1 Tessalonicenses 5
William Barclay · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Tessalonicenses 5:18
Barclay - There is always something for which to give thanks; even on the darkest day there are blessings to count. We must remember that if we face the sun the shadows will fall behind us but if we turn our backs on the sun all the shadows will be in front. A French proverb says "Gratitude is the heart's memory." The Pilgrims would not fully understand in their lifetime the reason for the suffering that beset them. The first official Thanksgiving Day occurred as a unique holy day in 1621—in the fall of that year with lingering memories of the difficult, terrible winter they had just been through a few months before, in which scores and scores of babies and children and young people and adults had starved to death, and many of the Pilgrims had gotten to a point where they were even ready to go back to England. They had climbed into a ship and were in that harbor heading back to England, ready to give up. It was only as they saw another ship coming the other way, and on that ship there was a Frenchman named Delaware, and he came with some medical supplies and some food, that they had enough hope to go back and to try to live in the midst of those adverse sufferings. And yet they came to that first Thanksgiving with the spirit of giving and of sharing. —Ron Lee Davis, "Rejoicing in Our Suffering," Be Thankful for Your Problems - When I was a young mother with two preschoolers, I was often overwhelmed. One night I fell into bed, exhausted. I poured out my frustrations to God. "The kids won't mind, the house is a mess, my husband doesn't seem to care ..."—the list went on. Suddenly, a voice said to my heart, "Which one do you want me to take away?" Everything I was complaining about was precious to me. Immediately, I began to thank God for everything on my list—something I continue to do now as a grandmother. Prayer makes common things holy and secular things sacred. It receives things from God with thanksgiving and hallows them with thankful hearts and devoted service. —E.M. Bounds Gratitude is the praise we offer - God: for teachers kind, benefactors never to be forgotten, for all who have advantaged me, by writings, sermons, converse, prayers, examples, for all these and all others which I know, which I know not, open, hidden, remembered, and forgotten. In every tragedy you can look at what you've lost and be hateful, or you can look at what you have left and be grateful. Joseph (Old Testament) is a grand example of choosing to be grateful instead of hateful in the face of betrayal. (Genesis 50:18-21; Job 1:20-22; 1 Thessalonians 5:18) When my brother and sister-in-law were expecting a baby, I asked my four-year-old niece, Justina, "What do you want, a baby brother or a baby sister?" "Aunt Donna," she chided, "sometimes you just gots to take what God gives ya." —Donna Patton Back when Rudyard Kipling was England's most popular writer, the news got out that his publishers paid him a dollar a word for his work. Some Cambridge students, hearing this, cabled Kipling one dollar, along with instructions, "Please send us one of your very best words." Kipling replied with a one-word telegram, "Thanks." A husband gave his wife a beautiful skunk coat beside a Christmas tree. When his wife opened it up she said, "I can't see how such a nice coat can come from such a foul smelling little beast." The husband said, "I don't ask for thanks, but I do demand respect." One evening we picked up four people from the street. One of them was in the most terrible condition. I told the others with me, "You take care of the other three; I will take care of the one who looks worst." I did all that my love could do. I put her in bed, and she had a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said two words: "Thank you." Then she died. I asked myself, what would I say if I were in her place? I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said, "I am hungry, I am dying, I am in pain." But she gave me much more; she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. Gratitude brings a smile and becomes a gift. Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it. —A. W. Tozer Many years ago, I went to hear Doctor Martin Luther King, Sr. King said his mother had told him to always thank God for what was left. And that was something to think about: if you've got enough breath left to complain, you have something left. I thought that was very impressive, and I really made a mental note of it. Some years later I went back to Atlanta to Ebenezer Church, and by this time Dr. King had lost A. D. and M. L. his two sons, and his beloved wife had been shot to death right before his eyes at the organ in that very sanctuary. Guess what the old man was saying? 'Thank God for what's left.' There's always enough left in life to make it worth living. —Henry Mitchell One Thanksgiving Day I was home alone in the evening. On my favorite radio program, Bill Pearce, the host of "Night Sounds," asked us to think of all the things for which we were thankful—our country, our families, home, work, and all the rest. Then he challenged us: "Have you ever stopped to be thankful just for yourself?" As he candidly shared his own struggles with this, I realized I had never really thanked God for all the work he had done in my creation. I was overcome as I thought of how God had made plans for my life long before I was born. —Ingrid Trobisch Two-year-old Kimberly was at an age when many things were being learned at once—ABC's, new words, numbers, etc. One day when she was putting her dolls to bed she knelt down beside the doll's cradle and breathed one of her first prayers: "Heavenly Father, we thank you for... five, six, seven, eight..." —Maureen Tobey Often we put a "but" at the end of a "thank you," as in, "Thank you, Lord, for friends, but I wish I had more"; or, "I'm grateful for my health, but I wish I weren't getting gray and creaky;" or, "I'm grateful for our home, but I wish we could afford new carpeting." —Carole Mayhall The modern American seldom pauses to give thanks for the simple blessings of life. One reason is that we are used to having so much. We simply assume that we will have all the good things of life. Another reason is that it hurts our pride to be grateful. We do not want to admit that God is the Provider of all good things. We are simply His stewards. Being thankful requires humility and faith in God. When we have these, we can be grateful. —Richard B. Douglass This verse gives us the true secret of a healthy heart. It doesn't tell us to give thanks for all circumstances, but in all circumstances, because God is with us through all the circumstances of life. His mercies are new every morning, His compassions never fail, and He causes all things to work for the good of those who love Him. I recently read of a young would-be journalist who moved to Manhattan, where his career sputtered and stalled. He grew so depressed that one cold and damp Saturday he wanted to stay in bed all day. But he had to pick up a photograph across town, so he set out walking. Somehow it came to his mind specifically to look for things that seemed pleasing to him—a baby in a buggy, the sizzling smells wafting from a bistro, a jet piercing the clouds. He never forgot his "thanksgiving walk," and it transformed his outlook. Psychologists have studied the psychological effects of gratitude, and a new science of thanksgiving is emerging. People who approach life by seeing and counting their blessings each day are less depressed, less envious, and less anxious. They feel better about their lives, they're more optimistic and energetic, they exercise more, have stronger immune systems, encounter fewer illnesses, get more sleep, enjoy greater life expectancy, and have happier homes. Give thanks in all circumstances today, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (
1 Tessalonicenses 5:20
Barclay: Don’t make light of manifestations of the gift of prophecy. (Westminster Press) NLT: Do not scoff at prophecies, (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Tessalonicenses 5:21
Barclay: Test everything, hold fast to the fine thing. (Westminster Press) NLT: but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Tessalonicenses 5:22
Barclay: Keep yourselves well away from every kind of evil. (Westminster Press) NLT: Keep away from every kind of evil. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Tessalonicenses 5:23
Barclay: May the God of peace Himself consecrate you through and through; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete so that you will be blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Westminster Press) Milligan's Paraphrase: ‘As however without God all your strivings must be in vain we pray that the God of peace Himself will sanctify you through and through, that the whole man may become God’s, each part preserved entire and without blame, and found so at the Parousia of the Lord Jesus. (St. Paul's Epistles to the Thessalonians. 1908) NLT: Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Tessalonicenses 5:23
Barclay writes that holokleros means "entire, perfect in every part. It is used of the animal which is fit to be offered to God and of the priest who is fit to serve him. It means that the animal or the person has no disfiguring and disqualifying blemishes. Gradually this unswerving constancy removes the weaknesses and the imperfections from a man’s character. Daily it enables him to conquer old sins, to shed old blemishes and to gain new virtues, until in the end he becomes entirely fit for the service of God and of his fellow-men. (James 1 - William Barclay's Daily Study Bible) Moulton and Milligan write that holokleros "is common of material or physical soundness and completeness There are 2 NT uses of holokleros, the other use being in... James 1:4 (Here James' exhortation is given to motivate them to comprehend the value of trials in the believer's life so that he or she is enabled to by faith "consider them all joy" -- note "not fun" but "joy") And let endurance (see hupomone) have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (see teleios) and complete (holokleros), lacking in nothing. (Comment: Observe that James tells us in essence the "definition" of holokleros -- "lacking in nothing." The idea is complete in all respects. Consummate.) Vine comments on the distinction between "perfect" and "complete" noting that complete "signifies that every grace should be manifest in the believer that is present in Christ, John 1:16 ("For of His fulness we have all received grace upon grace") (whereas) perfect (teleios) signifies that every grace should be developed and matured. There are 6 uses of holokleros in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) (Lev. 23:15; Deut. 16:9; 27:6; Jos. 8:31; Ezek. 15:5; Zech. 11:16). In the LXX holokleros is used of the full week, Leviticus 23:5 (see below), of the unhewn/uncut stones of the alter, Deut 27:6, Joshua 8:31, and of the growing vine tree, Ezekiel 15:5. In the use in Leviticus note that holokleros translates the Hebrew word tamiym which is elsewhere used to describe character, the first use in fact referring to Noah as "blameless (tamiym) in his time" (Ge 6:9)... Leviticus 23:15 'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete (Hebrew = tamiym = complete, sound, whole; Lxx = holokleros) sabbaths. Deuteronomy 27:6 "You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut (KJV = whole) (Hebrew = shalam = complete, perfect, whole; Lxx = holokleros) stones; and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD your God (Comment: And God still requires "whole" stones to build His "altars" today! cp notes on "living stones" in 1 Peter 2:5 and saints "being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit" - Ephesians 2:20; 21; 22) Joshua 8:31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut (KJV = whole) (Hebrew = shalam = complete, perfect, whole; Lxx = holokleros) stones, on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. Ezekiel 15:5 "Behold, while it is intact (KJV = whole) (Hebrew = tamiym = complete, sound, whole; Lxx = holokleros), it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything! Here in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, holokleros is used in an ethical sense to convey the thought that all the virtues that belong to the sanctified believer may be complete in them. In one sense, holokleros describes the perfection of Adam before the fall. In the present context the prayer is that no part of the Christian personality should be lacking in consecration. Luke uses the corresponding noun form holokleria in Acts, where Peter testifies... And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health (holokleria - state of soundness or well-being in all parts, wholeness, completeness) in the presence of you all. (Acts 3:16) Comment: Latin integritas; used of an unimpaired condition of body, in which all its members are healthy and fit for use and thus the Latin Vulgate translates the Greek as integra sanitas. Peter's use in context speaks of the lame man's physical healing or wholeness, although there is clearly application to the ethical sense, where faith likewise produces an "internal healing" of our soul and spirit in the regeneration or new birth.) Bishop Trench has a lengthy note comparing holokleros and teleios... Holokleros signifies first, as its etymology declares, that which retains all which was allotted to it at the first (Ezek. 15:5), being thus whole and entire in all its parts (holokleros kai panteles, Philo, De Merc. Meret. 1); with nothing necessary for its completeness wanting. Thus Darius would have been well pleased not to have taken Babylon if only Zopyrus, who had maimed himself to carry out the stratagem by which it fell, were holokleros still (Plutarch, Reg. et Imper. Apoph.). Again, unhewn stones, as having lost nothing in the process of shaping and polishing, are holokleroi (Deut. 27:6; 1 Macc. 4:47); perfect weeks are ebdomadas holoklerous (Lev. 23:15); and a man en holoklero dermati is ‘in a whole skin’ (Lucian, Philops. 8). We next find holokleros expressing that integrity of body, with nothing redundant, nothing deficient (cf. Lev. 21:17-23), which was required of the Levitical priests as a condition of their ministering at the altar, which also might not be wanting in the sacrifices they offered. In both these senses Josephus uses it (Ant. iii. 12. 2); as does Philo continually. It is with him the standing word for this integrity of the priests and of the sacrifice, to the necessity of which he often recurs, seeing in it, and rightly, a mystical significance, and that these are holokleroi thusia holoklero Theo (De Vict. 2; De Vict. Off. 1, holokleron kai panteleos momos ametochon. De Agricul. 29; De Cherub. 28; cf. Plato, Legg. vi. 759 c). Teleios is used by Homer (Il. 1. 66) in the same sense. It is not long before holokleros and holokleria, like the Latin ‘integer’ and ‘integritas, ’ are transferred from bodily to mental and moral entireness (Suetonius, Claud. 4). The only approach to this in the Apocrypha is Wisdom xv. 3, holokleros dikaiosune (righteousness): but in an interesting and important passage in the Phoedrus of Plato (250 c; cf. Tim. 44 c), holokleros expresses the perfection of man before the Fall; I mean, of course, the Fall as Plato contemplated it; when to men, as yet holokleroi kai apatheis kakon, were vouchsafed holoklera phasmata, as contrasted with those weak partial glimpses of the Eternal Beauty, which are all that to most men are now vouchsafed. That person then or thing is holokleros, which is ‘omnibus numeris absolutus,’ or en medeni leipomenos, (not lacking in anything) as James himself (James 1:4) explains the word... The distinction then is plain (Trench's discussion of teleios has been left out after the ellipsis [...]). The holokleros is one who has preserved, or who, having once lost, has now regained, his completeness: the teleios is one who has attained his moral end, that for which he was intended, namely, to be a man in Christ; however it may be true that, having reached this, other and higher ends will open out before him, to have Christ formed in him more and more. In the holokleros no grace which ought to be in a Christian man is deficient; in the teleios no grace is merely in its weak imperfect beginnings, but all have reached a certain ripeness and maturity. Holoteles, occurring once in the N. T. (1Th 5:23; cf. Plutarch, De Plac. Phil. v. 21), forms a connecting link between the two, holding on to holokleros in its first half, to teleios in its second. (Perfect - Trench's Synonyms of the New Testament) As distinguished from the preceding word holoteleis, holokleros is qualitative, while holteleis is quantitative. The holókleros is one who has persevered or, having once suffered loss, has now regained completeness. In the holókleros individual no grace which a Christian man should possess is deficient. (2Pe 1:3-note) John Stott writes that "If these words can be distinguished, then probably the former implies ‘a totality from which no part is excluded’ and the latter ‘an integrity in which each part has its due place and proportion’. (1 & 2 Thessalonians. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., U.S.A, IVP) In sum, Paul issues a prayer designed to make us wholly holy inside and out, not just on the "outside" (which of course is the essence of hypocrisy - hupokrisis) like the "super" religious Pharisees who Jesus "raked over the proverbial coals" declaring to them... You blind Pharisee, first clean (aorist imperative = Not a suggestion but a command. Do it now! It is your urgent need!) the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. (Mt 23:26) Without blame (274)(amémptōs [word study] from the noun ámemptos from a = negates following word + mémphomai = find fault) means irreproachably, faultlessly. The noun describes that which is without defect or blemish and thus describes not being able to find fault in someone or some thing (cf use in He 8:7 {note} regarding the Old Covenant). The idea is that the person is such that he or she is without the possibility of rightful charge being brought against them. Amémptōs was used in the Greco-Roman world of people who were characterized by extraordinary civic consciousness. This adverb is used in 1Th 2:10 (note) to describe the life of Paul and his companions as they conducted themselves before the Thessalonians, their conduct being such that there was no legitimate ground for accusation. This doesn’t mean that their enemies didn’t accuse them—because they did—but that the charges could not "stick". TECHNICAL NOTE - There is no verifiable archaeological evidence to support the oft-repeated claim that the Greek term amemptos (“blameless”) was inscribed on early Christian tombstones. While the word is theologically rich, describing the believer’s position as blameless in Christ through His finished work on the Cross, the assertion that it functioned as a funerary inscription remains undocumented in the archaeological record. In other words, the theology is sound, but the historical claim is unsubstantiated. That said, one could choose to have “Amemptos” engraved on a grave marker, as a quiet testimony that might stir curiosity and point others to the One Who Alone makes sinners blameless before God. Barclay adds that amémptōs - expresses what the Christian is to the world. His life is of such purity that none can find anything in it with which to find fault. It is often said in courts of law that the proceedings must not only be just but must be seen to be just. The Christian must not only be pure, but the purity of his life must be seen by all. (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press) With this background it is easy to see why Paul prayed for the saints at Thessalonica to be without blame. Ray Stedman sums up the prayer calling on us to... recognize that God is able to minister to the whole man -- spirit, soul and body. God can touch you in all those areas. Then you can rest on his faithfulness. He will do it! Choose to obey and he will give you power to perform; but he will not give you the power to perform until you make the choice to obey! And always remember the end: it is until the coming of our Lord Jesus. All through this letter this has been the great hope set before us. Jesus is coming again. God's kingdom will come on earth. There is only a limited time of testing to go through now. It cannot go on forever. One lifetime is very short. I often think of the motto that used to be prominent in many homes, Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. I would like to change one word in that: "Only what's done by Christ will last." That is where the apostle leaves us, with the hope of the coming of our Lord, and the resources God has provided, so that we may live in a new and different way in the midst of this modern age. (Read his full sermon 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Loving Christianly) At the coming of the Lord (see Table comparing Rapture vs Second Coming) - Paul associates one's behavior with the truth of Christ's return in order to motivate the saints' diligent, zealous pursuit of holiness (see related topics (see related topics Holiness Quotes; exposition of "be holy" in 1Pe 1:15,16-note; name of God = The Lord Who Sanctifies; The Lord Who Sanctifies Part 2; Holiness by J. C. Ryle). On that glorious day when we see our Lord face to face, the process of sanctification will be perfect and complete (cp 1Jn 3:2-note, 1Jn 3:3-note)! In the meantime, expecting to see Jesus Christ at any moment is a great motivation for holy living (see Doctrine of Imminency). What (really "Who") you are looking for will greatly impact what you are living for! (Or at least it should!) (cp Paul's parallel thoughts on what living in the light of our Savior's return in 2Ti 1:12-note) Hiebert agrees writing that "It is in view of that anticipated coming that the prayer for their preservation is offered. Were there no future parousia, this preservation would he quite pointless. The prayer for their preservation is significant view of what that day will disclose. It will assure that then they will be and as blameless. (Ibid) Coming (3952) (parousia [word study]) is a combination of two Greek words para = with, alongside + ousia = being (ousia is the participial form of the verb eimi = to be) which together literally mean to be alongside. Most lexicons in fact state that parousia is derived from pareimi (from para = near, with + eimi = to be) which means to be present, to be nearby, to have come. Parousia then literally means a being beside or a presence. The word denotes both an arrival and a consequent presence with. Parousia conveys the thought of an arrival (advent or coming) of a person to a place plus the idea of their presence at that place until a certain event transpires. The word parousia has no English equivalent and therefore is often transliterated in writings. John
1 Tessalonicenses 5:23
Barclay - The word which is translated hallowed is a part of the Greek verb hagiazo. The Greek verb hagiazo is connected with the adjective hagios, and means to treat a person or a thing as hagios. Hagios is the word which is usually translated holy; but the basic meaning of hagios is different or separate. A thing which is hagios is different from other things. A person who is hagios is separate from other people. So a temple is hagion (Greek #39) because it is different from other buildings. An altar is hagios because it exists for a purpose different from the purpose of ordinary things. God's day is hagios because it is different from other days. A priest is hagios because he is separate from other men. So, then, this petition means, "Let God's name be treated differently from all other names; let God's name be given a position which is absolutely unique." But there is something to add to this. In Hebrew the name does not mean simply the name by which a person is called-- John or James, or whatever the name may be. In Hebrew the name means the nature, the character, the personality of the person in so far as it is known or revealed to us. That becomes clear when we see how the Bible writers use the expression. The Psalmist says, "Those who know thy name put their trust in thee" (Ps 9:10). Quite clearly that does not mean that those who know that God is called Jehovah will trust in him. It means that those who know what God is like, those who know the nature and the character of God will put their trust in him. The Psalmist says, "Some boast of chariots and some of horses, but we boast of the name of the Lord our God" (Ps 20:7). Quite clearly that does not mean that in a time of difficulty the Psalmist will remember that God is called Jehovah. It means that at such a time some will put their trust in human and material aids and defenses, but the Psalmist will remember the nature and the character of God; he will remember what God is like, and that memory will give him confidence. So, then, let us take these two things and put them together. Hagiazo, which is translated to hallow, means to regard as different, to give a unique and special place to. The name is the nature, the character, the personality of the person in so far as it is known and revealed to us. Therefore, when we pray "Hallowed be Thy name," it means, "Enable us to give to thee the unique place which thy nature and character deserve and demand." (Matthew 6 - William Barclay's Daily Study Bible) Matthew 23:17 "You fools and blind men; which is more important, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold? Matthew 23:19 "You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering? Luke 11:2 And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed (aorist imperative) be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. John 10:36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified (set apart for a specific task) and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God '? John 17:17 "Sanctify (aorist imperative) them in the truth; Thy word is truth. Barclay on hagiazo - Jesus prayed that his disciples might be consecrated by the truth. The word for to consecrate is hagiazo which comes from the adjective hagios. In the King James Version hagios is usually translated "holy" but its basic meaning is "different" or "separate." So then hagiazo has two ideas in it. (a) It means to set apart for a special task. When God called Jeremiah, he said to him: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; and before you were born I consecrated (Heb = qadash; Lxx = hagiazo) you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5). Even before his birth God had set Jeremiah apart for a special task. When God was instituting the priesthood in Israel he told Moses to ordain the sons of Aaron and to consecrate (Heb = qadash; Lxx = hagiazo) them that they might serve in the office of the priests (Exodus 28:41). Aaron's sons were to be set apart for a special office and a special duty. (b) But hagiazo means not only to set apart for some special office and task, it also means to equip a man with the qualities of mind and heart and character which are necessary for that task. If a man is to serve God, he must have something of God's goodness and God's wisdom in him. He who would serve the holy God must himself be holy too. And so God does not only choose a man for his special service, and set him apart for it, he also equips a man with the qualities he needs to carry it out. We must always remember that God has chosen us out and dedicated us for His special service. That special service is that we should love and obey him and should bring others to do the same. And God has not left us to carry out that great task in our own strength, but out of his grace he fits us for our task, if we place our lives in his hands. (John 17 - William Barclay's Daily Study Bible) John 17:19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. Acts 20:32 "And now I commend (entrust to the care of God and His word, to deposit for safekeeping!) you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (perfect tense) Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (perfect tense) by faith in Me.' Romans 15:16 (note) to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified (perfect tense) by the Holy Spirit. Comment: Hagiazo here refers to the moment these Gentile sinners were set apart and made saints - the moment of salvation (so called "positional sanctification") with perfect tense pointing to the permanence of their position in Christ (which should give you assurance regarding eternal security). Denney explains that “The offering which Paul conceives himself as presenting to God is the Gentile Church, and the priestly function in the exercise of which this offering is made is the preaching of the gospel.” (Nicoll, W Robertson, Editor: Expositors Greek Testament)
1 Tessalonicenses 5:24
Barclay: You can rely on Him Who calls you—and We will do this very thing. (Westminster Press) Milligan's Paraphrase: Nor need you have any fear regarding this. The very fact that it is God Who is calling is to you the pledge that He will not suffer His calling to become null and void. (St. Paul's Epistles to the Thessalonians. 1908) NLT: God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this. (NLT - Tyndale House)