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In this article, I will first interpret 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11, including discerning the main point and providing an outline of the passage. Then I will show how the passage can be applied to modern Christians, while concluding with a prayer that is based on the passage. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 “1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 Interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 The relationship between 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 and the preceding passage (4:13–18) is that the apostles have moved onto a related issue regarding Jesus’ return. A natural question for those grieving the loss of a loved Christian brother or sister and are comforted by the fact of Jesus’ return is “when will Jesus return?” The apostles anticipate this line of thought and answer the implicit question by reminding the Thessalonians that they already know the answer. Topic and Main Point The topic of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 is the timing of the day of the Lord. The first clause of the passage states the general topic, “Now concerning the times and the seasons” (v 1a). The NET provides one of the clearest translations that helps the reader identify the topic by using the actual word “topic”: “Now on the topic of times and seasons” (v 1a). However, the topic is more specific than simply times and seasons (or “times and dates,” NIV). As one continues reading the passage, it becomes clear that the times and seasons regards the day of the Lord, which consumes the passage, because time is only spoken of in reference to the day of the Lord. Thus, the topic is the timing of the day of the Lord. The main point of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 is: the Thessalonians already know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (i.e., will come unexpectedly) but that day will not surprise/overtake them. The main clause of the passage is “you have no need to have anything written to you” (v 1b). There are two modifiers that make the main point clear: (1) “concerning the times and seasons” and (2) “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (v 2). These two modifiers make it clear that the apostles do not need to write to the Thessalonians about the timing of the day of the Lord because the Thessalonians already know about it. Even though the apostles claim that the Thessalonians already know about the timing of the day of the Lord, they still remind the Thessalonians of their key teachings regarding the timing, which make up most of the passage (v 2–11). The apostles remind the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (will come unexpectedly) but will not surprise/overtake the Thessalonians. Based on the main clause and the teaching about the timing of the day of the Lord, the main point of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 is the Thessalonians already know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (i.e., will come unexpectedly) but that day will not surprise/overtake them. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 1 Thessalonians 5:1–3 The reason the apostles do not need to write to the Thessalonians about the timing of the day of the Lord is because the Thessalonians already know the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (v 2). The conjunction “for” expresses the reason that the apostles do not need to write anything to the Thessalonians. Although most English translations begin a new sentence in verse 2, the NIV is most helpful by separating verses 1 and 2 with a comma, showing the close grammatical relationship between the two verses. Verse 3 expands upon the day of the Lord coming like a thief in the night, giving more information. The apostles’ expansion about the coming of the day of Lord takes a surprising turn. Rather than return to the positive (or pleasant) aspects of the coming of Jesus, such as all believers meeting Jesus in the air and being with him forever, the apostles transition to speak of two negative aspects of the day of the Lord. First, verse 3 confirms that the day of the Lord will be unexpected, as evidenced by “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then . . .” and by the analogy with labour pains. Second, like a thief coming, the day of the Lord will not be pleasant as evidenced by “sudden destruction” and the lack of escape from the destruction accompanying the arrival of the day of the Lord (v 3). Thus, the apostles remind the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord, which will occur when Jesus returns, will be positive for those who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection (4:14), but disastrous for those who claim, “There is peace and security” (5:3), who are in darkness (5:4). 1 Thessalonians 5:4–10 After explaining what the day of the Lord will be like, the apostles remind the Thessalonians that they are “not in darkness” (1 Thess 5:4). The result of the Thessalonians not being in darkness is that the day of the Lord will not overtake/surprise them like a thief (1 Thess 5:4b). The English versions are split on how they understand verse 4b. Some versions, such as the KJV, NASB, and NIV use “that” or “so that,” indicating result. The result of not being in darkness is that the day of the Lord will not surprise/overtake you like a thief. However, other English versions, such as the CSB, ESV, NET, and NRSV use “for” indicating advantage. The advantage of not being in the dark is that the day of the Lord will not surprise/overtake you. Either interpretation is acceptable. The way the clause is written in the Greek text suggests that verse 4b is a result clause (for those who know Greek, verse 4b is a ἵνα clause). A brief comment also needs to be made regarding the meaning of “darkness.” There are two likely possibilities. First, “darkness” may refer to ignorance. Thus, the Thessalonians are not in ignorance like those from verse 3 who are unprepared for the return of Jesus. As such, the return of Jesus will not surprise the Thessalonians when it happens. Second, “darkness” may refer to being distant from God or opposed to God. Thus, the Thessalonians are not opposed to God like those from verse 3 who will not escape the destruction when Jesus returns. Because the Thessalonians know God and are not opposed to him, the return of Jesus will not come upon them with sudden destruction like it will those who do not know God. Both interpretations of “darkness” have their merits. A common theme throughout 1 Thessalonians is knowledge. Read through 1 Thessalonians and count every time the apostles use the word “know” or a similar term. Because of the apostles’ emphasis on what the Thessalonians know, it is quite possible that “darkness” refers to ignorance. However, the apostles have also affirmed and even emphasized that the Thessalonians used to be opposed to God, but are now elected by him, serve him, and even await the day of Jesus’ return (see 1 Thess 1:4, 9–10; 2:13; 3:6). It is possible that the apostles want the Thessalonians to read both nuances into the term “darkness.” However, based on the contrast between being of the light and day with being of the darkness and night in 1 Thessalonians 5:5, “darkness” as referring to being distant from God or opposed to God seems more likely. The majority of the English translations rightly begin verse 5 with a causal “for,” indicating reason. The Thessalonians are not in darkness because they are sons/children of the light, sons/children of the day, not of the night, and not of the darkness (1 Thess 5:5). This begs the question as to what is the relationship between (a) children and light, (b) children and day, (c) "We" and night, and (d) "We" and darkness? The relationship is most likely one of possession. As such, when the apostles say, “you are children of light” and “of the day,” they mean the Thessalonians are children who belong to the light and who belong to the day. Likewise, when the apostles say, “We are not of the night or of the darkness,” they mean “we” (i.e., the apostles and the Thessalonians) do not belong to the night and we do not belong to the darkness. The CSB and NIV are most helpful here because they translate “We are not of the night” as “We do not belong to the night.” Unfortunately, they only do this for the one clause, but it helps the reader better understand all four clauses. The terms light, day, night, and darkness most likely refer to one’s relationship with God or closeness to God. The Thessalonians are certainly of the light and the day because they turned from their idols “to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven” (1 Thess 1:9-10). They belong to the light because they are God’s people. They belong to the day because they await the day of the return of Jesus. In light of being children of the light and day, the Thessalonians must do three things (v 6): “not sleep as others do.” The command not to sleep as others do is figurative. The apostles are not saying don’t ever sleep again in your life. They are saying don’t be unaware. When a person is asleep, that person is frequently unaware of what is going on around them. The command is to specifically not sleep “as others do.” The antecedent of “others” are those who are surprised by the coming of the day of the Lord, those who will not escape the sudden destruction (1 Thess 5:3). Thus, not sleeping like those destined for destruction means not being unaware and ignorant of the coming of the day of the Lord, the return of Jesus. “keep awake/alert.” The second command is the opposite of the previous one. Whereas the apostles first commanded the Thessalonians to not sleep as others do, now they command them to keep awake. Like the previous command, this one is also figurative. The apostles are not telling the Thessalonians to remain awake for the rest of their lives and never sleep again. Rather, the apostles are telling the Thessalonians to be alert, vigilant, and ready for the coming of the day of the Lord, the return of Jesus. “be sober.” The third command is to “be sober.” The Greek term refers to not being drunk (i.e., be sober), but it is frequently used figuratively for self-control. In 1 Thessalonians 5:6, it is most likely figurative like the other commands and here refers to self-control, as reflected in the CSB translation. Not only should the Thessalonians be alert and vigilant for the day of the Lord, they should also live lives that correspond to those who will be saved in that day. They should not give themselves over to a licentious life because they know that when Jesus returns he will not destroy them. The apostles will explain exactly what they mean by “be sober” in verse 8. In light of being children of the light and day, the Thessalonians must be alert and watchful for the return of Jesus (which they are according to 1 Thessalonians 1:10), but also live their lives according to his will while they await to be found blameless at his coming (as has already been exhorted in 3:12–13). There are two indicators that verse 6 is telling the Thessalonians what to do in light of being children of the light and day. First, the verse begins with “So then” (CSB, ESV, NASB, NET, NIV, NRSV) or “Therefore” (KJV), both of which indicate inference. Second, the verse contains three commands, evidenced by “let us” (the NET is an exception, which has “we must not/must”). 1 Thessalonians 5:7 is a truism that supports the exhortations in verse 6 and the exhortations in verse 8. The “For” that begins verse 7 is causal, stating the reason for the previous commands, but the content also supports the command in verse 8. Because sleep and drunkenness generally happen at night, but the Thessalonians are children of the day, they should not sleep and get drunk. Rather, the Thessalonians should be awake/alert and sober/self-controlled. The main clause in verse 8 is the command “let us be sober” because everything else in the verse modifies “let us be sober” by expanding and elaborating on it. The CSB and NRSV are misleading in this regard. According to the CSB and NRSV, there are two main clauses: “let us be sober/self-controlled” “and put on . . .” As is clear from the other English translations and as is clear from the Greek text behind the English translations, “and put on . . .” is not a second main clause, but is modifying “let us be sober.” . The verb “putting” (KJV, NIV) or “having put” (ESV, NASB) is an adverbial participle that modifies “be sober” (1 Thess 5:8). The participial phrase “having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” can tell us a number of things about being sober. Note the following options: Reason. The participial phrase can indicate the reason the Thessalonians should be sober: “let us be sober because we have put on the breastplate of faith and love . . . .” Means. The participial phrase can indicate how the Thessalonians can be sober: “let us be sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love . . . .” Purpose. The participial phrase can indicate the purpose or goal of being sober: “let us be sober so that we can put on thebreastplate of faith and love . . . .” Result: The participial phrase can indicate the result of being sober: “let us be sober with the result that we have put on thebreastplate of faith and love . . . .” The best option is means. The participial phrase “having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” is most likely telling the Thessalonians how to be sober/self-controlled. The Thessalonians must live a life characterized by faith, love, and hope. If they do this, then they will fulfill the command to be sober and walk as children of the day. The NET chooses this option in its translation: “But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation” (1 Thess 5:8, NET, italics original). It should also be noted that the apostles mentioned faith, love, and hope earlier in the letter in the same order: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 1:2–3, emphasis added). For an explanation about what is meant by faith, love, and hope, see the comments made in 1 Thessalonians 1:2–3. Mentioning faith, love, and hope again in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 should encourage the Thessalonians because the apostles have already affirmed their work, labour, and steadfastness stem from these three virtues that motivate all their doings. Thus, the command to be sober/self-controlled is not an obscure command that the Thessalonians do not know how to accomplish, but one with which they are familiar and are already accomplishing. Based on 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10, the Thessalonians are ready for the day of the Lord to arrive, they are awake and vigilant, and are sober. The Thessalonians should be sober because God has destined them for the obtaining of salvation, not for wrath. The “For” that begins verse 9 is causal, stating the reason behind the command to be sober. The wrath that is mentioned in verse 9 refers to the “sudden destruction” that accompanies the day of the Lord of which those who are of the darkness and night will not escape (1 Thess 5:2–4). Thus, the Thessalonians must be sober because their salvation from the coming wrath is guaranteed. The Thessalonian guarantee they will obtain salvation through Jesus (v 9b–10a). Jesus is the agent of the Thessalonians’ salvation, evident by the prepositional phrase “through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.” It should be noted that the apostles have already affirmed that the Thessalonians believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead (4:14). Thus, the apostles are not advocating for a universal salvation where everyone will be saved regardless of their belief in Jesus (see 5:2–3). Rather, the Thessalonians’ belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection is assumed, which is why Jesus is the agent of their salvation. The purpose of Jesus’ death was so that “we” (the apostles and the Thessalonians), would live together with Jesus (1 Thess 5:10b). The phrase “so that” which follows “who died for us” indicates a purpose clause. One could translate 5:10 as follows: “who died for us for the purpose that . . . we might live with him.” Mentioning living together with Jesus reflects 4:17, which states those in Christ will be with Jesus forever, and brings the topic back around to the positive aspect of Jesus’ return (4:13–18), connecting the two eschatological passages. The apostles introduce a conditional element of living with Jesus: “whether we are awake or asleep” (5:10), which can be difficult to interpret. One would be forgiven for finding confusing the statement that those who sleep will avoid the wrath to come and live with Jesus considering the apostles just stated that those of the light and day should not sleep like those who will not escape the sudden destruction the day of the Lord brings (5:6). However, in light of the connection with 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 through the mentioning of living with Jesus, it seems likely that the apostles are drawing on the meaning of “sleep” from 4:13–18, which refers to those Christians who are dead. Thus, when the apostles say, “so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him,” they mean, “so that whether we are alive or dead we might live with him,” which aligns perfectly with 1 Thessalonians 4:17. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Verse 11 is an inferential clause that indicates an expected action or result, as evidenced by the term “Therefore” that begins the verse and the two commands in the verse. The result of the apostles’ explanation about the day of the Lord in 5:1–10 is that the Thessalonians should encourage one another and build up one another, just as they are doing. Note the similarities between 1 Thessalonians 4:17–18 and 5:10–11. The similarity in content and wording further connects these two passages. The two passages are about the same event, the return of Jesus, which is also called the day of the Lord. As a result of the apostles teaching on this one event in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11, the Thessalonians should continue encouraging one another and building up one another. The Day of the Lord The apostles use a unique phrase to speak about the return of Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11: the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord has a long history in the Old Testament. The day of the Lord is better translated “the Day of Yahweh” (Yahweh is God’s personal name in the Old Testament) and speaks of when Yahweh will come bringing judgment to his enemies and salvation to his people (see passages such as Joel 1:15; 2:1–2, 30–32; Amos 5:18–20; Obad 15; Zeph 1:14–18; Mal 4:5–6). The New Testament understands the Day of Yahweh as the day when Jesus the Messiah returns. The Day of Yahweh becomes “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” as evidenced in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11, which speaks of salvation in 4:13–18 and judgment in 5:1–11 at the return of Jesus. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:4–8 explicitly references “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”: “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 CORINTHIANS 1:4–8, emphasis added Understanding the Day of Yahweh as the day of our Lord Jesus Christ has two significant theological implications. First, it affirms the deity of Jesus, that he is God. Second, since the Day of Yahweh is about the return of Jesus, it means any Old Testament passage the speaks about the day of the Lord (i.e., the Day of Yahweh) is directly relevant to Jesus’ return and will shed light on his return. Summary of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy remind the Thessalonians that they already know that Jesus’ return, the day of the Lord, will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night, bringing guaranteed destruction upon those not ready. The day of the Lord, however, will not surprise or harm the Thessalonians because they are children of the light, children of the day, and have been appointed for salvation through Jesus to live with him. Because they are children of the light and day, the Thessalonians should not sleep as those destined for wrath, but should be awake and be sober by having faith, love, and hope. Finally, the Thessalonians should encourage one another and build up one another with the message about the day of the Lord. Another helpful way of summarizing a passage is by producing an outline. An outline can help you remember the main points and the argument of a passage at a glance and is a useful tool for teaching a passage. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy remind the Thessalonians that A. The day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night (v 1–2) 1. Sudden destruction will come upon those claiming peace and security (v 3a) 2. Those claiming peace and security will not escape the sudden destruction (v 3b) B. The Thessalonians are not in darkness (v 4a) 1. With the result that the day of the Lord will not surprise them like a thief (v 4b) 2. Because they are children belonging to the light and day (v 5a) 3. Because they do not belong to the night or the darkness (v 5b) 4. Thus, they must not sleep as others do (v 6a) 5. Thus, they must keep awake (v 6b & 7) 6. Thus, they must be sober (v 6c & 8) a. By putting on the breastplate of faith and love (v 8a) b. By putting on the helmet of the hope of salvation (v 8b) c. Because God has appointed them for obtaining salvation through Jesus (v 9-10) C. Based on what they know about the day of the Lord, the Thessalonians must encourage and build up one another (v 11) Application of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 to Modern Christians There are four points of application in 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11. These four points correspond to the four commands found in the passage. Do not sleep as others do (v 6). Stay awake (v 6). Be sober (v 6 & 8). Encourage and build up one another (v 11). The above commands that are issued to the Thessalonians are also commands for modern Christians because the above commands are given to those who are in the same place of salvation history as modern Christians. Both the Thessalonians and modern Christians believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection (1 Thess 4:14), are part of the church, are members of the kingdom of God, and are under the New Covenant. As such, modern Christians are also considered children of the light and children of the day and should act like children of the light and day. Thus, modern Christians should do the following to apply 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11: Do not sleep as others do (v 6). That is, do not be unaware or ignorant that the day of the Lord is coming so that it surprises you like it will those who belong to the darkness and the night, who will not escape the sudden destruction that Jesus will bring when he returns. After reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11, you should not be a sleeper because you now know that Jesus will return at any minute and will bring destruction with him for those who do not believe in his death and resurrection. The positive aspect of this command is the second point of application. Stay awake (v 6). That is, be alert, vigilant, and ready for Jesus to return. Every day, be on the lookout for him to return and the signs of his return. We Christians should be actively waiting for Jesus to return like the Thessalonians (1:10). Be Sober (v 6 & 8). To be sober, the apostles state we must put on the breastplate of faith and love and put on the helmet of the hope of salvation. This means our lives must be characterized by faith, love, and the hope of salvation. (a) Faith. We must always believe in Jesus, his death, and resurrection. To have faith also means faithfulness. We need to remain faithful to Jesus while we await his return. The way we remain faithful to Jesus is by doing that which Jesus tells us though the apostles in the New Testament. (b) Love. We must have a love for God and for people (see 1 Thess 3:12–13; 4:9–10). We love God by obeying his commands. We love people by putting their interests and needs ahead of our own. (c) Hope of salvation. We must always remain certain that we will escape the destruction that comes with Jesus’ arrival and remain certain that we will live forever with Jesus (1 Thess 4:17; 5:9–10). Being certain of these promises is the hope of salvation. Encourage and build up one another (v 11). Modern Christians should encourage one another that through Jesus and our faith in his death and resurrection, our salvation upon Jesus’ return is certain. We should remind each other that we are children of the light and children of the day. As such, we can build up one another by spurring each other on to living a sober life as we actively wait for the return of Jesus. Prayer Based on 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 To pray 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11, we should ask the Lord to help us keep the commands in the passage. Dear God, I believe and know that Jesus will return. Although I do not know the exact date or time, but know that it will happen suddenly and unexpectedly, do not let me be surprised when Jesus does return. To that end, Lord, please help me be vigilant and ready every day for Jesus’ return. As I wait for my Saviour’s return, please help me focus on being faithful to you through obedience, through loving my brothers and sisters in Christ by meeting their needs, and through always hoping for the salvation that I know will come when Jesus returns. Thank you for encouraging me through the apostles’ message. Please make me bold in encouraging and building up others with this message of Jesus’ return. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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