“And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ASV).
After Paul got through reminding the Thessalonian believers on how they should live to please God (4:1-12), he gives a brief description about how both the dead and living believers will meet the Lord at the place where the physical and heavenly realms converge once the rapture happens (4:13-17). He then informs them that he cannot predict the precise day and hour of the rapture, but he reminds them it will occur without notice (5:1-2). He says there will be certain people that will be boasting about their special accomplishments – peace and safety – just prior to the catching away, as it gets closer, and then when it happens there will be chaos and mayhem on the earth (5:3). When the rapture occurs, it should not come as a surprise to the believer, because the follower of Christ is a child of the light, they are not in darkness (5:4-8). God has not appointed the children of light to enter the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7), Israel’s seventieth-week (Dan. 9:24, 27), the time when he judges the darkness and pours out his wrath (5:9a). Rather, the children of light will receive – eternal – salvation through Jesus Christ (5:9b)—eternal salvation is needed to live in the eternal realm as the believer will then be clothed with an eternal body. The apostle reminds the Thessalonian believers that whether they are awake or asleep (alive or dead) Jesus Christ gave his life so that they could live with him forever (5:10). He then gives them some closing instructions in how to be dedicated to the leaders of the church, the congregation, and to God (5:12-22).
Then, in verse twenty-three, the apostle intercedes for the Thessalonians before God, referring to him as ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνη (o theós tís eirēnē), the God of peace (5:23a). Look at the noun, peace. Paul used the Greek term εἰρήνη—eirēnē is the transliteration and it is pronounced i-ray'-nay. Paul refers to him as the God of peace (o theós tís eirēnē) in other places also (Rom. 15:33; 16:20; Phil. 4:9; Heb. 13:20). He calls him the κύριος τῆς εἰρήνη (kýrios tís eirēnē), Lord of peace, in 2 Thessalonians 3:16. Eirēnē is usually translated as peace in English versions of the Bible, but it is also translated as rest and quietness, although these translations are extremely rare.
Some say eirēnē is equivalent to the Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם, šālôm is the transliteration, it is pronounced as shaw-lome'. In English we often spell it, shalom or sholom. Shalom is frequently used as a friendly greeting (hello), or as a friendly farewell (goodbye). It also refers to wellbeing and prosperity (fullness or being complete in body and mind and in property and wealth), and wholeness (good health). Šālôm is most times translated in the English versions of the Old Testament as the word, peace. The only correlation that I see between the Greek term eirēnē, and the Hebrew term šālôm, is that they both are translated many times in the English versions of the Bible as the word peace. Peace in English frequently refers to being tranquil, quiet, and still. Other than that, in terms of their definitions, I do not see much of a connection between the Greek term eirēnē and the Hebrew term šālôm—although others might see it differently.
If you want to translate the expression, the God of peace (o theós tís eirēnē), with a hint of accuracy in the Scripture verses I referenced above, then you must deduce that Paul is referring to God the Father with the understanding that he is the – only – one who can be relied upon, that he is the – only – one whom the believer can have confidence in, and that he is the – only – one that can be trusted. Therefore, assuredly the believer can have complete rest (freedom from worry, fear, torment) in the God of peace because he will release his peace into the believer’s mind and spirit; if asked. Eirēnē also refers to the noun, quietness. It describes a condition of restfulness, peacefulness and quiet. Therefore, the believer can find rest, peace and quiet, in the God of peace (o theós tís eirēnē). Paul in his description of the God of peace in his writings is not referring to him being šālôm, the God of wellbeing, prosperity, and wholeness. Even though these things are an integral element of his identity also. He is just not saying that here, and neither in, Romans 15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; Hebrews 13:20, 2 Thessalonians 3:16.
Paul’s entreaty before the Father, o theós tís eirēnē (the God of peace), is that he sanctify the Thessalonian believers wholly, or completely (5:23b). The Greek term Paul used that in English we translate as sanctify is, ἁγιάζω. Its transliteration is hagiazō, and it is pronounced as hag-ee-ad'-zo. Hagiazō comes from the Hebrew root word ἅγιος (hagios), which usually translates as the English word, holy. It also sometimes translates as the plural noun, saints. Jesus Christ gave himself up for the church to consecrate (hagiazō) the body of Christ holy [hagios] (Eph. 5:25b-26a). The act of sanctifying the believer is to make or declare them holy or hallow. Paul’s prayer is that the believer be made entirely holy, utterly perfect. He clarifies what he means by adding, spirit, soul, and body (5:23c). He makes his request clear before God because he has a certain day in mind, and that day is the rapture of the body of Christ (5:23d). Paul’s desire is that the believer be completely holy, and kept blameless until that day. Of course, he realizes that the believer is not perfect yet, but that is why the child of God must walk by the Holy Spirit so that they do not gratify and please the sinful nature (Gal. 5:16). When the believer does sin, they must be quick to confess their sin, and God the Father will forgive and purify them (1 Jn. 1:9)—be careful though, and not be deceived, God’s mercy does not give the believer a license to walk in unrighteousness. Sincerely repenting of sin and staying in step with the Holy Spirit is part of the sanctification process (Gal. 5:25).
Paul has a reason for the believer to be kept blameless for the day and hour of the rapture. But first: the Greek term that is translated as blameless in many English Bibles is, ἄμεμπτος. Amemptos is the transliteration and it sounds like am'-emp-tos. As I wrote in the 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 commentary, amemptos is being faultless, irreproachable, impeccable, free from weaknesses. In Luke 1:5-6, Zechariah, and his wife Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, were said to have walked in the commandments and ordinances of the Lord amemptos, blamelessly. Remember, what the apostle had written to the Ephesian believers, that the day the church is raptured the Lord will present to himself a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, a people made holy and blameless (Eph. 5:27)—a people that practices crucifying the sinful nature with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24). Sowing to the Holy Spirit will reap for the believer eternal life, but sowing to the sinful nature will end up in his destruction (Gal. 6:7-8). Because the believer will stand before God one day, his heart needs to be faultless, in the understanding of not being weak and deceived, and in the awareness of being impeccable and pure. When the believer works out his own salvation, with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12b), God can then freely sanctify him completely and get him ready for the day of the Lord. Paul encourages the Thessalonians that God is faithful to do his part, he is faithful in whatever he does, because this is what he called his church to (5:24). It is God’s desire to work in the believer so the Christian will work at doing his will for this gives the Father satisfaction (Phil. 2:13). This is the reason why Paul pushes the believer to persist in being amemptos, it is for when the day of the Lord occurs.
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