1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (WEB)

Passage

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 5:14 We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Don’t quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:20 Don’t despise prophesies.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "will of God", "rejoice", "always", "pray", "without", "ceasing", "everything", and "give". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "will of God" and "rejoice", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "See that no one returns evil for..." into verse 19's "Don t quench the Spirit...", so "will of God" and "rejoice" belong inside that flow. In 1 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "will of God" and "rejoice" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.