1 Thessalonians 5

Setting the scene

Who wrote it: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy
Who it was for: The church in Thessalonica
What was happening: The day of the Lord comes like a thief, so stay awake, and a quick list of how to live together

Read the full background in the book overview

What’s happening

About the times and seasons, they do not need anything written, for they themselves know well that "the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, 'Peace and safety,' then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape." But they, brothers, are not in darkness so that the day should overtake them like a thief; they are all sons of light and sons of the day. "So then let's not sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do." Then a series of quick instructions: respect those who labor among them and are over them in the Lord and admonish them, and esteem them exceedingly highly in love for their work's sake; be at peace among themselves. "Admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all men. Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. Don't quench the Spirit. Don't despise prophecies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil." Paul's prayer: "May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, who will also do it." Brothers, pray for us; greet all the brothers with a holy kiss; Paul charges them by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."

Why the setting matters

The "day of the Lord" is a phrase from the prophets (Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1) for God's decisive intervention, and Jesus himself said the Son of Man would come "like a thief" (Matthew 24:43). The people saying "peace and safety" echo Roman propaganda, which advertised the Pax Romana (Roman peace and security); Paul says it will end suddenly. The imagery of sleeping and waking, night and day, drunk and sober moves from the end of the age to everyday vigilance. The "breastplate of faith and love" and "helmet of the hope of salvation" are an earlier version of the armor image later used in Ephesians 6. The list of quick instructions in 5:12-22 is one of the best short summaries of church life in the New Testament. "The disorderly" (ataktoi) were those out of line, probably including those not working (see 4:11 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12). "Spirit, soul, and body" in 5:23 is sometimes taken as three parts of a person, but many read it as a way of saying "the whole person," using three words for emphasis. "Don't despise prophecies, test all things" shows early church life included prophecy and that it had to be weighed. Paul's charge to read the letter "to all the brothers" suggests it was meant for the whole community, including those who might not have heard it.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Paul

Gives a quick set of instructions and a prayer.

The believers in Thessalonica

Sons of light and of the day.

The leaders

"Those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord."

The Lord Jesus

Who comes like a thief in the night, and died for us.

Talk it through

Paul says the day of the Lord comes like a thief, and also that believers are "not in darkness." How can both be true?
"Always rejoice, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything." How could someone live this out in an ordinary week?
"Test all things; hold fast to what is good." How can a church practice this?
Paul charges them to read the letter to all the brothers. What does that say about the role of letters in the early church?

Read 1 Thessalonians 5

World English Bible

¹But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. ²For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. ³For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape. ⁴But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. ⁵You are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, ⁶so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. ⁸But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ¹¹Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do. ¹²But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, ¹³and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake.

Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all. ¹⁵See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all.

¹⁶Always rejoice. ¹⁷Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. ¹⁹Don’t quench the Spirit. ²⁰Don’t despise prophecies. ²¹Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it. ²⁵Brothers, pray for us. ²⁶Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. ²⁷I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources

Key words

chrónos · times
"But concerning the times and the seasons" (5:1).
kairós · season, appointed time
"And the seasons" (5:1).
akribōs · accurately, carefully
"For you yourselves know well" (5:2).
kléptēs · thief
"Comes like a thief in the night" (5:2, 5:4).
nýx · night
"In the night" (5:2, 5:5, 5:7).
eirēnē · peace
"Peace and safety" and "be at peace among yourselves" (5:3, 5:13, 5:23).
asphaleía · safety
"Peace and safety" (5:3).
aiphnídios · sudden
"Then sudden destruction will come on them" (5:3).
ólethros · destruction
"Sudden destruction" (5:3).
ōdín · birth pains
"As birth pains on a pregnant woman" (5:3).
ekphéugō · escape
"And they will in no way escape" (5:3).
skótos · darkness
"But you, brothers, aren't in darkness" (5:4-5).
phōs · light
"You are all sons of light" (5:5).
huiós · son
"Sons of light and sons of the day" (5:5).
hēméra · day
"The day of the Lord" and "sons of the day" (5:2, 5:5, 5:8).
néphō · be sober
"Let's watch and be sober" (5:6, 5:8).
grēgoreō · to keep watch, stay awake
"But let's watch" (5:6, 5:10).
katheúdō · sleep
"So then let's not sleep" (5:6-7, 5:10).
methýō · be drunk
"And those who are drunken" (5:7).
thṓrax · breastplate
"The breastplate of faith and love" (5:8).
perikephalaía · helmet
"For a helmet, the hope of salvation" (5:8).
peripoíēsis · obtaining
"To the obtaining of salvation" (5:9).
sōtēria · salvation, deliverance
"The hope of salvation" (5:8-9).
oikodomeō · to build up
"And build each other up" (5:11).
kopiáō · to labor, to toil, to grow weary
"Those who labor among you" (5:12).
proístēmi · be over
"And are over you in the Lord" (5:12).
noutheteō · warn
"And admonish you" and "admonish the disorderly" (5:12, 5:14).
hēgéomai · esteem
"And to esteem them exceedingly" (5:13).
átaktos · disorderly
"Admonish the disorderly" (5:14).
oligópsychos · faint-hearted
"Encourage the faint-hearted" (5:14).
antéchomai · support
"Support the weak" (5:14).
asthenḗs · weak, sick
"The weak" (5:14).
makrothyméō · to be patient, to be slow to anger
"Be patient toward all" (5:14).
antapodídōmi · repay
"See that no one returns evil for evil" (5:15).
diṓkō · to pursue, to persecute
"But always follow after that which is good" (5:15).
chara · joy
"Always rejoice" (5:16).
adialeíptōs · without ceasing
"Pray without ceasing" (5:17).
proseuchē · prayer
"Pray without ceasing" (5:17, 5:25).
eucharisteō · to give thanks
"In everything give thanks" (5:18).
sbénnymi · quench
"Don't quench the Spirit" (5:19).
pneuma · spirit, breath, wind
"The Spirit" and "your whole spirit" (5:19, 5:23).
exoutheneō · to despise, to treat as nothing
"Don't despise prophecies" (5:20).
prophēteía · prophecy
"Prophecies" (5:20).
dokimázō · to test, to approve
"Test all things" (5:21).
katéchō · hold fast
"Hold firmly that which is good" (5:21).
eîdos · appearance, sight
"Abstain from every form of evil" (5:22).
ponērós · evil, wicked
"Of evil" (5:22).
hagiazō · to make holy, to hallow
"May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely" (5:23).
holotelḗs · completely
"Completely" (5:23).
holóklēros · whole
"Your whole spirit, soul, and body" (5:23).
psychē · soul, life
"Spirit, soul, and body" (5:23).
sôma · body
"And body" (5:23).
tēreō · to keep, to guard, to obey
"Be preserved blameless" (5:23).
améptōs · blameless
"Blameless at the coming" (5:23).
pistós · faithful
"Faithful is he who calls you" (5:24).
aspazomai · to greet
"Greet all the brothers" (5:26).
phílēma · kiss
"With a holy kiss" (5:26).
adelphós · brothers
"Brothers, pray for us" (5:25-27).
anaginṓskō · read
"That this letter be read" (5:27).
epistolḗ · letter
"This letter" (5:27).

See all word studies

Cross-references

Matthew 24:42-44, the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect
Ephesians 6:10-17, the whole armor of God, with the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation
Romans 12:9-21, let love be genuine; do not repay evil for evil
Isaiah 59:17, he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation

Also linked by other readers

Romans 12:12, from 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Ephesians 5:20, from 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Colossians 4:2, from 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Ranked by reader votes: OpenBible.info Cross References, CC BY. About our sources