In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
What does 1 Thessalonians 5:18 mean?
We are to rejoice in creature-comforts, as if we rejoiced not, and must not expect to live many years, and rejoice in them all; but if we do rejoice in God, we may do that evermore.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks - See the Ephesians 5:20 note; Philippians 4:6 note. We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning. Chrysostom, once the archbishop of Constantinople, and then driven into exile, persecuted, and despised, died far away form all the splendors of the capital, and all the comforts and honors which he had enjoyed, uttering his favorite motto - δοξα τω Θεω παντων ενεκεν doxa to Theo panton heneken - "glory to God for all things." Bibliotheca Sacra, 1:700. So we may praise God for everything that happens to us under his government.
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Context in 1 Thessalonians 5
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1 Thessalonians 5 belongs to the closing movement of the book, especially the section often described as final exhortations. First Thessalonians encourages a young church in faithfulness, brotherly love, sanctification, and hopeful expectation of Christ’s return. Read this chapter with the wider themes of hope, holiness, and mission in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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