Sermon Notes

5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, 7 for those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
(New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)
5 1-3 I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—“We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!”—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman. 4-8 But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. 9-11 God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it. (The Message, MSG)

First Thessalonians is an undisputed letter of Paul (like Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon), written to the church that he, Silas, and Timothy founded in Thessalonica within the Roman province of Macedonia. While the city was established in 316 BCE as an independent settlement, Thessalonica was conquered by the Roman Empire in 197 BCE and began a new chapter steeped in Roman imperial ideology, imperial culture, and imperial religion. Simply stated, the Roman Empire radically reshaped Thessalonian identity, profoundly infecting the way Thessalonians lived, the manner in which they participated in civic life, and how they worshipped.
The Letter to the Thessalonians is Paul’s first epistle and likely the first written text of the entire New Testament. As such, it documents the actions, theology, historical/social/political contexts, and the ecclesial development of the first persons to follow Jesus of Nazareth. Most scholars believe 1 Thessalonians was written around 51 CE, less than twenty years after Jesus was crucified. In fact, Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is one of the primary issues that profoundly affects the faith of the Thessalonians. As the ekklesia—the called out congregation of Jesus Christ—the Thessalonian’s embrace of a crucified, resurrected, and returning Jesus naturally posed a challenge to the Roman Empire. After all, Rome crucified Jesus for sedition against the Roman Empire. Any belief in Jesus of Nazareth was an audacious affront to Roman imperialism.
Like other Pauline literature, Paul employs paraenesis—a rhetorical device for exhortation, providing counsel, or giving advice—to make his point. Paraenetic speech provides moral or ethical instruction for practical living, reminds audiences of their shared values, and employs stylistic phrases such as, “you know,” to emphasize continued faithfulness. Other paraenetic literature in the New Testament is the Sermon on the Mount, Romans 12-15, and the Household Codes in Ephesians 5:21-6:0 and Colossians 3:8-4:1. As a paraenetic letter, Paul writes to provide ethical instruction on how the Thessalonians should live while they wait for Jesus’ return (parousia in Greek) which is derived from the Greek word parōn, which means to be present, arrive, or enter into a situation"). Because Jesus said he would return to establish God’s kin-dom on earth, early Christians lived in constant expectation of his imminent presence. They lived together in community, held property in common, and ensured that every physical and spiritual need of the waiting church was met (Acts chapters 2-6).
However, as the parousia was delayed, Christians struggled with what they should do until Jesus returned. In 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5—as occasional pastoral ministry—Paul specifically addresses how the Thessalonian ekklesia should live until Jesus comes back. Paul says they should guard their sexual relationships, demonstrate agape love for each other, protect each other from exploitation of any kind, and they should, “Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends,” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, MSG).
In 4:13-18, Paul discusses the parousia as the “coming day of the Lord” when Christians who have died will rise to meet Jesus in the clouds after a trumpet blast from an archangel. Then, living Christians will join—literally, they will be seized by force and taken away (harpazó in Greek)—to meet Christians who had died and the returned Christ. Finally, Paul closes his remarks with an exhortation for communal “encouragement” as he continues to address events surrounding the parousia. It is important to note the word Paul utilizes for the Thessalonians encouraging each other (parakaleó in Greek), is the same word Jesus utilizes to explain the ministry of the Holy Spirit (paraklētos in Greek). This is where this week’s lesson text picks up.

5 1-3 I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—“We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!”—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.
In the opening verses of the lesson text, Paul further addresses the parousia and rapture confirming that the “times and dates” of Christ’s return will not be known to us. This is something that we must keep in mind every time we hear of some individual or group that announces that they have pinpointed the time of Christ’s return. No one knows this; no one can.
Paul also uses the phrase, “the day of the Lord.” This is another reference to the parousia, the “presence” of Christ. “The day of the Lord” refers to any period of time when God acts directly and unmistakably in human affairs. It may be in blessing (the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost), or it may be in judgment. It may be that the same event will be a judgment to some people and a blessing to others.
Paul says that we need not concern ourselves with the specific date and time. Jesus said the same thing (Acts 1:7). Only the Father knows the answer to this. But there are three characteristics of that day that we can look for and understand:
• It will come stealthily, like a thief in the night. Thieves enter silently and unobtrusively and does his work.
• It will come at a time when “peace and security” seems to prevail, when nothing out of the ordinary is expected (Luke 17:26-30).
• “They shall not escape.” Paul likens it to a woman whose time for giving birth has come. When that time comes, she cannot change her mind; it’s too late for anything but to go through with the process of childbirth.
That is what Paul is highlighting. The world cannot escape the impending judgment of God. The only way we can handle it is to find the means of escape provided in Jesus Christ. Divine judgement will ultimately come. It is inevitable. The justice of God will be satisfied and the workers of evil will have to answer for their evil actions. However, God’s delay of “judgement day” is to give people a chance to see what is happening and choose the redemption that is in Christ our Lord.
4-8 But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.
In verses 4-8, Paul indicates that because the Thessalonians are children of the light, they should not be caught off guard by God’s impending eschatological judgment. They have already turned to God through accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord. Therefore, they view the seasons of history and the signs of the times with different eyes/spectacles/lens than the world. Paul then offers the Thessalonians pointed sage advice.
First, he says do not go to sleep. Christians must keep their eyes open and be smart. The Thessalonians cannot fall asleep at the wheel and begin to doze off—literally dream—like the world dreams. They cannot fall into the fantasy that the purpose of living is to try to gain wealth or fame. The purpose of life is to use our abilities and our time to fulfill the will of God; to find the adventure, excitement and drama of that instead of wasting time in self-indulgence. This is the hour when God is about to move on earth again. We must understand that and live in the light of that truth. Likewise, contemporary Christians cannot be caught sleeping as the global geo-political events shape these dark and evil times. If no one else is reading the times, and connecting the dots, between contemporary events and prophetic consciousness versus royal consciousness—to employ Walter Bruggemann’s terminology—Christians should be able to accurately discern and name the forces of evil that seek to thwart the goodness of God.
Second, Paul says the Thessalonians must be sober. They must take life seriously and take advantage of the opportunity to reach out to people to help in any way we can. They must love, support, encourage and minister to one another because they understand that as creatures of the Day-Light, they must act like the Son-shine. They must be light in dark places. They must be light in places that have become muted by the darkness of this world, of these evil times, and of the demonic forces of evil that persist in all levels of society. As those who affirmed Jesus as Lord, the Thessalonians are being charged with walking about dressed in the attributes of Jesus: faith, love, sacrifice, and hope in the salvation that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings.
The language of salvation is similar to Ephesians 6:14-17 which talks about the whole armor of God that protects Christians from the evil one (the devil in Ephesians.) Paul draws on Hebrew Bible/Old Testament imagery in Isaiah 59:17-19 which talks envisions God as the Divine warrior who prepares to battle against injustice by donning a breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation. In Thessalonians, Paul asserts faith and love comprise the breastplate and the hope of salvation is becomes the helmet. Now that the Thessalonians are equipped to battle against injustice, they will recognize that the Gospel of Jesus Christ liberates minds from darkness—and from the evil one—into the radical, transformative, revolutionary light of God. Paul implores the Thessalonians to understand their Christian assignment. This assignment does not change because of circumstance, convenience or changing political winds. They must live in the light, and be the light of Jesus Christ in the midst of social, political, religious, spiritual and personal darkness that they contend with every day.
9-11 God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.
In the final verses of the lesson text, Paul says the Thessalonians will escape the terrible day of judgement because God has already set them apart from condemnation by Jesus’ death and resurrection. His death—by crucifixion at the hands of the Roman Empire—triggered new life. By extension, contemporary Christians should understand that if we trust in Jesus, if we have been born again by the Holy Spirit, if we believe in the Gospel and are growing by it, we are not destined for Divine wrath.
The final pastoral exhortation Paul gives to the Thessalonians is this: encourage and build one another up. It is easy to lose sight of God's perspective; to think that life ought to work out a particular way, in a particular time, within particular parameters, and we get upset when life does not work out the way that we expect. It is easy to slip into the attitude of the world that protests in the face of suffering and trial, “Why me? What have I done to deserve this?” That is why we need to encourage one another and help each another to understand that no task within the body of Christ is insignificant when done as “to the Lord” (Romans 14:8, Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:20). No task is meaningless when it involves reaching out to someone else in agape love to provide help and assistance. God will not forget our labors of love to others. In conclusion, Paul says the Thessalonians have been doing this already, so they should continue doing what they have always done.