I THESSALONIANS 5:12-28

verses 12-15 “His cryptic, almost abrupt style in this section may have been intended to bring them back from considerations of the future to the realities of their immediate responsibilities.” (Constable)  It is a sad fact that groups of Christians who become fixated on discerning God's future timetable sometimes ignore God's will in their lives in the here and now.

verse 12 When A. Smith says, “The persons 'who have charge of you' are functionaries and perhaps patrons, but not officeholders,” he is expressing a minority position. Thus, Cousins considers both descriptions to refer to the elders in the church. He notes that the phrase “in the Lord” provides “the sole ground and limiting extent of authority in the church.” Constable goes even further in pointing out that a plurality of elders in each congregation is clearly indicated here. And F.F. Bruce says that “those over you” refers to church leaders such as pastors, elders, and bishops. On the other hand, Elias interprets the role as neither a specified church office nor a wealthy benefactor. “They have a leadership function, not in a hierarchical sense...but as servants of the church...drawn mainly from the working class, with leaders emerging largely on the basis of their gifts and ability.” Obviously, the last word on this matter has not yet been heard.

verse 13 Mann points out a parallel between this verse and Mark 9:50. The latter has been interpreted as follows: “We have an exhortation to the disciples to hold fast to peace in themselves thereby securing peace among themselves.” The Greek word translated “most highly” is very similar to one meaning “most earnestly.” (Cousins) Boring states that since the word for “work” is in the singular, it refers to “one's life as a whole, and not individual deeds.”

verse 14 Some translate otakous as idlers, but it means “those who are disorderly” or “out of order.” It was apparently a military term and may be somewhat akin to a person who was AWOL. The translation “idler” may have been suggested by reference to II Thessalonians 3:11. (Smith)   On the other hand, Milligan explains that in later Greek it was applied to those with “idle and careless habits.” Sometimes we in the church tend to admonish the fainthearted and encourage the disorderly instead. The word translated as fainthearted literally means “small-souled” or “the little people.” (Elias)   The weak may be those weak in faith (as in Romans 14) or those who are morally weak.

Verse 16 The “rejoice” phrase is almost identical to that appearing in Philippians 4:4.

verse 17 As a good discussion question, ask how it is possible to pray without ceasing. Constant prayers also appear in 1:2.

verse 18 The pronoun “this” in the verse probably refers to prayer, rejoicing and thanksgiving, according to Cousins.

verse 19 There is some disagreement among scholars as to the meaning of this verse:

    “Quench” may refer to discouraging the exercise of spiritual gifts, but more likely means a warning against any immoral conduct which could hinder the work of the Spirit. (Cousins)

    Bruce considers v. 20 to explain v. 19, and thus to refer to the prophetic gifts.

    Harrison says that this verse refers back to the tongues of fire in Acts 2:3. Thus, no particular gift of the Spirit is in mind, but all of them.

verse 21 Barth and Blanke refer the reader to additional verses about discerning the will of God, such as Galatians 6:4; Romans 12:2; and Philippians 1:10. There is certainly a desperate need in today's church for more discernment among the members. Unfortunately, few are taught how to think for themselves and critically weigh opinions and information. We tend to just go with the crowd or some authority figure without questioning.

verse 22 Look at my post entitled “I Thessalonians 5:22: 'Abstain from every appearance of evil.'”

verse 23 “Sanctify you wholly” means “bring to completion the work of sanctification already begun” according to F.F. Bruce.

“'Spirit and soul and body' refer to three distinctive vantage points for viewing the human person, not three distinctive parts of the human person.” (A. Smith) These three terms represent “the different aspects of personhood he wished to emphasize.” (Constable) It is noteworthy that in II Corinthians 7:1 Paul mentions only body and spirit (also found in James 2:26). And in Hebrews 4:12, the author talks about the Word of God separating the soul from the spirit. In addition, “body and soul” is the pair found in Matthew 10:28. Thus, Bruce rightly states that this verse should not be “interpreted as a formal tripartite doctrine of human nature.” Finally, Chamblin says, “Far from dissecting the person, Paul expresses the hope that believers may, by God's sanctifying work, be saved from disintegration preserved as whole beings.”

Cousins feels that “peace in this verse is not the same as the peace of verse 13 but refers instead to prosperity and security.” I am not at all sure that I would agree with that assessment. For example, Ellingworth says that “peace” implies God's actions for the salvation of the whole person, and there is no reference to dissension within the community (which is yet another interpretation). A possible parallel is found in Hebrews 13:20.

verses 23,28 “Peace” and “grace” end the letter just as “grace and peace” (1:2b) opened it.

verse 24 “Calls” is in a verb form that suggests the call by God is on-going.

verse 25 Of the sixteen appearances of “brothers” in this letter, only here is it given the emphatic opening position in a sentence.

verse 26 A holy kiss (also in Romans 16:16) “symbolizes the congregation's distinctive love for the believers.” (A. Smith) All the other NT references to a kiss as a greeting within the congregation refer to the members so greeting one another. (Furnish) This is by no means a reference to an erotic kiss, but is probably the equivalent of saying “hug them for me” or “convey my best wishes to them.”

verse 27 Cousins: “It is difficult to explain the severity (unparalleled in the New Testament) of Paul's language without knowing more of the circumstances.” Similarly, Bruce says, “It is not clear why Paul so solemnly puts the recipients on oath to read the letter to every member of the community.” In any case, it is obvious that he felt that everyone should hear and carefully heed its message.