1st Thessalonians 5:1-11

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Thessalonians 5:1-11(ESV)

5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,1 you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Commentary

            (V.1) The new chapter begins a new but related topic to chapter 4. Paul begins by writing of times and seasons. the first (chronos) connotes time as a sequence, and the second (chairos) connotes an event or an epoch in time[1]. We cannot be sure that Paul was emphasizing the difference or whether he was simply using a formula as these words appear in the same order in Acts 1:7. Paul states that he has no reason to write anything to the Thessalonians as they have already been instructed by Paul on his visit to Thessalonica. Then he begins to write to them anyway.

            (V. 2,3) Paul writes that the “day of the Lord” will come as a thief in the night. It will come without warning and once it begins it will come swiftly and decisively. There will be no avoiding Jesus on that day. On that day every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Suddenly destruction will come upon the world like labor comes on every pregnant woman. There will be no running from it. There are examples of the day of Lord being like a thief in the night. (Matt 24:36–43; Luke 12:35–40)

(V. 4-10) Next the judgment of that day once begun will carry through to its finale, and there is no circumventing it.[2] Paul writes the Thessalonians are not “in the dark” regarding the return of the Lord. So that day will not be surprised at all. The Thessalonians are children of the day in contrast to the unbelievers who are children of the night. Paul urges them to remain vigilant waiting upon the Lord. Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians to put on the armor of God. Faith, hope, and love are required armor. See 1 Corinthians 13:13 for these three virtues.

There is a distinction made between believers and unbelievers in this section drunk/sober, asleep/awake. This distinction is seen repeatedly in vv. 4–6, which describe Christians in contrast to non-Christians. Verses 7–10 then use this distinction and the specter of the day of judgment as a basis for urging faithfulness and perseverance.[3]

(V.11) In this the final verse of this section, Paul tells the Thessalonian believers to encourage one another until the day of the Lord. Something they were apparently already doing but Paul urges them to do this more and more. Believers knew of the future judgment. They knew the character of the Christian life they were to live. But knowing and doing are two different things.[4]

This section reminded the Thessalonian believer how they were to act in light of the coming judgement. Encouraging each other and building each other up. This world does not conduct business or politics in this manner. It is all about tearing each other up and wearing each other down. This is one-way Christians can really show that we are different from the world. Let us lift each other up and encourage one another all the more as we see the Day of the Lord approaching.  

             

             


[1] D. Michael Martin, 1, 2 Thessalonians, vol. 33, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 156.
[2] D. Michael Martin, 1, 2 Thessalonians, vol. 33, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 160–161.
[3] D. Michael Martin, 1, 2 Thessalonians, vol. 33, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 161.
[4] D. Michael Martin, 1, 2 Thessalonians, vol. 33, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 169.

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