Paul Addresses Waiting
The Second Question (1-3)
The second question Paul addressed concerning the Lord’s coming was when He would come. Paul used a couple of metaphors in his answer, first stating Jesus would come like a thief at night; thus, no one would know the exact moment, except it would happen suddenly, unexpectedly, and in the spiritual night of the world's history (1-2). Humanity would assume it was at peace and safe from God, but then Christ’s coming would begin the birth pains of the new world, from which none could escape (3).
Paul’s Instructions on How to Live Waiting (5:4-28)
Walk in the Day (4-11)
Paul then made it clear: followers of Jesus live in the nighttime but are not of the night (4). They belong to the new day about to begin (5). They are to keep awake—a metaphor for staying alert and sober (6). Sobriety is a metaphor for not coming under the influence of immediate gratification and sensuality (7).
As those who walk in the day, we are to protect our hearts (longings and emotions) with faith and love and our minds with the hope of His fulfilled promises (8). Paul then used his last metaphor of sleep, defining death as not the termination of life but merely an awaiting to be awakened in God’s new world, where His followers will be saved from the wrath to come (9-11).
Final Instructions (12-28)
In light of waiting for the Lord to come, Paul gave a list of final instructions regarding the church’s practices:
They were to honor their leaders (12-13).
They were not to be idle, but all were encouraged to work (14).
They were never to be retaliatory in nature (15).
They were always to express joy (16).
They were ever to be praying (17).
They were to refuse to grumble but give thanks in every situation (19).
They were not to quench the Spirit by looking down on prophecy (20-21).
They were to abstain from doing things that had a form of being evil (22).
Paul’s aim was complete separation to God, where they would be found without any shame residue in their hearts (23-24). Paul then concluded by reminding them to pray for him and not to neglect greeting each other affectionately. Finally, Paul had them commit to reading his letter so the grace of God could be upon them (25-28).
Prejudicial Proverbs (16:1-22:16)
Chapter 17 opens with eight random proverbs.
A) Contentment (1)
B) Character triumphs over birthright (2)
C) The Lord tests with adversity (3)
D) Ill-charactered people listen to gossip (4)
E) To mock the ill-fortuned insults God (5)
F) Our identity is conferred both ways generationally (6)
G) Honor has no place for lying (7)
H) The non-moralizing insight on gift giving (8)
Solomon now uses four sets of proverbs in chiastic forms.
First chiasmus: on forgiveness
A) Love and forgiveness (9)
B) A rebuke (10)
C) Rebellion and punishment (11)
B) Confrontation (12)
A) Retaliation (13)
Second chiasmus: on quarreling
A) Starting a quarrel (14)
B) Poor judgment in condemning a debtor (15)
C) Senseless to pay a fool (16)
C) A friend is loyal (17)
B) Poor judgment in delivering a debtor (18)
A) Loving to quarrel (19)
Third chiasmus: on the heart
A) The crooked heart (20)
B) The parent of a fool (21)
A) The cheerful heart (22)
Fourth chiasmus: on perversion
A) The perversion of justice (23)
B) The wandering of a fool’s way (24)
B) The weariness of a fool’s life (25)
A) The perversion of justice (26)
Solomon concludes this chapter by contrasting those who use few words (27) with those who keep silent (28), and the even-tempered (27) with those who keep their mouths shut (28).