1 Thessalonians 5 Study Notes

5:17 To pray constantly does not mean continuous, uninterrupted prayer but humble submission to God in the details of life.

5:18 This verse is closely related to 5:16 (cp. Col 3:17).

5:19 One can stifle (lit “quench”) the Spirit by not submitting to the Holy Spirit’s leading or by committing other sins that would grieve the Spirit. In this context Paul may have had in mind listening to or allowing for prophecies (v. 20) that were not Spirit-given.

5:20-21a Test all things probably refers to the content of the prophecies that had to be evaluated with God’s known truth as expressed by the OT, Jesus, and the apostles (1Jn 4:1-3).

5:21b-22 These two commands are two sides of the same coin.

5:23 The prayer for spirit, soul, and body to be kept sound and blameless teaches that God sees the whole person as important in living a life pleasing to God.

5:24 What God will do is not specified. But the context is his sanctifying and his keeping (v. 23).

5:25 Paul’s request for prayer is striking. It’s a model for every believer.

5:26 Greeting one another with a holy kiss, probably on the cheek, was a common first-century greeting that expressed love (Rm 16:16). This ancient custom is still widely practiced in the Middle East.

5:27 Paul usually ended his letters in his own hand (2Th 3:17). He was insistent that all the brothers and sisters needed to hear the contents of the letter, even if it entailed reading it several times in different places.

5:28 Paul’s closing benediction is almost identical to Rm 16:20 and 1Co 16:23.