1 Thessalonians 5:23–28 · Small Group Bible Study
Here, There, or in the Air
① The Biblical Text
1 Thessalonians 5:23–28 (NKJV)
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
② Devotional
"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." — 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Paul's prayer to close this letter is also a promise. He asks God to sanctify us completely — and then immediately tells us why we can count on it: the One who called us is faithful, and He will do it. The gap between who we are and who God has called us to be is real. But it is not a gap He has left for us to close on our own.
There is a reason Paul points to God's faithfulness right after asking for our complete sanctification. He knows we cannot get there ourselves. But God works on our willer and our doer — He makes us want what He wants and do what He calls us to do. Our part is simply to stop resisting and make ourselves available.
The letter that began with grace ends with grace. Everything in between — instruction, correction, comfort, prophecy — happened inside the envelope of God's undeserved favor. Go into this week the same way: not straining to earn what has already been given, but living from it.
Go this week not straining toward God's approval — resting in the faithfulness of the One who has already called you.
③ Commentary
Teacher preparation resource — full text organized under outline headings.
④ Self-Study Guide
For use during the group meeting.
| Verse | Greek Word (Lexical Form) English Translation | Strong's # Transliteration Grammatical Form | Definition (Strong's / Thayer's) · Robertson's Word Pictures · Significance in Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| v.23 | ἁγιάσαι to sanctify | Strong's #37 Translit: hagiasai Verb: Aor. Act. Opt. · 3rd Sg. | Strong's: "to make holy, to set apart to God, to sanctify" Thayer's: "to render or acknowledge venerable; to separate from things profane and dedicate to God" Robertson: "The aorist optative expresses the wish as a whole — Paul prays for complete sanctification viewed at once, not as a process. The optative mood marks this as a prayer, placing it entirely in God's hands." Significance: The aorist views sanctification in its completed totality. The optative mood distinguishes prayer from prediction. |
| v.23 | ὁλοτελεῖς wholly, completely to the end | Strong's #3651 Translit: holoteleis Adj: Acc. · Pl. · Masc. | Strong's: "complete, wholly" Thayer's: "brought to completion in every part, perfect in every respect" Robertson: "Found only here in the NT — a compound of holos (whole) + telos (end/completion). Means 'completely to the end' — wholeness and finality packed into one word." Significance: Hapax legomenon — Paul's uniquely forceful expression for the totality of sanctification. Not partial, not temporary — complete and final. |
| v.23 | πνεῦμα spirit | Strong's #4151 Translit: pneuma Noun: Nom. · Sg. · Neut. | Strong's: "spirit; the rational and immortal soul; the God-consciousness" Thayer's: "the vital principle; the rational spirit, the power by which a human feels, thinks, decides" Robertson: "The spirit is the highest element in Paul's tripartite division — the God-consciousness that the Holy Spirit directly indwells." Significance: The vertical dimension — the person in communion with God. Only human beings have this. |
| v.23 | ψυχή soul | Strong's #5590 Translit: psychē Noun: Nom. · Sg. · Fem. | Strong's: "soul; the seat of feelings, desires, affections" Thayer's: "the seat of feelings, desires, affections; the inner life as it relates to the outer world and to other persons" Robertson: "Distinguished from pneuma as the seat of personality and emotions — the person as oriented toward the world and toward others." Significance: The horizontal dimension — the person in relation to others. Root of 'psychology.' |
| v.23 | σῶμα body | Strong's #4983 Translit: sōma Noun: Nom. · Sg. · Neut. | Strong's: "body; the instrument through which the soul and spirit act in the material world" Thayer's: "the body; the instrument through which the whole person acts, serves, speaks, and worships" Robertson: "Paul includes the body specifically — sanctification is not purely interior. The body is the instrument through which the whole person acts and worships." Significance: All three — spirit, soul, body — belong to God. No dimension is excluded from sanctification. |
| v.24 | πιστός faithful, trustworthy | Strong's #4103 Translit: pistos Adj: Nom. · Sg. · Masc. | Strong's: "faithful, trustworthy, reliable; one who keeps his promises" Thayer's: "one who shows himself faithful in the execution of commands; one who keeps his promises" Robertson: "Predicate adjective without a stated verb (understood 'is') — a characteristic declaration. The brevity underscores certainty: no qualification, no condition." Significance: The ground of our sanctification is God's character, not our effort. Covenant dependability — what He promises, He performs. |
| v.24 | καλῶν the one calling | Strong's #2564 Translit: kalōn Verb: Pres. Act. Ptc. · Nom. · Sg. · Masc. | Strong's: "to call; of the divine call to partake of the blessings of redemption" Thayer's: "to call; of God's calling of men to salvation and eternal life" Robertson: "The present participle — 'the one who is continuously calling.' God's call is not a past event only; He continues to call. The one continuously calling is also continuously faithful." Significance: The present tense is crucial — God's calling is ongoing, not merely a past summons at salvation. |
| v.26 | φιλήματι with a kiss | Strong's #5370 Translit: philēmati Noun: Dat. · Sg. · Neut. | Strong's: "a kiss — the customary greeting in the Near East" Thayer's: "a kiss; in the early church, the kiss of fraternal affection given at meetings for worship" Robertson: "Dative of means — 'with a kiss.' Universal in the early church as a mark of brotherhood. The modifier ἁγίῳ (holy) distinguished it from all other kinds of greeting." Significance: The specific form is culturally adaptable; the warmth and holiness are not. |
| v.27 | ἐνορκίζω I solemnly charge | Strong's #1726 Translit: enorkizō Verb: Pres. Act. Ind. · 1st Sg. | Strong's: "to adjure, to charge under oath; stronger than the simple 'I urge'" Thayer's: "to put under oath, to charge solemnly" Robertson: "Found only here in the NT. 'A strong word' — Paul is placing the leaders under solemn oath before the Lord. The gravity is intentional." Significance: Paul's most solemn directive in the letter — the Word of God must reach everyone, not be gatekept. |
| v.28 | χάρις grace | Strong's #5485 Translit: charis Noun: Nom. · Sg. · Fem. | Strong's: "grace; good will, loving-kindness, favor; that which affords joy and delight" Thayer's: "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith" Robertson: "The same word that opened the letter (1:1). Paul's characteristic farewell — grace frames the entire epistle." Significance: χάρις is the first and last theological word of the letter — the envelope around everything. Every blessing described is a gift of grace. |
Review the key points from the commentary. Complete the table in your own words.
| Commentary Point / Outline Section | In Your Own Words — What the Commentary Taught |
|---|---|
| I. Parting Mediation — three aspects of sanctification (v.23) | |
| The whole person: spirit, soul, and body (v.23) | |
| Seeing Jesus in Scripture / 2 Cor. 3:18 | |
| II. Parting Declaration — God's faithfulness / Phil. 2:12–13 (v.24) | |
| VI. Parting Benediction — grace wraps the whole epistle (v.28) |
Leader's Reference: Answer boxes are drawn from the commentary and Greek word study.
1. The commentary identifies three aspects of sanctification from 1 John 3:2–3: positional (past), promised (future), and present (ongoing). How does understanding all three prevent two common errors — thinking we are already perfect, and thinking we must make ourselves perfect?
2. The Greek word ὁλοτελεῖς (holoteleis, v.23) appears only here in the entire New Testament — a hapax legomenon. Robertson notes it combines holos (whole) and telos (end/completion), meaning 'completely to the end.' What does Paul's use of this uniquely strong word tell us about the scope of sanctification he has in mind?
3. The commentary connects 2 Corinthians 3:18 to the present process of sanctification: 'beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed.' What makes this a process rather than an event — and what is our part in it?
4. Verse 24 says 'He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.' The Greek participle καλῶν is present tense — 'the one continuously calling.' How does the ongoing present tense of calling connect to the certainty of God completing the work?
5. The letter begins with χάρις (grace, 1:1) and ends with χάρις (grace, 5:28). Robertson notes this is Paul's characteristic closing and that it frames the entire epistle. How does grace as the frame shape how we understand all the commands, corrections, and calls to sanctification in between?
| Theme (Verse) | What the Commentary Taught | One Application for This Week |
|---|---|---|
| Parting Mediation — v.23 | ||
| Three aspects of sanctification | ||
| Spirit, soul, body — the whole person | ||
| Seeing Jesus / being transformed (2 Cor. 3:18) | ||
| Parting Declaration — v.24 | ||
| Parting Application — pray for us (v.25) | ||
| Parting Reception — holy greeting (v.26) | ||
| Parting Exhortation — read the letter (v.27) | ||
| Parting Benediction — grace (v.28) |
⑤ Application
1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 "...may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless... He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." FGR: Note on v.23: 'The prayer for complete sanctification rests on the character of God, not the capacity of the believer'
Source reference: Commentary ③ — Parting Mediation and Parting Declaration (vv.23–24); Greek word study ④: πιστός (faithful, Strong's #4103) and καλῶν (continuously calling, Strong's #2564, present active participle)
We cannot sanctify ourselves. That is not false modesty — it is what the text says. Paul prays for our complete sanctification and then immediately grounds its certainty in God's faithfulness. Robertson's note on καλῶν is significant: the present participle means God is not merely the one who called in the past — He is the one continuously calling. The one who keeps calling also keeps His commitment to complete the work. Our responsibility is simply to make ourselves available and stop resisting.
Personal Reflection: Where are you currently resisting God's sanctifying work — holding back an area of your life from His access? What would making yourself available in that specific area actually look like this week?
Practical Step: Identify the one area where you sense God has been working and you have been pulling back. Name it to yourself. This week, take one concrete step of yielding — and tell one trusted person what you are doing and why.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 "...may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless..."
Source reference: Self-Study Guide ④ — Greek word study: ὁλοτελεῖς (Strong's #3651) and πνεῦμα / ψυχή / σῶμα — Robertson notes holoteleis means 'completely to the end,' combining holos (whole) and telos (completion)
The word ὁλοτελεῖς appears only here in the entire New Testament — Paul reaches for a uniquely forceful expression because partial sanctification is not what he has in mind. And the word whole reaches across all three dimensions of the person: spirit (vertical — communion with God), soul (horizontal — relationships with others), and body (the instrument through which both operate in the world). There is no dimension of the person that falls outside the scope of sanctification. All of it belongs to God.
Personal Reflection: Of the three — spirit, soul, body — which dimension of your life is currently least surrendered to God's sanctifying work? What would it look like to specifically open that dimension to Him this week?
Practical Step: Choose one practical, physical discipline (a habit of the body, a pattern of speech, a relational tendency) that you know is out of step with holiness. Address it specifically this week — not by willpower alone but by asking God to work on your willer and your doer in that area.
1 Thessalonians 5:28 + 2 Corinthians 3:18 "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." / "...beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory."
Source reference: Devotional ② — seeing Jesus in Scripture as the mechanism of present sanctification; Commentary ③ — Parting Benediction and the 2 Cor. 3:18 cross-reference
The means of present sanctification is not a program — it is a person. The more we see Jesus on the pages of Scripture, the more the Spirit transforms us into His image. Second Corinthians 3:18 describes believers as mirrors — we reflect what we gaze at. Grace, which opens and closes this letter, is the atmosphere in which we behold Him and the power by which we are changed. A Christian who is not spending time in the Word is spending less time looking at the One who transforms them.
Personal Reflection: When you read the Bible, are you gathering information — or beholding? Do you finish a passage having met Christ, or simply having completed a reading? What would it take to shift your posture this week?
Practical Step: Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 slowly — once in the morning and once before bed — for five days. Before each reading ask: Lord, what do I see of You here? Write down what you notice. Bring it to the group.
1 Thessalonians 5:28 "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." FGR: FGR note on 5:28: 'Grace — the characteristic Pauline closing. The same grace that saved is the grace that sustains and will ultimately glorify. The believer lives from grace, not toward it.'
Source reference: FGR.docx — note on 5:28; Commentary ③ — Parting Benediction; Greek word study ④: χάρις (Strong's #5485) — Thayer's: 'the merciful kindness by which God turns souls to Christ, keeps, strengthens, and increases them in Christian faith'
The letter opened with grace and closes with grace. Everything Paul has called us to in these five chapters happens inside the envelope of grace. Thayer's definition of χάρις is worth sitting with: 'the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith.' Grace is not only what brought us in — it is what keeps us, strengthens us, and grows us. The commands of this letter are grace in action, not conditions for earning acceptance.
End of Series · 1 Thessalonians
Corporate Reflection: As a group closing this series, where has God's grace been most evident in your life together over these months? Where has a truth from 1 Thessalonians changed how you live, speak, or relate to one another?
Practical Step: As a group, write one sentence together — your testimony from this series. What has God done among you through 1 Thessalonians? Post it somewhere visible. Then plan your next study. The church that stays in the Word stays in grace.
Paul's farewell to the Thessalonians is not merely a closing — it is a benediction, a commission, and a promise: the God who called you is faithful, and He will finish what He started in you.
Introduction
We are at the end of the epistle. After these six verses, we say goodbye to Paul. At a recent dinner with friends from Miami Christian College, the farewell had its own flavor — one of them said: 'We'll see you later.' Then someone said: 'Here.' And they all chimed in: '— or there — or in the air.' Once you have joined the body of Christ through faith in Jesus, you can always say to another believer: I will see you. Here, there, or in the air.
I. A Parting Mediation — 5:23
Paul closes as a mediator — bringing God's blessing down to the Thessalonians and through them to us. The prayer is for complete sanctification. Sanctify means to set apart for God. And it has three aspects — all three found in 1 John 3:2–3.
A. Our Past — Positional Sanctification — 1 John 3:2a
At salvation, we are set apart completely. Permanently. That is our standing before God. We are His children — and if we are children of a holy God, we are holy in His sight. A former pastor used to say it with a grin: 'I'm Saint John the Baptist.' Not to exalt himself — but to claim what the Word says is actually true. We are all saints. That is our position.
B. Our Promised Sanctification — 1 John 3:2b
This is our position becoming our state. When we see Him face to face — fully and completely — we will be like Him. Not that we will become God, but we will be like Him in holiness and freedom from sin. The sanctification will be complete. In the meantime, that process should be going on right now.
C. Our Present Sanctification — 1 John 3:3
This is what Paul is emphasizing in verse 23. The King James renders the key word as 'wholly' — w-h-o-l-l-y — and it appears only here in the entire New Testament. It is made up of two Greek words: complete and end. He is going to sanctify you completely to the end. The word whole refers to three dimensions of the person:
Spirit — the part that communicates with God; our vertical relationship with Him. Only human beings have a spirit that communes with the living God.
Soul — the horizontal dimension; our relationships with other people. How we communicate, love, serve, and carry one another.
Body — the instrument by which we do all of it. Every part is to be sanctified to God and used by God.
John Walvoord: 'Our physical bodies, our spiritual or intellectual life, and our psychological or natural life are all part of this sanctification process.'
Can We See Jesus Now?
Yes. Where? On the pages of Scripture.
2 Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
The more we see Him in the Word, the more we are changed to look like Him. How much time are we spending in the Word?
II. A Parting Declaration — 5:24
Paul just asked God to sanctify us completely. The answer to the obvious concern comes immediately: He who calls you is faithful. He will do it. We cannot sanctify ourselves. But we can — and must — make ourselves available to God so that He can, by His Holy Spirit, separate us to Himself.
Phil. 2:12–13 "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
God works through your willer and your doer. He makes your willer will and your doer do. The call is simply: make yourself available. Stop resisting. We will not be totally sanctified in this life — but we should be moving toward that goal every day.
III. A Parting Application — 5:25
Three words. The shortest request Paul ever makes — and one of the most important. Missionaries and church leaders face real difficulties. Many local church leaders in small churches are not paid — they work full-time jobs and pour themselves into the church on top of that. The missionary reminders in the bulletin every week are not decoration. Pray for them all — daily, hourly, moment by moment.
IV. A Parting Reception — 5:26
At Miami Christian College, the student handbook said: 'No kissing.' One of the students used to walk around saying: 'Greet one another with a holy no-no.' The key word is not kiss — it is holy. Whatever the greeting, it must be warm, genuine, and free of anything inappropriate. The point: someone comes through the door and gets greeted. Nobody leaves without being recognized — regulars and visitors alike.
V. A Parting Exhortation — 5:27
Paul puts the leaders under oath — a serious word. This letter is not for the elders alone. It is for everyone. There was only one copy — so it was read aloud. Eventually copies were made by hand, then by Gutenberg's press in 1440, and now the Word is available everywhere. The principle holds: make sure the Word reaches everyone.
VI. A Parting Benediction — 5:28
We have come full circle. The letter opened with grace (1:1) and closes with grace. Everything Paul has called us to in these five chapters happens inside the envelope of God's undeserved favor. God did not need to create us. He was not a lonely God. When a third of the angels sinned, they were cast out with no provision for salvation — they saw God's power and justice but never His grace. When man fell, this time God sacrificed His own Son. History is His story. Grace begins, sustains, and completes the Christian life.
Conclusion
So long, Paul. We will see him again — here, if the Lord tarries and we keep reading the Word. There, with the Lord after we go. Or in the air, when we are all caught up together.
Here, there, or in the air. So long, Paul. Lord, thank You.