John Calvin Commentary 1 Thessalonians 5

But as to times. He now, in the third place, calls them back from a curious and unprofitable inquiry regarding times, but in the meantime admonishes them to be constantly in a state of preparation for receiving Christ. He speaks, however, by way of anticipation, saying that they have no need for him to write about those things which the curious desire to know.

For it is evidence of excessive incredulity not to believe what the Lord foretells, unless he marks out the day by certain circumstances and, as it were, points it out with his finger. Since, therefore, those who require that moments of time should be marked out for them waver between doubtful opinions, as if they would draw a conjecture from some plausible demonstration, he accordingly says that discussions of this nature are not necessary for the pious.

There is also another reason — that believers do not desire to know more than they are permitted to learn in God’s school. Now Christ designed that the day of his coming should be hidden from us, so that, being in suspense, we might be, as it were, on watch.

You know perfectly. He places exact knowledge in contrast with an anxious desire for investigation. But what is it that he says the Thessalonians know accurately? It is, that the day of Christ will come suddenly and unexpectedly, so as to take unbelievers by surprise, as a thief does those who are asleep. This, however, is opposed to evident signs, which might portend from afar his coming to the world. Hence it would be foolish to wish to determine the time precisely from omens or portents.

For when they shall say. Here we have an explanation of the comparison, the day of the Lord will be like a thief in the night. Why is this so? Because it will come suddenly to unbelievers, when unexpected, so that it will take them by surprise, as though they were asleep.

But from where does that sleep come? Certainly, it comes from a deep contempt of God. The prophets frequently reprove the wicked on account of this careless indifference, and indeed, they await in a spirit of carelessness not merely that final judgment, but also those judgments that occur daily. Though the Lord threatens destruction, they do not hesitate to promise themselves peace and every kind of prosperity.

And the reason they fall into this destructive idleness is this: because they do not immediately see accomplished those things which the Lord declares will take place, they consider anything to be a fable that does not immediately appear before their eyes.

For this reason, to avenge this carelessness, which is full of stubbornness, the Lord comes all of a sudden. Contrary to everyone's expectation, He hurls the wicked from the height of their prosperity.

He sometimes provides signs of this kind of sudden coming, but the principal one will be when Christ will come down to judge the world. As He Himself testifies (Matthew 24:37), He compares that time to the age of Noah, since everyone will be given over to excess, as if in the deepest rest.

As the pains of child-bearing. Here we have a very fitting comparison, since there is no affliction that seizes more suddenly, or presses more keenly and violently from its very first onset. Besides this, a pregnant woman carries the cause of her pain in her womb without feeling it, until she is seized by it in the midst of feasting and laughter, or in the middle of sleep.

But you, brethren. He now admonishes them about the duty of believers: to look forward in hope to that day, even though it may be distant. And this is what is intended in the metaphor of day and light.

The coming of Christ will take by surprise those who are carelessly giving way to indulgence because, being enveloped in darkness, they see nothing; for no darkness is more dense than ignorance of God. We, on the other hand, on whom Christ has shone by the faith of his gospel, differ greatly from them, for that saying of Isaiah is truly fulfilled in us:

while darkness covers the earth, the Lord arises upon us, and his glory is seen in us (Isaiah 60:2).

He admonishes us, therefore, that it would be an unseemly thing for us to be caught by Christ asleep, as it were, or seeing nothing, while the full blaze of light is shining upon us.

He calls them children of light, in accordance with the Hebrew idiom, meaning furnished with light; and also children of the day, meaning those who enjoy the light of day. This he again confirms when he says that we are not of the night nor of darkness, because the Lord has rescued us from it.

For it is as though he had said that we have not been enlightened by the Lord with a view to our walking in darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep. He adds other metaphors closely allied to the preceding one. For as he recently showed that it would by no means be fitting for them to be blind in the middle of light, so he now admonishes that it would be dishonorable and disgraceful to sleep or be drunk in the middle of the day.

Now, as he gives the name of day to the doctrine of the gospel, by which the Christ, the Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2), is manifested to us, so when he speaks of sleep and drunkenness, he does not mean natural sleep or drunkenness from wine, but a stupor of mind, when, forgetting God and ourselves, we carelessly indulge our vices.

Let us not sleep, he says; that is, let us not, sunk in indolence, become senseless in the world. As others, that is, unbelievers, from whom ignorance of God, like a dark night, takes away understanding and reason. But let us watch, that is, let us look to the Lord with an attentive mind.

And be sober, that is, casting away the cares of the world, which weigh us down by their pressure, and throwing off base lusts, ascend to heaven with freedom and eagerness. For this is spiritual sobriety, when we use this world so sparingly and temperately that we are not entangled with its allurements.