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1 Thessalonians 5:1. There is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren. 1 Sol.5:2. For you yourselves know with certainty that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. “But about the years and about the times, brothers, I do not need to write to you, for you yourself know that the day of the Lord, like a thief in the night, will come.” The Apostle writes this as if he had already been taught beforehand; the suddenness of the Lord’s coming is likened to “tattoo”. For the thief tries to hide, but the one guarding the house senses the thief’s arrival, and the lazy and sleepy one is robbed. Thus, a sober person recognizes the signs of the Lord’s coming. 1 Sol.5:3. For when they say, “Peace and safety,” then destruction will suddenly befall them, just as labor pain befalls a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. “Whenever they say: peace and affirmation, then all destruction will suddenly attack them, like a disease in the belly of a woman, and they will not be able to escape.” This is a very decent example. The one who conceives in the womb knows that she carries within herself a born fetus, but does not know the time of birth; So we know that the Lord of all will come, but we are not given clear knowledge about the time of coming. Therefore, we must always look forward to this day. So the Lord said in the Divine Gospel: “just as... in the days of Noah... I ate, I ate, I married, I encroached, until the flood came and destroyed everything” (Luke 17:26-27): “So will the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37). With all this, the Lord depicted the suddenness of the coming. 1 Sol.5:4. But you, brothers, are not in darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief. 1 Sol.5:5. For you are all sons of light and sons of day: we are not sons of night nor of darkness. “But you, brethren, are borne in darkness, so that the day will come upon you like a thief: for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day: there are no nights below darkness.” The apostle continues the tributary figure of speech and calls ignorance “myself,” and knowledge “day.” Therefore, he says: “Having received the ray of God’s knowledge, flee from the beginnings of darkness, so that the sentence of punishment is not suddenly pronounced on you.” And, continuing the instructions, he added: 1 Sol.5:6. So let us not sleep, like others, but let us stay awake and be sober. “Let us therefore not sleep, like others,” that is, those enslaved to wickedness, “but let us be awake and sober.” Then the Apostle benefits from what happens in life. 1 Sol.5:7. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 1 Sol.5:8. Let us, being sons of the day, be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation. “For those who sleep sleep in the night, and those who revel in the night become drunken. Let us, sons of today, be sober." The Apostle said this in another place: “The night is past, and the day is drawing near, let us therefore put aside the dark works and put on the weapons of light” (Rom. 13:12). The same weapons are offered here. Let us put on “the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation.” Let faith in God and love for one’s neighbor protect us, says the Apostle, instead of armor, and let the hope of the promised salvation be an indestructible helmet for us. 1 Sol.5:9. Because God has not appointed us to receive wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:10. He died for us, so that whether we wake or sleep, we might live together with Him. “For God did not cause us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.” For God did not call us to punish us, but to make us worthy of salvation and to become His relatives, with the assistance of the Lord Christ, Who accepted death for us. “Yes, whether we are vigilant or whether we are sleeping, we live together with Him.” Yes, even after death, and while we are still alive, we participate in life with Him. For the Apostle called those who were still alive at that time “watchful,” and those who had died “sleeping.” “For this reason, console each other and build up your neighbor, just as you create.” Therefore, encourage one another and confirm in this faith. So the Apostle, having finished this word, offers them instruction about teachers. 1 Sol.5:12. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you, and those who preside over you in the Lord, and those who admonish you. 1 Sol.5:13. And honor them primarily with love for their work; be at peace with each other. “We pray you, brethren, know those who labor among you, and your superiors in the Lord, and those who punish you, and have them in abundance in love for their work: be at peace within yourselves.” Justice requires that teachers receive every honor from you, that you give them due reward and that you do not contradict what they say. For this is what the words mean: “be at peace within yourself.” It is said: “your superiors in the Lord,” instead of: those who pray for you and intercede for you before God. And this “have them in abundance in love” means: honor them with greater honor, given with sincere affection. 1 Sol.5:14. We also beseech you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone. “We pray, brothers, admonish the unruly.” This is what the Apostle called those who live in idleness as not maintaining their proper rank. He commanded them not to hate, but to admonish them. “Comfort the faint-hearted.” He called those who are immoderately sad about the dead, and who also unmanly endure the attacks of their opponents, cowardly. “Stand up for the weak.” Strengthen those who do not have unshakable faith. “Be patient with everyone.” Both to our own and to strangers. For the Apostle added this. 1 Thessalonians 5:15. See to it that no one repays evil for evil; but always seek the good of each other and everyone. “Be careful that no one repays evil for evil; but always pursue goodness towards each other and towards everyone.” The Apostle wrote this in his Epistle to the Romans: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). 1 Sol.5:16. Always be happy. "Rejoice always." And in poverty, and in illness, when you are dishonored, tortured, imprisoned. 1 Sol.5:17. Pray without ceasing. "Pray without ceasing." And this is not something impossible. For it is not difficult, both when you eat, to sing songs to God, and when you walk, to ask for God’s help. 1 Sol.5:18. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. “Give thanks in everything.” Not only in favorable, but also in unpleasant circumstances, because the Greatly Gifted One knows what is good for us. “This is the will of God regarding Christ Jesus in you.” It is not difficult for Him to calm every storm, but He is pleased to lead us to salvation through troubles. 1 Sol.5:19. Don't quench the spirit. “Do not quench the spirit.” And what quenches the Spirit? 1 Thessalonians 5:20. Do not disparage prophecies. “Do not disparage prophecies.” Others say that even during the time of the apostles the devil raised up false prophets against the true prophets, and therefore some, because of false prophecies, forbade those who foretold the true to prophesy. And therefore the Apostle commands them not to withhold prophetic grace, because those who do this seem to extinguish the illumination given by grace. The following words also make it clear. 1 Sol.5:21. Try everything, hold on to the good. “Everything is tempting, keep the good one.” It is not difficult for you to discern what is from God’s Spirit and what is from the enemy. Therefore, rejecting what is from delusion, hold on to what is from the truth. Then the Apostle gives a general rule. 1 Sol.5:22. Refrain from all kinds of evil. “Rake away from every kind of evil.” I included here both the dogmatic and the moral. 1 Thessalonians 5:23. May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved completely without blemish at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. “May the God of peace himself sanctify you all-perfect,” that is, completely: “and may your spirit and soul and body be all-perfect and remain blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Apostle called the gift “Spirit” and wants it to be preserved in them until the coming of the Master; This preservation follows the purity of soul and body. 1 Sol.5:24. He who calls you is faithful, and He who will do this. 1 Thessalonians 5:25. Brothers! pray for us. “He who called you is faithful, and he who will do it.” For he who called you to salvation will promote your good intentions. Then the Apostle again shows a humble way of thinking about himself. "Brothers, pray for us." He said this not only to find help for himself in prayer, but to teach them a humble way of thinking about themselves. 1 Sol.5:26. Greet all brothers with a holy kiss. “Kiss all the brethren with the holy kiss.” 1 Thessalonians 5:27. I conjure you by the Lord to read this message to all the holy brethren. “I adjure you by the Lord to read this epistle before all the holy brethren.” He added the spell, making sure that everyone would benefit from the reading. For it is probable that the first who received the message did not communicate it to everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:28. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you. Amen. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you. Amen." May we also be worthy of it; Let us be worthy, if we wish. For he who taught this blessing is an Apostle and teacher to us all. Therefore, if we preserve the established laws, we will also receive the blessing of the lawgiver in Christ Jesus our Lord. With Him befits the Father with the All-Holy Spirit glory and splendor now and always and unto the ages of ages! Amen. First Epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens. You might be interested in: