1 Thessalonians - Chapter 5
1-11:
The Day of the Lord –
The Christian view of history stands above and apart from all other views. The Bible reveals that history is the working of the plan of purpose of God for His creation as the sovereign of all things.
Job 42:2 is our good teacher on this fact:
“I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee”.
As the Lord’s plan continues to unfold, one event is large on our horizon, the Day of the Lord.
Paul had preached on this topic to this church during his brief stay there as we will see in the 2nd chapter of the 2nd letter (2-5). Just as he dealt with their strong concerns about the Rapture he also now deals with their concerns about the Lord’s Day to come.
In terms of timing Paul was clear in verse 1, “…ye have no need…”. Jesus had taught in Matthew 24:36 that the time of the Day was reserved unto the Father only. Just as it was to these believers then, it remains to us today. We have no need to know the time. If the time were far off in our knowledge, spiritual indifference would result. If it were close in our knowledge, there would be much confusion and perhaps panic. We should be forever ready and watchful for it will come as a thief in the night.
Every generation is to live as if the Day is tomorrow.
There are strong clues given as to the events that likely will come before the Day of the Lord:
There will be a man given to us to prepare us as in Malachi 4:5:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord”.
Matt 11:14 advises that this portion was fulfilled in John the Baptist.
Other signs are clearly given in the 2nd letter, chapter 2.
Matthew 24 (the Olivet Discourse) prepares us by the words of Christ himself and those words are echoed in His Revelation to John in the first four seals to be broken by the Lamb.
Acts 2:19-20 give further signs:
“And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:”
Notice in verse 3 that Paul clearly refers to “them” and “they” meaning the believers he is addressing will not endure these things.
The sad reality that Paul is teaching is that those who have rejected Christ will suffer both the earthly wrath AND the eternal wrath of the Lord.
Paul teaches further using the main theme of the gospel of John which is light & darkness.
Paul also gives us in verse 9 perhaps the most profound and powerful teaching in the NT on this matter:
“God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”.
The death of Jesus on the cross has set aside (made holy) all who are called to Him and accept His gospel, and ALL those will be removed before the Day of the Lord arrives, whether they are dead in Christ or alive in Christ.
Paul teaches that now that they know these things, they should comfort themselves together and edify (build up) each other from his words.
12-15:
Paul reminds these members that they should recognize and accept those who labor among them as leaders.
We should remember that this church was still quite young and few, if any, converts were spiritually mature enough to lead. In verses 14-15 Paul addresses the conflict caused in the church. Some in the church wondered why other new believers were over them and likely were not submissive to the leadership of those appointed. Paul admonishes these members by reminding them of the relation that always exists between those who lead and those who are led.
Paul says that the leaders among them were to labor with them, exercise authority over them and instruct them.
He also says those led must esteem these leaders highly, love them, and live in peace with them and the other members.
Paul’s message was his desire that this church come closer to the best example we have in scripture of the early church. We find that example in Acts 2:42-47.
Paul sees in this young church those who may become wayward, worried, weak and wearisome. He warns on all these areas as well as the possibility of some becoming wicked, rendering evil for evil.
16-22:
Paul declares his strong teaching on basic Christian life. He says that the sheep (members) have a responsibility to the Great Shepherd to be :
Joyful
Prayerful
Thankful.
Not Quenching of the Spirit Given
Responsive
Discerning
This one phrase (quenching of the Spirit) reminds us that the Spirit is said to be a fire unto the believer (Acts 2:2-4 & Ex 13:21 & Mal 3:2-3). Paul uses the metaphor concerning fire that it should not be quenched, that is smothered or extinguished by indifference or neglect or turning away from the Word.
23-28:
Paul closes the section by praying for the complete sanctification of these believers. Notice how Paul prays for all parts of the believers, that their whole spirit, and soul and body be preserved until the second coming. Notice also the beauty of the final description Paul gives of Jesus in verse 24: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it”. (The believers are totally secure in Him). As in all his epistles, Paul begins and ends with the mention of divine grace. Grace is the very heart of all Christian theology and summarizes the gift to the heart of each believer chosen to be His.