1 Thessalonians 5

¹As for times and seasons, brothers, you do not need anything written to you, ²since you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord arrives like a thief at night. ³When people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction suddenly falls on them, like the labor pains of a pregnant woman. They will certainly not escape. ⁴You, however, brothers, are not in darkness, for the day to catch you like a thief. ⁵You are all sons of light and sons of day. We belong neither to night nor to darkness. ⁶So let us not be asleep as the rest are; let us stay awake and sober. ⁷Sleepers sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, clothed in faith and love as a breastplate, and in the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹For God appointed us not to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰He died for us so that we might live together with him, whether we are awake or asleep. ¹¹So encourage one another and build each other up, as you are already doing.

¹²We ask you, brothers, to recognize those laboring among you, leading you in the Lord and admonishing you. ¹³Hold them in the highest regard in love on account of their work. Live at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers: admonish the disorderly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, and show patience toward everyone. ¹⁵See that no one repays anyone evil for evil. Instead, always pursue what is good for one another and for everyone.

¹⁶Rejoice always. ¹⁷Pray continually. ¹⁸Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹Do not extinguish the Spirit. ²⁰Do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹But test everything; keep hold of what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³May the God of peace himself make you holy in every way, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept whole and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful; he will also do it.

²⁵Brothers, pray for us. ²⁶Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. ²⁷I charge you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. ²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Translation notes 7

5:1–4 — The day and its surprise. The thief image emphasizes unexpected arrival; the labor-pain image adds the certainty that judgment cannot be escaped. The base reads “like a thief” in verse 4; another reading is “like thieves,” describing those caught by the day. No date is supplied.

5:5–8 — Sons, sleep, and armor. “Sons of light” and “sons of day” describe the whole community's belonging, including women. Sleep in verses 6–7 concerns inattention, unlike the death metaphor in chapter 4. Faith, love, and hope return from 1:3; the armor's assignments should not be changed to match Ephesians.

5:10–11 — Awake or asleep. These are the same Greek verbs as in verse 6, but here the probable sense is alive or dead, returning to the assurance of 4:13–18. The imagery is retained rather than replaced by its interpretation. The encouragement command also repeats 4:18.

5:12–14 — Leadership and care. “Leading” can also include caring for the community. The passage describes recognizable leadership without specifying an office title. “Disorderly” may refer especially to those neglecting work; “idle” is a substantial alternative. Different needs call for admonition, comfort, or support.

5:18–22 — Gratitude and discernment. The instruction is to thank God in every circumstance, not explicitly for every event. The fire image in “extinguish” is applied to the Spirit. Prophecies are to be taken seriously and tested. “Every form of evil” concerns evil in any kind or manifestation, not merely something that looks bad to others.

5:23–24 — Whole and blameless. Spirit, soul, and body name the full scope of the prayer. The verse does not explain how these relate as parts or aspects of a person. The emphasis on wholeness and holiness leads into assurance about God's faithfulness.

5:25–28 — Prayer, greeting, and reading. “Brothers” includes the women addressed by the letter. The kiss is an actual community greeting. The solemn charge requires the letter to be read to everyone. The Greek base ends without the “Amen” found in some witnesses.