BishopWatchful encouragement

1 Thessalonians 5 — Greek text and reception

Saints Translation: 1 Thessalonians 1–5 [V2]

Each card preserves the Greek reading and its textual and reception notes. This source provides a Greek study edition; Hebrew counterparts and Hebrew–Greek classifications are not supplied.

1 Thessalonians 5

The day of the Lord

Verse 5:1

Greek–English Translation

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Times and seasons (chronoi and kairoi) remain distinct. Unlike the active infinitive in 4:9, the source here has the passive to be written; the English reflects that difference. Reception: R23.

Verse 5:2

Greek–English Translation

For you yourselves know precisely that the day of the Lord comes in this way, like a thief in the night.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Precisely concerns what they know: the day comes like a thief at night. It does not claim that they possess a precise date for the event. Reception: R23.

Verse 5:3

Greek–English Translation

When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pain upon a pregnant woman, and they will certainly not escape.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: They say contrasts with the following you. Sudden destruction and labor pain are separate images, and the emphatic negative promises no escape; the verse names no particular ruler or slogan campaign. Reception: R23.

Verse 5:4

Greek–English Translation

But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you like a thief.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: The selected source has singular thief (kleptēs) as the comparison for the day’s overtaking. The address contrasts the brothers’ condition with the darkness just described. Reception: R24.

Verse 5:5

Greek–English Translation

For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Sons of light and sons of day retain the source’s kinship images of belonging; these descriptions address the whole community. Reception: R24.

Verse 5:6

Greek–English Translation

So then, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us keep watch and be sober.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Let us not sleep and let us keep watch are exhortations, with sobriety added as a second positive duty. This sleep verb (katheudō) differs from koimaomai in 4:13–15. Reception: R24, R32.

Verse 5:7

Greek–English Translation

For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Sleeping and drunkenness are pictured as nighttime conduct. Each verb is repeated, grounding the figurative appeal in 5:6–8 in ordinary nocturnal behavior. Reception: R24.

Verse 5:8

Greek–English Translation

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Faith and love share one breastplate; hope of salvation is the helmet. These assignments differ from Ephesians 6:14–17 and must not be replaced by that passage’s wording. Reception: R25.

Verse 5:9

Greek–English Translation

For God did not appoint us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Not for wrath but for obtaining salvation gives the ground for hope. Salvation is through our Lord Jesus Christ; the sentence continues with His death in 5:10. Reception: R25.

Verse 5:10

Greek–English Translation

who died for us, so that whether we keep watch or sleep, we may live together with Him.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Keep watch and sleep repeat the verbs of 5:6–7; their relation here to wakefulness and death is interpretively discussed. The draft preserves the verbs rather than silently replacing them with alive and dead. Reception: R25.

Verse 5:11

Greek–English Translation

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are indeed doing.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Encouraging and building up are both reciprocal. Just as you are indeed doing acknowledges present practice and does not reduce the exhortation to a rebuke for total failure. Reception: R25.

Life together

Verse 5:12

Greek–English Translation

Now we ask you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you,

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Laboring, leading in the Lord, and admonishing are coordinated descriptions of those to be recognized. No formal office name such as bishop is supplied in the Greek of this verse. Reception: R26.

Verse 5:13

Greek–English Translation

and to regard them exceedingly highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: The unusually strong adverb asks for exceedingly high esteem in love because of their work. The final command in the selected text is peace among yourselves, not an explicit replacement with with them. Reception: R26.

Verse 5:14

Greek–English Translation

And we exhort you, brothers: admonish the disorderly, comfort the fainthearted, hold fast to the weak, be patient toward all.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Ataktoi means disorderly or out of line; idleness is a possible contextual application, not the sole meaning inserted here. Hold fast to renders antechesthe as sustained attachment/support. Reception: R26.

Verse 5:15

Greek–English Translation

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: No one and anyone make the prohibition of retaliation comprehensive. The positive pursuit of good reaches both one another and all, beyond the immediate community. Reception: R27.

Text [G]: NA28 reads [καὶ] εἰς ἀλλήλους in brackets (SBLGNT omits); the rendering above follows SBLGNT, and NA28 would read "both for one another and for all".R27

Verse 5:16

Greek–English Translation

Rejoice always.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Always qualifies the plural command to rejoice. Read with the letter’s real afflictions and with 4:13, this brief imperative is not a denial that its readers experience grief. Reception: R27.

Verse 5:17

Greek–English Translation

Pray unceasingly.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Unceasingly repeats the adverb used in the thanksgiving passages, notably 1:2 and 2:13. The text commands continuing prayer without prescribing a particular repeated formula or breathing method. Reception: R27, R33, R34.

Verse 5:18

Greek–English Translation

Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: In everything (en panti) describes the circumstances of thanksgiving. It does not say that every harmful deed is good; God’s will is expressed for the recipients in Christ Jesus. Reception: R27.

Verse 5:19

Greek–English Translation

Do not quench the Spirit.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Quench (sbennyte) uses the image of extinguishing fire. The Spirit is explicit; the next commands concern prophecy and discernment, so the line belongs to that connected sequence. Reception: R28.

Verse 5:20

Greek–English Translation

Do not despise prophecies,

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Prophecies is plural, and despise prohibits treating them as worthless. The following instruction to test prevents this command from becoming an order to accept every claim without discernment. Reception: R28.

Verse 5:21

Greek–English Translation

but test all things; hold fast to what is good.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Test all things is joined to retaining what is good. The selected source includes de, represented by but; testing and holding fast are two required responses within the prophecy sequence. Reception: R28.

Verse 5:22

Greek–English Translation

Abstain from every form of evil.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Eidos can mean form or appearance. Every form of evil is chosen in the testing/discernment context; the source does not say to avoid everything that merely looks suspicious to anyone. Reception: R28.

Final prayer and greetings

Verse 5:23

Greek–English Translation

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entire, blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: Spirit, soul, and body are all explicit, together with entire/whole language; the prayer alone is not expanded into a complete theory of human composition. Reception: R29, R35.

Verse 5:24

Greek–English Translation

Faithful is He who calls you; He will also do it.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: The one calling is described as faithful and as the one who will act. The unstated object of do it is supplied from the preceding prayer for sanctification and preservation. Reception: R29.

Verse 5:25

Greek–English Translation

Brothers, pray for us.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: The plural imperative asks the brothers to pray concerning us. The selected main text has no additional also, although that word appears in some presentations of the passage. Reception: R30.

Text [G]: NA28 reads προσεύχεσθε [καὶ] in brackets (SBLGNT omits); the rendering above follows SBLGNT, and NA28 would read "pray also for us".R30

Verse 5:26

Greek–English Translation

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: All the brothers are included in the greeting. The kiss is qualified as holy; the verse supplies no further ritual sequence or restriction to a selected social rank. Reception: R30.

Verse 5:27

Greek–English Translation

I put you under oath by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: The verb is singular, I put under oath. All the brothers is retained; no holy before brothers is supplied in this edition. Reception: R30.

Verse 5:28

Greek–English Translation

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text [G]: The blessing has no final Amen in the accessed running text. Reception: R30.