1 Thessalonians 5:23

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. AND - `But' [ de (G1161)]. THE VERY GOD - rather, 'may the God of peace Himself' do for you by His own power what I cannot do by all my monitions, nor you by all your efforts (Romans 16:20; Hebrews 13:20). SANCTIFY YOU - for holiness is the condition of "peace" (Philippians 4:6). As peace is His attribute, so it is His special gift ...

23_Now the God of peace himself_. Having given various injunctions, he now proceeds to prayer. And unquestionably doctrine is disseminated in vain, (620) unless God implant it in our minds. From this we see how preposterously those act who measure the strength of men by the precepts of God. Paul, accordingly, knowing that all doctrine is useless until God engraves it, as it were, with his own finger upon our hearts, beseeches God that he would _sanctify _the Thessalonians. Why he calls him here the _God of peace_, I do not altogether apprehend, unless you choose to refer it to what goes before, where he makes mention of brotherly agreement, and patience, and equanimity. (621) We know, however, that under the term _sanctification _is included the entire renovation of the man. The Thessalonians, it is true, had been in part renewed, but Paul desires that G

23-28 The apostle prays that they might be sanctified more perfectly, for the best are sanctified but in part while in this world; therefore we should pray for, and press toward, complete holiness. And as we must fall, if God did not carry on his good work in the soul, we should pray to God to perfect his work, till we are presented faultless before the throne of his glory. We should pray for one another; and brethren should thus express brotherly love. This epistle was to be read to all the brethren. Not only are the common people allowed to read the Scriptures, but it is their duty, and what they should be persuaded to do. The word of God should not be kept in an unknown tongue, but transplanted, that as all men are concerned to know the Scriptures, so they all may be able to read them. The Scriptures should be read in all public congregations, for the benefit of the unlearned especia...

Verse 23. _AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE_] That same God who is the author of peace, the giver of peace; and who has sent, for the redemption of the world, the _Prince of peace_; may that very God _sanctify you wholly_; leave no more evil _in_ your hearts than his precepts tolerate evil in your conduct. The word _wholly_, ολετελεις means precisely the same as our phrase, _to all intents_ _and purposes_. May he sanctify you to the end and to the uttermost, that, _as sin hath reigned unto death, even so may grace_ _reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our_ _Lord_. _YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY_] Some think that the apostle alludes to the Pythagorean and Platonic doctrine, which was acknowledged among the Thessalonians. I should rather believe that he refers simply to the _fact_, that the creature called _man_ is a compound being, consisting, 1. Of

AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE - The God who gives peace or happiness; compare notes, Romans 1:7. SANCTIFY YOU - See the notes at John 17:17. WHOLLY - ὁλοτελεῖς holoteleis. In every part; completely. It is always proper to pray that God would make his people entirely holy. A prayer for perfect sanctification, however, should not be adduced as a proof that it is in fact attained in the present life. YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY - There is an allusion here, doubtless, to the popular opinion in regard to what constitutes man. We have a body; we have animal life and instincts in common with the inferior

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—With regard to the time of that glorious advent when believers, whether dead or living, will be gathered together to Christ, the Thessalonians had already been fully instructed. They knew well that the day of the Lord would come suddenly and unexpectedly, and surprise an ungodly world. But they were not in darkness so as to be taken by surprise. Still, however, they must exercise constant watchfulness and sobriety, and be armed with the Christian graces of faith, love, and hope, being comforted with the assurance that God had not appointed them to wrath, but to the acquisition of salvation through Jesus Christ, who died for their benefit, in order that, whether living or dead, they might share in the blessings of his advent. Now follows a series of short admonitions. The Thessalonians were to love and honor their ministers, to live in peace among themselves, to admo...

AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE,.... Or "the God of peace himself". The apostle follows his exhortations with prayer to God, knowing the weakness and impotency of the saints to receive them, and act according to them, and his own insufficiency to impress their minds with them; and that unless the Lord opened their ears to discipline, and sealed instruction to them, they would be useless and in vain: wherefore he applies to the throne of grace, and addresses God as "the God of peace"; so called, because of the concern he has in peace and reconciliation made by the blood of Christ, and because he is the giver of peace of conscience, and the author of peace, concord, and unity among the saints, and of all happiness and prosperity, both in this world, and in that which is to come; Romans 15:33. And the apostle might choose to address God under this character, partly to encourage boldness, freedom,...

1 Thessalonians 5:1. _But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night._ It will be a great surprise to the wicked. It will take them at unawares. Just at that moment when they least expect it will Christ come; and as the thief comes to destroy and to kill, so will the coming of Christ be the death of their carnal ease the destruction of their earthly hopes. 1 Thessalonians 5:3. _For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape._ A terrible text that «They shall not escape.» They shall not escape by their own power or force

WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY Man as a trinity. That the human soul and spirit are not identical is proved by the facts that they are divisible, (Hebrews 4:12), and that soul and spirit are sharply distinguished in the burial and resurrection of the body. It is sown a natural body (Greek, "soma psuchikon" meaning "soul-body"), it is raised a spiritual body (Greek, "soma pneumatikon" meaning "spirit-body"). (1 Corinthians 15:44). To assert, therefore, that there is no difference between soul and spirit is to assert that there is no difference between the mortal body and the resurrection body. In Scripture use, the distinction between spirit and soul may be traced. Briefly, that distinction is that the spirit is that part of man which "knows" ...

V. THE DAY OF THE LORD AND EXHORTATIONS CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The day of the Lord 1 Thessalonians 5:1)_ 2. Exhortations 1 Thessalonians 5:12) 3. Conclusions 1 Thessalonians 5:23) 1 Thessalonians 5:1 “But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” The apostle next men