1 Thessalonians 5

B. THE DAY OF THE LORD. 5:1-11 1. The Rules. 5:1-22 2. The Reassurances. 5:23-24 3. The Requests. 5:25-28

1. The Coming of the Day of the Lord. 5:1-5
2. The Conduct of Christians. 5:6-10
3. The Conclusion. 5:11

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

1. The Coming of the Day of the Lord. 5:1-5 Ch.4:13-18 were instructions concerning the dead, in these verses 5:1-11 Paul instructs concerning the living, each section ends with an exhortation to comfort each other.

V.1 a) Seasons - No need to Pen.

I. They had no need of Paul explaining the time of the day of the Lord, for they knew no one knows that day or hour. Acts 1:7; Mark 13:32-37; Matt.24:36, 42-43 II. “ Times” refer to Chronological dates and periods, “ seasons” refer to the Characteristics and qualities of periods.

III. God has not given us the specific time and season of the day of the Lord, but He has given us many signs that would occur before the day of the Lord. Matt.16:1-4; Luke 21:7-33 note v.28 and 31.

V.2 b) Snatching - Away not Predictive.

I. The Day of the Lord is:

1. The Day of Redemption. Eph.4:30
2. The Day of Jesus Christ. Phil.1:6
3. The Day of God. 2.Pe 3:12
4. The Last Day. John 6:39
5. The Great Day. Jude 6 II. The Day of the Lord is a day when God begins to judge His enemies, it culminates with Christ’ s 2nd coming that ends the great tribulation..

III. That Day will come as a thief, a thief gives no warnings and is careful that he will not be discovered. This proves that all the attempts to determine the day, the year, or the century of His coming, must be wrong.

IV. “ Night” - For some nations it will be night, others morning, midday and evening during His coming.

V.3 c) Suddenly - As in labour Pains.

I. “ You” refer to the Thessalonian believers, “ they” refer to the unbelievers.

II. When the world sees peace and security then the tribulation period begins. Deu.29:18-20 III. Antichrist will make a peace covenant with many for 7 years but will break the covenant and bring destruction upon the world. Dan.9:27 The world will think it is entering the Millennium, but in reality, it will be entering the great tribulation.

IV. The unbelievers will not escape.

1. They will try to hide in the caves. Rev.7:15-17 2. They will die through - A. Natural catastrophes. Rev.7:13-14; 11:13; 16:18-21; 18:21 B. Wars. Rev.6:4, 7-8; 9:13-19; 14:20; 19:11-21 C. Starvation. Rev.6:5-8; 8:7-9; 16:3-4 D. Water pollution. Rev.8:10-11 V. They cannot escape it any more than a pregnant woman can escape delivering her child. In many cases, the time of delivery is accelerated or delayed before or beyond the time that the woman expected.

VI. Unbelievers will be Deceived, (Peace and safety) Unbelievers will Destroyed, (They shall not escape) Believers will be Delivered. (1:10)

VII. The faithful believers are taken away before the great tribulation, but another group of people will be surprisingly taken away too in destruction - The unbelievers.

V.4 d) Surprise- Or being Prepared.

Because the Thessalonians lived holy lives Eph.5:8-14 and studied the Scripture 2.Peter 1:19 they were not in darkness, but lived a watchful life. Luke 21:34 V.5 e) Sons - Of His Property.

I. Believers has been Transported and Transformed from darkness to His light. Col.1:13; Eph.5:8 II. V.5 appeals to our Position as sons. V.6 appeals to our Practice as sons.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-10

2. The Conduct of Christians. 5:6-10 V.6 a) Alertness - And Soberness.

I. People of the night and darkness sleep, but the people of the day and light are awake and watchful. Eph.5:14 II. If the Church should pass through the great tribulation period before the Rapture occurs, it would be useless to watch for Christ daily, watching for Christ at the end of the great tribulation would make more sense.

III. 3 reasons to be sober and watchful:

1. The flesh is Weak. Matt.26:41
2. The Devil is at Work. 1.Peter 5:8
3. The Lord’ s appearing is Well-nigh.

IV. To be watchful is not to know “ the signs of the times” but to be continuing faithfully in faith, hope and love.

V. To be sober is to be temperate and abstinent.

VI. In connection with 4:13-5:11 the idea of this verse is: In what state do we want to be caught up - While living in Sin or in the Service of the Lord.

V.7 b) Acts - Of the Sleeping.

I. People of the night sleep, night people rejects God therefore they sleep spiritually, night people lives in a drunken condition, they are drunk by the deception of the world. Rev.17:2-5 II. In verses 6-7 the Thessalonians are told to Watch, in verse 8 they are told to Wear. V.8 c) Armouring - The soul and spirit.

I. People of the day lives in the light and sees therefore darkness, hatred and evil, they put on the Armour of the light. Rom.13:12 II. In Eph.6:14 the breastplate is righteousness and here it is faith and love.

1. We are made righteous by faith Rom.4:5, we are becoming righteous by works of love, one is a Position, the other is a Practice.

2. Faith works in love, believers’ Positional righteousness through faith has to become Practical righteousness through love. Gal.5:6 In Eph.6:17 the helmet is salvation, here there is added the hope of salvation.

III. These two pieces of Armour make up the three remaining charities: Faith, hope and love. 1.Cor.13:13 IV. Faith, hope and love protects our most Vital and Vulnerable parts, our hearts and minds.

V. The helmet protects the Head (mind) from error, the breastplate protects the Heart from sin.

VI. Faith is the Motive within, love is the Movement without.

VII. Faith is the Ability, Love is the Action and hope is the Anticipation.

V.9 d) Appointment - To Salvation.

I. All unbelievers are appointed to wrath, unless they embrace God’ s salvation in Christ, that wrath is:

1. On the earth - The Redemption of the earth Purchased through Christ. Period - 3½ years. Rev. Ch.5-19 Notice 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15

2. In the lake on fire - The Rebellion of man Punished through Christ. Period - Eternally. Rev.20:10-15 II. All believers are appointed to salvation from wrath. Rom.5:9 They will be saved from the great tribulation wrath, they are caught up before the wrath of God is poured upon the earth, they are also saved from the eternal lake of fire.

III. Appoint - Believers are not Placed into a Setting of wrath. Obtain - Believers are Possessing Salvation in Christ. V.10 e) Abiding - In our Status.

Whether we are awake or we are sleeping at the rapture, all faithful Christians will be glorified, some places it will be night, other places daytime at the rapture. Rom.8:38-39

1 Thessalonians 5:11

3. The Conclusion. 5:11 V.11 f) Appeal - To Strengthen.

I. The rapture is a great comforting and edifying hope.

II. The section mainly speaks about the rapture, ends with almost the same words. 4:13-18 this section 5:1-11 speaks mainly about the great tribulation.

III. Each believer is going through a spiritual construction project, helped by those around him, some help through comfort, cheering him to continue the good work, reminding him of his rewards, others help him with the construction through edification, they partake in the construction building.

IV. Paul were comforting and edifying the Church through this epistle.

V. From v.11 begins 22 commands to the believers.

1st Command - Comfort each other. 2nd Command - Edify one another.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

C. THE DAY OF THE CHURCH. 5:12-28

1. The Concluding Prescription. 5:12-22

2. The Concluding Petition. 5:23-24

3. The Concluding Postscript. 5:25-28

4. Our duty to workers - v.12-13

5. Our duty to the needy - v.14-15

6. Our duty to ourselves - v.16-18

7. Our duty to truth - v.19-22

8. The Concluding Prescription. 5:12-22 V.12 a) Recognize -

I. 3rd Command - Recognise those.

II. Recognise those that labour, are over you and admonishes.

1. The Workers - Those that labour. Everyone that do ministry among them.

2. The Watchers - Are over you. The elders and leaders. Heb.13:17

3. The Warners - Admonish you. Elders, Five-fold ministries, preachers and spiritual fathers.

V.13 b) Regard -

I. 4th Command - Esteem the workers.

II. 5th Command - Be at peace among yourselves.

III. Wholehearted and Weighty love for the Workers. The recognising and esteeming would result in peace among the brethren.

V.14 c) Respond - Those that are hurting

I. 6th Command - Warn the unruly, the weak willed.

1. Unruly (Gr. ataktos) means disorderly. It is often used of soldiers who fall out of line.

2. Those that do not walk according to the divine rule - Scriptures. Those that lack spiritual discipline.

II. 7th Command - Comfort the fainthearted, the weak heart and mind.

1. Fainthearted (Gr. Oligopsuchous) means little souls.

2. Embrace the weak heart with your own strength and cheer it up. Those that easily quit and drop out. III. 8th Command - Uphold the weak, the weak in strength.

3. Share your strength with those that lack it.

4. Be a strong support to the weak, be a pillar in God’ s house.

IV. 9th Command - Patience with all. Perhaps you are strong but give believers time to attain the level of your strength even as God and others gave you time.

V.15 d) Repay - Those that are hurting others

I. 10th Command - Repay not evil with evil.

II. God is the Judge and He has not appointed us for that task.

III. There are 3 classes of man:

1. The man of the devil that returns evil for good

2. The man of men that returns good for good and evil for evil

3. The man of God that returns good for evil IV. 18 points playing with the letter “ p” of why we should not do evil.

4. Be evils Pew and soon you will be the Preacher.

5. Play with evil and it will Pursue you in your game.

6. Be evils Percussion and it will Parade joyfully with you.

7. Be evils Pedal and it will find for you the Passage that leads to Perdition.

8. Go under evils Parasol and be Protected from good.

9. Make evil your Partner and it will be your Parasite the rest of your life.

10. Stay in evils Palace and you will soon become one of its Pillars.

11. Let evil Personify you and soon it will Posses you.

12. Be evils Pet and it will name you Panic.

13. Put evil in your Pocket and soon you will have it in your Palm.

14. Feel the evils Pulse and soon its Pale color you will have.

15. Allow the evils Pipe in your house and soon you will become its Pump.

16. Allow the Presence of evil and soon you will smell of its Perfume.

17. Shoot with evils Pistol, just remember you can be its next Projectile.

18. Be evils Piston and soon you are his Petrol.

19. Let evil be your Physician and he will give you the Plaster of Pity.

20. Jump into the Pool Practicing bitterness and you will be swirled into the Perishing Pit.

21. Promote “ I will not Pardon” as your Principle, then Promised to you are Prison and Penalty. Matt.18:21-35 V. 11th Command - Pursue good for yourself and all. Overcome evil with good. Rom.12:21

V.16-22 Contains principles for the life in the Spirit - 8 principles.

1. First 5 principles concerns our relation with God.

2. Next 3 principles concerns our relation with man and spirits.

V.16 e) Rejoice -

I. In Greek this verse is the shortest verse in N.T. In English John 11:35 is the shortest in N.T.

II. This is originally the shortest verse in N.T but also the hardest verse to keep.

III. 12th Command - Rejoice always.

IV. The difference between happiness and joy:

1. Happiness has do with the outward - the Happenings, if it’ s against you then you will not be happy.

2. Joy has do with the inward - the Heart, it is a position in Christ that can be experienced by recalling all we have in Christ.

V. Believers should be known for their Attitude of Gratitude.

VI. There are about 70 commands to rejoice in N.T.

V.17 f) Request -

I. 13th Command - Pray without ceasing.

II. Paul thanked God without ceasing 2:13, now he exhorts them to pray without ceasing.

III. Paul did not mean praying Audibly always but the continual praying Attitude Prayer is not the moving of the lips but an elevation of the heart to God.

IV. Outside the N.T the Greek word “adialeiptos” (without ceasing) is defined as a hacking cough, a person with a hacking cough does not always cough audibly, though the tendency is always there, so with the believers’ prayer life.

V. This does not mean that we should pray audibly every hour, but that there shouldn’ t go one hour without praying (Elevating our hearts to God). V.18 g) Return -

I. 14th Command - Thanksgiving in everything.

II. All experiences of life: evil or bad, painful or satisfying can be experiences from the ankle of a joyful heart, if we chose to view it from God’ s perspective we will see them in the right perspective, in the right settings, from the right eternal view:

1. Evil and painful experiences become opportunities to show faith, true love, growth and receive eternal rewards.

2. From His perspective we see the Truth, from ours only the true. From His perspective it makes sense from ours nonsense. From His perspective we are Soaring, from ours we are Souring. From His perspective it gives light, from ours it steals true sight. Jam.1:2-4; Rom.5:3-5; Isaiah 6:3 III. Consider the unthankful soul of Rom.1:21.

IV. The more thankful we are, the more prayerful we will be, the more prayerful we are, the more joyful we will be.

V. What v.16-18 is actually saying:

Be careful for nothing, Be prayerful in everything, Be thankful for anything.

V.19 h) Resist - What not to do. v.19-20

I. 15th Command - Quench not the Spirit.

II. There are three ways believers can hinder the Holy Spirit:

1. Quenching the Spirit - Involves not doing what He wants us to do.

A. Not giving the fire oxygen, covering or replacing His work or program with our fleshly works and programs.

B. Pouring water upon the fire, stopping verbally His work.

C. Not cleaning the wick, uncleanness in our lives.

D. Not refilling with oil, carelessness, lack of faith and relationship with God. 2. Grieving the Spirit - Involves doing what He wants us not to do. Eph.4:30 3. Resisting the Spirit - Involves the act of willingly and knowingly not Acts 7:51 doing what He wants us to do and doing what He wants us not to do.

III. V.20 gives us an exhortation against quenching the Spirit. So quenching the Spirit is also stopping His manifestations through spiritual gifts. 1.Cor.12:7-11

V.20 i) Refuse -

I. 16th Command - Despise not prophesy Receive prophesy from the foolish, the weak, the base, the despised and the one that is not among you, for God will use whom He choose. 1.Cor.1:26-28 V.21 j) Remain - What to do. v.21-22

I. 17th Command - Test all things

1. Sniff only do not Swallow.

2. Scriptures are believer’ s ground of Truth whereby they test the spirits, the opinions and doctrine of man. 1.Cor.2:13; 14:29; Isaiah 8:20; 1.John 4:1; Gal.1:6-9; 1.Tim.4:1; 6:3-5; 2.Tim.4:3-4; 2.John 9; Deut.13:1-5; 18:20-22; Heb.5:14 II. 18th Command - Hold fast, Eat the meat and spit out the bone. Rom.12:9 III. God doesn’ t demand foremost believers to Trust every word that comes from His servants but to Test every word.

IV. Prove the Professed Prophecies.

V.22 k) Reserve -

I. 19th Command - Abstain from all evil, Separate your mind and heart from evil, desire good, exchange your values, grow up and be a discerner of evil and good. Heb.5:12-14 II. There are counterfeit gifts, gifts worked out with a demonic occult spirit. There are also genuine gifts of the Spirit that are worked forth for selfish gain. III. In v.21 good is singular, the problem is not with good, but with evil it takes many forms and shapes in its deception. Acts 20:29-30; 2.Cor.11:14

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

2. The Concluding Petition. 5:23-24 V.23 a) Complete - In Sanctification. (What God will do)

I. He is the God of peace, but also has the peace of God. Phil.4:7 Meaning that absolute peace is in God and that He gives that peace in Christ.

II. The Quality aspect: Sanctification Sanctify means to set aside; God wants to separate us completely to Himself to become a most useful vessel but He needs a willing heart!

III. The Quantity aspect: Wholeness God’ s plan for every believer is to be preserved in sanctification so that blamelessness would also be preserved at Christ’ s coming.

IV. The definition of the triune man: Heb.4:12; Rom.7:17-23

1. Body - (Gr. sooma) The physical aspect of man that is used to relate to the physical part of the universe.

A. Consists of: Physical senses - seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting.

B. The body gives awareness of the natural.

2. Soul - (Gr. psuchee) The psychological aspect of man that is used to relate to the psychological part of the universe.

A. Consists of: Psychological senses - Thinking, reasoning, personality, character.

B. The soul gives awareness of self.

3. Spirit - (Gr, pneuma) The spiritual side of man that is used to relate to the spiritual side of the universe.

A. Consists of: Spiritual senses - Perceiving, intuition, conscience.

B. The spirit gives awareness of God.

C. The spirit is foremost created to have communion with God. D. When God communicates with believers He foremost speaks to their spirits.

E. The spirit also has senses to see, hear, taste, touch, smell or believers would be blind and etc. when they enter heaven after the physical death.

V. Some Scriptural references to the operation of the spirit. The spirit can:

1. Rejoice or be angry. Luke 1:47; Eccl.7:9
2. Slumber or be fervent. Rom.11:8; 12:11; Acts 18:25
3. Be haughty, proud and hardened. Prov.16:18; Eccl.7:8; Deut.2:30
4. Be humble and gentle. Prov.16:19; 29:23; Isaiah 57:15; 1.Cor.4:21; 1.Pet.3:4 5. Knows. 1.Cor.2:11
5. Be moved. Ezra 1:5
6. Be overwhelmed. Psalms 77:3; 142:3; 143:4
7. Perceive. Mark 2:8
8. Speak, pray, sing, bless and worship. 1.Cor.14:2, 14-16; John 4:24
9. Be willing. Exod.35:21; Matt.26:41
10. Be witnessing. Rom.8:16
11. Be calm or restless. Prov.17:27; 2.Cor.2:13
12. Be revived, stirred, quickened and refreshed. Gen.45:27; Isaiah 57:15; 1.Chron.5:26; 2.Chron.21:16; 36:22; Hag.1:14; 1.Cor.16:18; 2.Cor.7:13
13. Be strengthened and strong. Eph.3:16; Luke 2:40
14. Be troubled, heavy, sorrowful, sad, wounded, grieved, groaning, anguished and broken. Gen.41:8; Exod.6:9; 1.Sam.1:15; Job 7:11; Psalms 51:17; Prov.15:13; 17:22; 18:14; Isaiah 54:6; 61:3; 65:14; Dan.2:1; 7:15; Mark 8:12; John 11:33; 13:21 VI. The spirit, soul and body can be likened to the tabernacle: The body is the outer court, the soul is the holy place and the spirit is the holy of holies.

V.24 b) Calls - But also Succeeds. (Why God will do it) God is faithful to accomplish complete sanctification and blamelessness in our lives, but He needs a continual willing corporate soul. 1.Cor.1:9; 2.Thess.3:3

1 Thessalonians 5:25-28

3. The Concluding Postscript. 5:25-28 V.25-27a) Reaction - Generated toward the Letter.

II. 20th Command - Pray for us

1. Paul and his co-workers had come thus far in their ministry and sanctified lives by the grace of God, God outpours His grace in Christ by prayers. He therefore often asked for prayers. 1.Cor.15:10; Eph.6:18-19; Col.4:3
2. At least 3 areas believers should pray for each other -

A. When believers are Sinning - 1.John 5:16-17 B. When believers are Sick - Jam.5:14-16 C. When believers are Serving - 2.Thess.3:1 II. 21st Command - Greet all The emphasis is not upon how to greet each other but rather that they should remember to greet each other. Let every one feel at home! Rom.16:16; 1.Cor.16:20; 2.Cor.13:12 III. 22nd Command - Let this epistle be read to all Paul wanted every one to understand about the rapture and the 2nd coming of Christ and the concerns connected to these. Paul also asked the Colossians and the Laodiceans to read each other’ s epistles. Col.4:16

V.28 b) Realization - Of the Grace of the Lord.

Paul began with grace 1:1 and ends with grace, all things that comes from God is by grace, no believer deserves anything from God and God owes no believer anything yet He gives him everything. 1.Cor.3:21-23

“ Comfort one another with these words” 1.Thess.4:18

“ Remember the word to Your servant upon which, You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life” Psalms 119:49-50

Reference material used in making the Bibleschool manual:

Bible Commentaries: Thomas L. Constable’ s - Notes on 1.Thessalonians. Chuck Missler’ s - Written and audio commentary on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. Jon Courson’ s - Thru-the-Bible audio commentary on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. Chuck Smith’ s - Audio commentary on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. Edward Hindson/Michael Woodrow’ s - King Jame’s Bible Commentary on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. Zondervan’ s Niv’ s - Expositor’s Bible Commentary of the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. J. Vernon McGee’ s - Commentary on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. David Hocking’ s - Commentary on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. H. L. Willmington’ s - Guide to the Bible. Old commentaries were used as well with minor help.

Bible Surveys and outlines: Valleys Bible Church’ s - Bible survey on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. J. Hampton Keathley’ s - Survey on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. Nelson’ s - Complete book of Bible maps and charts. H. L. Willmington’ s - The Outline Bible. Harvestime International Institute’ s - Basic Bible survey. Bob Bolender’ s - Survey on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. Gerald Duckett - Bible’ s survey on the epistle of 1.Thessalonians. Mark A. Copeland’ s - Executable Outlines. Ray C Stedman’ s - Panorama of the Scriptures.

Old Testament types and figures: Kevin T. Connor’ s - The feasts of Israel. Kevin T. Connor’ s - The tabernacle of Moses. Kevin T. Connor’ s - The temple of Solomon.

Encyclopaedia/ Dictionaries: International standard Bible Encyclopaedia. Nelson’ s - Illustrated Bible dictionary. Dictionary of Biblical imagery.

Greek reference material: Strong’ s - Exhaustive concordance. Thayer’ s - The new Thayer’ s Greek-English lexicon. Englishman’ s - The Englishman’ s Greek concordance and lexicon. Vine’ s - Complete expository dictionary.

Bible versions: King James Version 1984 - Is the Bible translation used in this manual. Hendrickson’ s - The interlinear Bible.