rapture, for he did not want them to be ignorant, 4:13, but they knew about the Revelation of Christ, when He comes to earth to reign. There are many prophecies about the time of Tribulation that lies ahead for this world, but they do not specify the time it will start.
5:2
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For yourselves know perfectly- so how is it that the disciples were told it was not for them to know the times and seasons, and yet the apostle writes here that the Thessalonians knew perfectly? The point is that they knew perfectly, (that is, accurately, as we may know as well from the Old Testament scriptures), about the times and seasons as to what they involved, but they did not know the timing.
That the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night- the apostle, as he likens the coming of the Lord to the arrival of a thief, is using the same metaphor as the Lord Jesus did in Matthew 24:43,44, and the point about a thief is that you do not know the time of his coming. So it is with the coming of Christ to earth. He is coming suddenly and subversively, (just like a thief breaking up a house, Matthew 24:43).
Special note on the Day of the Lord
The Day of the Lord is an Old Testament concept. It is first mentioned by Isaiah, although the idea of coming judgement was known before then, especially in the words of Enoch, Jude verse 14. Isaiah wrote, “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty…and they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth”, Isaiah 2:12,19.
Note how similar this language is to that which John used when he wrote, “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains…for the great day of his wrath is come”, Revelation 6:15,17. So the day of the Lord is at the end of the Tribulation Period. This is confirmed by the words of Joel, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come”, Joel 2:31.
With this we may compare the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”, Matthew 24:29,30.
So the order of events is as follows. The tribulation period runs its course; immediately afterwards the sun is darkened and so on; the Son of man comes, and the day He comes is called the “great and terrible day of the Lord”.
But the subsequent age, extending to the dissolution of all things prior to the great white throne judgement, is also the day of the Lord. Peter writes, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”, 2 Peter 3:10. So the day of the Lord extends for one thousand years, beginning with a single day that is called “the great and terrible day of the Lord”, the day of His coming to earth, and continuing until the heavens pass away after the thousand-year reign of Christ, as set out in Revelation 20. So the Day of the Lord begins with a great day, and it ends with a great day too, for Jude writes of “the judgement of the great day”, referring to the Great White Throne judgement, Jude 6.
5:3
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.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety- it is important to note that the Tribulation Period, the seven-year span of years immediately after the Rapture, is divided into two equal parts of three and a half years each. During the first part the Antichrist will present himself as an alternative to Christ, and will work miracles to try to convince men of this, for the apostle writes of him, “Whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders”, 2 Thessalonians 2:9. Having had his coming, corresponding to the introduction of Christ at His baptism, (which was followed by three and a half years of miracle-ministry), he will have his revelation, corresponding to the coming of Christ to reign. It is during the first half of the Tribulation Period that men will think peace and safety are about to arrive, (note it is not that peace and safety prevail, but that people say “Peace and safety”, as if it is on everyone’s lips as about to happen. It is his promise to the people if they will worship him.
Then sudden destruction cometh upon them- “Peace and safety” is the expectation, but the sad reality is that, having been led astray by the Antichrist’s propaganda, and have embraced his lie, and started to worship him and his image, they find that judgement comes upon them from heaven during the second half of the Tribulation Period known as the Great Tribulation.
As travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape- the Lord Jesus described the judgements of the first part of the Tribulation as “the beginning of sorrows”, Matthew 24:8, where the word for sorrows has to do with birth-pangs. Just as a woman has increasingly intense labour pains that come closer and closer together before the birth, so wave after wave of calamities will befall the earth. And just as a woman with child cannot escape these pains, so men will not evade the troubles that will be brought upon them in Divine judgement.
5:4
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief- there is now a contrast made, (suggested by the phrase “Day of the Lord”, and “night”), between believers and unbelievers. The apostle now begins to use the words “day”, “light”, “night” and “darkness” as metaphors for either good or evil. Believers are not in the darkness of ignorance because they do not walk in darkness, but have the light of life, John 8:12. For them “the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth”, 1 John 2:8. If believers are not in the dark, then they will not be surprised by the light of Christ’s coming in glory, as unbelievers will be.
5:5
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day- notice that the apostle uses the word “all” here, meaning all believers, however carnal. He knows nothing of a partial Rapture, as if some believers will be left behind when the Lord comes. As the apostle would later write to the Ephesians, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light”, Ephesians 4:8. Having been born of the God who is light, they should manifest that life as His children.
Because we are of the light, then it follows we are of the day, for the day is when the light is evident. The kingdom of Christ will be a manifestation of the light of His glory, and this will turn this dark world into day, and His people will be associated with Him in that. When Christ comes the sun and moon will be darkened, that the light of His glory might shine the brighter.
We are not of the night, nor of darkness- it follows that the opposite is true, for light and darkness, day and night cannot co-exist, nor can they both be responsible for making believers what they are, for they are opposed. He says “ye”, when he wants to reassure the believers to whom he is writing, who were to a certain extent troubled by wrong thoughts about the Lord’s coming. But when he is giving the underlying reason why they were of the day and of the light, it is “we”, for all believers have been delivered from their natural state of being children of the darkness and night of Adam’s fall. It cannot be that the apostle is of the night, but he links himself with the Thessalonians, so that they might be as sure as he is that they are of the light and the day.
The night began when Adam sinned. As the apostle wrote to the Romans, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand”, Romans 13:12. Having been separated from Adam’s world by the cross of Christ, Galatians 6:14, we derive nothing from the night. It follows we derive nothing from the darkness, the expression of the night.
The apostle now exhorts believers to do three things, watch, be sober, and put on armour.
5:6
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others- when he was referring to saints who had died, the apostle described them as sleeping in Jesus, and contrasted them with those who would be alive at the Rapture, 4:14,15. Clearly he is not using sleep in that sense here, for he would hardly exhort us to not die, especially since that is not under our control anyway. Also, in this passage he contrasts sleeping, not with being alive, but with watching. By “others” he means the same as he did in 4:13, “the others that have no hope”, meaning unbelievers.
But let us watch and be sober- the reason for this exhortation is simple, and is given in the next verse. The fact that God hath not appointed us to wrath is not to be taken as an excuse for slackness in living. To watch is to have an alert mind, to be sober is to have a controlled mind.
5:7
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
For they that sleep sleep in the night- this is what our Creator has given us the night-time for. As the psalmist said, “Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening”, Psalm 104:23. And the Lord Jesus said, “the night cometh, when no man can work”, John 9:4. This is the general principle; there are, or course, reasons why some work in the night, (nurses for example), and Peter and his partners spent the night fishing, The statement is of an accepted norm, that sleeping is for night-time, not day-time.
And they that be drunken are drunken in the night- of course there are some who are so addicted to wine that they are drunk during the day, but the general rule is that men have their drunken parties at night.
5:8
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.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober- this is not just an exhortation to abstain from wine, (the meaning of the word “sober”), but applies both of the metaphors used in verse 7. Those who are sober are not asleep, nor are they overcome with drunkenness. Also, those who are sober during the night will be alert at daybreak, ready to put on the armour for the day’s battles.
Putting on the breastplate of faith and love- we show that we are sober by putting on the breastplate. The Roman soldier was protected from his neck to his knees by the breastplate. His heart was protected, and also his vital organs. Our heart-affections need to be shielded, for it is vital that our love to Christ governs our behaviour, so that we only do things, say things, and are things that He would approve of. That love should respond to Him in faith, trusting Him for the future, and also in love to others whilst we wait for Him to come.
And for an helmet, the hope of salvation- if the breastplate protects the heart, the helmet protects the mind. The apostle assured the Philippians that if they committed themselves to God in prayer, then “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”, Philippians 4:7.
We learn from Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians that they were shaken in mind by false statements by evil men with regard to the coming of the Lord, 2 Thessalonians 2:2. But there is no need for this trouble, if our minds are informed by the truth of apostolic doctrine. This will protect us like a helmet, and save us from worry about the future, for our hope of salvation by the coming of the Lord is sure.
5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
For God hath not appointed us to wrath- the apostle here makes a definite statement to instruct the mind, and encourage the heart. We are the subjects of Divine appointment, not to wrath but salvation. And that salvation involves deliverance from the wrath that is yet to come upon the earth. The wrath of God expresses itself in different ways. The wrath of God abides on the unbeliever, John 3:36. The wrath of God will be manifest by Christ when He comes to earth to judge, Revelation 6:16. It will be manifest at the Great White throne judgement, Romans 2:5; 5:9. It will be experienced by the unsaved in the lake of fire for ever, Romans 2:8. The believer has been delivered from all these expressions of wrath. It would be inconsistent to suggest that he has been delivered from the first, third and fourth instances listed above, and not the second, the coming of Christ to judge.
But to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ- in this context, salvation is deliverance from the wrath that is coming on the earth in the Tribulation Period. Then there is the salvation from the wrath of God to be expressed at the Great White Throne. In that day, “we shall be saved from wrath through him”, Romans 5:9. Then again, the apostle wrote to the Philippians, “for our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself”, Philippians 3:20,21. So we shall be saved from the body of humiliation that burdens us now. We “groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope…” Romans 8:23,24. So currently we are being saved from despair by the hope and prospect of being released from the bondage of this present body, which is part of a burdened creation.
5:10
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Who died for us- in 4:14 it was “Jesus died and rose again”, for the subject was resurrection. Here, the subject is who will rise to meet Him when the Lord comes, and the event which secures the translation of all the saints is His death for them, dealing as it did with their sins in their totality. We are saved by grace and not by works. And that applies to salvation from sin and judgement, and also salvation from Tribulation wrath.
That, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him- in 4:14 the sleeping was to do with the bodies of the saints in the grave. Here it has to do with living saints, the contrast being not living or dead, but alert or sleepy. This assurance that all the saints, however carnal, will go to be with the Lord, should not make us complacent. In fact, it should encourage us to watchfulness, so that we are a credit to Him as we live on the earth.
5:11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together- in 4:18 the exhortation was “comfort one another with these words”, but here it is “comfort yourselves together”, the emphasis being on consolidating their oneness as they wait for their Lord. In an atmosphere of persecution, they needed to stay together, and encourage one another with apostolic doctrine.
And edify one another, even as also ye do- comfort and encouragement are not vague things, mere sentiment, but based on solid and firmly-believed doctrine. Only this will build up our souls. The apostle has intelligence from Timothy that this was what they were doing, and he encourages them to continue.
Section 8 5:12-28
Conduct in the assembly
Survey of the section
We come now to the last section of the epistle, in which assembly life at Thessalonica is adjusted. Despite the persecution and the consequent tribulation they were experiencing, they were to continue with assembly activity. The nature of a local assembly is such that it can function in the most dire circumstances, not being hampered by the trappings that Christendom has devised. We should not let outward circumstances dictate how and when we function.
Structure of the section
| Verses 12,13 | The esteeming of elders |
| Verses 14,15 | The exhortations to elders |
| Verses 16-22 | The exercises of the believers |
| Verses 23,24 | The expectation of the apostle |
| Verses 25-28 | Three requests to the believers, and one to God |
Verses 12,13
The recognition of elders
5:12
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
And we beseech you, brethren- this is an appeal to the assembly as a whole to recognise those who are over them, for the sake of godly order.
To know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you- these men have a three-fold designation. First, they labour, especially in the matter of “labouring in the word and doctrine”, 1 Timothy 5:17. Second, they are over them, meaning they are overseers, looking over the flock, alert for danger, aware of any problems that arise, and ensuring that the flock is well fed, and guided in the paths of righteousness. Third, they admonish, meaning to warn or reprove gently. There is no room in the assembly for heavy-handed action. The shepherd life was a quiet life, and this should be reflected in the attitude of the shepherds to the flock. Sheep are easily frightened, and it takes a long time for them to settle down after being upset in some way. These sheep had enough rough treatment from unbelievers, so the last thing they need is the same from those who should be nurturing them.
5:13
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake- the assembly should appreciate the work that overseers put in for the welfare of the flock. True elders will not have time to cultivate their own interests, but will give themselves to caring for the flock in various ways. The work of an elder is in some respects a thankless task, at least on earth, so any small sign of gratitude is welcome.
And be at peace among yourselves- the work of overseership will be greatly helped if the members of the assembly are not for ever causing problems.
Verses 14,15
The exhortation to elders
5:14
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
Now we exhort you, brethren- having addressed the assembly at large, to instruct them to recognise and respect elders, the apostle now directs his instructions to the elders themselves, in a seven-fold way.
Warn them that are unruly- those who are not prepared to “be at peace”, should be cautioned. “Unruly” is a military term, meaning those who fail to keep rank. They are insubordinate, whether doctrinally, practically, or morally. The peace of the assembly is too precious, and its testimony too vital, to be disturbed by those who are carnal. Of course, those who raise legitimate questions as to the conduct and practice of the assembly should be listened to, and not accused of making a fuss, or of causing division.
Comfort the feebleminded- this has nothing to do with intellectual ability. It is probable that there are plenty of highly-intelligent believers who are “small-souled”, or “little-spirited”, as the word means. These are those who are faint-hearted in some way or another, perhaps because of reasons beyond their control. In times of persecution this situation could easily arise. Such should be the special object of attention by the elders, so that they might be encouraged and strengthened in heart through the scriptures.
Support the weak- these are those who are especially liable to attack by the enemy. They have not advanced as they should have in the things of God and are vulnerable. They are like the stragglers at the end of the march through the wilderness, who were easy targets for the enemy, see Deuteronomy 25:17-19.
Be patient toward all men- patience should not degenerate into failure to act. The elders will have to use their wise judgement to decide when a matter needs to be dealt with swiftly, or when it is best to hold back, and commit the matter to God in prayer for Him to deal with.
5:15
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
See that none render evil for evil unto any man- the fifth injunction to the elders is that they should not allow any member of the assembly to be vengeful. Any evil, whether real or imagined, should be dealt with in a godly manner, and the elders should intervene and see that the dispute is settled in a spiritual way. This should happen whoever it is that is involved, for it is “every man”. There should be no partiality in dealings in the assembly.
But ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men- if the elders see to it that this is being practised, then the trouble of the first part of the verse will be avoided. We cannot render evil to another at the same time as following that which is good to others. Notice that the good may, and should, extend to all men.
Verses 16-22
Exercises of the believers
5:16
Rejoice evermore.
Rejoice evermore- having regulated the assembly as regards the recognition of its leaders, and ensured those leaders rise to their responsibilities, the apostle is now free to give exhortations to display normal Christian behaviour in the assembly. Those who are rejoicing in the Lord will not wish to be unruly and troublesome. Those who are persecuted might feel that to rejoice is the last thing they wish to do, nevertheless it is expected of true believers that they will “glory (rejoice) in tribulations also”, Romans 5:3, for tribulations are part of God’s education process for His people.
The Lord Jesus said in His teaching, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you…Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven”, Matthew 5:11,12. The persecution is but for a time, but rejoicing is for evermore, in heaven where no trouble shall ever come. The shortest verse in the Bible as far as English letters go, is “Jesus wept”, John 11:35, but this verse is the shortest as far as Greek letters go.
5:17
Pray without ceasing.
Pray without ceasing- of course this does not require us to pray for twenty-four hours a day. The idea is that we should live every moment of our waking hours in an attitude of prayerful submission to God, and in every circumstance that presents itself we should pray. As with rejoicing evermore, if we carried out this instruction we would not be at variance with fellow-believers, for we would be praying for them.
5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
In every thing give thanks- we may safely leave our lives in our Father’s hands, knowing that He has our best interests at heart. And even though the going may be rough and tough, nevertheless He has a purpose in it all for which we should be thankful, even if we do not understand what that purpose is.
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you- we tend to think that the will of God only concerns itself with the big things, but we learn here that the will of God embraces the idea that we are thankful. Perhaps the clue is found in the expression “in Christ Jesus”, which tells us of a position of the highest dignity and privilege. To be securely in Christ Jesus guarantees that all is well, and nothing, however drastic it might seem, can dislodge us.
5:19
Quench not the Spirit.
Quench not the Spirit- both the believer’s body, and the local assembly are temples of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19; 3:16. This means, amongst other things, that they are the environments in which the Spirit moves to stimulate spiritual activity. Any attempt by us to hinder that activity, either in ourselves or in others, personally or collectively, is quenching the fire that the Holy Spirit kindles. On the Day of Pentecost cloven tongues of fire sat on the heads of all those in the room, denoting that the flame of the Spirit’s activity was to be expressed that day by speaking. Since then other ways of working have been introduced by the Spirit, and we must be careful not to quench the flame. On the contrary, the apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him, and he used a word which means to fan into a flame, 2 Timothy 1:6. It is easy to drift through life and never realise the potential placed in all of us by the indwelling Spirit.
Peter stood by the world’s fire one day and allowed his testimony to be quenched. The Lord met him on the shores of Galilee beside a fire of coals, meaning charcoal. This is wood that has been burnt once, and then can be ignited again. This is what happened to Peter, for he had burned brightly once, but then the fire was dimmed. After his lapse, the Lord revived the flame.
5:20
Despise not prophesyings.
Despise not prophesyings- this is a major way in which we may quench the fire of the Spirit. One of the sure indications that an assembly is going downhill spiritually is when those who speak the mind of God are thought little of. On the Day of Pentecost the believers began to continue steadfastly in Divine things, and the first thing Luke notes is the apostles’ doctrine. It is the mark of a true believer that he has a regard for the doctrines of the apostles. John wrote, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth us not”, 1 John 4:6. We despise prophesyings when we fail to attend the meeting, when we ignore what we are taught when we do attend, or when there is no ministry given in an assembly.
5:21
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good- we should not make the mistake of thinking that everything said from the platform is correct. It was otherwise when men prophesied by inspiration, for they spoke infallibly for God. Now, men need to study to speak, and may err in their judgement on matters. We should be like the Bereans, who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”, Acts 17:11. They had listened to an apostle preaching, but still tested his words by scripture. They set us a very good example.
5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Abstain from all appearance of evil- when that which is the opposite of good presents itself, we should abstain from it, which means we should reject it as an option. The particular reference in the context is to evil teachings, but may profitably be extended to include all the forms evil takes. The word for evil the apostle uses here means harmful, as opposed to the other word meaning bad, malicious. We shall be able to judge what is harmful if we have listened to prophesyings, and proved what is good.
Verses 23-24
Expectation of the apostle
5:23
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.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly- there are those who teach sinless perfection from this verse, but we should notice that the apostle is expressing an aspiration for the believers, he is not describing their current state. It is only when we reach resurrection ground that we shall lose the sin-principle that dwells in our bodies now. We shall sing in triumph then, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55. The sting of death is sin, as the apostle goes on to say in verse 56, and this will be gone in resurrection, as will the victory of the grave over our bodies.
It would be worthwhile to digress for a moment to see what the apostle John has to say on this matter:
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1 John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him- a person who abides in Christ is comfortable in His presence. The Spirit of God indwells believers, thus uniting them to the Son of God. He Himself said, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you”, John 14:20. So He is saying that after the Spirit of God had come at Pentecost, (an event which gives character to the whole of this age, and is what the Lord calls “that day”), the believer will know three things, as follows: First, that the Son is in the Father, which is a claim to Deity, for it means that everything and anything that the Father is as to His Divine attributes, the Son is too. Those who abide in Him will be sure as to His Deity. Second, that believers are in the Son, which means that they have been united together by the agency of the Spirit of God, who comes within them when they first believe. They will be sure as to their security. Third, that He is within, which means that the Spirit of Christ indwells them, making good to them all that the Son is. They will be sure as to their unity with Divine Persons. The Lord Jesus spoke in His prayer to His Father in these terms, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in them, that they all may be one in Us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”, John 17:20,21. So it is that believers are united to the Son of God in such a profound way that they can be said to be in Him, absorbed in who and what He is to such a degree that their own identity, in this context, is lost sight of. To abide in Him is an extension of this, and involves an appreciation, however small, of who He is. As the apostle has said in 2:24, it is those who abide in the doctrine as to His person that can be said to abide in Him. This grasp of who He is does not cause them to be discomfited, but rather the reverse, for they delight in it. Sinneth not- the construction John uses here, according to those expert in such things, is “the present participle with the article in the nominative”. This serves to make “sinneth not” like a title, “a non-sinning one”. So John is not thinking of individual acts of sin, but is presenting us with God’s view of those who are in the Son. It cannot be that those who are vitally linked to the Son of God by the Spirit of God can be thought of as sinners. That they do sin is evident from John’s appeal in 2:1 that we sin not, but here the emphasis is on their standing before God. John is thinking in absolute terms, as he often does, and presents us with the perfect view of things as God has it. He will return to this subject in verse 9. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him- if one who “sinneth not” is “a non-sinning one”, then this is the reverse, for the construction is the same. He is “a sinning one”, or in other words, an unbeliever. He does not appreciate that the Son of God has been manifest, and that His life is sinless and therefore condemning. He has not repented, and carries on sinning. Neither known him- there has been established no personal relationship with Christ through faith, nor personal appreciation of Him. In the next verses, the apostle encourages the believers to resist the teachings of antichrists. The key phrase in this passage is “let no man deceive you”, verse 7. This reminds us of the apostle’s warnings in 2:26 about those who were trying to seduce the little children; that is, to lead them astray by their deceptive teachings. He first of all presents, in verses 7-10, three features which highlight the contrast between believers and antichrists in connection with righteousness. 1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you- in 2:18-27 the warning about deceivers was to the infants in the family of God. Now John warns all who believe to be on their guard. Even those who have matured in the things of God need to be careful, for the enemy is very crafty. The word for deceive is the one which gives us the word planet. Disaster awaited the ancient shipmaster who plotted his course using the planets, for their very name means they are “planetos”, wanderers. Unlike the “fixed” stars, whose position does not vary from night to night, the planets wander across the heavens. To allow them to guide us is to be in danger of shipwreck. So to allow deceivers to direct us is to be heading for spiritual disaster. This is especially a warning for those who are “shipmasters”, or assembly leaders. They need to be alert at all times, so that deceivers do not gain a foothold in the assembly. Notice that John writes “let no man”, for deceivers can come in various guises. They do not all peddle their errors in the same way. However attractive the personality of the deceiver, or however plausible his deceptions seem to be, he must be resisted and turned from. He that doeth righteousness is righteous- that is, only one who has a righteous nature can do righteous acts. It is not that a man does righteous things and God calls him righteous in return, for that would deny the gospel. “There is none righteous, no, not one” is the clear word of God, Romans 3:10. “By the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin”, Romans 3:20. A tree is known by its fruit. The Lord Jesus warned of false prophets with the words, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them”, Matthew 7:15-20. Paul took up the word “wolves” when he warned the Ephesian elders of “grievous wolves”, that would not spare the flock, Acts 20:29. And John is using the concept “a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit” in both verse 6 and verse 9, when he writes of believers not sinning. So both apostles make use of the Lord’s saying. Even as he is righteous- this is His character, and we shall come with Him and be like Him, verse 2. Is this not an incentive to be like Him now? The righteousness of the believer is of the same sort as the righteousness of Christ, (for we are righteous “even as” He is righteous). This is because righteousness is a characteristic of the nature of God, and He is equal with God. By new birth we share His nature, and therefore share His righteousness. It is not His righteous acts during His life that are imputed to us, but rather His righteous nature. It was that nature which produced the righteous acts, for He is pre-eminently the “good tree” that produced “good fruits”. 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil- this implies that those who do righteousness are of God. But the reverse is true, that those who sin as a matter of habit are clearly in the grip of the enemy, and take character from him. Men started sinning only after the devil had brought in his temptation. For the devil sinneth from the beginning- note the stark contrast between the beginning of this sinful world-system, lying in the Wicked One as it does, and that which was brought into display from the other “beginning”, the manifestation of the Son of God to the world at His baptism. That beginning was marked by total resistance to sin, as in seen in the wilderness temptation, unlike with Adam at his beginning, when he was tempted and fell. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested- John now tells us how God acted in the light of the sinfulness of the world of men. He sent His Son, and He was manifested in real manhood. It was not that God spoke from heaven, but that He sent a person from heaven, who lived a life perfectly in harmony with His character and will. This is what the possession of eternal life enables a believer to do. Note that He comes as Son, so that He may reveal the Father. That he might destroy the works of the devil- the works of the devil may be thought of in two ways, generally, and specifically. Thought of generally, they are the sins he provokes men to commit. Christ destroyed such works by condemning them by His life and His doctrine, and also by dying for sins on the cross so that men might be freed from their power and thereafter lead a righteous life. He demonstrated visibly His ability to do this by releasing men and women from the bondage and corruption that had been brought in by the fall of man. Every healing act was a rebuff to the Devil, and showed the Son of God had superior power than he. For instance, He healed the palsied man, and thus showed He had power on earth to forgive sins, Matthew 9:1-8. More specifically, the sins are those committed by the deceiving antichrists as they spread lies about Christ. That is what John is warning us about particularly. The devil is hard at work deceiving men, for “he deceiveth the whole world”, Revelation 12:9. It is these deceits that John is warning about as he cautions us to not be taken in by antichrists. John will show in the next verse that true believers cannot sin like that, either by teaching error or believing it. 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin- again John is using a form of speech which means “whosoever is born of God is a “not-able-to-sin person”. He has that character. John is not suggesting there are believers who never sin. What he is saying is that believers, because they are born of God and therefore have the life of God within them, do not sin as the expression of their nature. When they sin they act contrary to their position before God as His children. He is also saying that true believers do not and, indeed, cannot, sin in the sense that they deny Christ and renounce faith in Him. For his seed remaineth in him- by “His seed” John means the life-principle that God has implanted into those who believe, which can never be taken away, for it remaineth in them. James tells us that it is by the word of truth that God begets His children, James 1:18, therefore it is a nature that responds to the truth, and cannot deny it. There is a close connection between this idea of the seed remaining, and the fact that the Holy Spirit of God indwells the believer, and abides there for ever, John 14:16. John is telling us that since God’s seed remains in us, and never leaves, there is no time when our character reverts to a sinful one, and therefore we commit sin as matter of course. Not only does the Spirit of Truth dwell within us, encouraging in the truth, but the new nature we have from God is resistant to error. We are doubly safe-guarded from the errors of the wicked, but we still need to be alert. |
We return to 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ- it is interesting to notice the bringing together of the words “peace” and “wholly”, for the word that was used for the peace offering in Old Testament times was a very comprehensive word, and could be translated, as “peace“, or “salvation”, or “wholeness”.
The apostle’s desire for the Thessalonian believers was that they might be entirely given over to the things of God. Every part of them dedicated to Him in holy consecration. This would not happen if they were distracted by other things; hence his reference to the God of peace. There is absolute peace in heaven, and the God who presides over that tranquil scene can impart that same peace to us, if only we are prepared to be occupied with the things of heaven. One of the uses of the peace offering was in the consecration of the priests. So as believer-priests, (1 Peter 2 makes it clear that every believer is a priest unto God), we have been consecrated to God by the peace-offering work of Calvary. Every part of us is to be dedicated to the God who has claimed us for His own. No part of our lives, and no part of our selves, is excluded from that claim.
Our spirits have been born again by the Spirit of God, John 3:6, and we are free to glorify God in our spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:20. The spirit is that part of man that especially relates to God, and by which He is worshipped, for worship of the Father must be in spirit and in truth, John 4:23.
The soul is the seat of our personality, and enables us to be conscious of self and others. The apostle Peter describes believers as those who have purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, 1 Peter 1:22. Only the truth of the gospel, applied in the power of the Spirit of God, can enable us to love our fellow-believers with unfeigned love, which is love free of hypocrisy and pretence.
Our body has been delivered from obligation to the sin-nature, and we are set free to live a life of holiness, using our bodies as the headquarters, not now of sin, as once was the case, but as the base for the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. The apostle Paul puts it like this, “Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God…as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness”, Romans 6:12,13,19.
We are free to be complete persons, with every part of our being devoted to God alone. This is a very worthy aim, and we should not let the immensity of it daunt us, for we have the Holy Spirit within us, and we may say with the apostle, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”, Philippians 4:13.
Note the mention of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, for immediately after that event there will be the Judgement Seat of Christ, when our lives, amongst other things, will be assessed. The apostle is longing that his converts might be blameless in that day of assessment, with no charge laid against them as to their failure to live consecrated lives. They are to persevere in this until the moment of His return.
5:24
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it- not only were we called to a life of devotion to God by the gospel, but the call still applies, for it is “calleth”, in the present. God has an ever-present interest in us consecrating ourselves to Him and His interests. We should do as the Lord Jesus said, and “take up our cross daily”, Luke 9:23. We are assured here that not only does our Father desire that we devote ourselves to Him, but that He will do it, for He gives us the power to enable us to fulfil His desire. As the apostle wrote to the Philippians, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ”, Philippians 1:6.
Verses 25-28
Entreaties of the apostle
5:25
Brethren, pray for us.
Brethren, pray for us- despite his gifts and achievements, the apostle humbly asks new converts to pray for him, for he was aware of his shortcomings, as we all should be, and coveted the prayers of God’s people that he might be sustained. They should not allow their tribulations to distract them from the important work of prayer.
5:26
Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss- by “brethren” is meant all believers, male and female. The custom of the day was for guests to be greeted by the head of the house with a kiss of welcome, as we see from the fact that the Lord criticized Simon the Pharisee for not giving Him a kiss when He entered his house, Luke 7:45. We learn also from Luke that when the elders of Ephesus were saying goodbye to the apostle, they fell on his neck and kissed him, Acts 20:37. So when arriving and departing believers should greet one another in an affectionate way. On arrival, to show nothing has come between them since they last met, and on departure, to show nothing has happened whilst they were together to disturb the harmony between them. Nowadays, in the more formal Western setting, this has been replaced by a hearty handshake, for kissing has sadly become a more sensuous act than in Bible times and in Bible lands. See, for example, the fact that Jacob kissed Rachel as soon as he met her, and that in a public place. It was the equivalent of a salute, as the apostle describes it in Romans 16:16.
5:27
I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren- that this is a charge rather than an exhortation shows the importance of the public reading of the scriptures in assembly gatherings. Too often, preachers give the impression that they are more interested in themselves speaking to the people, than in God speaking to His people. The reading of the scriptures is the most important part of a teaching meeting. The apostle exhorted Timothy to give attendance to reading, 1 Timothy 4:13, so whether private reading or the public reading of a passage of scripture, care must be taken to read correctly, distinctly, and with understanding.
5:28
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen- this is the customary closing word of the apostle in his epistles. It would not be the final end, however, for he will tell us in 2 Thessalonians 3:17 that it was his practice to sign his letters with his own hand. It is probable that the apostle had bad eyesight, (see Galatians 4:15), and he relied on another believer to write down his inspired words, but because there were those who were trying to foist forgeries on the saints, he would give each epistle the mark of genuineness by adding his signature.