Page 32 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

In v5, since we are children of the light and of the day, we do not belong to the night or to the
darkness. Notice that Paul is using words like light, day, night, and darkness as metaphors for the
children of God; those who have placed their faith in Christ and those who have not placed their
faith in Christ. Believers at Thessalonica are children of the light and of the day. But those mentioned
in verse 3 are children of the night and darkness. In v6, Paul begun to exhort them in the light of the
Day of the Lord to be vigilant and prepared. Paul said we should not be asleep like others. Based on
what was going on in Thessalonica, not sleeping could mean “being conscious of the coming day of
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the Lord and of the urgency of religious and moral preparation for his arrival.” Being awake and
sober could be interpreted as implying watchfulness and self-control. Self-control without
watchfulness was going to be useless. The culture in Thessalonica challenged them to be vigilant as
paganism and immorality were one of those issues that were rampant there. They were encouraged
to be ready just as in the parable of the ten virgins were five of them were wise and five were
foolish. They were unwise or foolish because they did not take oil. Five others were wise because
they took oil in their flasks in readiness to meet the bridegroom (Matt 25:1-13).

In v7, “getting drunk at night” and “sleeping at night” are still used as metaphors because people
sleep during the day and get drunk even during the day. However, the majority of people get
inebriated at night and people sleep at night. In v8, Paul appeared to have defined soberness;
putting on faith and love as breastplate, hope of salvation as a helmet. In verse 8, Hess pointed out
that hope of salvation as a helmet is an imagery that comes from Isaiah 59:17 which depict God “as a
warrior wearing armor. Paul uses this military image to describe a variety of virtues. Christians
should arm themselves in their spiritual battle. Three virtues that he exhorts the Thessalonians to
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put on consist of the familiar triad of faith, love, and hope.” Actually, those three virtues were
known to them because they were practicing them (1 Thess. 1:3).

In vv9-10, Paul gives some rationales as to why the believers at Thessalonica were not supposed to
live as those who are of the night and darkness. God appointed them not to suffer wrath but to
receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, Paul’s ground for the hope of salvation for the
believers at Thessalonica (and for every Christian) was based in Jesus Christ Himself. In v11, due to
not only the different usage of words, but the form as well between v6 and 11, having juxtaposed 1
Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul concludes that both the dead in Christ and
those who will still be living at the Parousia, because of the death of Christ, they will at some point
live together. In v12, Paul appealed to the believers at Thessalonica to encourage one another with
those instructions even more, just as they were doing.

58 Wanamaker, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistles to the
Thessalonians, 184.
59 D. A. Carson, ed., NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Built on the Truth of Scripture and Centered on the
Gospel Message, 2445.

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