Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 THESSALONIANS #4 - 5:28)
H. 5:1-11 DUTIES IN LIGHT OF FUTURE UNCERTAINTIES
a. 5:1 TIMES AND SEASONS
PeRI de ton CHROnon [5550]kai ton kaiRON [2540], a-delPHOI,
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brethren,
ou CHREIan [5532] Eche-te huMIN GRAphes-thai [1125].
you have no need that anythingbe written you.
b. 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that theLord's day comes as a thief at night.
auTOI gar a-kriBOS [199]OIda-te HOti heMEra KuRIou hos KLEPtes [2812]en nukTI HOUtos ERche-tai.
c. 5:3 A TERRIBLE SURPRISE
HOtan de LEgosin, EiREne kai asPHAlei-a [803], TOte aiphNIdi-os [160] auTOIS ePISta-tai [2186] Ole-thros,
But when they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them,
HOSper he oDIN [5604] te en gasTRI eCHOUse; kai ou me ekPHUgo-sin [1628].
as the travail upon the one with child; and they shall in no wise escape.
d. 5:4-6 SONS OF LIGHT
huMEIS de, a-delPHOI, ouk esTE en SKOtei [4655], HIna he heMEra huMAS hos KLEPtas [2812] ka-taLAbe,
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as thieves,
PANtes gar huMEIS huiOI phoTOS [5457] es-te, kai huiOI heMEras: Ouk esMEN nukTOS, ouDE SKOtous;
5for you are all sons of light, and sons of day:we are not of night, nor of darkness;
Ara oun me kaTHEUdo-men [2518], hos hoi loiPOI, alLA gre-goROmen [1127] kai NEpho-men [3525].
6so then let us not sleep, as the rest, but let us watch and be sober.
e. 5:7 For who sleep sleep at night; and who are drunken are drunken at night.
hoi gar kaTHEUdon-tes nukTOS kaTHEUdou-sin; kai hoi me-thuSKOme-noi [3184] nukTOS meTHUou-sin.
f. 5:8 SPIRITUAL ARMOR
heMEIS de, heMEras ONtes, NEpho-men[3525], en-duSAme-noi [1746] THOra-ka [2382] PIste-os kai aGApes;
But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on a breastplate of faith and love;
kai pe-ri-ke-phaLAIan [4030], elPIda [1680] so-teRIas [4991].
and for a helmet, salvation's hope.
g. 5:9-10 SALVATION
HOti ouk Ethe-to [5087] heMAS ho TheOS eis orGEN [3709],
For :God appointed us not unto wrath,
alLA tis pe-riPOIe-sin [4047] so-teRIas [4991] diA tou KuRIou heMON IeSOU ChrisTOU,
but unto theobtaining of salvation through our :Lord Jesus Christ,
tou a-po-thaNONtos [599] peRI heMON, HIna, EIte gre-goROmen [1127] EIte kaTHEUdo-men [2518],
10who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep,
HAma sun auTO ZEso-men [2198].
we should live together with him.
h. 5:11 Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also you do.
Di' HO pa-ra-kaLEIte [3870] alLElous, kai oi-ko-doMEIte [3618] heis ton HEna, kaTHOS kai poiEIte.
I. 5:12-24 SHORT EXHORTATIONS
a. 5:12-13a THOSE WHO LABOR
E-roTOmen de huMAS, a-delPHOI, eiDEnai tous ko-piONtas [2872] en huMIN,
But we ask you, brethren, to know them that labor among you,
kai pro-i-staMEnous [4291] huMON en KuRIo, kai nou-theTOUNtas [3560] HUmas;
and are over you in theLord, and admonish you;
kai heGEISthai [2233] auTOUS hu-pe-rek-pe-risSOU [4053] en aGApe diA to ERgon auTON.
13aand to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their :work.
b. 5:13b Be at peace among yourselves. ei-reNEUe-te [1514] en he-auTOIS.
c. 5:14 EXHORTATION
Pa-ra-kaLOUmen [3870] de huMAS, a-delPHOI, nou-theTEIte [3560] tous aTAKtous [813],
And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly,
pa-ra-muTHEISthe [3888] tous o-li-goPSUchous [3642], anTEches-the [472] ton as-theNON [772],
encourage the fainthearted, support the weak,
ma-kro-thuMEIte [3114] pros PANtas.
be longsuffering toward all.
d. 5:15 THE DUTY OF BEARING AND FORBEARING
hoRAte [3708] ME tis kaKON anTI kaKOU tiNI a-poDO [591];
See that none render unto any one evil for evil;
alLA PANto-te to a-gaTHON diOke-te [1377], kai eis alLElous, kai eis PANtas.
but always follow after what is good, one toward another, and toward all.
e. 5:16-18 PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING
PANto-te CHAIre-te [5463]; a-di-aLEIPtos [89] proSEUches-the [4336]; en panTI eu-cha-risTEIte [2168]:
Rejoice alway; 17pray without ceasing; 18in everything give thanks:
TOUto gar THEle-ma[2307] TheOU en ChrisTO IeSOU eis huMAS.
for this is God's will in Christ Jesus toward you.
f. 5:19-22 PRECEPTS
to PNEUma me SBENnu-te [4570]; pro-pheTEIas [4394] me e-xou-theNEIte [1848];
Quench not the Spirit; 20despise not prophesyings;
PANta de do-kiMAze-te [1381]; to kaLON kaTEche-te [2722];
21but prove all things; hold fast what is good;
aPO panTOS EIdous [1491] po-neROU [4190] aPEches-the [567].
22 abstain from every form of evil.
g. 5:23 SANCTIFICATION
AuTOS de ho TheOS tes eiREnes ha-giAsai [37] huMAS ho-lo-teLEIS [3651];
And the God of :peace himself sanctify you wholly;
kai hoLOkle-ron [3648] huMON to PNEUma [4151] kai he psuCHE [5590] kai to SOma [4983],
and may your :spirit and :soul and :body be preserved entire,
aMEMPtos [274] en te pa-rouSIa [3952] tou KuRIou heMON IeSOU ChrisTOU te-reTHEIN [5083].
without blame at the presence of our :Lord Jesus Christ.
h. 5:24 Faithful he that calls you, who will also do it.
piSTOS [4102]ho kaLON huMAS, hos kai poiEsei.
J. 5:25 Brethren, pray for us also.
A-delPHOI, proSEUches-the [4336] kai peRI heMON.
K. 5:26-27 CONCLUSION
a. 5:26 Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss.
AsPAsas-the [782] tous a-delPHOUS PANtas en phiLEma-ti [5370] haGIo [40].
b. 5:27 I adjure you by the Lord that the letter be read to all the brethren.
E-norKIzo [3726] huMAS ton KuRIon a-nag-nosTHEnai [314] ten a-pi-stoLEN [1992] PAsin tois a-delPHOIS.
L. 5:28 The grace of our :Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
HeCHAris[5485]tou KuRIou heMON IeSOU ChrisTOU meth' huMON.
NOTE: It was Paul's firm conviction that his teaching concerning the time and circumstances of the Lord's return were so clear - that none of these new believers would be in any doubt or confusion concerning these things. I agree.
Dr. James R. Graham, Presbyterian missionary to China many years ago, was asked to translate the Schofield Bible notes for the Chinese Bible. In the midst of his translation process, he discovered so many scriptural inaccuracies that he refused to complete the assignment. Rowland V. Bingham, author of “Matthew the Publican”, had a similar “conversion” experience. Tregelles, outstanding Greek and Hebrew Theologian from England, wrote a book on the Second Coming of Christ that fully accords with these 2 letters of Paul to the Thessalonians, plus the conclusions of the above teachers.
Why then do so many Western Theologians go along with the easy way out through the Schofield notes? Because these notes go along with our Western social pattern. Scriptural? No. Confusion causing? Yes.
H. A. Baker wrote two books in the light of the millions of martyrs in the Chinese church: “Through Tribulation”, and “Tribulation to Glory”. Many of the Chinese believers forsook the Gospel in the midst of their fiery persecutions. They said, “You missionaries have deceived us. You taught us that we would be raptured and escape all of this. How can we believe the rest of your teachings when you have been so drastically wrong here?”
Read again 1 & 2 Thessalonians as if you had never read them before. Forget all previous interpretations you have heard. Let the Bible mean what it wants to mean, and let God say what He wants to say. Remember James 3:1 (1-12) - “Be notmany teachers, my brethren, knowing that weshall receive greater condemnation.”All teachers especially must one day appear before Christ at His Judgment Seat (BEma), and answer for our teaching down here! I teach soberly with this thought in mind at all times. I don't want Christ's rebuke in that day. I'd rather have manupset with me today, than Christ's judgment against me tomorrow!
5:12-24. This is an amazing passage of “aphorisms, pithy sayings, proverbs”. It will do us all much good to ponder thoughtfully and prayerfully over these 8 words. Do not such sayings of Christ's Spirit through Paul cause us to love the Lord more and more? It did for Oswald Chambers. He boiled it down to “personal, passionate devotion to Jesus”! Yes, Lord Jesus, Youare faithful and true, and we hide ourselves in You, Your Word, and Your Spirit. J.A.W.