21 all things prove; that which is good hold fast;
Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;
and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what `is' the will of God -- the good, and acceptable, and perfect.
and the natural man doth not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are foolishness, and he is not able to know `them', because spiritually they are discerned; and he who is spiritual, doth discern indeed all things, and he himself is by no one discerned;
The love unfeigned: abhorring the evil; cleaving to the good;
and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all readiness of mind, every day examining the Writings whether those things were so;
and that which He hath done to Dathan, and to Abiram, sons of Eliab, sons of Reuben, when the earth hath opened her mouth and swalloweth them, and their houses, and their tents, and all that liveth, which is at their feet, in the midst of all Israel: `-- But `it is' your eyes which are seeing all the great work of Jehovah, which He hath done; and ye have kept all the command which I am commanding thee to-day, so that ye are strong, and have gone in, and possessed the land whither ye are passing over to possess it, and so that ye prolong days on the ground which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers to give to them and to their seed -- a land flowing with milk and honey.
but to what we have come -- by the same rule walk, the same thing think;
As to the rest, brethren, as many things as are true, as many as `are' grave, as many as `are' righteous, as many as `are' pure, as many as `are' lovely, as many as `are' of good report, if any worthiness, and if any praise, these things think upon;
for of these there are those coming into the houses and leading captive the silly women, laden with sins, led away with desires manifold,
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; may the Lord repay to him according to his works,
I have known thy works, and thy labour, and thy endurance, and that thou art not able to bear evil ones, and that thou hast tried those saying themselves to be apostles and are not, and hast found them liars,
but that which ye have -- hold ye, till I may come;
Lo, I come quickly, be holding fast that which thou hast, that no one may receive thy crown.
and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God. And prophets -- let two or three speak, and let the others discern,
and saith unto them, `Set your heart to all the words which I am testifying against you to-day, that ye command your sons to observe to do all the words of this law, for it `is' not a vain thing for you, for it `is' your life, and by this thing ye prolong days on the ground whither ye are passing over the Jordan to possess it.'
My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness, And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble. If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck. In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked -- it talketh `with' thee. For a lamp `is' the command, And the law a light, And a way of life `are' reproofs of instruction,
Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
To the law and to the testimony! If not, let them say after this manner, `That there is no dawn to it.'
`But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves. From their fruits ye shall know them; do `men' gather from thorns grapes? or from thistles figs? so every good tree doth yield good fruits, but the bad tree doth yield evil fruits. A good tree is not able to yield evil fruits, nor a bad tree to yield good fruits. Every tree not yielding good fruit is cut down and is cast to fire: therefore from their fruits ye shall know them.
And having called near all the multitude, he said to them, `Hearken to me, ye all, and understand; there is nothing from without the man entering into him that is able to defile him, but the things coming out from him, those are the things defiling the man.
Jesus, therefore, said unto the Jews who believed in him, `If ye may remain in my word, truly my disciples ye are, and ye shall know the truth,
remain in me, and I in you, as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, if it may not remain in the vine, so neither ye, if ye may not remain in me.
confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting to remain in the faith, and that through many tribulations it behoveth us to enter into the reign of God,
for who of men hath known the things of the man, except the spirit of the man that `is' in him? so also the things of God no one hath known, except the Spirit of God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
The apostle, having spoken in the end of the foregoing chapter concerning the resurrection, and the second coming of Christ, proceeds to speak concerning the uselessness of enquiring after the particular time of Christ's coming, which would be sudden and terrible to the wicked, but comfortable to the saints (v. 1-5). He then exhorts them to the duties of watchfulness, sobriety, and the exercise of faith, love, and hope, as being suitable to their state (v. 6-10). In the next words he exhorts them to several duties they owed to others, or to one another (v. 11-15), afterwards to several other Christian duties of great importance (v. 16-22), and then concludes this epistle (v. 23-28).
1Th 5:1-5
In these words observe,
1Th 5:6-10
On what had been said, the apostle grounds seasonable exhortations to several needful duties.
1Th 5:11-15
In these words the apostle exhorts the Thessalonians to several duties.
1Th 5:16-22
Here we have divers short exhortations, that will not burden our memories, but will be of great use to direct the motions of our hearts and lives; for the duties are of great importance, and we may observe how they are connected together, and have a dependence upon one another.
1Th 5:23-28
In these words, which conclude this epistle, observe,