Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Thessalonians 5:5

"for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness;" — 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (ASV)

You are all.—St. Paul recognizes no exceptions, no inner distinctions, among the members of the Church: all stand alike so far as grace, privileges, and duties are concerned. The following exhortation shows that it was a matter of each person’s free will whether they would sustain their character as a child of light or not.

Children of light.—The expression is an enthusiastic Hebrew poetical turn for intimate vital connection with anything; thus, for example, children of this world (Luke 16:8; Luke 20:34) = “mere products of this age,” with a family likeness for other worldly people; the son of peace (Luke 10:6) = a person with whom peace has a natural affinity, to whom the peace pronounced will cleave naturally. So children of the light are persons to whom darkness is an alien thing, whose natures have a kinship, an intuitive responsiveness for whatever may be called light. To such persons the light, the day, can never come as an unwelcome, startling apparition.

We.—Notice St. Paul’s courtesy again: he suddenly includes himself in his exhortation.