1 Thess. 5.
Omicron. (T. Oliver.)
"The apostle continuing from the new revelation of the rapture, ch. 4, passes on to the Lord's appearing, 1 Thess. 5, in order to confirm both great dispensational truths in the minds of the young converts. He rules out the times and seasons (chronos = usually time in its course, and kairos, time, usually in detail or character, as time of figs," hence — more definite than chronos) because they accurately (akribos, i.e., they had diligently) investigated, and knew (oidate = inward conscious knowledge), therefore awaited His sudden personal coming with intelligence and eagerness.
As Sons of Day and Sons of Light, full and final salvation awaited them through (dia) our Lord Jesus Christ, the instrumental or mediatory genitive embracing all that His titles suggest with reference to His death for or on account of us (huper=with the literal and original thought of the preposition, of bending over, to protect from, and ward off danger by receiving the death blow Himself, for they would live (zao = life divine in fulness) together with Him. Here the adverbial notion of intensity is expressed by "hama" = together coupled with the preposition sun = together with, literally together, together with Him (Dative of fellowship and association in His coming glory). Surely this was compensation for the suffering imposed on them by their persecutors — "Wherefore encourage one another and build up each one the other" (1 Thess. 5:11).
As Sons of Day, they already belonged to the day of glory; the light of which filled their hearts with radiant hope. Yet, the apostle, knowing the danger of an ever watchful foe, uses the cautionary subjunctives (v. 6, 8), "should not sleep, should watch, should be sober," i.e., be true to the character of their relations, and derivation as Sons of Day and Sons of Light, for such is the force of the genitive plural article. They were enjoined to be transparent in motive, and in movement, alert, and marked by self-control and wakeful activity. "Having put on" (endusamenoi aorist participle as in Eph. 6:14), denoting the act of donning the breastplate, etc., which had been done once, and had therefore become an historical event in their souls' experience. The breastplate encased and protected the vital organs; the heart, life centre and seat of affections — and the breathing organs for the inspiration necessary to the life of faith. It was moreover the breastplate (thoraka) of faith and love. They were wearing it, in practical testimony (1 Thess. 1:3, 6), and an helmet, peri-kephale, literally "round the head," not merely "on," — hope of salvation, encasing and protecting the mind from the vagaries of human wisdom and from the dark and subtle suggestions of Satan.They were well armed in this triple panoply (Faith, Love, Hope), to meet the attacks of the evil one, from without and from within, so that the apostle has confidence that God being faithful to His promises will preserve them blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:24-25).OMICRON.