1 Tessalonicenses 5
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Tessalonicenses 5:17
Vernon McGee says that... Now by this Paul did not mean that you are to get on your knees and remain there twenty-four hours a day. But Paul did mean for you to get on your knees and pray and then live in the expectation of that prayer for twenty-four hours every day. This does not mean you are to go to an all-day or all-night prayer meeting. Prayer is an attitude of the life. It is more an attitude of life than an action of the lips. Remember that Paul said to the Romans, "the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Ro 8:26-note). That is, they cannot be put into our words. And many times we do not have the words to pray, but we are praying nonetheless. And it is the entire life that is behind the words which are spoken that makes prayer effective. There was a famous preacher, years ago in the state of Georgia, who had many very unusual expressions. One of them was this, "When a man prays for a corn crop, God expects him to say 'Amen' with a hoe." (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or Logos) Praying is talking to our best Friend, One Who will stick closer than a brother (Pr 18:24, 17:17), Who has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5-note) and Who never puts us on "call waiting". Let us therefore draw near with confidence to His marvelous throne of grace. What an awesome invitation. Jesus Who was without sin prayed constantly and so how much more ought we, who are sinners, to be faithful in prayer! He who had all power in heaven and earth considered adequate times of prayer as essential as His public service. So He often withdrew and prayed and He is our example. E. M. Bounds said that... The little estimate we put on prayer is evident from the little time we give to it. (Power Through Prayer) R. A. Torrey has highlighted what is true for many of us... How little time the average Christian spends in prayer! We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little . . . The power of God is lacking in our lives and in our work. We have not because we ask not. S. D. Gordon reminds us that God's great people are those who pray. They do not have the time, but must take the time from other things that are important and pressing. A. W. Tozer portrayed a praying Christian as a constant threat to the stability of Satan's government writing that... The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God Since prayer is detrimental to the evil one's purposes, Satan and his minions do their utmost to interfere when we pray especially opposing us when we try to take time for prayer because. The enemy knows better than most Christian's the power of persistent prayer! Susannah Wesley, mother of the great eighteenth-century evangelist and Christian leader John Wesley, had nineteen children. When she wanted to pray and meditate, she would sit in her rocking chair and cover her face with her apron. She trained her children to respect these times of quietness and fellowship with God. MacArthur has several comments on prayer without ceasing writing that... In any posture, in any attire, at any time, in any place, and under any circumstance prayer is appropriate. Prayer is to be a total way of life, an open and constant communion with God (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Chicago: Moody Press or Logos) Such unceasing or recurring prayer demands first of all an attitude of God-consciousness. That does not mean to be constantly in the act of verbal prayer, but to view everything in life in relation to God. For example, if we meet someone, we immediately consider where they stand with God. If we hear of something bad happening, we react by praying for God to act in the situation because we know He cares. If we hear of something good that has happened, we respond with immediate praise to God for it because we know He is glorified. When Paul looked around his world, everything he saw prompted him to prayer in some way. When he thought of or heard about one of his beloved churches, it moved him toward communion with God. A second aspect of unceasing prayer is people-consciousness. We cannot effectively pray for people unless we are aware of their needs. Paul exhorted the Colossians to keep alert in prayer (Col 4:2-note), while to the Ephesians he wrote, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" (Ep 6:18-note). The two elements of praying without ceasing came together in Paul’s prayer life. His love for God led him to seek unbroken communion with Him. His love for people drove him to unceasing prayer on their behalf. The prayers of Paul recorded in his letters are a precious legacy. They reveal his heart and are models for us to emulate. This text records the first of those prayers. (MacArthur, J. Colossians. Chicago: Moody Press) PRAY LIKE YOU COUGH! Without ceasing (89) (adialeiptos from a = negative + dialeipô = leave off, cease, leave an interval whether of space or time) means uninterruptedly, without intermission, constantly, incessantly, unceasingly, always, unintermittently, continually, without omission or without ceasing. There are 4 uses of adialeiptos in the NT - Ro 1:9; 1Th 1:2; 2:13; 5:17 Adialeiptos is used to describe that which is continuously done - uninterrupted necessary payment of hard taxes, continual uninterrupted cough, repeated military attacks, continual failing of a military effort, regular and consistent production of fruit. We've all had an unceasing, hacking cough. What happens? When you get a tickle in your throat, you cough. Applying this thought to unceasing prayer, when opportunity knocks or Spirit gives you a "tickle" (a "burden"), then your reflex reaction should be to pray. Josephus used adialeiptos for the incessant attacks of the Romans against Jotapatha (Josephus, Jewish Wars 3:155-57) or for the continual hammering of a battering ram against the walls of Jerusalem (Josephus, Jewish Wars 5:298-302). In the NT adialeiptos is used only by Paul and always connected with prayer. Adialeiptos describes that which is continuously performed. Pray every time an opportunity presents itself and be in a constant attitude of dependence upon God. It does not imply we should neglect everything and utter unending prayer or abstain from work and cloister ourselves in a monastery where we can constantly pray. But it does mean we are ready to pray at a "moment's notice". Hiebert comments that the command to pray without ceasing... means more than "never give up praying" (Goodspeed) in the sense that they must not give up the practice of prayer. The practical demands of life make it impossible for them to give themselves to constant praying, but they are to live in a spirit of constant communion with God. In the Christian life the act of prayer is intermittent, but the spirit of prayer should be incessant. "It is not in the moving of the lips, but in the elevation of the heart to God, that the essence of prayer consists." But such a spirit of prayer will manifest itself in repeated utterances of prayer to God. "The spirit of prayer is only known by constant secret acts of prayer."... He who lives in a spirit of unceasing prayer will ever be ready and fit to approach God in worshipful prayer. His praying is not limited by time or place. He is not restricted to set hours of prayer. Neither is he restricted to any specific place of prayer, "but the believer is not in a right place if he cannot continue to pray there.' (Ibid) The idea of unceasing prayer or communication with God is to view everything in life in relation to God. Paul's love for God led him to seek unbroken communion with Him. The two epistles to the Thessalonians are dotted with seemingly random (of course they are not "random" but ordained and inspired by the Spirit as all prayer should be) prayers as evidence that Paul practiced what he preached. His love for people drove him to unceasing prayer on their behalf. Milligan suggests that as an example of this command we should note Paul's constantly interjected prayers in this and the later epistle. (See below) When Paul looked around his world, everything he saw prompted him to prayer in some way and he was especially disposed to pray for the saints as indicated by the following passages... We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers (See note 1Thessalonians 1:2) And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (See note 1Thessalonians 2:13) (Upon receiving the good news from Timothy of their faith and love he writes) For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith? (See notes 1Thessalonians 3:9; 3:10) (Writing to saints in Rome who he had never even met personally Paul says...) For God, Whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my Witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you (See note Romans 1:9) (In his last letter he is still praying without ceasing as he issues his final charge to Timothy) I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, (See note 2 Timothy 1:3) As those who are to be imitators of Paul (who imitated Christ), we too should pray for our brethren. And so when we hear of something bad happening to a brother or sister in Christ, we should "reflexively" respond with prayers and petitions on their behalf. If we hear of something good happening to them, similarly we should respond with praise and thanksgiving to God for His goodness to them. Nehemiah gives a practical example of praying without ceasing. After King Artaxerxes inquired why he was sad, Nehemiah related to the King the destruction of Jerusalem. Asked by the King for his request, he prayed a quick prayer before replying Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven." (Neh 2:4) In the midst of a stressful situation, Nehemiah was conscious of God’s character and purposes. Short, concise prayers offered anytime, anywhere, are both scriptural and immensely useful. In another stressful situation Nehemiah made time for prayer, writing that... all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands. (Neh 6:9) Nehemiah even concluded his book with a brief cry that he often used, with variations... Remember me, O my God, for good. (Neh 13:31 cp Neh 1:8, 13:14, 22, 29)
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Vernon McGee writes that give thanks in everything means "in all circumstances, not just once a year, but all the time. This "is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." If you come to me and ask what is the will of God for you, I can tell you three specific things that are the will of God for you: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything. That is the will of God for you. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson ) Gary Delashmutt writes that... The New Testament teaches that gratitude is related to spiritual health in two different ways. We'll use a medical model to explore this . . . (1) Gratitude is a “thermometer” that indicates the state of your spiritual health. A thermometer is a tool that tells you whether you have one of the symptoms of physical illness (fever). It is not a medicine. You don't put the thermometer in the freezer and then stick it into your mouth to break your fever. You put it in your mouth and it tells you if you have a fever. In the same way, the presence or absence of gratitude in your dealings with God is one of the most reliable indicators of your spiritual health. This is because it (along with serving love) is the normal and natural result of personally understanding and receiving God's grace. Grace means charity—a gift to the undeserving. (2) Gratitude is a “medicine” that promotes your spiritual health. Gratitude is not a feeling that dictates your choices; it is a choice that affects your feelings. This is what Paul is emphasizing in this passage. Most of the New Testament passages on gratitude are imperatives, addressed to our volition rather than to our emotions. He is not prescribing for us how we must feel; he is calling on us to choose to rejoice and thank God on the basis of what is true--regardless of how happy or thankful we may feel. This is a key insight into biblical spirituality. It involves our feelings and experiences, but it is not rooted in them, because they are fallen and broken and unreliable. It is rooted in God's truth and our choice to express faith in the truth, often in spite of what we feel. This is why the notion that it is unspiritual to thank God unless you feel grateful is false. Choosing by faith to thank God in spite of intense feelings of depression, disappointment, anxiety, etc. is deeply spiritual. This is why if you wait until you feel grateful to thank God, you will feel less and less grateful. But if you choose to thank God regardless of how you feel, you will feel more grateful more often. It is in this sense that gratitude is a key step of faith (along with serving love) that unleashes God's blessing into your experience. (“Grateful servants are happy people.”). Warren
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Vernon McGee - I think the Holy Spirit gets rather tired of you and me! But He is patient with us. Thank God for that! When we’re going off course, He sounds the alarm and triggers our conscience (Gal. 5:16-25). We may ignore the warning, but we do so to our own detriment (Isa. 63:10; Gal. 6:8). John
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Vernon McGee - To quench the Spirit means that you refuse to do the will of God; that is, you are not listening to the Holy Spirit. You refuse to let the Holy Spirit be your Guide to lead you. You and I quench the Holy Spirit when we take matters into our own hands. This is the same teaching that Paul gave to the Ephesian believers: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ep 4:30-note). You cannot grieve a thing; you grieve a Person. The Holy Spirit is a Person, and He is grieved by sin in our lives. Also, He is quenched when we step out of the will of God. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson ) It is written of Charles Wesley that "Until the day of his death he exercised the greatest care to have everything "done decently and in order," and to avoid all fleshly excitements, hallucinations, and delusions (cp Ro 13:12, 14, 14-see notes Ro 13:12; 13; 14); but on the other hand he was careful to encourage every genuine work of the Holy Spirit. "Quench not the Spirit" was to him a solemn warning which he scrupulously and conscientiously tried to follow. Call Of The Chickadees - The black-capped chickadee has a surprising level of complexity in the noises it makes for alarm calls. Researchers found that chickadees use a high-frequency call to warn of danger in the air. Depending on the situation, the “chickadee” call can cue other birds about food that is nearby or predators that are perched too close for comfort. Studies have also found that chickadees don’t sense danger from large predators such as the great horned owl, because they’re not likely to prey on such a petite bird. But smaller owls, which are closer to the size of the chickadee and more of a threat, prompt sentinel chickadees to repeat the alarm sound of their calls—the chickadee’s distinctive “dee” note. A similar level of awareness might serve us well. In the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he didn’t just condemn the evils of the world. He also focused his attention on the matters of the heart that can do harm to us with barely a notice. “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good.” “Do not quench the Spirit.” “Test all things” (1Th 5:15,19,21) How we need a keen awareness Of God’s voice that is His Word, Quiet whispers, gentle nudgings, So we’ll make Him King and Lord. —Anon. God speaks to those who are willing to listen. Be Safe--Not Sorry! - Two young women lost their lives in a fire that swept through their apartment as they slept. Their home was equipped with a smoke detector that was in good working order, but it hadn't gone off. Why? Fire inspectors concluded that the device had been deactivated for a party the night before. The unit had been disconnected to keep it from sounding off because of the smoke from cooking and candles. In Acts 5 we have another example of two people who apparently deactivated an alarm system that could have saved their lives. Ananias and Sapphira must have quenched the Holy Spirit by turning a deaf ear to their consciences, believing they had plenty of good reasons for doing what they did. But their action cost them their lives. We need to realize that the Holy Spirit was not given to annoy us like a sensitive smoke detector. He doesn't sound false alarms. When He activates our conscience by bringing to mind a principle or warning from God's Word, it is really His love and wisdom in action. Our conscience is a gift from God, It is a guiding light; And when aligned with God's true Word, It shows us what is right. —Sper To ignore your conscience is to invite trouble. Oswald Chambers - The voice of the Spirit is as gentle as a zephyr, so gentle that unless you are living in perfect communion with God, you never hear it. The checks of the Spirit come in the most extraordinarily gentle ways, and if you are not sensitive enough to detect His voice you will quench it, and your personal spiritual life will be impaired. His checks always come as a still small voice, so small that no one but the saint notices them. Beware if in personal testimony you have to hark back and say - "Once, so many years ago, I was saved." If you are walking in the light, there is no harking back, the past is transfused into the present wonder of communion with God. If you get out of the light you become a sentimental Christian and live on memories, your testimony has a hard, metallic note. Beware of trying to patch up a present refusal to walk in the light by recalling past experiences when you did walk in the light. Whenever the Spirit checks, call a halt and get the thing right, or you will go on grieving Him without knowing it. Suppose God has brought you up to a crisis and you nearly go through but not quite, He will engineer the crisis again, but it will not be so keen as it was before. There will be less discernment of God and more humiliation at not having obeyed; and if you go on grieving the Spirit, there will come a time when that crisis cannot be repeated, you have grieved Him away. But if you go through the crisis, there will be the paean of praise to God. Never sympathize with the thing that is stabbing God all the time. God has to hurt the thing that must go. (Ref ) J C
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Vernon McGee applies this passage writing that believers today are not to... look down upon Bible study as something that is beneath you. Do not be indifferent to the Word of God. We have a lot of folk who are in Christian service, but they are ignorant of the Bible and they look down on Bible study. Occasionally I hear such a person saying, “You just spend all your time in Bible study and you don’t do anything. What you need to do is get out and get busy.” Well, what is needed is to get busy studying the Word of God, and after you do that you will see how to get busy and really be effective. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson ) Comment: As an aside I spoke recently to the secretary in a local Bible church in which the leadership has made the decision that they want to avoid teaching too much doctrine! Paul would tell them stop looking with contempt on sound doctrine or perhaps he would say don't hypocritically call yourself a Bible church!