Jesus was why we thank god for everything

JESUS WAS WHY WE THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING
Ephesians 5:20 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our
LORD Jesus Christ.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Thanksgiving
Ephesians 5:20
W.F. Adeney There are three points in this exhortation to thanksgiving that arrest our attention,
viz. the time, the objects, and the method.
I. THE TIME FOR THANKSGIVING. There is a time for everything. When, therefore, is
thanksgiving seasonable? Always. As we should pray without ceasing by living in constant
communication with God, so a spirit of gratitude should pervade our whole life and express itself
by the brightness and color that it gives to every action (Psalm 34:1). If the context limits the
application of St. Paul's words to public worship (ver. 17), the breadth of their incidence is still
very significant. Every Christian assembly should be joyous with praise, in every prayer
supplication should be mingled with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). There are times when this is
difficult, e.g. in trouble and in moods of spiritual depression. But the difficulty would be
diminished if we thought less of our own feelings and more of the gifts and deeds of God's
goodness. Modern religion is too subjective, and therefore it fluctuates with our varying phases
of experience. Thanksgiving should call us out of ourselves to contemplate and praise God.
Under the darkest cloud a thankful heart will ace innumerable causes of gratitude. But let our
thanksgiving be honest. If we do not feel grateful, do not let us try to force the expression of
gratitude.
II. THE OBJECTS OF THANKSGIVING. "All things."
1. Personal blessings. While we thank God for common gifts to all mankind, our gratitude would
be warmer and more genuine if we reflected on the special proofs of his goodness in our own
lives.
2. Fresh blessings. If thanksgiving is to be perpetual it must constantly find new food for
gratitude. This, of all parts of worship, should not be a mere repetition of old, worn thoughts. Our
ideas on this point are too narrowed by conventionality. If we are careful to say grace before
meat, why should we not be equally ready to thank God for a good book, a cheerful visit, or a
refreshing walk?
3. Things that we cannot see to be blessings. Gratitude for troubles is difficult to realize. It is
only possible through faith. But if we believe that God is blessing us in them we should thank
him as one would thank a surgeon for even amputating a limb to save his patient's life.
III. THE METHOD OF THANKSGIVING,

1. It should be offered to God our Father. It is a direct speaking to God. As he is the Father of
mercies, his fatherhood should be the attribute that is most in our thoughts when we praise him.
We are not rendering adulation to a distant monarch who claims it as the condition of sparing our
lives; we are expressing our love and genuine devotion to our Father. There should, therefore, be
no cringing abjectness in our worship. It should be cheerful and confident.
2. The thanksgiving is to be given in the Name of Christ; i.e.
(1) in recognition that God's blessings come to us through Christ; and
(2) as receiving and appreciating them in the spirit of Christ. - W.F.A.
Biblical Illustrator
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Ephesians 5:20
Thankfulness to God
J. Lathrop, D. D.I. THE DUTY HERE ENJOINED is to give thanks. Thankfulness is such a
sense of favours received from, and of obligations due to, a benefactor, as disposes us to make
suitable acknowledgments and returns.
1. A grateful heart retains the impression of past mercies.
2. Gratitude sees a real value in God's blessings.
3. A sense of our unworthiness enters into the essence of thankfulness.
4. In the exercise of gratitude, we shall improve God's favours to the ends for which He bestows
them.
5. Gratitude delights to express its feelings and sentiments.
6. Thankfulness studies a suitable return. God's goodness should lead us to repentance. When
favour is shown us we should learn righteousness. His mercies should persuade us to present
ourselves to Him as living sacrifices. His disinterested love should awaken in us sentiments of
benevolence to our fellow men.
II. CONSIDER THE CHARACTER OF THAT BEING TO WHOM OUR THANKS MUST BE
SUPREMELY DIRECTED. God is the Father of the universe, and the Giver of all the blessings
which we receive, and which we behold around us.
1. To Him we must give thanks; for all things are His.
2. To Him we must give thanks; for He has given us all things richly to enjoy.

3. To Him we must give thanks; for His goodness is free and disinterested.
III. WE ARE REQUIRED TO GIVE THANKS ALWAYS TO GOD.
1. We ought to be always in a habit of thankfulness, and in a readiness for actual thanksgiving,
whenever providence calls us to it.
2. Thanksgiving should find a place in all our stated addresses to God.
3. All special favours should be distinctly observed and acknowledged.
4. We should be thankful in every condition.
5. We should never cease to give thanks.
IV. THE MATTERS FOR WHICH WE ARE TO GIVE THANKS. "All things." Personal
blessings. The benefits of civil society, Religious privileges.
V. THE MEDIUM OF OUR ACCESS TO GOD IN THIS DUTY — "The name of Jesus Christ."
God putteth no trust in His saints; the heavens are not clean in His sight. How much less man
that is a worm; man that is a sinner! We are not worthy to speak to Him in praise for the benefits
which we receive; much less to ask of Him farther benefits; least of all to receive the benefits
which we ask. We are, therefore, directed not only to pray but also to give thanks in the name of
Christ.
(J. Lathrop, D. D.)
The duty and scope of thanksgiving
H. Melvill, B. D.There are few duties which the Bible enjoins in terms of so large a requirement
as the duty of thanksgiving. It must be true that to the Christian the causes of gladness always
exceed the causes of melancholy; so that, in times the darkest and most adverse, the Christian has
greater cause to rejoice than to be downcast. In the first place we will examine our text as
enjoining thanksgiving as a duty; in the second place, as proposing "all things," with no
exception whatsoever, as the subject matter of that thanksgiving; "Giving thanks always for all
things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I. Now it cannot be necessary that we should speak at any great length on THE DUTY OF
GIVING TEASES. It would seem to have been determined in every age and by every nation, that
ingratitude is so execrable a thing, that to be unmindful of benefits demonstrates an unworthiness
which disqualifies for all the intercourses of life. Yet, strange it is, we have the spectacle forced
on us continually, of men who would blush to be thought ungrateful to their fellows, utterly
unconscious that they owe anything to God, and untouched by the numberless benefits which
they are every moment receiving at His hands. How are we to account for this? There are two
reasons, we think, to be given for this phenomenon. The first is the practical atheism which loses
sight of a first cause, and idolizes second causes; the second is the repugnance there is in our
nature to the owning itself dependent.
II. But the duty of thanksgiving will be yet more evident when we have to consider, in the second
place, THE SUBJECT MATTER OF GRATITUDE. We are directed by the apostle to give
"thanks for all things"; and it were easy, and it would be a pleasing occupation, to bring before
you a long and wide catalogue of benefits, and to summon you as each separate act of
beneficence passed under review, to "praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever."

1. Look then, first, at the small or everyday mercies. If you would apply a microscope to an
everyday mercy, you might discover in it, as in the atom or the water drop, the very same
demonstration of the presence of the Omnipotent, as in the surprising interposition which has
marked some great crisis in your life; and, therefore, you are only giving a melancholy proof of
the feebleness and short-sightedness of your nature, if you so cast up benefits under the divisions
of great and small, that you think any too trivial to claim the tribute of your thanksgiving. It costs
God (if we may use such an expression) the same labour to build the world as the atom, the same
love to give the moment's breath and the empire's dowry; and if it be for the love shown that we
render thanks, we owe, therefore, the same amount, whether the instance of mercy be rare and
almost unexampled, or whether it be of daily and even momentary occurrence. Besides, it ought
to be evident, on the least reflection, that the common and daily benefits of life are usually the
greatest and the most valuable in their nature. Oh! it is a cold and withered heart that lies in that
man's breast, who requires a miracle before he will recognize a mercy. Life is one perpetual
miracle. But you must, I hope, be satisfied that you owe God thanks for what men count small
and everyday mercies; do you not also owe Him thanks for what they count evils? If not, then
you would be grateful for food, but not for medicine. But the "giving thanks always for all
things," this it is which we would specially press upon your attention. We have comparatively no
fears of your not giving thanks on great occasions and for signal mercies; what we fear is a habit
of overlooking little and everyday things, and not feeling them to be cause for praise. And then,
observe the concluding words of our text, "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our prayers
and our praises must alike be presented in and through this all-prevailing name. In themselves
they are weak and polluted, but purified with His merits they rise with acceptance and find
favour with God. The Lord Jesus Christ is our argument in asking, and should be our incentive in
thanking.
(H. Melvill, B. D.)
The deity of Christian thanksgiving
W. Jay.I. Let us consider THE DUTY ENJOINED — thanksgiving — "Giving thanks always for
all things unto God and the Father." He is the object of all religious worship, and to Him all our
thanks are supremely due. I say supremely, because it is not unlawful to give thanks to others.
Children should be thankful to their parents; and the poor and the needy should be thankful to
them that afford them relief. For though men are but instruments, they are instruments — and
they are voluntary instruments. You never thank the ox and the horse for the behests you derive
from them, because you know they are destitute of knowledge and design; but men are
influenced by motives, and actuated by choice; yet we are to look above them to God, who is the
fountain of all good and blessedness. For, who gave these instruments their capacity? Who
placed them in our way and within our reach? Who endowed them with power to help us, and
inspired them with inclinations to bless us? "He maketh His sun to shine on the evil and on the
good," "and His paths drop fatness." Two things must here be observed: —
1. Thanksgiving is frequently confounded with praise; but they are distinguishable. We praise
persons for excellency of character and conduct. We give thanks for favours received from them,
and obligations we are under to them. The essence of praise is admiration; the essence of
thanksgiving is gratitude.
2. And you must have observed that, when the apostle speaks of thanksgiving, he does not mean
only the use of the words — "Words are but air." The verbal expression is nothing, unless
corresponding views and feelings proceed, and corresponding actions follow it. You would not

wish a man to thank you if he were senseless of his obligations. If he should commend and
applaud you, and then do everything in his power to injure you and to offend you. And yet how
much of this hypocrisy has God continually to meet with from His creatures, and even many
professors of religion!
II. HOW THIS DUTY IS TO BE PERFORMED.
1. It is to be done in the name of Christ. It is His intercession on our behalf that renders our
supplications accepted in the Beloved, and by His much incense which purifies our hearts. Thus,
as Peter says, we "offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." And
therefore, says the Apostle Paul, "Let us offer by Him the sacrifices of God continually, that is,
the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."
2. Again, as we are to do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, so we are to do it always.
What, then, does the apostle mean when he says, "We are to give thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father." Thanksgiving should always be found in our addresses to God. You
are not to adore and praise God in His house only, but also in your own. You are not only to
worship Him on the Sabbath, but during the week: indeed, the week is to show in you what the
Sabbath does for you. And it is a poor devotion indeed, that does not survive the sanctuary, and
that is brushed out on Monday morning along with the dust of the place. It can intend, also,
nothing less than perseverance; "Holding fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm
unto the end"; not "growing weary in well-doing," and not becoming cold after your first
fervours in religion.Now, in order that you may have this praying frame — this readiness for
thanksgiving always — and feel these excitements to it, there are three things essentially
necessary.
1. The first is, deep self-abasement. You will always find the proud ungrateful.
2. The second is — it will be necessary for you, if you would live in this praying frame of mind,
to be careful to observe and mark the loving kindnesses of the Lord. According, as David says,
"Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even he shall understand the loving kindness of
the Lord." And Mr. Flavel remarks, that "He who observes providences shall not want
providences to observe."
3. The third is, to keep these things in remembrance; for, if they are forgotten, they can no longer
sway or influence you; and therefore, says David, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
His benefits." First pair. — You are to give thanks for natural and spiritual mercies. Second pair.
— You are to thank Him for ordinary and extraordinary mercies. There are some remarkable
instances of the Divine interposition in their favour, in a way of providence or of grace. These
are like the red-letter days in the calendar of life. These may be considered as the masterpieces of
providence, either in our protection or our deliverance: either in our support or our comfort. At
the same time we must not forget that "His mercies are new every morning," and that "He daily
loadeth us with his benefits." Third pair. — You are to thank God for positive and preventive
mercies. From how many unknown evils as well as known, have you been preserved ever since
you have had a being! Fourth pair. — You are to give thanks for public and private mercies. You
are embarked in a vessel, the safety of which is your safety too. Fifth pair. — You are to bless
God for personal and relative blessings. In how many lives, is your whole life bound up! There is
the wife of your choice — there are the children of your love. Sixth pair. — You are to bless God
for present and future mercies. The seventh and last pair. — You are to give thanks unto God for
your sweet and for your bitter mercies.

(W. Jay.)
The duty of thanksgiving
I. Barrow, D. D.I. THE SUBSTANCE OF THE DUTY. — "To give thanks"; or, rather, "to be
thankful."
1. It implies a right apprehension of, and consequently a considerate attention unto, benefits
conferred. For he that is either wholly ignorant of his obligations, or mistakes them, or passes
them over with a slight and superficial view, can nowise be grateful.
2. This duty requires a faithful retention of benefits in memory, and consequently frequent
reflections on them. For he that is no longer affected with a benefit than it incurs the sense, and
suffers not itself to be disregarded, is far from being grateful; nay, if we believe the philosopher,
is ungrateful in the worst kind and highest degree. "He that falsely denies the reception of a
benefit, and he that dissembles it, and he that doth not repay it, is ingrateful; but most ingrateful
of all is he that forgets it."
3. This duty implies a due esteem and valuation of benefits; that the nature and quality, the
measure and quantity, the circumstances and consequences of them be well expended; else the
gratitude is like to be none, or very defective. For we commensurate our thankfulness, not so
much to the intrinsic excellency of things, as to our peculiar estimations of them. In such manner
ought we diligently to survey and judiciously to estimate the effects of Divine beneficence,
examining every part, and descanting on every circumstance thereof: like those that contemplate
some rare beauty, or some excellent picture; some commending the exact proportions, some the
graceful features, some the lively colours discernible therein. There is not the least of the Divine
favours, which, if we consider the condescensive tenderness, the clear intention, the undeserved
frankness, the cheerful debonairity expressed therein, hath not dimensions larger than our
comprehension, colours too fair, and lineaments too comely for our weak sight thoroughly to
discern; requiring therefore our highest esteem and our utmost thanks. They are immense,
innumerable, unconceivable, and unexpressible. But still —
4. "Giving thanks" imports that benefits be received with a willing mind, a hearty sense, a
vehement affection.
5. This duty requires due acknowledgment of our obligation, significations of our notice,
declarations of our esteem and good acceptance of favours conferred.
6. This duty requires endeavours of real compensation, and a satisfactory requital of benefits,
according to the ability and opportunity of the receiver.
7. True gratitude for benefits is always attended with the esteem, veneration, and love of the
benefactor.
II. THE OBJECT AND TERM TO WHICH IT IS TO BE DIRECTED. To this God, to this
great, to this only Benefactor of ours, we owe this most natural and easy, this most just and
equal, this most sweet and pleasant duty of giving thanks.
III. I proceed now to the third, THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF TIME ALLOTTED TO THE
PERFORMANCE OF THIS DUTY, expressed by that universal and unlimited term, "always."
1. Hereby is required that we do often actually meditate on, be sensible of, confess and celebrate
the Divine beneficence. If God incessantly demonstrates Himself gracious unto us, we are in all
reason obliged frequently to confess ourselves grateful unto Him.

2. "Giving thanks always" may import our appointing and punctually observing certain
convenient times of performing this duty; that is, of seriously meditating on, and affectionately
acknowledging the Divine bounty. Instance of the Jewish sacrifice, rendered by the Greek
translators, "the continual sacrifice." As that sacrifice, being offered constantly at a set time, was
thence denominated continual, so perhaps may we, by constantly observing some fit returns of
praise and thanksgiving, be said "always to give thanks."
3. But farther, "giving thanks always" may import a vigilant attendance on this duty, such as men
bestow on their employments, of which, though the actual prosecution ceases, yet the design
continually proceeds; just as we say, such an one is writing a book, or building a house, though
he may at the present time be occupied by some other employment; because his design never
sleeps, and his purpose continues uninterrupted. This term "always" necessarily implies a ready
disposition or habitual inclination to give thanks, ever permanent in us; that our hearts, as
David's was, be fixed always, that is, fittingly prepared and steadily resolved to thank and praise
God.
5. Lastly: "giving thanks always" imports that we readily embrace every opportunity of actually
expressing our thankfulness: for so in some places of Scripture, what is enjoined to be done
continually, is in others only required to be done on all opportunities. It is true that no time is
unfavourable: every moment we receive favours, and therefore every minute we owe thanks. We
should be like those trees that bear fruit (more or less) continually; but then more kindly and
more abundantly when more powerfully cherished by the heavenly warmth. When any fresh, any
rare, any remarkable benefit happens to us; when prosperous success attends our honest
endeavours; when unexpected favours fall as it were of their own accord into our bosoms.
IV. THE MATTER. — "For all things."
1. We are to give thanks, not only for great and notable benefits, but for the least and most
ordinary favours of God: though indeed none of God's favours are in themselves small and
inconsiderable. Men are wont to bless themselves, if they receive but a transient glance from a
prince's eye; a smile from a great personage; any slender intimation of regard from him that is in
capacity to do them good. What is it then to receive the least testimony of His goodwill, from
whom alone every good thing can be expected.
2. We are to render thanks, not only for new and present benefits, but for all we have formerly,
all that we may hereafter receive.
3. We should bless God, not only for new, rare, extraordinary accidents of providence, but for
the common and daily benefits and indulgences thereof.
4. We should give thanks, not only for private and particular, but for public benefits also, and for
such as befall others.
5. We are obliged to give thanks, not only for pleasant and prosperous occurrences of
providence, but for those also which are adverse to our desire, and distasteful to our natural
sense; for poverty, sickness, disgrace; for all the sorrows and troubles, the disasters and
disappointments, that befall us. We are bound to pay thanks, not for our food only, but for our
physic also (which, though ungrateful to our palate, is profitable for our health): we are obliged,
in the school of providence, not only for the good instructions, but for the seasonable corrections
also vouchsafed unto us (whereby, though our senses are offended, our manners are bettered).

6. Lastly, we are obliged to thank God, not only for corporeal and temporal benefits, but also
(and that principally) for spiritual and eternal blessings. I should conclude with certain
inducements persuasive to the practice of this duty.
I. First, therefore, we may consider that there is no disposition whatever more deeply radicated in
the original constitution of all souls endued with any kind of perception or passion, than being
sensible of benefits received; being kindly affected with love and respect toward them that
exhibit them; being ready with suitable expressions to acknowledge them, and to endeavour
competent recompenses for them. Even the worst of men retain something of this natural
inclination, and the very brute creation gives evidence of it.
II. The second obligation to this duty is most just and equal; since we are in all reason indebted
for what is freely given, as well as for what is lent to us: for the freeness of the giver, his not
exacting security, nor expressing conditions of return, doth not diminish, but rather increase the
debt: this enlarged on.
III. Thirdly, this is a most sweet and delightful duty: as the performance of it proceeds from good
humour and a cheerful disposition of mind, so it feeds and foments them both. Prayer reminds us
of our imperfections and wants; confession of our misdeeds and bad deserts; but thanksgiving
includes nothing uneasy or unpleasant, nothing but the memory and sense of exceeding
goodness. Other considerations may be briefly added: viz., that this duty is of all others most
acceptable to God and profitable to us, inducing Him to bestow more, and qualifying us to
receive it.
(I. Barrow, D. D.)
The duty of giving thanksThat thanksgiving to God is a great and necessary duty becoming all
Christians.
I. To open the duty. Here is — First: The substance, or act of it — "Giving thanks." Praise
relateth to God's excellencies, thanksgiving to God's benefits. There is a two-fold
thanksgiving.(1) By way of celebration or commemoration, when we speak of God's mercies one
to another.(2) By way of invocation, adoration, or worship, when we express them to God
Himself. Secondly: The circumstances of the duty.
1. Of time. "Always." How is this possible?(1) We must always have a heart prepared and
disposed to give thanks.(2) We must not omit the proper occasions, but must do it frequently and
constantly.(3) "Always," i.e., in all conditions, both in adversity and prosperity.
2. The matter for which we are to give thanks — "For all things." The same extent of the matter
we may see in a parallel place (1 Thessalonians 5:18), "In everything give thanks." This
universal particle comprehendeth all kinds of mercies, spiritual and temporal mercies. He that is
not thankful for the smaller mercies disposeth himself to a stupid carelessness and insensibility
of the greatest mercies: "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who
will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:11.) A suspected leaky vessel we try with
water first, and then with wine. Besides, they all came from the same love, the greater and
smaller mercies (Psalm 136:25). Ordinary mercies are our constant diet (Psalm 68:19).
Extraordinary mercies are our cordials in a fainting fit (Psalm 77:10).(4) Positive mercies and
privative mercies. Freedom from all the sins and dangers we might have fallen into. Did we
know how busy the devil is to hurt us, were it not for the sense of God's providence round about
us, we would be more thankful to God. We do not know how many dangers God hath
prevented.(5) We are also to give thanks for others (2 Corinthians 1:11). God's children rejoice in

one another's prosperity, and are interested in one another's mercies, as if they were their own
(Philippians 2:27).(6) Mercies in hand and mercies in hope. That argueth a strong faith,
affectionately to praise God for mercies in hope as well as mercies in hand (Psalm 31:19).
Abraham, when he had not a foot in the land of Canaan, built an altar and offered thank offerings
to God (Genesis 13:18); so God's children "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2; 1
Peter 1:8).Though we do not simply give thanks for the evil, yet we may give thanks for the good
that is mixed with them; that is to say —(1) For the mixture (Job 2:10). He taketh away
opportunities of service, but it is a mercy that He continued them so long.(2) For the mitigation;
it might have been worse (Ezra 9:13; Lamentations 3:39).(3) For the fruit and profit; if it be not
good in itself, it turneth to good (Romans 8:28; Psalm 119:71).(4) For the final issue, that God
may be glorified (1 Peter 4:14), and we rewarded (Matthew 5:12).
3. The object to whom this religious worship is to be tendered — "To God and the Father" (so
Colossians 3:17).
4. The manner or means — "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Why must thanksgiving be
made in Christ's name?(1) Because there is more of God discovered in Christ than elsewhere (2
Corinthians 4:6). In creation man was made like God, but in redemption God was made like
man.(2) Christ is the only Mediator to convey blessings to us and our services to God; for He is
our High Priest and Intercessor. As our High Priest He procured all our mercies for us by His
oblation; and by His intercession He conveyeth them to us (Hebrews 8:2).(3) He hath required
this duty from us (1 Thessalonians 5:18).(4) Because all our mercies come to us as the fruit of
Christ's death, as wrapped in His bowels, as swimming in His blood, as the fruit of His purchase.
II. How necessary, profitable, and becoming Christians this duty is.
1. How necessary a duty it is appeareth —(1) By the light of nature. Ingratitude is counted an
unnatural sin (2 Timothy 3:2, 3).(2) By His express will revealed in the Scripture (1
Thessalonians 5:18).
2. How necessary a duty it is appeareth by the great profit that cometh of it.(1) To keep us
always in a remembrance of God, and that invisible hand that teacheth out all our supplies to
us.(2) The observation and acknowledgment of His benefits breedeth in us a love to God (1 John
4:19).(3) It doth encourage our hope.
3. How necessary a duty it is appeareth because it prevents many sins.(1) Hardness of heart and
security in enjoying the blessings of God's common providence.(2) It suppresseth murmuring, or
that querulous, fretting, impatient humour which venteth itself even in our prayers and
complaints, and soureth all our comforts.(3) It preventeth distrust and carking cares (Philippians
4:6).(4) it cureth spiritual pride when we consider who is to be praised for all the good that is in
us. They that have more than others are more indebted to grace.Use 1. Is it such a duty? Then
take heed of impediments and enemies to thankfulness.
(1)A proud heart.
(2)A fleshly mind.Use
2. Is our thanksgiving right?
(1)If the heart be brought near to God by every mercy we receive from Him (Psalm 96:8).
(2)If it breed a great delight in God (Psalm 37:4).
(3)If it be a cheerful, thankful obedience (Romans 12:1; John 14:15).

(T. Manton, D. D.)
The duty of giving thanks to God
Bishop Harvey Goodwin.I. In the first place, I would have you notice that St. Paul speaks of
giving thanks "UNTO GOD AND THE FATHER." The person described under these two titles
is of course one and the same, but the thoughts which belong to the two titles are very different;
the name of God may be said chiefly to testify of power, that of Father chiefly of love; it is
because God has allowed Himself to be addressed as "our Father," that we can draw nigh to Him
with fall assurance of faith.
II. Next observe, THAT THANKS MUST BE GIVEN TO THE FATHER "IN THE NAME OF
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." This throws a remarkable light upon the nature of thanksgiving.
Our natural feeling would (I think) be this, that if we came to ask any favour or mercy at the
hands of God, we should rightly do so in the name of Him, through whom alone our petitions can
be granted, but that the same thing would hardly hold good, if we came to pay the tribute of
praise and thanksgiving to God; in asking we should feel that we needed a mediator, in giving
(however small our gift might be) we should scarcely imagine that the same need existed. And
yet, according to St. Paul, the need is the same in both cases; even our thanks must be offered up
through Christ; we do not make God our debtor by such offerings; whether we ask or whether we
pay tribute, it is we who are the gainers, and for both the one purpose and the other we need the
righteousness of Christ, to make our approach to God's mercy seat acceptable.
III. But again; St. Paul in the text gives a very wide range to thanksgiving, when he speaks of
"GIVING THANKS FOR ALL THINGS." All the dispensations of God should be regarded as
the acts of a Father, and therefore as demanding our thanks. I know the difficulty of realizing this
state of mind; a time may perhaps come, when we shall be able to look back from our place of
rest upon the way by which God hath led us, and when we shall be able to see that in all its turns
and twistings (so far as they were the result of God's leading, and not due to our own perversity),
and in all its darker passages, in its roughest as well as its smoothest portions, it was indeed "the
right way," and all demands our gratitude to Him, who led us by a way that we knew not.
IV. There is one other expression in the text which deserves notice, and to which a remark
applies similar to that just now made upon the expression "all things." St. Paul says, "giving
thanks ALWAYS"; the word "always" is sufficiently strong and comprehensive in itself, and
becomes additionally so by being joined to the words "all things." "Giving thanks always for all
things" is obviously as comprehensive a charge to give thanks as could possibly be devised; and
I wish to remark that the peculiar force of the word "always" seems to be this, "under all
circumstances." St. Paul is not intending (I think) so much to enjoin an unceasing course of
thanksgiving, as to warn us against allowing our thankfulness to depend upon our own state of
mind, or upon the prosperity or adversity of our outward condition.
(Bishop Harvey Goodwin.)
Common mercies
N. Macleod, D. D.The first thanks of a redeemed creature will always be for Christ. But
Christian thankfulness shows itself in joyous acknowledgment of all gifts, great and small. And it
finds a new call to its exercise in the fact, that the lesser gifts have their origin in the love which
gave us the greatest, and came to us through that greatest Himself. The range of Christian
thankfulness becomes, in this way, very wide. "For all things" — for little mercies as well as
great mercies — for the gospel first, but also for the humblest truth which enlarges the mind; for

things in heaven and things on earth; for whatever is related to our growth and well-being; for
the air we breathe, the water we drink, the fire which warms us, and the earth which is the
bountiful food grower for us all. "All things." Showers and streams, flowers and trees, bird and
beast and creeping things, the wide sea and the lofty hills, sunshine and starlight, light and
darkness, clouds and rainbows, waxing and waning moons, seasons and days. "For all things."
For things of discipline as well as things of nutriment, for toil and the hardness which toil works,
for hunger and cold, for sickness and sorrow, for death itself, for mercy and also for judgment,
for riches and also for poverty, for peaceful calm and also for purifying storm. "For all things."
For friends and privileges and just laws and liberties; for our native land and our memories of
heroic ancestors; for Christian principle and the Christian Church; for life and strength and
reason; for our bodies fearfully and wonderfully made; for our place in society, our opportunities
for good, our means of usefulness, our knowledge, insight, and growth; and for faith, hope, and
charity in ourselves and others.
I. In a country like ours, we could make no selection of common mercies in which THE
BLESSINGS OF EMPLOYMENT were left out. We are a nation of workers. In our offices,
workshops, and studies; at our crafts, domestic duties, and professional tasks, we are all
supposed to have some employment. Labour itself is a blessing. It is employment. And anyone
who knows the misery of the state indicated by the words "out of employment," also knows the
greatness of the blessing. In its results it is worse than bodily disease. It is the sure destruction of
self-respect and courage. The joy of life perishes at the roots, and despair commences its evil
reign. One of the directest blessings of labour is its healthiness. Other things being equal, it is the
busy who are healthy. Idleness enfeebles both mind and body. Movement, activity, fulfilment of
tasks — this is the law for every creature made by God. Neglect of this law is death. Another
element in this blessing of work is its honourableness. Since work implies service, it is a
beneficent endowment that it is honourable. And this is an attribute in all work, in work of the
hand as well as work of the mind. When our Maker appointed us to labour, He made labour one
of the dignities in His kingdom. A working man is one of God's noblemen. His queens are
working women.
II. The last of the mercies I undertook to set before you is HOME. And I will begin by naming
the homeliness of home. In my home I am at ease, and free to be myself. I am neither merchant,
nor student, nor craftsman, nor politician. I am simply a member of the home circle, a citizen of
"that country which every man loves." It is a world whose courtesies are those of love. It exacts
no etiquette except that which expresses the heart. How entirely it surrounds us. We are born into
it, we die in it. We frequent it day and night; we are in it from infancy to old age. We rise in the
morning, and find it filled with friendly faces; we retire for the night from amidst a group of the
dearest we have. Every way it is a comfort to us. It is our shelter from the weather, our
banqueting house, our hospital and place of rest. Next to its homeliness, in matter for
thankfulness, is the seclusion of home. Above my summer hut one year was a mountain stream,
which I often visited. Rising far up in the marshy hollows of the mountains, it made its way by
steep and frequent plunges to the sea. Sometimes it leapt from crag to crag, brawling in a
confused way over the sudden breaks of rock in its march. Sometimes it flung its waters in a
mass on a lower shelf with an angry clash. At one point it came trailing down the face of the
glistening rock behind; at another it tumbled and splashed in fantastic pools within its bed. But
here and there, in its descent, it came to solitary spots, quiet basins of stone, where all the hasting
and furious turbulence was at an end. And the stream that leapt and churned higher up, lay still as
a sleeping child. What those quiet pools were to the life of that mountain stream, home is to the

ordinary life we lead. The one life wrestles and leaps onward in endless unrest, the other dwells
in calmness and peace. Home is a blessing so common, and we have been all our days so familiar
with it, that few realize the full riches of blessing which it is in our life. But there is a blessing in
our homes greater than either its seclusion, or comfort. Some of the best discipline of life is
there. Home has functions which point to eternity. It is a school to instruct us in the knowledge
of God. A revelation of God older than the Bible shines in the home. The parables of the fireside
are as Divine as those of Christ. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them
that fear Him." As we learn the secrets of that pity in the heart of our earthly father we become
acquainted with God. A mother's love is a Jacob's ladder by which we ascend to the love of God.
"As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you." What surrounds us from our
infancy is a vision and prophecy of God.
(N. Macleod, D. D.)
Praise in death
Romaine.James Hervey, when Dr. Stonehouse saw him for the last time, about two hours before
he expired, pressed upon the doctor in the most affectionate manner his everlasting concerns,
telling him "here is no abiding place." Stonehouse, seeing the great difficulty and pain with
which he spoke, desired that he would spare himself. "No," said he, "doctor, no. You tell me I
have but a few moments to live. Oh let me spend them in adoring our great Redeemer..." He then
expatiated in the most striking manner upon these words of St. Paul, "All things are yours." He
then paused a little, and with great serenity in his countenance quoted those triumphant words,
"'Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.'
There, doctor, is my cordial. What are all the cordials to the dying compared to the salvation of
Christ?" In his last moments he exclaimed two or three times, "Precious salvation!" and then,
leaning his head against the side of the easy chair in which he sat, he shut his eyes and fell
asleep.
(Romaine.)
Praise at all times
A. Fuller.Praise is the believer's help in his trials, and his companion after trial. Jehoshaphat's
army sang praises before the battle. David sang praises in the cave; Daniel, when the trap was set
for his life, prayed and gave thanks three times a day as usual: and Jesus, when He would raise
Lazarus, first lift up His heart in thanks to the Father; and before He went to supper, first sang a
hymn. So is praise also our solace after trial. Music is sweetest when heard over rivers, where the
echo thereof is best rebounded by the waters; and praise for pensiveness, thanks for tears,
blessing God over the floods of affliction, makes the sweetest music in the ears of heaven.
(A. Fuller.)
A day of thanksgiving
C. Nevins.A person being once cast upon a desolate island, spent a day in fasting and prayer for
his deliverance, but no help came. It occurred to him then to keep a day of thanksgiving and
praise, and he had no sooner done it than relief was brought to him. You see, as soon as he began
to sing of mercy exercised, the exercise of mercy was renewed to him. The Lord heard the voice
of his praise.
(C. Nevins.)

Varieties of praise
P. B. Power.The psalmist speaks of singing to the name of the Lord, blessing, extolling,
thanksgiving, exalting. Just as the stem which is full of sap throws out many branches, so the
believer who is full of a spirit of praise will give vent to it in many different forms.
(P. B. Power.)
The music of the Christian life
W. V. Robinson, B. A.Every Christian life is like a psalm. Just as in those grand old Hebrew
psalms you may hear different voices; as you may hear, now the broken voice of the broken and
contrite heart as it sobs out its confession of sin, and now the soft cooing as of the infant falling
asleep in perfect peace upon its mother's bosom; just as you may hear, now the dull groan of
anguish wrung from the heart almost overburdened with sorrow, and now the peal of laughter, as
of one who is bounding over the mountain side, breathing God's pure air, and rejoicing in God's
glad sunshine; as you may hear, now the sharp cry of pain as of a soldier who has been hit by the
archers, and now the shouts of triumph rising from the throats of those who have been victors in
the fight; and yet in all the psalms, running like an accompaniment, you may detect the perpetual
sense of God's nearness and of God's love: so we shall not fail to find many varied experiences in
the Christian life, some joyful and some painful — many voices in one psalm; and yet, if that life
is what it should be, the accompaniment of every experience will be the music of a thankful
heart.
1. Thankfulness is the harmony of contentment and aspiration.
2. Thankfulness is the harmony between the deep sense of obligation, and the joy of perfect
freedom.
(W. V. Robinson, B. A.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(20) Giving thanks always for all things.—This
temper of universal and pervading thankfulness is dwelt upon in the First Epistle to the
Thessalonians (1Thessalonians 5:18) as indissolubly united with unceasing joy and prayer
(“Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks.”) Since thanksgiving is for
what God has given us, and prayer for what we still need, both must be united in our imperfect
condition here. In Colossians 3:17 it is associated with action “in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ.” Here it is dealt with alone, as the basis of the praises, public and private, corporate and
individual, described above. In regard to the former, St. Paul marks thanksgiving as the
fundamental and invariable element of all Christian worship, clothing itself naturally in all
variety of music; in regard to the latter, he describes the habitual spirit of thankfulness,
prevailing alike in joy and sorrow, undisturbed even by penitent sense of sin, as the inner music
of all Christian life.
Unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.—Both these expressions are
emphatic. To all consciousness of God belong fear and reverence; to the belief in Him as “our
Father” (see Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:4-6) specially belong love and thanksgiving. But it is

“in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”—that is, as identified in perfect unity with Him—that we
have the adoption to sonship which is the ground of such thanksgiving. So also in the same unity
(see John 14:13; John 15:16; John 16:23-24) we have the ground of perfect confidence in prayer.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary5:15-21 Another remedy against sin, is care, or caution, it
being impossible else to maintain purity of heart and life. Time is a talent given us by God, and it
is misspent and lost when not employed according to his design. If we have lost our time
heretofore, we must double our diligence for the future. Of that time which thousands on a dying
bed would gladly redeem at the price of the whole world, how little do men think, and to what
trifles they daily sacrifice it! People are very apt to complain of bad times; it were well if that
stirred them more to redeem time. Be not unwise. Ignorance of our duty, and neglect of our
souls, show the greatest folly. Drunkenness is a sin that never goes alone, but carries men into
other evils; it is a sin very provoking to God. The drunkard holds out to his family and to the
world the sad spectacle of a sinner hardened beyond what is common, and hastening to perdition.
When afflicted or weary, let us not seek to raise our spirits by strong drink, which is hateful and
hurtful, and only ends in making sorrows more felt. But by fervent prayer let us seek to be filled
with the Spirit, and to avoid whatever may grieve our gracious Comforter. All God's people have
reason to sing for joy. Though we are not always singing, we should be always giving thanks; we
should never want disposition for this duty, as we never want matter for it, through the whole
course of our lives. Always, even in trials and afflictions, and for all things; being satisfied of
their loving intent, and good tendency. God keeps believers from sinning against him, and
engages them to submit one to another in all he has commanded, to promote his glory, and to
fulfil their duties to each other.
Barnes' Notes on the BibleGiving thanks always - This is probably designed to be connected
with the preceding verse, and to denote that the proper subject of psalms and hymns is
thanksgiving and praise. This is indeed always the main design, and should be so regarded; and
this part of worship should be so conducted as to keep up in the heart a lively sense of the mercy
and goodness of God.
For all things - ὑπὲρ πάντων huper pantōn - for all things, or all "persons." Dr. Barrow supposes
that the meaning here is, that they were to give thanks for "all persons," and to regard themselves
as under obligations to give thanks for the mercies bestowed upon "the human race," in
accordance with the idea expressed in the Liturgy of the Episcopal church, "We, thine unworthy
servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for thy goodness and loving-kindness to
us, and to all men." This idea is beautiful: and it accords with the requirements of the Scriptures
elsewhere; 1 Timothy 2:1. "I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all people. Such is the duty of Christians; and I
see no departure from the fair meaning of the words here, in supposing that the apostle may have
designed to express such an idea. The sense, according to this, would be, that we are to praise
God for his general mercy to mankind; for all the happiness which mortals are permitted to
enjoy; for the love of God to mankind in creation, in providence, and in redemption - just as a
grateful child will give thanks for all the kindness shown to his brothers and sisters One obvious
effect of this would be to overcome "selfishness," and to make us rejoice in the happiness of
others as well as in our own.
Another effect would be to make us feel a deeper interest in the condition of our fellow creatures.
Another would be to elevate and enlarge our conceptions of the goodness of God - directing the

mind to all the favors which he has bestowed on the race. Man has much for which to be
grateful; and the duty of acknowledging the mercy of God to the race should not be forgotten.
We are often prone so to magnify our calamities, and to contemplate the woes of the race, that
we overlook the occasions for gratitude; and we should, therefore, look upon the "mercies"
which we enjoy as well as the miseries which we endure, that our hearts may be right. He who
looks only on his trials will soon find his mind soured and complaining; he who endeavors to
find how many occasions for gratitude he has, will soon find the burden of his sorrows
alleviated, and his mind tranquil and calm. Yet, if the words here are to be taken as in our
translation, "for all things." they are full of force and beauty. At the close of life, and in heaven,
we shall see occasion to bless God for all his dealings with us. We shall see that we have not
suffered one pang too much, or been required to perform one duty too severe. We shall see that
all our afflictions, as well as our mercies were designed for our good, and were needful for us.
Why then should we not bless God in the furnace as well as in the palace; on a bed of pain as
well as on a bed of down; in want as well as when sitting down at the splendid banquet? God
knows what is best for us; and the way in which he leads us, mysterious though it seem to be
now, will yet be seen to have been full of goodness and mercy.
Unto God and the Father - Or, "to God, even the Father." It cannot mean to God as distinguished
from the Father, or first to God and then to the Father, as if the Father were distinct from God.
The meaning is, that thanks are to be given specially to God the Father - the great Author of all
mercies, and the source of all blessings.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - That is, through his mediation, or trusting in him; see the
notes on John 14:13. The meaning is, that we are "always" to approach God through the
mediation of the Lord Jesus. When we ask for mercy, it is to be on his account, or through his
merits; when we plead for strength and grace to support us in trial, it is to be in dependence on
him; and when we give thanks, it is to be through him, and because it is through his intervention
that we receive all blessings, and by his merits that even the gratitude of beings so sinful as we
are can be accepted.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary20. thanks … for all things—even for adversities;
also for blessings, unknown as well as known (Col 3:17; 1Th 5:18).
unto God and the Father—the Fountain of every blessing in Creation, Providence, Election, and
Redemption.
Lord Jesus Christ—by whom all things, even distresses, become ours (Ro 8:35, 37; 1Co 3:20-
23).
Matthew Poole's CommentaryGiving thanks always: God still by fresh mercies gives fresh
occasion for thanksgiving, and we must accordingly continue our thanksgiving through the
whole course of our lives without weariness.
For all things; all sorts of mercies, among which afflictions may be reckoned, as working for
good to them that love God, Romans 8:28.
Unto God and the Father; i.e. unto God even the Father, the Fountain of all our good.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; in whose name, and by whose merit, all good things are

given to us, and by whom we offer up all our prayers, and praises, and spiritual services, that
they may be accepted of God.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleGiving thanks always for all things,.... For things temporal,
for our beings, and the preservation of them, and for all the mercies of life; for things spiritual,
for Christ, and for all spiritual blessings in him; for electing, redeeming, sanctifying, adopting,
pardoning, and justifying grace; for a meetness for heaven, and for eternal life itself; for the
Gospel, promises, truths, ordinances, and ministry; and this is to be done always, at all times, in
times of adversity, desertion, temptation, affliction, and persecution, as well as in prosperity:
unto God, and the Father; to God who is, and as he is the Father of mercies, and of all creatures;
and as he is the Father of Christ, and of all the elect in him:
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; for all the mercies of God's people, both temporal and
spiritual, come through him, and for his sake; and thanksgivings for them are only acceptable to
God as they are offered up by him; nor is there any other way of bringing them to God, but
through him: this duty, as it stands connected with the former, shows that praise and
thanksgiving are the principal subject matter of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, to be sung;
and that the manner of singing is with thanksgiving; and that the end of it is to give thanks to
God.
Geneva Study BibleGiving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ;
EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT CommentaryHYPERLINK "/ephesians/5-20.htm"Ephesians 5:20. A third modal
definition to the πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι, likewise co-ordinate with the two preceding ones,
bringing into prominence—after the general singing of praise, etc., of Ephesians 5:19, which is
to take place as well audibly as in the heart—further, and in particular, the thanksgiving, which
the readers have always for all things to render to God.
πάντοτε] This always is not to be pressed; see on 1 Corinthians 1:4; in accordance with
Colossians 3:17, at all action in word and work. Observe, however, that πάντοτε is only
introduced at this point; for not the ᾄδειν and ψάλλειν, but certainly, amidst the constant
consciousness of the divine manifestations of grace, thanksgiving also, like prayer in general,
may and ought to belong to the constant activity of the Christian life. Comp. Ephesians 4:18;
Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17. For the emphatic juxtaposition πάντοτε
ὑπὲρ πάντων, comp. 2 Corinthians 9:8, and see Lobeck, Paralip. I. p. 56. This πάντων is not
masculine (Theodoret), but neuter, and relates, in accordance with the context, to all Christian
blessings. To understand it of all that happens to us, even including sufferings, as is done by
Chrysostom,[269] Jerome, Erasmus, and many, including Meier, Olshausen, Baumgarten-
Crusius, and de Wette, is foreign to the connection, yet doubtless the Christian παράκλησις and
joy in suffering belong thereto.
ἘΝ ὈΝΌΜ. ΤΟῦ ΚΥΡΊΟΥ Κ.Τ.Λ.] not ad honorem Christi (Flatt), but: so that what is
embraced in the name Jesus Christ (“per quem omnia nobis obtingunt,” Bengel) is the element,
in which your grateful consciousness moves in the act of thanksgiving. Comp. Colossians 3:17;
John 14:13. As regards subject matter, ἐν Χριστῷ (Ephesians 3:21) would be different, and ΔΙᾺ
ΧΡΙΣΤΟῦ (Romans 7:25) similar.

Τῷ ΘΕῷ ΚΑῚ ΠΑΤΡΊ] See on Ephesians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:24. The
referring of ΠΑΤΡΊ to Christ, the Son (Erasmus, Estius, Harless, Baumgarten-Crusius, and
others), is more in keeping with the connection (ἐν ὀνόματι κ.τ.λ.) than the rendering: our Father
(Zanchius, Rückert, Matthies, and others).
[269] Chrysostom, in fact, includes even hell therein, the contemplation of which is for us a
check of fear and thus very salutary.
Expositor's Greek TestamentHYPERLINK "/ephesians/5-20.htm"Ephesians 5:20.
εὐχαριστοῦντες πάντοτε ὑπὲρ πάντων: giving thanks always for all things. Another coordinate
clause giving a third and more particular way in which the being “filled with the Spirit” should
express itself. The two preceding sentences referred to praise, both outwardly with the mouth and
inwardly in the silence of the heart. This third sentence mentions a special form of praise, viz.,
thanksgiving. This thanksgiving is described as a constant duty, the πάντοτε which would have
been inappropriate with the λαλοῦντες and with the ᾄδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες being in place here
where, as in the case of joy and prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17), the matter is one primarily of
attitude or spirit. The ὑπὲρ πάντων, “for all things” (neut., not masc., as understood by Theodor.),
is taken by many in its widest possible extent, as including things evil as well as good. The
Epistle does not deal, however, particularly with the sufferings of the Christian, but with what he
receives from God and what his consequent duty is. It is most accordant, therefore, with the
context to understand the πάντων as referring to all the blessings of the Christian, the whole good
that comes to him from God.—ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ: in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ. The phrase ἐν ὀνόματι … Χριστοῦ is different from ἐν Χριστῷ and of wider
application. It has different shades of meaning, authority, power, honour, dependence, etc., in
different connections. Here probably it expresses the idea of doing something in dependence
upon Christ, or in regardfulness of what Christ is; cf. John 14:13; John 15:16; John 16:23;
Colossians 3:7.—τῷ Θεῷ καὶ πατρί: to God and the Father. The RV gives “to God, even the
Father” in its text, and “to the God and Father” in the margin. But the most appropriate rendering
of the title is the above. The title designates One who is God and at the same time Father; the
Fatherhood here, as elsewhere, being no doubt primarily the relation to Christ, as is suggested by
the ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι, etc.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20. always for all things] Because everything in
hourly providence is an expression, to the believing heart, of God’s “good, perfect, and
acceptable will” (Romans 12:2). In view of this, the Christian will be thankful, both generally
and as to details. St Chrysostom’s habitual doxology was, “Glory be to God for all things”; and it
was the last word of his suffering life.
unto God and the Father] Lit. to the God and Father; i. e. probably, of our Lord, and of us in
Him.
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ] For the same phrase, or the like, cp. e.g. Matthew 10:41;
Matthew 21:9; Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17; John 5:43; *John 14:13; *John 14:14; John 14:26; John
15:16; *John 16:23; *John 16:24; *John 16:26; John 17:11-12; Acts 3:6; Acts 9:27; Acts 10:48;
1 Corinthians 5:4; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Php 2:10; Colossians 3:17; James 5:14; 1 Peter 4:14. Of
these references, those marked * carry, like this verse, the idea of an approach to the Father
through the Son. The whole series (compared with parallel phrases of the O. T., e.g.

Deuteronomy 18:19; Psalm 20:5; Psalm 44:5; Psalm 89:24) indicates, as an idea common to all
the uses of the expression, that he whose “name” is in question is the basis or reason of the
action. Empowered by the “name” of Jehovah, His revealed glory and will, the prophet speaks.
Empowered by the “name” of Christ, going upon His revealed character as Mediator, the
believer in Him offers praise and prayer to the Father. And so in such phrases as Psalm 63:4; “I
will lift up my hands in Thy name”; the thought is of action upon a revelation of God and of the
way to Him.—In Php 2:10 we perhaps find combined the ideas of worship of and worship
through Jesus Christ.
Bengel's GnomenHYPERLINK "/ephesians/5-20.htm"Ephesians 5:20. Εὐχαριστοῦντες, giving
thanks) Paul often urges this duty, and diligently practises it: it is performed by the mind, by the
tongue, and by working. Colossians 3:17.—πάντων, for all things) The neuter, including the
power of the masculine; comp. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.—Ἰησοῦ, of Jesus) by whom all things
become ours.
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 20. - Giving thanks always for all things; this being not only a most
Christian duty, but an excellent way to keep the heart in good tone, to keep up happy feelings -
the duty not being occasional, but "always," and not for things prima facto agreeable only, but
"for all things" (see Job 2:10; Romans 8:28). In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even
the Father. God the Father is the proper Object of thanksgiving, as of prayer generally; but the
thanks are to be given in the Name of Christ. That is, through him who has brought in the
economy of grace, whereby for wrath we get blessing, for suffering we get reward, for misery
glory; whereby, in short, the whole aspect of life is brightened, and even the greatest trials and
sorrows turned into real blessings.
PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to
God, eventhe Father(NASB: Lockman)
Greek: eucharistountes (PAPMPN) pantote huper panton en onomati tou kuriou hemon
Iesou ChHYPERLINK "http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5547"ristou
tHYPERLINK "http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=3588"o theo kai patri,
Amplified: At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ to God the Father. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NLT: And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: Thank God at all times for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
(Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: giving thanks always concerning all things in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ
to God, even the Father,

Young's Literal: giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to the God and Father;
ALWAYS GIVING THANKS FOR ALL THINGS: eucharistountes (PAPMPN) pantote
huper panton:
• Eph 5:4; Job 1:21; Ps 34:1; Isa 63:7; Acts 5:41; 1Co 1:4; Phil 1:3; 4:6; Col 1:11,12; 3:17;
1Th 3:9; 5:18; 2Th 1:3; 2:13
• Ephesians 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
• Ephesians 5:18-21 - Wayne Barber
• Ephesians 5:18-21: Be Filled with the Spirit - 2 - Wayne Barber
• Ephesians 5:20 Always Giving Thanks for all Things - Steven Cole
• Ephesians 5:19 Spirit Filled Singing - Steven Cole
• Ephesians 5:20-21: Be Filled with the Spirit-4 - John MacArthur
• Ephesians 5:20-21: Be Filled with the Spirit-4 Study Guide (see dropdown menu) - John
MacArthur
• Ephesians 5:18-22: A Plan For Your Family God's vs the World's - Part 1 - John
MacArthur
• Ephesians 5:18-22, 25; 6:1-2 A Plan for Your Family: God's vs. the World's - Part 2 -
John MacArthur
SPIRIT FILLED PEOPLE
ARE THANKFUL PEOPLE
See RelatedResources:
• Exposition of Philippians 4:6; (Php 4:6)
• Exposition of 1Thessalonians 5:18 (1Th 5:18)
Always giving thanks - Paul gives us the second evidence that a believer is Spirit filled, the first
being an inner joy that places a song in one's heart.
Literally Paul says the spirit filled life is one of…
Giving thanks always for all things!
If we experience this effect, allowing the Spirit to continually control us, we will discover that
His constant filling is an excellent antidote against an attitude of always murmuring about all
things!
John Stott rightly remarks that…
The grumbling spirit is not compatible with the Holy Spirit. Grumbling was one of the
besetting sins of the people of Israel; they were always ‘murmuring’ against the Lord and
against Moses. But the Spirit-filled believer is full not of complaining, but of
thanksgiving.
Although the text reads that we are to give thanks always and for everything, we must not
press these words literally. For we cannot thank God for absolutely ‘everything’,
including blatant evil…

So then the ‘everything’ for which we are to give thanks to God must be qualified by its
context, namely in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Our thanksgiving
is to be for everything which is consistent with the loving Fatherhood of God and the
self-revelation he has given us in Jesus Christ. Once again the doctrine of the Trinity
informs and directs our devotion. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we give thanks
to God our Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Stott, J. R. W. God's New
Society : The Message of Ephesians. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press)
Ray Stedman illustrates this point with a story…
I remember when I was in the Navy we all took our meals in the mess hall. (If you could
see the food trays after the serving men had plopped the food on them you would know
why they called it a mess hall.) I recall sitting with a Christian friend across the table
from a great, burly quartermaster who was a complete pagan, with one of the foulest
mouths I have ever heard; that is not uncommon in the Navy. As we always did, we
bowed our heads and gave thanks for the food. It happened that my friend disliked the
food and began to complain about it. Suddenly this fellow sitting across the table spoke
up and said, "Look, didn't you just give thanks for that? Then eat it and shut up!" This
was a word in season. You cannot give thanks and complain at the same time. The word
to us is, "in everything give thanks."
Now why does it say that? Surely it does not mean in everything? But it does mean in
everything, because of what he has just said here. The will of the Lord is that we be put in
difficult situations and have unpleasant circumstances in order that we might have
opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus Christ. Therefore, do not complain about it. Give
thanks, because it will do something to you that nothing else could do. This is what Paul
tells us in Second Corinthians, "this light affliction which is but for a moment is working
for us a far exceeding eternal weight of glory," {cf, 2Cor 4:17}. Also, "no chastening for
the present seems joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable
fruit of righteousness to those that are exercised thereby," {cf, Heb 12:11}. God has
purpose in all these things. Therefore, give thanks in all things. (Ephesians 5:15-20:
Watch How You Walk)
Harry Ironside commenting on giving thanks for all things writes…
"Oh, but," you say, "there are some things I cannot give thanks for, there are some things
so hard, so difficult to bear, there are some things that lacerate my very soul." Wait a
moment. Have you ever undergone a serious physical operation as a result of which you
have been delivered from something that was just wearing out your very life? When you
had to undergo it, it seemed very hard, but as you look back upon it, can you not give
thanks for the surgeon's knife, can you not give thanks for the very sufferings you had to
endure because of the blessed after-result? Very well, Christian, some day,
"When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o'er life's finished story,"
we shall see as we cannot now just why all the hard things were permitted, and how God
our Father was seeking to set us free from hindrances and from encumbrances, by
pruning the branches from which He wished to get fruit for Himself. In that day we will
thank Him for all the sorrow as well as for all the joy. In faith let us do it now. (cp 1Co
13:12,13, 2Co 4:16, 17, 18, Lk 6:22,23, cp Ps 119:67,71 Mt 5:10, 11, 12-note Ro 5:3, 4,

5-note Heb 12:5-note, Heb 12:10,11-note James 1:2, 3,4-note, James 1:12-note; Ro 8:18-
note, Ro 8:29-note 1Pe 1:6,7-note)
Nothing can come to me but what His love allows. "All things work together for good,"
and so a Spirit-filled believer will be loyal and submissive, not the kind who tosses his
head and says, "I am not going to have anybody dominate me; I will do what I think and
what I like." That is the old walk of our unconverted days, that is the old nature, not the
new. (Ironside's Notes)
One little hour to suffer scorn and losses,
Eternal years beyond earth's cruel frowns;
One little hour to carry heavy crosses,
Eternal years to wear unfading crowns. –Anon.
Always (3842) (pántote from pás = all + tóte = then) means at all times. On every occasion.
Without interruption. All circumstances. All places.
Giving thanks (2168) (eucharisteo from eucháristos = thankful, grateful, well-pleasing -
Indicates the obligation of being thankful to someone for a favor done <> in turn from eú = well
+ charízomai = to grant, give.; English - Eucharist) means to show that one is under obligation
by being thankful. To show oneself as grateful (most often to God in the NT).
Eucharisteo is a word that at its very core (eu = good + charis = grace) means to acknowledge
how good grace is!
Moulton and Milligan note that eucharisteo originally meant “do a good turn to” or “oblige,”
and in late Greek passed readily into the meaning “be grateful,” “give thanks”. Giving thanks is
the quality of being grateful, with the implication of also having appropriate (Spirit filled)
attitude.
This meaning is common in diplomatic documents in which the recipient of a favor reciprocates
with assurance of goodwill. It is also used o express appreciation for benefits or blessings.
Giving thanks was an important component of Greco-Roman reciprocity as demonstrated by a
copy of a letter written by the Emperor Claudius to a Gymnastic Club expressing his gratification
at games performed in his honour. The word eucharista was also common on ancient
inscriptions.
Thanksgiving expresses what ought never to be absent from any of our devotions. We should
always be ready to express our grateful acknowledgement of past mercies as distinguished form
the earnest seeking of future mercies.
TDNT writes that "We first find eucharistos in the senses “pleasant” and “graceful.”
Eucharisteo means “to show a favor,” but this imposes a duty of gratitude and the meaning “to
be thankful” or “to give thanks” develops. We also find the sense “to pray.” The Greek world
held thanksgiving in high esteem. With the ordinary use we find a public use (gratitude to rulers)
and a religious use (thanksgiving to the gods for blessings). Thanks are also a constituent part of
letters. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Eerdmans)
In the Gospels the verb eucharisteo frequently describes Jesus' example of giving thanks (Mt
15:36; 26:27; Mk 8:6; 14:23; Lk 22:17, 19; Jn 6:11, 23; 11:41) Paul was frequently thankful to
God for the saints and the grace given to them (1Co 1:4, Ep 1:16 Php 1:3, Col 1:3, 12, 1Th 1:2,

2Th 1:3, 2:13, Philemon 1:4). The effect of the Spirit's filling is a thankful heart (Eph 5:20, cp
Col 3:17).
Eucharisteo describes a person who is depending on God’s grace moment by moment. The
present tense pictures this as one's lifestyle, a life only possible under the control of the Spirit.
Eucharisteo is found 38 times in the NT (and not in the non-apocryphal LXX) - gave thanks(2),
give thanks(9), given thanks(7), gives thanks(2), giving thanks(7),thank(9), thanked(1),
thanks(1).
Mt 15:36; Mt 26:27 (Jesus' practice was to give thanks - here before the "last supper");
Mk 8:6; 14:23; Lk 17:16 (only 1/10 cleansed lepers thanked Jesus for healing); Lk 18:11
(pretentious thanks from the Pharisee!); Lk 22:17, 19; Jn 6:11, 23; 11:41 (Jesus' thanks
was directed to the Father); Acts 27:35; 28:15; Ro 1:8-note, Ro 1:21-note; Ro 14:6-note;
Ro 16:4-note; 1Co 1:4, 14; 1Co 10:30; 11:24; 14:17, 18; 2Co 1:11; Ep 1:16-note; Eph
5:20; Php 1:3-note; Col 1:3-note, Col 1:12-note; Col 3:17-note; 1Th 1:2-note; 1Th 2:13-
note; 1Th 5:18-note; 2Th 1:3; 2:13; Philemon. 1:4; Re 11:17-note.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (note) And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when
you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men,
but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who
believe.
It is notable that one the chief traits of unregenerate men is the failure to give thanks to God and
their attitude of ingratitude is not without "natural" sequelae" Paul explaining…
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but
they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Ro 1:21 -
see note)
This call to thankfulness for everything is found frequently in the New Testament --
Philippians 4:6 (note) Be anxious (present imperative = make this your habitual
practice) for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known (present imperative = make this your habitual practice) to
God.
1Thessalonians 5:18 (note) in everything give thanks (present imperative = make this
your habitual practice); for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
How is it possible to obey this command? When you are controlled by the Spirit and you grasp
the truth that nothing happens in your life that is not filtered through the hands of your Loving
Father, El Elyon, the Most High God (see El Elyon: Most High God - Sovereign Over All), then
(filled with and empowered by His Spirit) you can withstand the trial, the affliction, the
suffering. He is in (total) control and He has a purpose for the trial or suffering. You suffering
will not be wasted. God is sovereign (See attribute of God's sovereignty) and therefore in control
of the heavens and the earth and all the angelic hosts of heaven and no purpose of His can be
thwarted, as Paul has already taught in Ephesians 1 writing…
also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose
who works all things after the counsel of His will, (See note Ephesians 1:11)
This same truth that God is in control of everything that occurs in our lives is seen elsewhere in
Scripture…

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the
first-born among many brethren (See notes Romans 8:28; 8:29)
(Joseph to his brothers held fast to this same truth declaring) And as for you, you meant
evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to
preserve many people alive. (Genesis 50:20)
(Job speaking to God affirms) "I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose
of Thine can be thwarted." (Job 42:2)
Thanksgiving implies that the grateful person submits to the will of God, however His will is
manifest. Why? Because it is only when we are fully convinced that God is working all things
together for good (Ro 8:28, 29-note) that we can really give God thanks. Paul is cautioning
against a whining, complaining, murmuring spirit which is really just an express one's lack of
faith in God's goodness. James in the context of asking God for wisdom in trials writes that we
are to
ask in faith (in context belief in God's goodness and kindness even in trials) without any
doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-
minded man (a man of two minds - hesitating, irresolute), unstable (uncertain, unreliable)
in all his ways. (James 1:6-8 - note)
Boice adds that "Shakespeare wrote in King Lear, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to
have a thankless child!" True! Ingratitude in children wounds and sometimes kills. But how
much more unnatural and repugnant is ingratitude in those who have become sons and daughters
of the living God (living God = Mt 16:16, 26:63, Acts 14:15, Ro 9:26, 2Co 3:3, 6:16, 1Ti 3:15,
4:10, Heb 3:12, 9:14, 10:31,12:22, Re 7:2). It is so unnatural that a person may wonder if such a
one has actually become a Christian in the first place. (Ephesians Commentary)
For (5228) (huper) means because of or in view of and in this context is used as a marker of
cause or reason, often as in this verse with the implication of something which has been
beneficial-
All things (3956) (pas) means all things! All without exception!
Not all prayer is spoken; singing is a high communication to the Lord and should be done from
the heart. This verse is the first of two Pauline injunctions to thank God in all things.
Matthew Henry - We must continue it throughout the whole course of our lives; and we should
give thanks for all things; not only for spiritual blessings enjoyed, and eternal ones expected (for
what of the former we have in hand, and for what of the other we have in hope), but for temporal
mercies too; not only for our comforts, but also for our sanctified afflictions; not only for what
immediately concerns ourselves, but for the instances of God's kindness and favor to others also.
It is our duty in every thing to give thanks unto God and the Father, to God as the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him, in whose name we are to offer up all our prayers, and
praises, and spiritual services, that they may be acceptable to God.
Michael Green records the following story from the life of the fourteenth-century German
Johann Tauler, which aptly demonstrates something of the attitude Spirit filled disciples of Jesus
should manifest…

One day Tauler met a beggar. ‘God give you a good day, my friend,’ he said.
The beggar answered, ‘I thank God I never had a bad one.’
Then Tauler said, ‘God give you a happy life, my friend.’
‘I thank God’, said the beggar, ‘that I am never unhappy.’
In amazement Tauler asked, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well,’ said the beggar, ‘when it is fine I thank God. When it rains I thank God. When I
have plenty I thank God. When I am hungry I thank God. And, since God’s will is my
will, and whatever pleases him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am
not?
Tauler looked at the man in astonishment. ‘Who are you?’ he asked.
‘I am a king,’ said the beggar.
‘Where, then, is your kingdom?’ asked Tauler.
The beggar replied quietly, ‘In my heart.’
R Kent Hughes writes that "the fullness of the Spirit does call us to a radical spirit of gratitude.
We are to thank God in the midst of difficulties for everything which is consistent with his
Fatherhood and his loving Son… The fullness of the Spirit rules out a grumbling, complaining,
negative, sour spirit. No one can be Spirit-filled and traffic in these things. In America we, as a
people, have so much. Yet we characteristically mourn what we do not have: another's house,
car, job, vacation, even family (see word study on envy)! Such thanklessness indicates a life
missing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, a positive, thankful attitude announces
the presence of the Spirit. I once met a pastor in a remote little western town. His church met in
rented facilities, and his car had seen better days, as had his house-trailer. But as we walked
down Main Street, stepping around the tumbleweeds, he remarked, "I can't believe how good
God is to me. I have a wonderful wife, a church to serve, and sunshine 365 days a year!" And
then he spent the day helping me set up a week-long outreach. What an argument for the reality
of Christ and the life-changing power of the gospel in a world which has forgotten to be thankful
(cf. Romans 1:21-note). (Ephesians: The Mystery of the Body of Christ (Preaching the Word -
Preaching the Word 1990.)
Wiersbe has some excellent advice writing that "When a Christian finds himself in a difficult
situation, he should immediately give thanks to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the
power of the Spirit, to keep his heart from complaining and fretting. The devil moves in when a
Christian starts to complain, but thanksgiving in the Spirit defeats the devil and glorifies the
Lord. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1Th
5:18-note). The word gratitude comes from the same root word as grace (charis). If we have
experienced the grace of God, then we ought to be grateful for what God brings to us. Thank
and think also come from the same root word. If we would think more, we would thank more
(Ed: "Amen!"). (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor) (Bolding added)
Faber writes that…
If we had to name any one thing which seems unaccountably to have fallen out of most
men's practical religion altogether, it would be the duty of thanksgiving. It is not easy to
exaggerate the common neglect of this duty. There is little enough of prayer; but there is
still less of thanksgiving… Alas! it is not hard to find the reason of this. Our own
interests drive us obviously to prayer; but it is love alone which leads to thanksgiving.
(Faber, All for Jesus, pp. 208, 209)
W. L. Watkinson writes that…

The Spirit of Thankfulness ought to be the temper of our whole life—'giving thanks
always for all things'. (1) God merits our thanks, if such an expression may be allowed.
Our very being is His wondrous gift. The things which gladden and go to the enrichment
and perfecting of life are His gifts. And as He is the supreme giver, so is He the source of
all our blessing. (2) God expects our thanks. We cannot believe that the living God is
indifferent to the Spirit in which His boons are accepted. Our nature teaches us better. He
whom we worship is not the great machinist, chemist, or artist—such a being might be
insensible to gratitude; but we give thanks 'to God, even the Father,' and it is impossible
to think that love and gratitude have no place in our relation to Him.
This spirit of thankfulness is possible only in the grace and power of Jesus Christ. The
name of Christ is that general and holy element, as it were, in which everything is to be
received, to be enjoined, to be done, and to be suffered. The Spirit of the natural man is
the spirit of criticism and depreciation. Dowered with treasures of light and darkness,
inheriting a large and wealthy place, the language of discontent is our native speech. Let
us see, then, how in the Christian life these infinite repinings are changed into praise.
(1) The truth and grace of Jesus Christ make thankfulness possible by convincing us
of our true position before God. Ingratitude, in the main, arises out of infinite and
inveterate conceit. Satisfied that we are worthy of the greatest of God's gifts, we really
appreciate none. Here the truth of the Gospel effects a fundamental change; it convinces
us that we are sinners, without merit and rights; and in doing this, gives a new standpoint
whence we view the whole field of life.
(2) Christ makes thankfulness possible through restoring in us the spiritual faculty
by which we discern the greatness and sweetness of all things. Genius shows itself and
its transcendence by discerning the grandeur, romance, and joy of all things great or
small. The Spirit of Christ creates in us a faculty of spiritual appreciation corresponding
to genius in the mental realm.
(3) Christ makes the habit of thankfulness possible by assuring us that the painful
things of life serve equally with the brightest. The 'all things' must not be limited to
agreeable things. 'Forget not all His benefits.' We cannot recall all the treasures of the
deep along whose shore we have travelled; but we can keep a few pearly shells which
retain the echoes of the vast music of the ocean of the eternal love (W. L. Watkinson,
Themes for Hours of Meditation)
Paul himself is an example of constant thanksgiving for all of his Epistles (except Galatians,
1Timothy, and Titus) open with thanksgiving. And how could the Philippians forget Paul's
example in the dungeon at Philippi when at
about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:25).
MacArthur explains that God’s promises support the reasonableness of saints always offering
thanksgiving to God regardless of the circumstances for He
has promised that no trial believers face will be too difficult for them to handle (1Cor
10:13). He has also promised to use everything that happens in believers’ lives for their
ultimate good (Ro 8:28)… People become worried, anxious, and fearful because they do
not trust in God’s wisdom, power, or goodness. They fear that God is not wise enough,
strong enough, or good enough to prevent disaster. It may be that this sinful doubt is

because their knowledge of Him is faulty, or that sin in their lives has crippled their faith.
Thankful prayer brings release from fear and worry, because it affirms God’s sovereign
control over every circumstance, and that His purpose is the believer’s good (cf Ge
50:20). (MacArthur, J. Philippians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Hiebert writes that…
The Christian should meet adverse circumstances of life not with a spirit of stoic
resignation but with a spirit of unfailing gratitude. Paul and Silas had exemplified this
spirit when imprisoned at Philippi (Acts 16:25). Such an attitude is made possible only by
the grace of God. It can become a vital reality only when the truth of Ro 8:28-note is
experienced. When we realize that God works all things out for good to those who love
Him and are yielded to His will, thanksgiving under all circumstances becomes a glorious
possibility "He who can say `Amen' to the will of God in his heart will be able to say
'Hallelujah' also."' It is typical of a life of unbelief that it lacks thanksgiving (Ro 1:21-
note), but a life united with God in Christ Jesus is characterized by a spirit of
thanksgiving (Hiebert, D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
Barnes commenting on 1Thes 5:18 notes that believers…
can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to
be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning. Chrysostom,
once the archbishop of Constantinople, and then driven into exile, persecuted, and
despised, died far away from all the splendours of the capital, and all the comforts and
honours which he had enjoyed, uttering his favourite motto -- glory to God for all things.
Bibliotheca Sacra, i. 700. So we may praise God for everything that happens to us under
His government. A man owes a debt of obligation to Him for anything which will recall
him from his wanderings, and which will prepare him for heaven. Are there any dealings
of God towards men which do not contemplate such an end? Is a man ever made to drink
the cup of affliction when no drop of mercy is intermingled? Is he ever visited with
calamity which does not in some way contemplate his own temporal or eternal good?
Could we see all, we should see that we are never placed in circumstances in which there
is not much for which we should thank God. And when, in his dealings, a cloud seems to
cover his face, let us remember the good things without number which we have received,
and especially remember that we are in the world of redeeming love, and we shall find
enough for which to be thankful.
For this is the will of God. That is, that you should be grateful. This is what God is
pleased to require you to perform in the name of the Lord Jesus. In the gift of that
Saviour he has laid the foundation for that claim, and he requires that you should not be
unmindful of the obligation. (cf note Hebrews 13:15). (Barnes' Notes)
J Vernon McGee commenting on 1Thes 5:18 writes that give thanks in everything means "in
all circumstances, not just once a year, but all the time. This "is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you." If you come to me and ask what is the will of God for you, I can tell you three
specific things that are the will of God for you: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give
thanks in everything. That is the will of God for you. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary:
Thomas Nelson)

Bible Background Commentary wrote that even the "Pagans who recognized that Fate or some
god was sovereign over everything acknowledged that one should accept whatever comes or
even give thanks for it. For Paul, those who trust God’s sovereignty and love can give thanks in
every situation." (Keener, Craig: The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament.
1994. IVP)
Merrill Unger wrote that thanksgiving is "A duty of which gratitude is the grace. This
obligation of godliness is acknowledged by the universal sentiment of mankind; but as a
Christian grace it has some blessed peculiarities. It is gratitude for all the benefits of divine
Providence, especially for the general and personal gifts of redemption. The very term most in
use shows this; it is charis, which is the grace of God in Christ, operating in the soul of the
believer as a principle and going back to Him in gratitude: “Thanks be to God for His
indescribable gift!” (2Co 9:15). The ethical gratitude of Christianity connects every good gift and
every perfect gift with the gift of Christ. Moreover, it is a thanksgiving that in the Christian
economy, and in it alone, redounds to God for all things: in everything give thanks. This
characteristic flows from the former. The rejoicing that we have in the Lord, and the everlasting
consolation we possess in Him, makes every possible variety of divine dispensation a token for
good. The Christian privilege is to find reason for gratitude in all things: “for this is God’s will
for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians. 5:18). (Unger, M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F.,
Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press)
In his book FOLK PSALMS OF FAITH, Ray Stedman tells of an experience H. A. Ironside had
in a crowded restaurant. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and
asked if he could join him. Ironside invited his to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside
bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a
headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don't." The other man asked, "Well, is there something
wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I
eat."
The man said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I
earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I
just start right in!"
Ironside said, "Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does too!" (Ray Stedman, Folk
Psalms of Faith)
In a sermon at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, Gary Wilburn said: "In 1636,
amid the darkness of the Thirty Years' War, a German pastor, Martin Rinkart, is said to have
buried five thousand of his parishioners in one year, and average of fifteen a day. His parish was
ravaged by war, death, and economic disaster. In the heart of that darkness, with the cries of fear
outside his window, he sat down and wrote this table grace for his children:
'Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices
Who wondrous things had done
In whom His world rejoices.

Who, from our mother's arms,
Hath led us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today
Here was a man who knew thanksgiving comes from love of God, not from outward
circumstances. (Don Maddox)
Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always
found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that
one church member thought to himself…
Certainly the preacher won't think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched
day like this.
Much to his surprise, however, Pastor Whyte began by praying…
We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this.
That's the habitual attitude of gratitude Paul says should characterize Spirit filled saints, beloved.
Gratitude is an attitude that like all spiritual disciplines, needs to be consciously developed and
deliberately cultivated in the dependence on the Holy Spirit (cp Ep 5:18-note) and the grace in
which we stand (Ro 5:2-note). There are some practical steps that can cultivate the gracious
attribute of gratitude. For example, you can make thanksgiving a priority in your prayer life (Col
4:2-note) rather than focusing only on petitions and requests. There may even be blessed times
when your prayer time consists of nothing but gratefulness to the Almighty. You can always
thank Him for the various wonderful aspects of your salvation (adoption & sovereign care,
forgiveness, inheritance, the gift of His Spirit, freedom from sin's power and Satan's authority,
etc) Have you had any prayer times like that recently?
And you can thank Him for the "smaller" blessings of life, those things we all to often take for
granted. You can ask Him to make you very sensitive to grumbling and mumbling complaints
which are the polar opposite of a thankful spirit. You can utilize spiritual songs (Eph 5:20) to
cultivate an attitude of thankfulness, allowing the words of a wonderful hymn to lift your eyes
and heart in a way that nothing else can. Thank people who bless you in even the smallest ways.
It will complete your enjoyment of the blessing, and it will increase your capacity to thank God.
Reflect on and serve those less fortunate than you. This will remind you of how gracious God
has been to you, how far He has brought you, and how much He has blessed you—which will in
turn motivate you to be grateful to God.
Spurgeon admits that in regard to giving thanks…
I have not always found it easy to practice this duty; this I confess to my shame. When
suffering extreme pain some time ago, a brother in Christ said to me, "Have you thanked
God for this?" I replied that I desired to be patient, and would be thankful to recover.
"But," said he, "in everything give thanks, not after it is over, but while you are still in it,
and perhaps when you are enabled to give thanks for the severe pain, it will cease." I
believe that there was much force in that good advice. (Ed note: I agree but would add
that even if the pain doesn't cease, one's heart assumes a proper perspective to pain).

As John Piper asks "How can we not be thankful when we owe everything to God?" (A
Godward Life)
Torrey's Topic
Thanksgiving
• Christ set an example of -Matthew 11:25; 26:27; John 6:11; 11:41
• The heavenly host engaged in -Revelation 4:9; 7:11,12; 11:16,17
• Commanded -Psalms 50:14; Philippians 4:6
• Is a good thing -Psalms 92:1
SHOULD BE OFFERED
• To God -Psalms 50:14
• To Christ -1 Timothy 1:12
• Through Christ -Romans 1:8; Colossians 3:17; Hebrews 13:15
• In the name of Christ -Ephesians 5:20
• In behalf of ministers -2Corinthians 1:11
• In private worship -Daniel 6:10
• In public worship -Psalms 35:18
• In everything -1 Thessalonians 5:18
• Upon the completion of great undertakings -Nehemiah 12:31,40
• Before taking food -John 6:11; Acts 27:35
• Always -Ephesians 1:16; 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:2
• At the remembrance of God’s holiness -Psalms 30:4; 97:12
• For the goodness and mercy of God -Psalms 106:1; 107:1; 136:1, 2, 3
• For the gift of Christ -2 Corinthians 9:15
• For Christ’s power and reign -Revelation 11:17
• For the reception and effectual working of the word of God In others -1 Thessalonians
2:13
• For deliverance through Christ from in-dwelling sin -Romans 7:23-25
• For victory over death and the grave -1 Corinthians 15:57
• For wisdom and might -Daniel 2:23
• For the triumph of the gospel -2 Corinthians 2:14
• For the conversion of others -Romans 6:17
• For faith exhibited by others -Romans 1:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3
• For love exhibited by others -2 Thessalonians 1:3
• For the grace bestowed on others -1 Corinthians 1:4; Philippians 1:3-5; Colossians 1:3-6

• For the zeal exhibited by others -2 Corinthians 8:16
• For the nearness of God’s presence -Psalms 75:1
• For appointment to the ministry -1 Timothy 1:12
• For willingness to offer our property for God’s service -1 Chronicles 29:6-14
• For the supply of our bodily wants -Romans 14:6,7; 1 Timothy 4:3,4
• For all men -1 Timothy 2:1
• For all things -2 Corinthians 9:11; Ephesians 5:20
• Should be accompanied by intercession for others -1 Timothy 2:1; 2 Timothy 1:3;
Philemon 1:4
• Should always accompany prayer -Nehemiah 11:17; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2
• Should always accompany praise -Psalms 92:1; Hebrews 13:15
• Expressed in psalms -1 Chronicles 16:7
• Ministers appointed to offer, in public -1 Chronicles 16:4,7; 23:30; 2 Chronicles 31:2
SAINTS
• Exhorted to -Psalms 105:1; Colossians 3:15
• Resolved to offer -Psalms 18:49; 30:12
• Habitually offer -Daniel 6:10
• Offer sacrifices of -Psalms 116:17
• Abound in the faith with -Colossians 2:7
• Magnify God by -Psalms 69:30
• Come before God with -Psalms 95:2
• Should enter God’s gate with -Psalms 100:4
• Of hypocrites, full of boasting -Luke 18:11
• The wicked averse to -Romans 1:21
Exemplified
• David -1 Chronicles 29:12
• Levites -2 Chronicles 5:12,13
• Daniel -Daniel 2:23
• Jonah -Jonah 2:9
• Simeon -Luke 2:28
• Anna -Luke 2:38
• Paul -Acts 28:15
IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO GOD, EVEN THE FATHER: en
onomati tou kuriou hemon Iesou Christou to theo kai patri:
• John 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:23-26; Col 3:17; Heb 13:15; 1 Pe 2:5; 4:11

• Ephesians 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
• Ephesians 5:18-21 - Wayne Barber
• Ephesians 5:18-21: Be Filled with the Spirit - 2 - Wayne Barber
• Ephesians 5:20 Always Giving Thanks for all Things - Steven Cole
• Ephesians 5:19 Spirit Filled Singing - Steven Cole
• Ephesians 5:20-21: Be Filled with the Spirit-4 - John MacArthur
• Ephesians 5:20-21: Be Filled with the Spirit-4 Study Guide (see dropdown menu) - John
MacArthur
• Ephesians 5:18-22: A Plan For Your Family God's vs the World's - Part 1 - John
MacArthur
• Ephesians 5:18-22, 25; 6:1-2 A Plan for Your Family: God's vs. the World's - Part 2 -
John MacArthur
As Moule explains that in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ means "resting on Him, (relying
on) Him as Mediator and Advocate." (Ephesian Studies: Expository Readings on the Epistle of
Saint Paul to the Ephesians) Based on the authority of the Name of Jesus and the privileged
introduction that Name provides, so that through Jesus (in the Name) we might come into the
very throne room of God (cf Ro 5:2 = "through Whom also we have obtained our introduction
by faith into this grace in which we stand.").
In Colossians Paul wrote
Whatever (AN ALL INCLUSIVE TERM) you do in word (TEACH, PREACH, PRAY,
SING, WORSHIP, ETC) or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
through Him to God the Father. (Col 3:17-note)
Name (3686) (onoma) the proper name of a person or object. In antiquity "the name" meant
much more than it does today. We use a name as little more than a distinguishing mark or label
to differentiate one person from other people. But in the world of the NT the name concisely
sums up all that a person is. One's whole character was implied in the name. We see this
principle especially in the OT Names of God, where each new name conveyed a new attribute or
characteristic of God. See Name of the LORD is a Strong Tower - Summary Chart
There is a Name, a wondrous Name,
Of infinite and endless fame,
Of God beloved, by saints revered,
By angels and archangels feared,
Ordained by God, 'ere the world began,
Revealed by angels unto man,
Proclaimed by men, believed, adored,
By hearts and prayer and praise outpoured.
The theme of prophets, priests, and kings,
The Word of which sweet psalmists sing,
By pilgrims blessed, by suff'ers sung,
The last word breathed by martyr's tongue,
The Name most precious and sublime,
Supreme in faith, supreme in time,

Jesus was why we thank god for everything

Jesus was why we thank god for everything

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