1Thes 5

Enlightenment that enlightens

• Labor pains, night, a thief: Where do all these metaphors come from? [From prophecies of Jesus himself about the last days, before he will come in glory and power to be seen by all on judgment day, cf Mt 24]
• v4: As this church was commended for being watchful, why did Paul address the subject at all? [Like in ch1, their good example may have served to explain the ‘secret’ behind the success – to them and later generations]

• vv5-7 make statements about the Christian’s ‘identity’: How?
• What does it mean to be ‘children of light’, and to ‘belong to the day’, v6?
  • Why of light, and not just with light? Jn 1:4,9; 8:12 [Rather than suggesting that we can or should find out who we are by focusing on ourselves, the Bible wants you to ponder who you are from – because in antiquity, this determined to whom you belonged, and thereby your privileges and your allegiance to whom you owed obedience]
  • Hint: What does it mean to be of darkness? cf Jn 8:12,43-44 [When speaking about ‘identity’ in this sense, also Jesus focused not on any presumed lack of ‘self-esteem’, but on the aspect of who ‘procreated’ us and who therefore owns us: Thus, Jesus used vv43-44 not to feed ‘self-esteem’, but to expose spiritual pride]

• How are faith and love a ‘breastplate’?
  • Why will ‘faith’ without love (or love without faith) leave the heart vulnerable? cf 2Pet 1:7-9
• Why is hope of salvation a helmet (and not a crutch)?
  • Do vv9-11 explain how we are supposed to find and ‘put on’ hope that protects the sanity of reason?
  • Speaking of salvation, what aspect(s) did Paul mean: Salvation from condemnation (past), from the power of sin (present), or from the presence of sin (future)?
  • Should Christians hope that God decreed salvation from all of these aspects?
• v10 has three interpretations what Paul may have meant by sleep: 1.Literal (1Th 2:9;3:10); 2. a spiritual state of those who are called to be awakened to live with Christ (v6); 3.Those who sleep (in Christ) after they have died (1Th 4:13-14). Which of these is likely the encouragement referred to by v11?

• vv12-13 begin with respect and esteem for leaders: On what basis? cf v14 [Because of their work, not rank]; 1Th 2:10-12; Phil 2:20-22; 1Cor 16:10-11; 1Tim 4:12-16; Tit 2:15 [Based on actual authority that comes from visible progress in the Christian life and as a teacher, 1Tim 4:15]
  • Are these verses a blank check for clerical and pastoral staff to not be questioned? Why or why not? cf Phil 2:21; Gal 2:14
  • How does one ‘highly esteem in love’?
• Who is addressed by vv14-15?
  • How can they ‘see to it’ that Christians under their care ‘behave’ like that?
  • …is it only about behavior?
  • Since leaders cannot force anyone to ‘seek to do good…’, how else are they supposed to see to this? [=> Prayer, s. below]

• What helps (or hinders) you to pray with such ‘constancy’?
• v16 is probably the shortest of all commandments and yet the least obeyed: How can this begin to shape your prayers, and from there your life and then how you lead others? cf Jn 14:23; 15:11; 17:13
• v18: As this is the ‘will of God in Christ for you’, how does God make it happen? cf Zech 4:6 =>

• v20: How do people despise (real) prophecies (gr. propheteias, fem. pl.)? cf 2Pet 1:19-21; 1Pet 1:12,25; Heb 3:12
• v21: …all (gr. panta, adj., neutr.), on the other hand (gr. de, not all manuscripts) test/try/prove (gr. dokimazete)…: ESV translates the ‘de’ as ‘but’, as if it were a caveat to test prophecies, and to only retain the ‘good’ (v22). By contrast, ISV translates: ‘Instead, test everything…’. KJV: ‘…; prove everything…’ (since ‘de’ in Greek often simply indicates a new sentence): What difference does it make?
  • Hint: Are we supposed to examine prophecies, or are (real) prophecies the means by which we examine all? [Hint: Grammatically, the genders of panta and propheteias do not correspond]
  • What else does the context (v22) ask us to test instead ? [Enlightened by the true prophetic word of God, 2Pet 1:19, test everything in life in order to do good and abstain from all evil, cf Jn 8:12]
  • v23: In God’s design, what then are prophecies for?
  • Is v24 such a prophecy? How so?

• Do you think of yourself as ‘belonging to the day’? Why, and what difference does it make for you?
• Several topics that are treated elsewhere individually in more depth (e.g. spiritual armor, Eph 6) are covered here together in one breath: Our preparedness, respect for godly leaders, their prayers for those under their care, appreciation of prophecy (dependence on the living word of God), and its effect to separate us from evil). What is the effect of hearing about these things as all being linked to each other?
• What are the strongest or weakest links in this bond that holds believers together in holy unity in your church community?
• How can you build up one another to strengthen this bond?