1 Thessalonians 5:7-Those Who Sleep and Get Drunk at Night

1 Thessalonians 5:1 Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 5:2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night. 5:3 Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape. 5:4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would. 5:5 For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. 5:6 So then we must not sleep as the rest but must stay alert and sober. 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night. (NET)

Now, in 1 Thessalonians 5:7, Paul asserts that those who sleep, sleep at night while correspondingly, those who get drunk, are drunk at night and this is a reference to the non-Christian of course.

This statement presents the reason for the previous three statements in 1 Thessalonians 5:6, which contains three statements.

The first asserts that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy and each member of the Thessalonian Christian community must continue to not be asleep as the rest and this prohibition is figurative language for not being alert to what is potentially dangerous situation conceived of as being asleep.

In context, the word is related to the imminency of the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord taking place.

Therefore, this prohibition is expressing the idea that Paul, Silvanus, Timothy, and the Thessalonians must continue to not sleep in the sense that they are not alert to the imminent danger of the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord taking place.

Therefore, this first assertion in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 is comparing Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and the Thessalonians with the members of the non-Christian community.

Specifically, it is comparing the non-Christian community with Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and the Thessalonians not existing in the state of being alert with the regards to the imminent threat of the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord taking place.

The second statement in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 exhorts each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to continue with Paul, Silvanus and Timothy in staying alert.

It is expressing the idea that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy as well as the Thessalonians must stay in a constant of readiness in light of the imminent threat of the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord taking place.

It is expressing the idea that they must remain alert or vigilant in prayer and continue to make it their habit of experiencing fellowship with God in contrast to the members of the non-Christian community.

It indicates that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are exhorting each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to continue with them to exist in the state of being alert in light of the imminent threat of the prophetic events connected to the day of the Lord taking place.

This second statement is presenting a strong emphatic contrast between the non-Christian community existing in the state of not being alert to the imminent threat and danger of the day of the Lord and Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and the Thessalonians being alert and sober-minded with regards to this threat upon the world.

The third and final statement in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 is an addition to the second and is also an exhortation, which implores each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to continue to be sober-minded.

This speaks of having a godly state of mind or a godly way of thinking as a result of obeying the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of God which He inspired according to Second Peter 1:20-21.

Therefore, it speaks of being sober-minded as a result of experiencing fellowship with God as a result of obeying the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions of Scripture and in particular those connected to the gospel.

This third statement is therefore figurative language for being influenced by the Spirit which is commanded of every church age believer in Ephesians 5:18.

It speaks of being sober spiritually as a result of experiencing fellowship with God which is accomplished by obeying the Spirit’s voice in the Word of God.

This constitutes obeying the commands to be influenced by the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18 and letting the Word of Christ richly dwell in one’s soul in Colossians 3:16.

This third and final assertion presents a strong, emphatic contrast between the non-Christian community existing in the state of not being alert to the imminent threat of the day of the Lord and Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and the Thessalonians being alert and sober with regards to this threat upon the world.

Therefore, a comparison of these statements indicates that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community must continue to not be a sleep as the rest but rather continue to stay alert, namely by continuing to be sober-minded because those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.

Paul is clearly drawing an analogy in 1 Thessalonians 5:7 to the spiritual dimension of life, which is indicated by his assertions in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6.

Blindness to the things of God and immoral behavior are activities characteristic of those who are unregenerate and enslaved to the sin nature and Satan’s cosmic system.

As we noted, this reference to sleep refers to spiritual indifference as well as apathy and to carnality.

It implies immorality and a life that seeks to live independently of God and is a life therefore devoid of a relationship with God.

It speaks of spiritual lethargy in the sense of being insensitive to the things of God.

Therefore, the implication is that the Thessalonians must continue to not be characterized by spiritual blindness which characterizes the non-Christian community.

In other words, they must continue to live their lives according to the holy standards of God’s kingdom in contrast to the non-Christian who lives according to the standards of Satan’s cosmic system.

God’s kingdom is characterized by light, which is a figure for God’s holiness.

Satan’s kingdom is characterized by darkness, which is a figure for sin and rebellion against God.

We also noted in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 that “the night” refers to the reign of Satan over the earth which began with the fall of Adam and will end with the Second Advent of the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, another implication is that the Thessalonians must continue to not be characterized by those who are subjects of Satan’s kingdom and reign.

Again, this means that they must continue to live their lives according to the holy standards of God’s kingdom in contrast to the non-Christian who lives according to the standards of Satan’s cosmic system.

The reference to drunkenness in 1 Thessalonians 5:7 stands in contrast with the Thessalonians being sober-minded which is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 and refers to being influenced by the Holy Spirit.

The reference to drunkenness is not only used in a literal sense but also in a figurative sense because it is a euphemism for those who live for pleasure and excess rather than for God and speaks of being self-centered, and also hedonistic conduct.

Therefore, another implication is that the Thessalonians must continue to be sober-minded by being filled with or influenced by the Holy Spirit in contrast to many members of the non-Christian community who get drunk at night.

So in other words, the Thessalonians must continue to live godly lives as those belonging to the kingdom of God and as subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ’s future millennial reign over earth in direct contrast with the non-Christian community which belongs to Satan’s kingdom and present temporary reign over the earth.