Sanctify You Wholly – Part 2

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All souls are fully conscious between death and the resurrection, the righteous souls being conscious in paradise and heaven (2Cor. 5:8; Php. 1:21-24; Heb. 12:22-23; Rev. 6:9-11), and the wicked souls in hell (Isa. 14:9; Luke 16:19; Rev. 20:11-15). For example, compare Acts 2:27 with Psalm 16:10; 1Corinthians 15:45 with Genesis 2:7; etc.

Psuche (G5590) is used for: Lower animals (Rev. 8:9; 16:3); Man as an individual (Acts 2:41, 43; 3:23; 7:14; 27:37; Rom. 2:9; 13:1; 1Cor. 15:45; Jas. 5:20; 1Pet. 3:20; 2Pet. 2:14; Rev. 6:9; 18:13; 20:4). The life of man, which can be lost, destroyed, saved, etc. and translated life (Matt. 2:20; 6:25; 10:39; 16:25; 20:28; Mark 3:4; 8:35; 10:45; Luke 6:9; 9:24, 56; 12:22-23; 14:26; 17:33; John 10:11-17; 12:25; 13:37-38; 15:13; Acts 15:26; 20:10, 24; 27:10, 22; Rom. 11:3; 16:4; Php. 2:30; 1Jn. 3:16; Rev. 12:11). The life of a man, which can be lost, destroyed, saved, etc. and translated soul (Matt. 10:28; 16:26; Mark 8:36-37; Luke 12:20; 21:19; 1Thess. 2:8; 5:23; Heb. 4:12; 6:19; 10:39; 13:17; Jas. 1:21; 1Pet. 1:9; 2:11, 25; 4:19). Man, to emphasize self, such as my soul, or myself (Matt. 11:29; 12:18; 26:38; Mark 14:34; Luke 1:46; 12:19; John 12:27; Heb. 10:38; 1Pet. 1:22). The powers of one’s being (Matt. 22:37; Luke 2:35; 10:27; Acts 4:32; 3Jn. 1:2; Eph. 6:6; Php. 1:27).

‘Body’ – The body is the house of the soul and spirit and goes back to dust again at death (Gen. 3:19) and becomes immortal in the resurrection (1Cor. 15:54-58).

‘Unto’ [Greek: en] Translated as “at,” 1Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13. It is at the rapture that saints will be set apart wholly unto God and His eternal will and made whole in body, soul, and spirit (1Cor. 15:51-58; Php. 3:21; Rom 8:18-25; 1Pet. 1:5, 9, 13).

‘Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ In each chapter of this epistle, the coming of the Lord is presented in a different aspect: 1Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:23.

Sanctify You Wholly – Part 1

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

‘And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly …’ This is the 5th and last New Testament prophecy in 1Thessalonians (5:23-24). If you will obey the commands of the note on 1Thessalonians 5:22, the God of peace will sanctify you (set you apart) wholly for His service and will.

‘Spirit’ [Greek: pneuma] is the equivalent of the Hebrew ruwach. Pneuma is used 385 times in the New Testament. “Pneuma” is used of [1] God as Spirit (John 4:24; 2Cor. 3:17); [2] Christ (1Cor. 6:17; 15:45); [3] The Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18, 20; 3:11, 16 – altogether of Him over 240 times); [4] Christ’s spirit (Mark 2:8; 8:12; Luke 2:40; John 11:33; 19:30); [5] Angels (Heb. 1:7, 14; Ps. 104:4); [6] Spirits of men (Matt. 5:3; 1Cor. 2:11; 6:20; 1Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12; 12:23); [7] Evil spirits (Matt. 8:16; 10:1; 12:43; Acts 8:7; 16:16; Rev. 16:13; 18:2); [8] The resurrection body (1Cor. 15:44).

‘Soul’ – the soul of man [Greek: psuche] life; soul or spiritual part in contrast to the material body; a departed soul; also the spirit which still retains the shape and size of its living owner; the seat of the desires, feelings, passions, appetites, and emotions. Psuche is the only word translated as “soul” in the New Testament. It occurs 105 times. Translated “soul” 58 times; “life” 40 times; “mind” 3 times; and “heart, heartily, us,” and “you” once each. Psuche corresponds to the Hebrew word nephesh in the Old Testament. Job 14:22 plainly expressed the often repeated doctrine of the material and spiritual natures of man. The flesh was upon him and his spirit within him. Only the body is material and of dust and will return to dust (Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Eccl. 3:19-21). The inner man, which is made up of soul and spirit, is spiritual; it was created to live inside the body (Gen. 2:7). At death the body dies and the inner man leaves it, going to paradise or hell depending on the way the individual lived in his lifetime – whether he accepted God’s provision of salvation and conformed to the righteousness taught in the Bible.

To be continued…