1 Thessalonians 5

Three phrases in these verses need careful consideration.

“Times and seasons.” This phrase is found only three times in the Bible, and refers primarily to God’s plans for Israel. This is the way Daniel stated it when God gave him understanding of the king’s dream (Dan. 2:21). Our Lord’s use of the phrase in Acts 1: indicates that times and seasons relate primarily to Israel

God has a definite plan for the nations of the world (Acts 17:26), and Israel is the key nation. Dr. A. T. Pierson used to say, “History is His story.” (Quite a contrast to Napoleon’s definition: “History is a set of lies agreed upon.”) God has ordained times and seasons for the nations on earth, particularly Israel, and all of this will culminate in a terrible time called “the day of the Lord.”

“The day of the Lord.” In the Bible, the word day can refer to a twenty-four-hour period or to a longer time during which God accomplishes some special purpose. In Genesis 2: the word means twenty-four hours, but in Genesis 2: it describes the entire week of Creation.

The day of the Lord is that time when God will judge the world and punish the nations. At the same time, God will prepare Israel for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom. Read Amos 5:18ff.; Joel 2:1ff.; Zephaniah 1:14–18; and Isaiah 2:12–21 for a description of this great period.

Another term for this period is “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). Many prophetic students also call it the tribulation and point to Revelation 6—19 as the Scripture that most vividly describes this event.

“Thief in the night.” Our Lord used this image in His own teaching (Matt. 24:42–43; Luke 12:35–40). It describes the suddenness and the surprise involved in the coming of the day of the Lord. In Revelation 3:3; 16:15, He used this image to warn believers not to be caught napping. Since we do not know when the Lord will return for His people, we must live in a constant attitude of watching and waiting, while we are busy working and witnessing.

Now we can put these three concepts together and discover what Paul wanted to teach his troubled friends in Thessalonica. He had already told them about the coming of Christ for the church, the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. He had told them that there would be a period of intense suffering and tribulation on the earth following this rapture of the church. These “times and seasons” that relate to Israel and the nations do not apply to the church or affect the truth of the Lord’s coming for the church. He may come at any time, and this will usher in the day of the Lord.

Paul explained more about the day of the Lord in his second letter to the Thessalonians, so we will save these details for a later chapter. His emphasis here was simply that the believers were “in the know,” while the unbelievers were living in ignorance of God’s plan. The suddenness of these events will reveal to the world its ignorance of divine truth.

Jesus Christ both unites and divides. Those who have trusted Him as Savior are united in Christ as

God’s children. We are members of His body and “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). When Jesus Christ returns in the air, we shall be “caught up together” (1 Thess. 4:17) never to be separated again.

But Christ is also a divider. “So there was a division among the people because of him” (John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19). Faith in Jesus Christ not only unites us to other believers; it also separates us spiritually from the rest of the world. Jesus said, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). There is a difference between believers who are looking for the Lord’s return and the people of the world; it is this theme that Paul developed in this section.

His purpose was to encourage the believers to live holy lives in the midst of their pagan surroundings. He did this by pointing out the contrasts between believers and unbelievers.

The unsaved world will be enjoying a time of false peace and security just before these cataclysmic events occur. Note carefully the contrast between “they” and “you” (or “us”) throughout this entire section, “they” referring to the unsaved. They will say, “Peace and safety!” but we will say, “Jesus is coming, and judgment is coming!”

The world is caught by surprise because men will not hear God’s Word or heed God’s warning. God warned that the flood was coming, yet only eight people believed and were saved (1 Peter 3:20). Lot warned his family that the city would be destroyed, but they would not listen (Gen. 19:12–14). Jesus warned His generation that Jerusalem would be destroyed (Luke 21:19ff), and this warning enabled believers to escape; but many others perished in the siege.

In fact, Jesus used the flood and the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah as examples (Matt. 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–30). People in those days were going about their regular daily activities—eating, drinking, getting married—and never considering that judgment was around the corner.

Well-meaning people have tried to set dates for our Lord’s return, only to be embarrassed by their failures. However, it is possible to expect His coming without setting a specific time. No “signs” must be fulfilled before He can return for His church.

Christians are “sons of the light” and therefore are not “in the dark” when it comes to future events. Unbelievers ridicule the idea of Christ’s return. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?’” (2 Peter 3:3–4).

More than twenty centuries have come and gone since our Lord gave the promise of His return, and He has not returned yet. This does not mean that God does not keep His promises. It simply means that God does not follow our calendar. “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

Paul compared the coming judgment to “travail upon a woman with child” (1 Thess. 5:3). Even with our modern medical skills, birth pangs are very real and very painful. They accompany the muscle contractions that enable the mother to give birth to the baby. The prophet Isaiah used this same picture when he described the coming “day of the Lord” (Isa. 13:6–13). The early part of this day of the Lord was called “the beginning of sorrows” by the Lord Jesus (Matt. 24:8); and the Greek word translated “sorrows” actually means “birth pangs.”

What truth do Isaiah, Jesus, and Paul teach us? The truth that out of the day of the Lord will come the birth of the kingdom. When God’s judgments are finished, God’s Son will return “with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30). Paul described this event in his second letter to the Thessalonian Christians.

Live expectantly. This does not mean putting on a white sheet and sitting atop a mountain. That is the very attitude God condemned (Acts 1:10–11). But it does mean living in the light of His return, realizing that our works will be judged and that our opportunities for service on earth will end. It means to live “with eternity’s values in view.”

There is a difference between being ready to go to heaven and being ready to meet the Lord. Anyone who has sincerely trusted Christ for salvation is ready to go to heaven. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has taken care of that. But to be ready to meet the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ is quite another matter. Scripture indicates that some believers will not be happy to see Jesus Christ! “And now, little children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28).

Having been a pastor for many years, I have had the sad experience of seeing believers deliberately disobey the Word of God. I recall one young lady who stubbornly chose to marry an unsaved man. When I tried to help her from the Bible, she said, “I don’t care what you say. I don’t care what the Bible says. I’m going to get married!” In the light of Hebrews 13:17, will she be happy at the judgment seat of Christ?

Believers who live in the expectation of the Lord’s return will certainly enjoy a better life than Christians who compromise with the world. At the end of each chapter in this letter, Paul pointed out the practical results of living expectantly. Take time now to review those verses and to examine your heart.

To be sober-minded means to be alert, to live with your eyes open, to be sane and steady. To make the contrast more vivid, Paul pictured two groups of people: one group was drunk and asleep, while the other group was awake and alert. Danger was coming, but the drunken sleepers were unaware of it. The alert crowd was ready and unafraid.

Since we are “sons of the day” we should not live as those who belong to the darkness. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [immorality] and wantonness [indecency], not in strife and envying” (Rom. 13:12–13).

In other words, because “the day” is approaching, it is time to wake up, clean up, and dress up. And when we dress up, we had better put on “the breastplate of faith and love: and for a helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8). Only the “armor of light” (Rom. 13:12) will adequately protect us in these last days before our Lord returns.

The sober-minded believer has a calm, sane outlook on life. He is not complacent, but neither is he frustrated and afraid. He hears the tragic news of the day, yet he does not lose heart. He experiences the difficulties of life, but he does not give up. He knows his future is secure in God’s hands, so he lives each day creatively, calmly, and obediently. Outlook determines outcome, and when your outlook is the uplook, then your outcome is secure.

But the unsaved people of the world are not alert. They are like drunken men, living in a false paradise and enjoying a false security. When the Holy Spirit filled the first Christians at Pentecost, the unsaved people accused the Christians of being drunk (Acts 2:13). In reality, it is the unsaved who are living like drunken men. The sword of God’s wrath hangs over the world, yet people live godless lives, empty lives, and rarely if ever give any thought to eternal matters.

We have met faith, hope, and love before (1 Thess. 1:3). Here they are described as armor to protect us in this evil world. Faith and love are like a breastplate that covers the heart: faith toward God, and love toward God’s people. Hope is a sturdy helmet that protects the mind. The unsaved fix their minds on the things of this world, while dedicated believers set their attention on things above (Col. 3:1–3).

Hope of salvation does not mean the hope that at last we will be saved. A person can know today that he is saved and going to heaven. Paul knew that the Thessalonican believers were saved (1 Thess. 1:4), and he was certain that he and they would meet Christ in the air (1 Thess. 4:17). The person who confidently says, “I know I am saved!” is not exhibiting pride; he is demonstrating faith in God’s Word. First John was written to help us know that we are saved (1 John 5:9–13).

Hope of salvation means “the hope that salvation gives to us.” There are actually three tenses to salvation: (1) past—I have been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin; (2) present—I am being saved from the power and pollution of sin; (3) future—I shall be saved from the very presence of sin when Christ returns. The blessed hope of our Lord’s return is the “hope of salvation.” Unsaved people are without hope (Eph. 2:12). This helps explain why they live as they do: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!”

Paul repeated the word sleep several times in these verses to describe the attitude of the lost world. In the previous paragraph (1 Thess. 4:13–18) Paul used the word to describe the death of the believer. The body goes to sleep and the spirit goes to be with the Lord. But in this section, sleep does not mean death. It means moral indifference and carelessness about spiritual things. Jesus used the word sleep with this meaning in Mark 13:32–37.

Doctors tell us that some people are “morning people,” while others are “evening people.” That is, some people are wide awake before the alarm clock rings. They hit the floor running and never have to yawn or throw cold water in their faces. Others (like myself) wake up slowly—first one eye, then the other—and then gradually shift gears as they move into the day. When it comes to the return of our Lord, we must all be “morning people”—awake, alert, sober, and ready for the dawning of that wonderful new day.

But, for the unsaved crowd, reveling in its drunkenness, the coming of Jesus Christ will mean the end of light and the beginning of eternal darkness.

Believers do not have to fear future judgment because it is not part of God’s appointed plan for us. Will Christians go through the day of the Lord, that awful period of judgment that God will send on the earth? I think not, and verses like 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5: seem to support this. Christians have always gone through tribulation, since this is a part of dedicated Christian living (John 15:18–27; 16:33). But they will not go through the tribulation that is appointed for the godless world.

I realize that good and godly students of the Word disagree on this matter, and I will not make it a test of fellowship or spirituality. But I do believe that the church will be raptured to heaven prior to the tribulation period. Let me share the reasons that have convinced me.

The nature of the church. The church is the body of Christ, and He is the Head (Col. 2:17–19). When He died for us on the cross, He bore for us all the divine judgment necessary for our salvation. He has promised that we shall never taste any of God’s wrath (John 5:24). The day of the Lord is a day of God’s wrath, and it seems unjust and unnecessary that the church should experience it.

The nature of the tribulation. This is the time when God will judge the Gentile nations and also purge Israel and prepare her for the coming of her Messiah. The “earth-dwellers” will taste of God’s wrath (Rev. 3:10) and not those whose citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). God will judge the earth-dwellers for their iniquity (Isa. 26:20–21). But He has already judged believers’ sins on the cross.

The promise of Christ’s imminent return. The word imminent means “ready to happen.” Nothing has to occur for Christ to return, except the calling out of the last person who will be saved and complete the body of Christ. If our Lord did not return for us until the end of the tribulation period, then we would know when He was coming; for the sequence, signs, and times are all spelled out in Revelation 6—19. It is worth noting that the word church is not used in Revelation from 4: to 22:13. Also notice that Paul lived in the expectation of seeing Christ, for he used the pronouns “we” and “us” in discussing this doctrine (1 Thess. 4:13—5:11). The apostle John had this same attitude. He closed his book with the prayer, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

The course of the seven churches in Revelation 2— 3. Many Bible students believe the Lord selected these seven churches to illustrate the spiritual course of church history. Ephesus would be the church of the apostles; Smyrna would be the persecuted church of the early centuries. The last church, Laodicea, represents the apostate church of the last days.

This suggests that the Philadelphia church (Rev. 3:7–13) pictures the weak but faithful church of the period just before Christ returns. It is an evangelistic church with great opportunities and open doors. It is the church that proclaims the soon-coming of Christ (“Thou hast kept the word of my patience,” Rev. 3:10), and to it He has promised deliverance from the day of judgment: “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). This promise parallels the promise of 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

The order of events in 2 Thessalonians 2. Notice that the order Paul uses harmonizes with the order indicated in other prophetic Scriptures.

Paul connected the return of Christ with the redemption He purchased for us on the cross. We are “bought with a price.” We are His bride, and He will come to claim us for Himself before He sends judgment on the earth. Remember that Christ died for us that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9), for Him (2 Cor. 5:15), and with Him (1 Thess. 5:10). Whether we live or die (“wake or sleep”), we are the Lord’s and we shall live with Him.

We must never permit the study of prophecy to become purely academic, or a source of tension or argument. Paul closed this section with the practical application of the prophetic Scriptures: encouragement and edification. The fact that we will meet our loved ones again and forever be with the Lord is a source of encouragement (1 Thess. 4:18), and the fact that we will not endure God’s wrath during the day of the Lord is another source of encouragement (1 Thess. 5:11). The first is positive, and the second is negative, and both are comforting.

The truth of our Lord’s imminent return encourages us to keep clean (1 John 3:1–3) and to do faithfully whatever work He has assigned to us (Luke 12:41–48). It also encourages us to attend church and love the brethren (Heb. 10:25). Knowing that we shall be with the Lord strengthens us in the difficulties of life (2 Cor. 5:1–8) and motivates us to win the lost (2 Cor. 5:9–21).

Many believers have such a comfortable situation here on earth that they rarely think about going to heaven and meeting the Lord. They forget that they must one day stand at the judgment seat of Christ. It helps to hold us up and build us up when we recall that Jesus is coming again.

If you have never trusted Him, then your future is judgment. You needn’t be ignorant, for God’s Word gives you the truth. You needn’t be unprepared, for today you can trust Christ and be born again. Why should you live for the cheap sinful experiences of the world when you can enjoy the riches of salvation in Christ?

If you are not saved, then you have an appointment with judgment. And it may come sooner than you expect, for it is “appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Why not make an “appointment” with Christ, meet Him personally, and trust Him to save you? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

Without leadership, a family falls apart. The father is the head of the home; the mother stands with him in love and cooperation. The children are to obey their parents. This is the order God has laid down, and for us to disturb this order is to ask for serious trouble.

According to Martin L. Gross in his book The Psychological Society, more than sixty thousand guidance workers and seven thousand school psychologists work in our American public education system, and many of them function as substitute parents. Many students need counseling, but no professional worker can take the place of a loving, faithful father or mother.

When our oldest son entered high school, he met his assigned counselor. “Now, if you have any problems, feel free to come to me,” the counselor said. Our son replied, “If I have any problems, I’ll talk to my father!” He was not being disrespectful or unappreciative of the counselor, but he was giving expression of a basic principle: children need the leadership and guidance that only parents can give.

God has ordained leadership for the local church. It is true that we are “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28), but it is also true that the Head of the church has given gifts to people, and then given these people to the churches to exercise His will (Eph. 4:7–16). Just as the flock needs a shepherd (1 Peter 5:1–5), so the family needs a leader.

What responsibilities do the brethren have toward their spiritual leaders?

Accept them. They are God’s gifts to the church. They have spiritual authority from the Lord and we should accept them in the Lord. They are not dictators, but leaders and examples. As they follow the Lord, we must follow them.

Appreciate them. That is the meaning of the exhortation “know them who labor among you” (1 Thess. 5:12). There is nothing wrong with honoring faithful servants of God, so long as God gets the glory. Spiritual leadership is a great responsibility and a difficult task. It is not easy to serve as a pastor, elder, deacon, or other spiritual leader. The battles and burdens are many, and sometimes the encouragements are few. It is dangerous when a church family takes their leaders for granted and fails to pray for them, work with them, and encourage them.

Love them. As brothers, the leaders are “among us,” and as leaders, they are “over us in the Lord.” This could be a very strained relationship apart from true Christian love. For a pastor to be “among” and “over” at the same time demands grace and the power of the Spirit. If he gets out of balance, his ministry will be weakened and possibly destroyed. Some church members want their pastor to be a buddy, but this weakens his authority. On the other hand, if he emphasizes only his authority, he could become a selfish dictator.

Obey them. “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves” (Heb. 13:17). When God’s servant, led by God’s Spirit, calls us to obey God’s Word, then we must obey. This does not mean that every spiritual leader is always right in everything. Abraham, Moses, David, and even Peter made mistakes in their words and deeds. A wise pastor knows he is made of clay and admits when he is wrong or when he needs expert counsel. In my own ministry, I have benefited tremendously from the counsel and help of experienced laymen whose knowledge in many areas was far greater than mine.

But, in spite of their limitations, God’s spiritual leaders should be respected and obeyed—unless it is obvious that they are out of God’s will. As the spiritual leaders of the church meet together, plan, pray, and seek and follow God’s will, we can be sure that God will rule and overrule in the decisions they make.

The result of the church family following the spiritual leaders will be peace and harmony in the church: “And be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thess. 5:13). Whenever you find division and dissension in a local church, it is usually because of selfishness and sin on the part of the leaders, or the members, or both. James 4:1–3 makes it clear that selfishness on the inside leads to strife on the outside. It is only as we submit to one another in the Lord that we can enjoy His blessing, and peace in the family.

But the leaders alone cannot do all of the work of the ministry, so Paul added a second essential.

Paul’s favorite name for believers was brethren. He used it at least sixty times in his letters, and in the two Thessalonian epistles, he used it twenty-seven times. Paul saw the local church as a family. Each member was born again by the Spirit of God and possessed God’s nature (1 Peter 1:22–25; 2 Peter 1:3–4). They all were part of God’s family.

It is tragic when believers neglect or ignore the local church. No family is perfect and no local church is perfect, but without a family to protect him and provide for him, a child would suffer and die. The child of God needs the church family if he is to grow, develop his gifts, and serve God.

What are the essentials for a happy, thriving church family? How can we make our local churches more spiritual to the glory of God? In this closing section, Paul discussed these matters.

In recent years, churches have rediscovered what we are calling “body life.” This is a scriptural concept, though it does not define all that is involved in the ministry of the local church, since there are other pictures of the church besides that of the body. Body life refers to the ministry of each Christian to the others, just as the various members of the human body minister to one another to maintain health and life.

Family members must learn to minister to each other. The older members teach the younger members (see Titus 2:3–5) and encourage them when they are in difficulty. While ministering at a summer Bible conference, my wife and I met a lovely Christian couple who had nine children. It was a delight to see how the older children helped the younger ones, and how the parents were relieved of minor tasks and able to enjoy their leisure time.

According to Ephesians 4:12, the spiritual leaders in the church are supposed to equip the members to do the work of the ministry. In most churches, the members pay the leaders to do the work of the ministry, and the leaders cannot do it all. Consequently, the work begins to weaken and die, and everybody blames the preacher.

Paul named some special family members who need personal help.

The unruly (v. 14a). This word means “careless, out of line.” It was applied to a soldier who would not keep rank but insisted on marching his own way. While the loving atmosphere of the family encourages individual development, there are some things we all must do in the same way. If we do not have rules and standards in the family, we have chaos. Paul dealt with this problem again when he wrote his second epistle to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 3:6, 11), so apparently this first admonition did not impress them.

Rules and traditions in a family must never be so overemphasized that creativity is stifled. As a parent, it is a joy to see each child blossom out with his or her own personality, talents, and ambitions. But it is a sorrow to see a child rebel against the rules, abandon the traditions and standards, and think that this kind of lifestyle shows freedom and maturity. This kind of attitude in the church family causes arguments and splits.

The feebleminded (v. 14b). This term has nothing to do with mentality. The literal translation of the Greek word is “little-souled, fainthearted.” These are the quitters in the church family. They always look on the dark side of things and give up when the going is tough. In families where there are three or more children, usually one of them is a quitter. Every church family has its share of quitters too.

These people need to be encouraged, which is the meaning of the word translated “comfort” in the King James Version. It is also found in 1 Thessalonians 2:11. The Greek word is made up of two words: para, near; and muthos, speech. Instead of scolding the fainthearted from a distance, we must get close to them and speak tenderly. We must teach the “little-souled” that the trials of life will help to enlarge them and make them stronger in the faith.

The weak (v. 14c). “Hold fast to the weak!” is the literal translation. “Don’t let them fall!” But who are these weak believers? Certainly, Paul did not mean people who were weak physically, since he was dealing with the spiritual ministry in the church. No, he was referring to those who were “weak in the faith” and had not grown strong in the Lord (Rom. 14:1—15:3).

Usually, the weak Christians were afraid of their liberty in Christ They lived by rules and regulations. In the Roman assemblies, the weak Christians would not eat meat, and they held to the Jewish system of holy days. They were severe in their judgment of the mature saints who enjoyed all foods and all days.

We have the strong and the weak in our church families today, just as in our natural families we have children who mature faster than others. How should we handle them? With patient, reassuring love. It is unfair and unwise to compare one child with another, for each one matures in his own time and his own way. We must “take hold” of these weaker believers and help them stand and walk in the Lord.

This kind of personal ministry is not easy, and so Paul added some wise counsel to encourage us.

Be patient (v. 14d). It takes patience to raise a family. That weaker member who demands much help may one day be a choice leader, so never give up. A pastor friend and I were chatting after I had spoken at a service in his church, when a red-headed boy about ten years old came running past us, heading up the center aisle. “Have you ever noticed,” remarked my friend, “that the biggest scamps in the Sunday school usually turn out to be pastors or missionaries?” Patience!

Watch your motives (v. 15). Often as we minister to others, they reject us and even oppose us. Often they show no appreciation. But we should always serve in love, and be ready to forgive. “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17–21 nasb).

If your motive is a desire for appreciation and praise, you may be disappointed. If your motive is “ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5), you will never be disappointed.

Be joyful (v. 16). Joy takes the burden out of service. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). God loves a cheerful servant as well as a cheerful giver. Every church family has its Doubting Thomas or its Gloomy Gus. To see them and listen to them is like witnessing an autopsy or diving into a cold lake on a winter’s day. God wants His family to be happy, and that means that each member must contribute to the joy.

The four spiritual characteristics Paul mentioned are part of the fruit of the Spirit named in Galatians 5:22—love (1 Thess. 5:13), joy (1 Thess. 5:16), peace (1 Thess. 5:13), and longsuffering (1 Thess. 5:14). We cannot manufacture these spiritual qualities; they only come as we yield to the Spirit and permit Him to control us.

Family partnership is vital to the health and growth of the church. Are you bearing your share of the burdens, or are you merely a spectator who watches the others do the job?

Worship is the most important activity of a local church family. Ministry must flow out of worship, otherwise it becomes busy activity without power and without heart. There may be “results,” but they will not glorify God or really last. Many church services lack an emphasis on true worship and are more like religious entertainments, catering to the appetites of the congregation.

Paul named the various elements that make up the worship ministry of the church.

Prayer (v. 17). Prayer was important in the early church (1 Cor. 11:1–6; Acts 1:13–14; 4:23ff.). It was a high and holy experience when the church united in prayer. Today we “call someone to lead in prayer,” and we have no idea whether that believer is even in fellowship with God. In some churches, there are two or three people who monopolize the prayer meeting. If we are led by the Spirit (Jude 20), we will experience unity and freedom in our praying, and God will answer.

“Pray without ceasing” does not mean we must always be mumbling prayers. The word means “constantly recurring,” not continuously occurring. We are to “keep the receiver off the hook” and be in touch with God so that our praying is part of a long conversation that is not broken. God knows the desires of the heart (Ps. 37:4), and He responds to those desires even when our voice is silent. See Psalms 10:17; 21:2.

Praise (v. 18). Thanksgiving is also a vital element of worship. We use “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19) to express our love and gratitude to the Lord. As we grow in our application of the Word of God, we must also grow in our expression of praise, for the two go together (Col. 3:16). If a local church is “growing in grace” the members will want to learn new hymns in order to give praise to God. If the heart and head do not keep pace with each other, Christian worship becomes either juvenile or hypocritical.

The Word of God (vv. 19–21). Apart from God’s Word, we have no certain revelation from the Lord. Worship that ignores the Bible is not spiritual. There may be emotion—and even commotion—but unless there is spiritual truth, the Holy Spirit is not at work. The three admonitions in these verses go together and help us understand how the Holy Spirit works in Christian worship.

The early church did not have a completed Bible as we do. The Holy Spirit gave the gift of prophecy to certain members of the church and would speak the message through them. When I preach in a church service, I preach the truth immediately by means of the Bible. These early prophets preached the truth immediately as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Their spiritual knowledge was given to them by the Spirit, and often they spoke in a tongue. This is why the three gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are grouped together in 1 Corinthians 13.

Of course, there are dangers in this kind of ministry, because Satan (or the flesh) could seek to counterfeit a message from God, and thus lead the church astray. If the church restrained the speakers, they might be guilty of quenching the Spirit. If they believed all that was spoken, they might be obeying false spirits. The answer was to “prove all things.” There must be a discerning of the spirits (1 Cor. 12:10; 1 John 4:1–4). Paul gave specific rules for this in 1 Corinthians 14:29–33.

Today, we have a completed revelation in the Word of God and there is no need for prophets. The apostles and prophets helped lay the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20) and have now passed from the scene. The only “prophetic ministry” we have is in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.

In using the word quench, Paul pictured the Spirit of God as fire (see Isa. 4:4; Acts 2:3; Rev. 4:5). Fire speaks of purity, power, light, warmth, and (if necessary) destruction. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and churches, we have a warmth of love in our hearts, light for our minds, and energy for our wills. He “melts us together” so that there is harmony and cooperation, and He purifies us so that we put away sin.

The fire of the Spirit must not go out on the altar of our hearts; we must maintain that devotion to Christ that motivates and energizes our lives.

“Stir up the gift of God which is in thee,” Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 1:6), and the verb means “stir the fire again into life.” Apparently Timothy had been neglecting this gift (1 Tim. 4:14) and had to be reminded. The believer, and the local assembly, must avoid extremes: the legalist and formalist would put the fire out, while the fanatic would permit the fire to burn everything up.

It is important that we permit the Spirit of God to teach us the Word of God when we meet to worship. “Sharing” is good if you have something relevant to share from the Word, but I have listened to some “sharing meetings” that were not only unspiritual, but antispiritual. “Apt to teach” requires that we be “apt to learn.” Beware of a false spirit that can lead you and your church astray. Follow the Word of God and prove all things.

Godly living (vv. 22–24). The purpose of worship is that we might become more like Christ in character and conduct. The greatest definition of worship I ever read was given by William Temple, a late Archbishop of Canterbury: “For to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open up the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”

Paul emphasized balance in Christian living: the negative—“Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22) and the positive—“And the very God of peace sanctify you” (1 Thess. 5:23). Some churches only preach the negative, and this leads to lives and ministries that are out of balance. Sanctify simply means “set apart for God’s exclusive use.” There is positional sanctification (Heb. 10:10); we have once and for all been set apart for God. There is also practical sanctification (2 Cor. 7:1), a daily dealing with our sins and a growth in holiness. All of this will culminate in perfect sanctification (1 John 3:2), when we see Christ and become eternally like Him. Expecting to see Jesus Christ is a great motivation for holy living.

Christian fellowship (vv. 25–28). After the corporate worship is ended, the saints minister to one another. They greet one another and seek to encourage. I have been in churches where the congregation escaped like rats leaving a sinking ship. Fellowship is a part of worship.

The “holy kiss” was not a sensual thing. Usually the men kissed the men, and the women kissed the women (see Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14). Often when ministering on mission fields, I have had the saints greet me in this way, and I have never been offended or suspicious. J. B. Phillips in his paraphrase solved the problem by saying, “Give a handshake all around among the brotherhood.”

T H E S S A L O N I A N S2Paul ended with another reminder that the Word of God is the important thing in the local church. The Word must govern our conduct and guide our lives. We are to read the Word personally, but we also need to hear the Word in the fellowship of the local church, for the one experience helps balance the other.

2 Thessalonians Key theme: The church and the day of the Lord Key verses: 2 Thessalonians 2:1–2

A. Praise—1:1–4 B. Promise—1:5–10 C. Prayer—1:11–12 A. How the man of sin appears—2:1–7

B. How the Son of God appears—2:8–12 C. How the child of God should live— 2:13–17

A. Obey the Word—3:1–6 B. Follow our example—3:7–9 C. Discipline the unruly—3:10–15

D. Closing benediction—3:16–18