Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Brothers, pray for us.
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Comment: Can a person be subdivided? As a surgeon I have had to sometimes perform amputations – either due to severe infections or vascular causes and sometimes when, post trauma, a limb can’t be repaired. Such amputees are still fully human! On the other hand if people are living only for the ‘body’ they are not, in a very real sense, fully human! Thus Paul writes a prayer the God may help the Thessalonians in their whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless. He also uses the word sanctify which is not commonly used these days. Salvation can be subdivided into past, present and future aspects. The past is forgiven when we accept Jesus – at that time we can say I am saved, Praise God! Present salvation is called sanctification – the period when by our cooperation but in the strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit our lives are being transformed from our old nature into Christlikeness. Not that we can be ever cocky or think that that we’ve arrived, it is a life long process! and in the future we will be taken into the very Presence of God. Before signing off Paul adds 3 more commands to the sixteen of yesterday. 1. pray for us. 2. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. Surely this has to deal with Unity and Love! 3. Have this letter read to all the brothers. This isn’t for some believers – it is for all who name the Name of Jesus!
Prayer: Help me to shun the thought of self-righteousness but to be becoming, by the work of Your Holy Spirit, sanctified.
As I read it! 