Chapter Five
1 Thess. 5:1. Concerning the times and the seasons, there is no need to write to you, brothers,
It is superfluous and useless to know "the times and the seasons" of the end (Acts 1:7). Even to the apostles the Lord did not reveal this, when they, having approached, asked Him. But Paul, from the "unspeakable words" (2 Cor. 12:4), could perhaps have known about this as well.
1 Thess. 5:2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
By the Day of the Lord one must understand both the general end and the particular end of each person, for this latter is also unknown as to when it will come for each one. And this is beneficial for us for many reasons. First, because if a person knew his final hour, he would ceaselessly commit every sin, and then, toward the end of life, would approach the baptismal font. Second, because many, if they learned that they would die tomorrow, would inflict countless calamities upon their enemies, either simply out of despair or from a desire to satiate themselves with the blood of their enemies — which does not happen now, thanks to the fact that they are restrained by the fear of death and the love of life. Moreover, people attached to life could die of grief if they learned the fateful hour of their death. Finally, even the righteous, when exposed to dangers, would not deserve such a reward, because it would appear that since they know they will not die now but after so many years, they therefore do not spare themselves. But now, when it is unknown whether they will survive the dangers, and yet they do not spare themselves, their virtue is beyond doubt. Just as the three Hebrew youths deserve all the more admiration because, not knowing for certain whether they would be saved from the fire, they still did not worship the idol (Dan. 3:24). Thus, our end comes like a thief in the night. You know this, Thessalonians, from what the Lord said: "you do not know at what hour your Lord will come" (Matt. 24:42).
1 Thess. 5:3. For when they shall say, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction shall come upon them, as labor pains come upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
Since those who were insulting the Thessalonians were leading a life of pleasures, the apostle now comforts the believers, saying: do not think that they will escape punishment. Destruction will come upon them too, unexpected destruction, heavy and containing within it much grief, like the pangs of a woman in labor. But if Elijah and the Antichrist are to come, why does Paul now say that destruction will overtake them suddenly? Because the Antichrist and Elijah are a sign of the general end; but the coming of Christ is not yet; it will be sudden and no one knows when. Pay attention to the comparison with the pangs of birth. For there too, a woman knows that she will give birth, but exactly when — this she does not yet know. That is why many women, foreseeing nothing, gave birth even at seven months and on the roads. And just as they, while playing and laughing, are suddenly subjected to inexpressible pangs, so too the souls of those who now lead a life of amusements, when that day arrives, will by no means escape torment.
1 Thess. 5:4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief.
That is, you do not lead a dark and impure life. So then, what? Will the end not come upon them unexpectedly, even if they are not impure? It will come unexpectedly, but it will bring them no sorrow. For a thief can do no harm to those who are awake and have light, even if he manages to enter their house — on the contrary, those who are in darkness and sleeping he robs completely and departs.
1 Thess. 5:5. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day.
Sons of Gehenna are those who do things worthy of Gehenna, and sons of disobedience are the disobedient; so also sons of light and day are those who do the deeds of light.
1 Thess. 5:5. We are not sons of night, nor of darkness.
That is, of sin.
1 Thess. 5:6. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
That is, let us not be negligent in good works. The intensification of watchfulness is sobriety. For it is possible to be watchful, but not be sober; therefore the apostle says, as it were: let us do good works soberly and attentively.
1 Thess. 5:7. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
1 Thess. 5:8. But we, being sons of the day, let us be sober,
Sleeping here the apostle calls those who remain in evil, as being immovable toward virtue and immersed in dreamlike delusions. Such, indeed, are the affairs of the present life, in no way differing from the visions of sleep. Furthermore, by drunkenness he means not only drunkenness from wine, but from all passions, as that which draws a person out of his ordinary state and darkens the ruling faculty of the soul, that is, the mind. Therefore, you ought not to be such, for you are not sons of night and darkness, but sons of the day through baptism and the acceptance of the yoke of God's commandments.
1 Thess. 5:8. Having put on the breastplate of faith and love
It is not enough to be watchful and sober; one must also be armed. For he who is alert and sober but does not have weapons can be immediately overcome by robbers. By saying "the breastplate of faith and love," the apostle pointed to doctrines and a righteous life, which is precisely what it means to "be sober." And one must not simply have these things, but have them as a breastplate. For nothing can easily cut through a breastplate; on the contrary, it serves as a kind of fortress for the chest, and none of the fiery darts of the devil will touch us.
1 Thess. 5:8. and in the helmet of the hope of salvation,
As a helmet, covering our most important part – the head, saves and preserves it, so also hope guards the mind and saves it, not allowing anything from outside to fall into it. Pay attention to the "faith, hope, and love," these three, which he pointed out in another place (1 Cor. 13:13), and which he now also commands to acquire.
1 Thess. 5:9. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thess. 5:10. who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live together with Him.
Therefore, he says, one must acquire this armor, because God has not appointed us to wrath, that is, He has not destined us to bear His wrath, but rather to acquire us for Himself and save us, having given His Son to death for us. So then, we ought to expect everything beneficial and great amid dangers. For if we believe that He did not spare His own Son for our sake, then let us hope that He will all the more readily deliver us from these dangers. Let us therefore keep this example before us and love both Him and our neighbors. For this reason, he says, Christ died, so that whether we "watch," that is, live, "or sleep," that is, die, we might "live together with Him." The apostle meant one kind of sleep above and another kind here. What he says here has this meaning: do not fear bodily dangers, do not fear even death, for if we die, we shall live, because He is alive who so loved us that He died for us.