I Thessalonians Chapter Ve

18In everything be giving thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1. In all things give thanks – being thankful saves the soul
Chrysostom: “Always to give thanks, this is a mark of a philosophic (a wise) soul. Have you suffered any evil? But if you will, it is no evil. Give thanks to God, and the evil is changed into good. . .For tell me, what such great thing have you suffered?

a.) Physical Suffering – we are fallen
“Has disease befallen you? Yet it is nothing strange. For our body is mortal, and liable to suffer.”

b.) Mental Sufferings – Greed – we are born poor
“Has a want of possessions overtaken you? But these also are things to be acquired, and again to be lost, and that abide here.”

c.) Personal Harm- Pride – sins against us only injure the sinner
“But is it plots and false accusations of enemies? But it is not we that are injured by these, but they who are the authors of them. "For the soul," he says, "that sins, itself shall also die." (Ezek. xviii. 4) And he has not sinned who suffers the evil, but he who has done the evil. Upon him therefore that is dead you ought not to take revenge, but to pray for him that you may deliver him from death. Do you not see how the bee dies upon the sting? By that animal God instructs us not to grieve our neighbors. For we ourselves receive death first. For by striking them perhaps we have pained them for a little time, but we ourselves shall not live any longer, even as that animal will not.”

19Cease quenching the Spirit. 20Cease setting at nought prophecies. 21Be testing all things, holding fast to the good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.

1. The Spirit is quenched (is made weak) by:
a.) unholy deeds.
Saint Athanasios: “He is desirous that the grace of the Spirit not grow cold in us. It is not because the Spirit is placed in the power of men, and is able to suffer anything from them, but because bad and unthankful men...wish to quench it, since they, like the impure, persecute the Spirit with unholy deeds.” [“Letter III, for 331,” 4, in Nicene, 2nd Ser., IV:514.]

b.) Earthly Cares
Chrysostom: “For if you have cast over it (The Flame) earthly things, and the cares of fluctuating matters, you have quenched the Spirit.

c.) Temptations
Chrysostom: “And if … a temptation coming from some other quarter has vehemently assailed it, as some wind, and if the light be not strong, and it has not much oil, or you have not closed the opening, or have not shut the door, all is undone.

d.) Guarding the Senses – windows into the world.
Chrysostom: “But what is the opening? As in the lamp, so is it also in us: it is the eye and the ear. Suffer not a violent blast of wickedness to fall upon these, since it would extinguish the lamp, but close them up with the fear of God. The mouth is the door. Shut it, and fasten it, that it may both give light, and repel the attack from without. For instance, has any one insulted and reviled you? Do you shut the mouth; for if you open it, you add force to the wind. . .So also now, there are two doors, your mouth, and him who insults and affronts you; if you shut your mouth …you have quenched the whole blast but if you open it, it will not be restrained. Let us not therefore quench it.”

e.) Not Doing Alms
Chrysostom: “And the flame is often liable to be extinguished even when no temptation assails it. When the oil fails, when we do not alms, the Spirit is quenched. For it came to thee as an alms from God. Then He sees this fruit not existing in thee, and he abides not with an unmerciful soul. But the Spirit being quenched, you know what follows, as many of you as have walked on a road in a moonless night.

f.) With the Spirit Quenched – we become overtaken
Chrysostom: “And if it is difficult to walk by night in a road from land to land, how is it safe in the road that leads from earth to heaven? Know ye not how many demons there are in the intervening space, how many wild beasts, how many spirits of wickedness? If indeed we have that light, they will be able to do us no hurt; but if we extinguish it, they soon take us captive, they soon rob us of everything. . . Let us not then extinguish it. All evil doing extinguishes that light…”

2. It is a function of demons to tell the future.
Saint Chrysostom: “There were many among them whom indeed prophesied truly, but some prophesied falsely....For the devil, defiled with blood, wished by means of this gift to overthrow everything pertaining to the Church. For since both the demon and the Spirit prophesied concerning the future, the one indeed uttering falsehood, and the Other truth,...when the time came for them to be convicted, He gave also the ‘discerning of spirits [1 Cor. 12:10].’ Since therefore then also among the Thessalonians many were prophesying,...he says, ‘Do not, because there are false prophets among you, on their account hinder also these, and turn away from them. Cease quenching (mh; sbevnnute) them; that is, cease setting at nought prophecies (profhteiva~ mh; ejxouqenei`te).’” [Hom. 11, P.G. 62:503 (cols. 462, 463).]

23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24Faithful is the One Who called you, Who shall also bring it about.

1. “Your spirit – the presence of Grace.
Chrysostom: “What does he here call the spirit? The gift of grace. For if we depart hence having our lamps bright, we shall enter into the bridle Chamber. But if they are quenched, it will not be so. For this reason he says "your spirit." For if that remains pure, the other remains also. "And soul and body," he says. For neither the one nor the other then admits anything evil.”

2. Christ wants us saved.
Saint Chrysostom: “For if He called you to salvation, and He is true, He will assuredly save you, in that He wills it.” [Hom. 11, P.G. 62:504 (col. 463).]

25Brethren, be praying for us. 26Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27I adjure you by the Lord that the epistle be read to all the holy brethren. 28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. [1 Thess. 5:18-28]