A number of separate exhortations and instructions, strung together like those in Romans 12 and Col. 3; with a final prayer and benediction and salutation, constitute the closing portion of 1 Thess. 5. These brief and terse utterances of the Holy Spirit are greatly worth our attention and study--and, shall we add, of our wholehearted obedience. Let us look at them.

      1. First he beseeches them fervently to give due regard and recognition "to them that labor among you and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you"--that is, the preachers and teachers and the elders of the church. These are to be esteemed "exceeding highly for their work's sake." If such workers are not duly respected and held in honor they cannot do their work: they will lose their boldness and their teaching will carry no weight. There is a false honor given to the "clergy," as though they were in a class above the common people (the "laity"). The word of God recognizes no such distinction. All Christians stand on the same level and footing before the Lord. But some have this special work, and are to be highly esteemed for this their work's sake. But they are not "Reverends," nor Church Dignitaries, or "Princes of the Church." They are simply Christians, children of God, like all the rest. No one is to be called "Rabbi," or "Father," or "Master"--for only God is our Father, Christ alone is our Rabbi and Master, and all we are brethren. (Matt. 23:8-10.) But the teacher and preacher is clothed with the dignity and authority of the Word which he proclaims; and the elders are charged with the oversight of the flock. Therefore they must be held in [31] honor and respect. "Let no man despise thee," said Paul to Timothy--an admonition preachers and teachers do well to regard; lest by their life and conduct they bring reproach and contempt on their work. It happens occasionally that parents criticise and speak slightingly of a preacher in the hearing of the children. This is fatal. The children who hear such talk will not seriously listen to the preaching of the word of God and may even grow up in contempt of the church. If preachers, teachers, or elders are blameworthy let them be brought to account and the case hand led by the brethren in an orderly and righteous way. But all who truly and faithfully labor in the word and doctrine are to be held in highest esteem for their work's sake.

      2. "Be at peace among yourselves." This was Christ's word to His disciples in Mark 9:50, where He connects it with the "salt." And surely nothing can more effectively rob the salt of its savor as the disruption of peace among the people of God. They must "give diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:3.)

      3. The next exhortation (1 Thess. 5:14) is somewhat startling. We are inclined to think of the New Testament churches--especially such good churches as Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus--as being perfect. But here we see them beset by the same frailties and deficiencies as those found in the churches today. Things did not run so smoothly in those early churches. There were then, as now, some "disorderly" brethren; some "fainthearted"; some "weak"; and any of the brethren may have had such faults as would require the "longsuffering" of the rest. Paul addresses the rank and file of the Christians; but here he has in mind those who were of the more spiritual sort (Gal. 5:1). He tells them what to do with reference to their weaker brethren. The disorderly should be admonished (later he orders withdrawal of fellowship in such cases, 2 Thess. 3:6); the fainthearted are to be encouraged; the weak are to be supported; and toward all they should exercise longsuffering. Think of the mutual care and love and watchfulness over one another implied in this!

      4. (V. 15.) The "old man," though judicially nailed to the cross of Christ, and delivered over to death (Rom. 6:3, 4, 6) constantly seeks to assert himself; and in nothing more so than in the desire for retaliation. When anyone has injured me, I feel a strong impulse to "get even" with him--to pay him back, and do to him as he has done to me or worse. But in us the new Christ-nature must rule (1 Peter 2:21-23), and the passions of the "old man" must be put to death. (Col. 3:5f.) Especially if someone in the church has wronged or insulted us (which may sometimes happen) the "flesh" will rise up in hot resentment and indignation. It is then that the grace of God must prevail, and by the Spirit we must put to death "the deeds of the body" (Rom. 8:13), and the Christian finds out that he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him. (Phil. 4:13.)

      5. (Verses 16, 17, 18.) Here are three injunctions: "Rejoice [32] always"; (2) "Pray without ceasing"; (3) "In everything give thanks." As to the first of these--the question rises immediately--"How can we do that?" not by forcing it, certainly, nor by putting on false smiles. The secret of the Christian's joy is revealed in Phil. 3:1 and 4:4--he is to "rejoice in the Lord." It is in Him that we find the reason for our joy; as He also is the Source of it. (Comp. Ps. 4:7; 43:4; Hab. 3:17, 18.) The next exhortation is to constant, persevering prayer; and the third to thanksgiving. Naturally we would limit the "everything" for which we should give thanks to good things, things that are welcome and which make us happy. Yet, in the light of Rom. 8:28, the Christian can literally give thanks in everything. If Joseph, for instance, had known the end of his career from the beginning he could have thanked God for the worst things that befell him. And the Christian can be thankful in sorrow and suffering, and rejoice "in tribulations also." "For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward." Let that apply not to v. 18 alone but to all three of these verses (16, 17, 18).

      6. Again, the next three exhortations go together. "Quench not the Spirit: despise not prophesyings; prove all things, hold fast that which is good." (Verses 19, 20, 21.) The first of these, in this connection, has reference to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the extraordinary "gifts." (For fullest discussion of this, see 1 Cor. 12, 13, 14.) As with all the gifts of God, these gifts would be increased by use, or lost by neglect and misuse. "Stir up [lit. "stir into flame"] the gift of God which is in thee through the laying on of my hands," Paul writes to Timothy. And in the next verse he suggests that it might be quenched by timidity and cowardice. (2 Tim. 1:6, 7.) One of those "spiritual gifts" was the gift of prophecy. It headed the list of them all, for value and benefit. (1 Cor. 14:1f. The gift of "tongues" was last and least, and not to be exercised in the assembly at all unless there was someone there to interpret.) But the gift of prophecy did not rank with the "inspiration" of the apostles and other inspired messengers. It was limited, and often mingled with the speaker's own thoughts; also easily counterfeited. It had to be tested (see "the discerning of spirits," 1 Cor. 12:10) and checked up on. There was danger therefore that the gift as a whole might come to be disregarded by Christian people. Hence the apostle's admonition, "Despise not prophesyings." But everything was to be tested and tried by the standards of known truth, and only what was "good" was to be retained. Although miraculous gifts have ceased, these admonitions apply to us today. We can lose the zeal and fervor, the ardent faith, and the love which is of the Spirit, by neglect and disuse, and thus "quench the Spirit." And we, like the Thessalonian brethren, must always test everything we hear by the Scriptures.

      7. Finally this admonition that we abstain from evil in every form and in whatever shape and guise it may seek to entice us. The King James Version has, "Abstain from all appearance of evil"--a [33] much-needed caution which is covered elsewhere. (See Rom. 12:17, last clause.) But here he warns against all evil, whatever form and appearance it may wear.

A FINAL PRAYER

      Brief but wonderful is the final benedictory prayer in 1 Thess. 5. It has two petitions. The first is for entire sanctification: "and the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly." Every Christian is "sanctified" when he is "justified"--i. e. when he becomes a Christian, a child of God. (1 Cor. 6:11.) But this work of God (as every other) is also progressive and must be realized and perfected. (2 Cor. 7:1; Heb. 12:14.) But though this is our charge, it is also God's work. (1 Thess. 3:12, 13; 2 Thess. 3:3-5.) Sanctification is finally perfected when we stand perfect before God, and presented before Him without blemish in exceeding joy. (1 Pet. 5:10; Jude 24.) For we shall be like Him when He shall appear. (1 John 3:2.) And every one who has this hope set on Him, begins right here and now to purify himself even as He is pure. (1 John 3:3.) Should a Christian have any lower aim and purpose?

      The second petition looks forward again to the Lord's coming: "and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Not, as in the King James Version, preserved "unto the coming of Christ," but "at" the coming of Christ. Here is the analysis of the human being: we consist of "spirit, soul, and body." These three are the essential constituent parts of a complete man. All three are frequently referred to, and spoken of, throughout the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. Here, too, is a battleground of controversialists, and many theories and strange doctrines have centered about these items. Especially the soul of man has been a subject of questionings and disputings. The body, and even the spirit of man is more easily defined--but what is the soul? Trace the word by means of a concordance; if possible also in the original Hebrew and Greek ("nephesh" and "psyche) and we shall at first sight be amazed at the wide range of meaning this word carries, and the many senses in which it is employed. This is not the place to go into a discussion of this theme. Sufficient for our purpose here is the recognition that man consists of spirit, soul, and body. The apostle's prayer is that in all these parts we may be preserved entire and without blame at the coming of Christ. There is such a thing as "the destruction of the flesh," in the case of a sinful Christian, "that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (1 Cor. 5:5.) Again, there is a warning against fornication, as being peculiarly the sin which affects the body (1 Cor. 6; see esp. verses 13-20). There is also a future "redemption of the body" (Rom. 8:23) which will be in the day of "the revealing of the sons of God." Great is the mystery, profound the depth of meaning, which is back of these words. Yet the point and purport of this prayer cannot be misunderstood: it is for our perfect sanctification, complete final salvation! [34]

      Thus far it has been a prayer--not merely a pious wish, but a true prayer. Now, however, the apostle (and do not forget that he speaks by the Holy Spirit, and that it is the Spirit that speaks through him) adds a word of confident assurance--startling in its positiveness and certainty: "Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it." (Note the same promise in 1 Cor. 1:8, 9.) Our hope is based--not on our faithfulness, though that is all-important in its place--but on God's faithfulness. Our trust is not in the "perseverance of the saints," but in the perseverance of the Savior.

      Now a few parting injunctions, and the benediction "Brethren pray for us." How the apostle craved the prayers of the Christians! How much must depend on our prayers one for another! (See Eph. 6:18-20: Col. 2:2-4.) "Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss." This was the customary expression of affectionate friendship (comp. Luke 7:45)--as it still is in some places, and not unknown among Christians and quite common among members of a family. But our general custom in greeting is the handshake. The apostle certainly did not mean to institute a church--ordinance of "the holy kiss" (as some have thought) but rather to emphasize the character and sacred meaning of our common greeting, whatever its customary form may be. Then he solemnly adjures them by the Lord "that this epistle be read unto all the brethren." The words of this epistle are precious, and not to be forgotten. These are words of the Holy Spirit, words of our Lord Jesus Christ to us through His ambassador. They must be read--not once, but again and again, and always, so long as there is a church, all through the centuries, in the churches, and by Christians privately or in social meetings; by us also. And not read only, but received into the heart, believed, treasured, obeyed. With greater reason than Moses can we say, "It is no vain thing for you, because it is your life." (Deut. 32:47.)

      The brief salutation, which (as he tells us in the second epistle, 2 Thess. 3:17, 18) is the token in his own hand-writing in his every epistle, concludes this great epistle "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

      "The Day of the Lord," always, in the Old Testament and in the New, is the Day of Wrath and Retribution when the Lord rises up to execute judgment upon the guilty world. It is therefore also called "the great and terrible day." It comes upon the world "as a thief"--"suddenly" and "as a snare." (Luke 21:34, 35.) It is not to come so upon Christ's own. Mark the change of the personal pronoun throughout this whole passage (1 Thess. 5:2-10.) "They"--the sinful, God-rejecting world--they are overtaken by that Day: "sudden destruction" comes upon them, and they shall in no wise escape. Then comes the contrast: "Ye, brethren"--that day shall not "overtake you as a thief"--"for God appointed us not unto wrath." Christ's people will not share in the terrors of that Day. They will "prevail to escape" and to "stand before the Son of man." [35]

[FST 31-36]