Do Not Quench the Spirit

It is a sobering exhortation—a caution to avoid spiritual suicide.

At the end of his first letter to the fledgling church at Thessalonica, Paul instructed the members to “quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, King James Version).

What did Paul mean by this stark directive? And how can Christians today make sure they “do not quench the Spirit”?

A turbulent beginning

It’s helpful to know something of the environment in which Paul had established the church at Thessalonica. This had a direct bearing on his motivation for issuing the warning not to “quench the Spirit.”

Paul had begun in Thessalonica, as he had in so many other places, by first teaching in the city’s synagogue (Acts 17:2). The reaction of the local Jews was mixed. “Some of them were persuaded” (verse 4), but many were not.

Those who were not persuaded began aggressively seeking to discredit the apostle and his companions. Their actions created a riot (verse 5).

The turmoil was so great, and the danger for Paul and Silas so evident, that the members—all newly converted—sent the two away by night. After all, these new members in Thessalonica knew that Paul and Silas had been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:19-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:2).

A hard place to grow in faith

The antagonism of these Thessalonian Jews was truly intense. Their hostility was directed not only toward Paul and Silas, but also toward the new members.

Even while Paul and Silas were still in the city, the mob of “evil men” (Acts 17:5) incited by the unpersuaded Jews “attacked the house of Jason.” It was in the shadow of this ongoing danger that members of the newly formed congregation began their Christian journey.

So Paul noted they had “received the word in much affliction” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Though absent from them, “the apostle was deeply concerned about the state of the recently founded church in Thessalonica” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 5, p. 722).

Praise and encouragement from Paul

We see Paul’s concern, as well as affection, in 1 Thessalonians. Paul wrote this epistle after Timothy had returned with “good news” of their “faith and love” (1 Thessalonians 3:6).

Christians who do not continue to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit, who do not remain committed to God’s way of life, may find that God withdraws this precious gift. In this letter, the apostle lavished praise and encouragement on the members. He wrote of their “work of faith” and “labor of love” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). He pointed out that they had become “examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia” (verse 7).

The apostle also commended members of the congregation for their openness to his preaching. These men and women had, in Paul’s words, “welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Paul’s tone in the first half of this epistle reflects his pastoral love and concern as well as his desire to build up and encourage the congregation in its struggles.

“Quench not the Spirit” in context

It is in 1 Thessalonians 4 that Paul moves from praise and encouragement to instruction and admonition. He reminded the congregation that they were being set apart (sanctified) by God to live holy lives (verses 3-7).

In the final chapter, Paul’s tone becomes even more solemn. He begins with a warning that “the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). He did not want anyone he had taught to become complacent and, as a result, to set aside commitment to God’s way of life.

It is in this context that Paul wrote a number of exhortations.

• He urged the Thessalonians to respect “those who labor among you” (verse 12), referring to the ministry.
• He encouraged them to “be at peace among yourselves” (verse 13).
• He also pressed them to “pray without ceasing” (verse 17) and to continue to regularly thank God for His blessings (verse 18).
• Paul then wrote his sobering warning not to “quench the Spirit” (verse 19).

Clearly, quenching the Spirit is associated with attitude and conduct.

The same warning in the parable of the 10 virgins

The Greek word translated “quench” in 1 Thessalonians also appears in the parable of the 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). There it is translated “going out.” In the parable, five foolish virgins discover that their “lamps are going out” (Matthew 25:8).

What makes this parable so significant for our understanding is that it is a warning about the Holy Spirit itself, which is represented by the oil. And that warning is given in the context of the return of Christ, represented by the Bridegroom.

Both of these elements are also present in 1 Thessalonians 5. So when Paul wrote about quenching the Spirit, it was in the same context as the parable of the 10 virgins.

This parable differs because the virgins are guilty of neglect rather than any deliberate act. In both cases, however, the result is the same. The “fire” of the Holy Spirit goes out.

The end of the parable is just as grave as Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians. The foolish virgins find themselves barred from the wedding, with the Bridegroom telling them, “I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12).

For more about this, see “Lessons From the Parable of the 10 Virgins.”

What Paul’s warning means for us

The discussion of the prophetic Day of the Lord remains significant for us today. Throughout Scripture, this time is portrayed as being filled with evil and danger. Paul himself describes this end-time period as “perilous times” (2 Timothy 3:1).

The dangers and troubles the young Thessalonian congregation had already experienced were just a forerunner to what Paul expected the whole Church to experience before the end. He knew that to remain faithful under such conditions would be difficult, and “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (verse 12).

There is always the temptation for persecuted Christians to compromise their commitment “to live godly in Christ.” But we, too, must strive to live pure and holy lives (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). We must not reject “God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit” (verse 8).

Rejecting God results in quenching His Spirit

It is this rejection of God that results in the quenching of His Spirit. Christians who do not continue to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit, who do not remain committed to God’s way of life, may find that God withdraws this precious gift.

This is a frightening possibility described in the book of Hebrews:

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

This idea may seem foreign to some readers. After all, one popular idea among professing Christians is that once they have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, their future is eternally secure. This passage from Hebrews, among others, shows that idea is not biblically accurate.

To learn more, read our article “Once Saved, Always Saved?”

What can a Christian do to avoid quenching the Spirit?

When everyone depended on fire for lighting, cooking and heating, people learned how to keep literal flames from going out. In a similar way, Christians need to follow Paul’s advice to Timothy to “stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

To learn more about stirring up God’s Spirit, read our blog post “The Meaning of 2 Timothy 1:6: Stir Up the Gift of God.”

This means Christians must align their lives with God’s will and purpose and with His laws and instructions. It means continually repenting of the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) and working to cultivate the “fruit of the Spirit” (verses 22-23; see our Journey “The Fruit of the Spirit”).

So, how can you avoid quenching the Spirit? Here are a few pointers:

• Be like the 3,000 individuals who “were cut to the heart” at Peter’s preaching and repented, were baptized and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37-41). Then follow the lead of God’s Holy Spirit within you. Learn more in our article “How Do You Know You Have the Holy Spirit?”
• Listen to and respect your Bible-believing teachers in the faith (1 Thessalonians 5:12), but at the same time, be sure to “test all things; hold fast what is good” (verse 21). You don’t want to follow a false teacher away from God, just as you don’t want to turn from faithful ministers who “watch out for your souls” (Hebrews 13:17).
• Take the Bible seriously! It is the Word of God, and God pays attention to the person “who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2).
• Stay close to God through prayer. As Paul exhorted the Thessalonians, “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• Continue to be engaged and committed to the mission God gave His Church—to preach the gospel to all nations (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). Those who have their hearts in this effort grow spiritually.
• Be mentally prepared to deal with obstacles to your faith. As noted above, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). If you are a Christian, there will be times when your faith is tested. Resolve in your mind now to remain committed to God’s way of life.