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Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday February 8, 2026

Jonah Series: Jonah 2:5-6-Jonah Reflects Back On His Drowning Experience And His Lord And God Delivering Him

Lesson # 24

In Jonah 2:5-6, Jonah reflects back on his drowning experience and his Lord and God delivering him.

Jonah 2:1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 3 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. 4 I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ 5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. 7 “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. 9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” 10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (NIV84)

Jonah 2:5 contains the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh descriptions of Jonah’s experience in drowning and echoes Psalm 18:4 and 69:1.

Psalm 18:4, “The waves of death engulfed me, the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.” (NET Bible)

Psalm 69:1, “Deliver me, O God, for the water has reached my neck.” (NET Bible)

“Engulfing” is the verb ʾā∙p̄ǎp̄ (אָפַף), which is used in a literal sense of the waves of the turbulent Mediterranean Sea “engulfing” Jonah.

“Threatened” is composed of the preposition ʿǎḏ (עַד) and the noun ně∙p̄ěš (נֶפֶשׁ), which means “neck” since the preposition refers to the turbulent waters of the Mediterranean Sea approaching a particular point on the body of Jonah.

This use of the noun appears in Psalm 69:2 (ET 69:1); 105:18 and this preposition is used in a spatial sense conveying distance to a point, approach to a point and the arrival at that point.

It indicates that the turbulent waves of this violent storm on the Mediterranean Sea went up to the neck of the disobedient prophet.

The picture is that of Jonah struggling desperately to keep his head above water to catch some air.  

So the statement “the engulfing waters threatened me” in the Hebrew means that “the waves encompass me up to the neck” and is the third description of Jonah’s drowning experience.

The first two appear in verse 2.

This statement describes the prophet as struggling against the swirling waters of the Mediterranean Sea with water up to his neck.

“Surrounded” is the verb sā∙ḇǎḇ (סָבַב), which speaks of Jonah being “enshrouded” by the raging ocean depths.

The statement “The deep surrounded me” in the Hebrew means “the raging ocean depths enshroud me” and is the fourth description of drowning and describes Jonah as submerged in the raging ocean depths.

“Seaweed” is the noun sûp̄ (סוּף), which grows at many depths thus it is not inappropriate or inaccurate to say that seaweed was bound around the head of Jonah as he was drowning.

“Was wrapped” is the verb ḥā∙ḇǎš (חָבַשׁ), which means “to bind” indicating that seaweed was “bound” around the head of Jonah as he was drowning.

The statement “seaweed was wrapped around my head” is the fifth description of Jonah drowning describing him as having seaweed wrapped around his head like a shroud and describes the rebellious prophet at this point as submerged in the Mediterranean Sea and loosing oxygen and at the brink of death.

“I sank down” is the verb yā∙rǎḏ (יָרַד), which refers to Jonah “descending” into the depths of the Mediterranean Sea and this is the third time that the verb has appeared in the book of Jonah (1:3, 5) and signifies the third and final stage of the disobedient prophet’s spiritual descent.

The statement “to the roots of the mountains I sank down” is Jonah’s sixth description of what it was like to drown and expresses the hopelessness he felt and the utter impossibility of his being delivered.

“The earth beneath barred me in forever” is figurative language of bars of a gate shutting Jonah out from the land of the living.

“Barred me in forever” describes that the gates of the earth, i.e. the land of the living were barred “behind” Jonah and denotes that from Jonah’s perspective at this point there was no possibility of him surviving.

Jonah is describing himself at this point as having no possibility of living again.

The statement “The earth beneath barred me in forever” is the seventh and final description of drowning and expresses the fact that at this point Jonah had no hope of surviving and considered himself as good as dead.

It echoes Jonah 2:2 and the expression “belly of Sheol,” which does not refer to any of the four compartments of Hades but rather that Jonah was near death or in a life threatening situation.

The adversative clause “but You brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God” means that the Lord caused Jonah’s life to be brought up out from death and  refers to the immanent and transcendent God delivering Jonah from drowning to death.

It is an expression of praise and is recognition of God’s sovereign power.

It speaks of the fact that God was gracious to him and compassionate even though he was deserving of death for his disobedience.

It speaks of the Lord as a God of deliverance.

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday February 8, 2026

Jonah Series: Jonah 2:4-Jonah Thought He Was Banished From The Lord’s Sight And That He Would Never Again See His Holy Temple

Lesson # 23

In Jonah 2:4, Jonah reveals that he thought he was banished from the Lord’s sight and that he would never again see the Lord’s holy temple.

Jonah 2:1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 3 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. 4 I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ 5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. 7 “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. 9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” 10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (NIV84)

“I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight’” presents the result of Jonah’s statements in verse 3.

The emphatic statement “You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me” affirms the events and circumstances that led to Jonah crying out to the Lord in prayer to deliver him from death.

This statement is an acknowledgement on the part of Jonah that Yahweh was responsible for his being thrown into the sea.

The phrase “the currents swirled about me” presents result of the Lord causing the crew to cast Jonah into the sea and begins to describe Jonah’s experience of drowning.

“All your waves and breakers swept over me” describes in further detail Jonah’s experience in drowning.

“I have been banished” is the verb gā∙rǎš (גָּרַשׁ), which means “to expel” or “drive out” and implies that Jonah concluded while drowning that by dying he was losing the opportunity and privilege to worship in the presence of the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem because of his disobedience.

This word and the prepositional phrase to follow “from Your sight” do not mean that Jonah concluded he lost his eternal relationship with the Lord because of his disobedience.

Nor, do they indicate that he lost fellowship since Jonah already knows he is out of fellowship because of his disobedience and the discipline he has received.

Rather, they denote that he would no longer be able to worship in the Lord’s presence in the temple in Jerusalem.

Physical death would deprive him of the opportunity and privilege of worshipping the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem.

The Lord’s presence was found in the temple in Jerusalem.

The Israelites would worship the Lord in this temple in Jerusalem.

They considered themselves to be in the Lord’s presence while doing so.

If Jonah died, he could no longer go to this temple and considered that his physical death would drive him out from the Lord’s presence.

“From Your sight” denotes that Jonah is expelled by the Lord from His presence in the temple in Jerusalem.

So this statement “I have been banished from Your sight” expresses Jonah’s conclusion as a result of drowning that his death would prevent him from worshipping the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem.

“Yet I will look again” is composed of the adverb ʾǎḵ (אֵיךְ), “yet” and the verb yā∙sǎp̄ (יָסַף), “I will again” and the and the preposition le (לְ) and the verb nā∙ḇǎṭ (נָבַט), “look.”

The alternate vocalization אֵיךְ (’ekh), “how” is the original and not ʾǎḵ (אֵיךְ), “yet” indicating that Jonah is asking a rhetorical question that expresses denial.

Though the external evidence favors the MT; the internal evidence seems to favor the alternate vocalization tradition reflected in Theodotion for several reasons.

The translation with the alternate vocalization would be translated, ‘How shall I again look at your holy temple?’ (cf. NRSV).

Jonah laments that he will not be able to worship at the temple in Jerusalem again, which is a metonymical statement (effect for cause) meaning that he feels certain that he is about to die.

It continues the expression of Jonah’s distress and separation from the Lord, begun in verse 2 and continued without relief in verses 3–7a.

The external evidence favors the MT; however, internal evidence seems to favor the alternate vocalization tradition reflected in Theodotion for four reasons:

First, the form of the psalm is a declarative praise in which Jonah begins with a summary praise (verse 2), continues by recounting his past plight

(vv. 3–6a) and the Lord’s intervention (vv. 6b–7), and concludes with a lesson (v. 8) and vow to praise (v. 9).

So the statement with אֵךְ in v. 4 falls within the plight – not within a declaration of confidence.

Second, while the poetic parallelism of verse 4 could be antithetical (‘I have been banished from your sight, yet I will again look to your holy temple’), synonymous parallelism fits the context of the lament better (‘I have been banished from your sight; Will I ever again see your holy temple?’).

Third, אֵךְ is the more difficult vocalization because it is a defectively written form of אֵיךְ (‘how?’) and therefore easily confused with אַךְ (‘surely’ or ‘yet, nevertheless’).

Fourth, nothing in the first half of the psalm reflects any inkling of confidence on the part of Jonah that he would be delivered from imminent death.

In fact, Jonah states in verse 7 that he did not turn to God in prayer until sometime later when he was on the very brink of death.

Therefore, the alternate vocalization אֵיךְ (’ekh), “how” is the original and introduces a rhetorical question that expresses denial expressing Jonah’s despair that he would never see the Lord’s temple again.

So Jonah is asserting that he will no longer continue to worship the Lord in His holy temple rather than asserting his surety that he will be delivered or that he will pray in the face of this great adversity.

The verb yā∙sǎp̄ (יָסַף) means “to continue” when used with the preposition le (לְ) and the infinitive as we have here referring to the repetition of an action and refers to Jonah “continuing” to look towards the temple in Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

The verb nā∙ḇǎṭ (נָבַט) means “to look in a specific direction” and is used of Jonah looking in the direction of the temple in Jerusalem in order to worship the Lord.

“Toward Your holy temple” describes Solomon’s temple as set apart exclusively for the worship of Yahweh or in other words dedicated solely for the use of worshipping Yahweh.

So the rhetorical question “How will I continue to look towards Your holy temple?” expresses Jonah’s despair that he will never again worship the Lord in Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem and he is in effect saying that he will never again see the temple of Solomon.

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Saturday February 7, 2026

www.wenstrom.org

Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:5-The Warning in Ephesians 5:5 Presents the Reason for the Prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-4

Lesson # 318

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of conducting your lives by imitating the one and only God because each and every one without exception are beloved children. 2 Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit. Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind, or greed must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you because this conduct is appropriate behavior for saints. 4 Correspondingly, not only obscene language but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you. These are absolutely never appropriate. But instead, the practice of thanksgiving is in fact appropriate. 5 For this each and every one of you as a corporate unit possess the conviction because all of you without exception know experientially, namely that, each and every sexually immoral individual or sexually impure individual or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God. (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 5:5 is composed of the following:

(1) causal declarative statement: touto gar iste (τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε), “For this each and every one of you as a corporate unit possess the conviction.” (Lecturer’s translation)

(2) causal participle clause: ginōskontes (γινώσκοντες), “because all of you without exception know experientially” (Lecturer’s translation)

(3) Direct object clause: hoti pas pornos ē akathartos ē pleonektēs…ouk echei klēronomian en tē basileia ou Christou kai theou (ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος ἢ ἀκάθαρτος ἢ πλεονέκτης…οὐκ ἔχει κληρονομίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ οῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ), “namely that, each and every sexually immoral individual or sexually impure individual or greedy individual… absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God” (Lecturer’s translation)

(4) parenthetical relative pronoun clause: ho estin eidōlolatrēs (ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης), “who are characterized as idolaters” (Lecturer’s translation)

So therefore, this verse begins with a declarative statement, which asserts that the recipients of this epistle possessed a conviction, which is identified by a direct object clause, which follows it, and asserts that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.

The relative pronoun clause embedded in this direct object clause describes these sexually immoral, impure and greedy people as idolaters.

Therefore, the declarative statement asserts that the recipients of this letter possessed the conviction that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.

This declarative statement presents the reason for the prohibitions issued by Paul in Ephesians 5:3-5.

This declarative statement in verse 5 is modified by a participial clause, which asserts that the recipients of this letter knew experientially that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely never possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.

This participle clause presents the reason for the declarative statement.

Therefore, this indicates that the recipients of this epistle possessed the conviction that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely never possesses an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God because they knew this doctrine experientially.

So therefore, as we noted, the declarative statement, which begins verse 5 presents the reason for the prohibitions issued in Ephesians 5:3-5.

Therefore, by way of review, we noted that in verse 3, the apostle Paul issues the recipients of this epistle who were members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia a prohibition, which stands in contrasts to the command in Ephesians 5:2, which explains in greater detail the command in Ephesians 5:1.

This prohibition required that sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind, or greed must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any of them.

Paul modifies this prohibition with a causal clause, which presents the reason for this prohibition and asserts that this type of conduct is inappropriate conduct for saints.

So as we noted the prohibition in Ephesians 5:3 stands in contrast with the previous command in Ephesians 5:2, which explains in greater detail the command in Ephesians 5:1.

We noted in our study of Ephesians 5:1 that Paul issues a command to the recipients of this epistle, which required that they continue to make it their habit of conducting their lives by imitating the one and only God.

This command is modified by a causal clause, which asserts that they are the Father’s beloved children and this command presents an inference from the contents of Ephesians 4:25-32.

Therefore, this indicates that the command in Ephesians 5:1 presents the logical conclusion which can be derived from the various commands and prohibitions presented by Paul in Ephesians 4:25-32.

Therefore, the command in Ephesians 5:1 to be imitators of God the Father because the believer is His beloved child is the logical conclusion which can be derived from the various commands and prohibitions presented in Ephesians 4:25-32.

This interpretation is indicated by the fact that these commands and prohibitions are all different ways or manifestations of obeying the Lord’s Spirit inspired command in John 13:34 and 15:12.

They are manifestations of obedience to this command because obedience to these commands and prohibitions reflect God’s holy character and are also manifestations of doing right by one’s fellow believer and treating one’s fellow believer the way one would want to be treated.

Then, as we noted in our study of Ephesians 5:2, Paul issues the members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia a command, which explains in greater detail the meaning of the command in Ephesians 5:1.

It required that they must continue to make it their habit of living their lives by means of the practice of divine-love.

He then emphatically presents the reason for this command, which asserts that the one and only Christ divinely-love them.

Paul then goes on to explain this statement by asserting that Christ gave Himself up as a substitute for them. He describes Christ’s self-sacrificial act of love for them as a voluntary offering and specifically a sacrifice for the benefit of His Father for a fragrant aroma.

So therefore, the command in Ephesians 5:2 indicates that when Paul commands the recipients of this letter to continue to make it their habit of conducting their lives by imitating God the Father’s love them, he means that they are to continue to make it their habit of living their lives by practicing the love of the Father.

Now in Ephesians 5:3, Paul issues the recipients of this letter a prohibition which required that sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind or greed must never be mentioned as being practiced amongst themselves.

Therefore, it marks a contrast between the Christian community living their lives by practicing the love of the Father and that of practicing sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, sexual impurity of any kind nor greed.

If they obey the Lord Jesus Christ’s Spirit inspired command in John 13:34 and 15:12 to love one another as He has loved them at the cross, then they would not practice these sins.

This contrast could also be characterized as being between self-indulgent behavior and self-sacrificial conduct or even not denying self and denying self.

Ephesians 5:4 begins with an elliptical prohibition, which corresponds with the prohibition, which appears in Ephesians 5:3.

It required that not only obscene language, but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced by the recipients of this epistle.

This prohibition is modified by a relative pronoun clause, which describes these sins of the tongue as never being appropriate for them to practice.

It is followed by an elliptical strong adversative clause, which presents an emphatic contrast with practicing these sins of the tongue.

It asserts that the practice of giving thanks to God is appropriate for them to be practicing with each other and with those outside the Christian community.

Now, in verse 5, Paul makes the assertion that the recipients of this letter know for certain or possess the conviction that each and every sexually immoral or sexually impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ who is God.

As we noted, this assertion presents the reason for the two prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-4.

Therefore, this would indicate that the recipients of this letter must continue to make it their habit of obeying these prohibitions because they possess the conviction that each and every sexually immoral or sexually impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ who is God.

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Thursday February 5, 2026

www.wenstrom.org

Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:4b-The Giving of Thanks to God is Appropriate Use of Speech Rather Than the Sins of the Tongue

Lesson # 317

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of conducting your lives by imitating the one and only God because each and every one without exception are beloved children. 2 Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit. Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind, or greed must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you because this conduct is appropriate behavior for saints. 4 Correspondingly, not only obscene language but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you. These are absolutely never appropriate. But instead, the practice of thanksgiving is in fact appropriate. (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 5:4 is composed of the following:

(1) elliptical prohibition: kai aischrotēs kai mōrologia ē eutrapelia (καὶ αἰσχρότης καὶ μωρολογία ἢ εὐτραπελία), “Correspondingly, not only obscene language but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you. (Lecturer’s translation)

(2) relative pronoun clause: ha ouk anēken (ἃ οὐκ ἀνῆκεν), “These are absolutely never appropriate. (Lecturer’s translation)

(3) elliptical strong adversative clause: alla mallon eucharistia (ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία), “But instead the practice of thanksgiving is in fact appropriate.” (Lecturer’s translation)

The relative pronoun clause that modifies this elliptical prohibition in Ephesians 5:4 contains the verb anēkō (ἀνήκω), which pertains to the act of performing an appropriate obligation and is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb emphatic negative adverb ou (οὐ).

It therefore emphatically negates the idea of members of the Christian community employing obscene use of language, stupid conversation or talk and crude or vulgar joking when speaking with each other or with those outside the Christian community.

So therefore, the relative pronoun clause in Ephesians 5:4 is asserting that it is absolutely never appropriate for a member of the Christian community to engage in obscene use of language and stupid, silly conversations or crude joking when interacting with each other or with those outside their community.

It is totally inappropriate behavior for members of the Christian community to engage in because they are those who are set apart to serve God exclusively and to reflect His holy character and nature in their lives.

We noted in Ephesians 5:3 that the adjective hagios (ἅγιος), “saints” describes all the members of the body of Christ who have been set apart through the baptism of the Spirit at the moment of justification in order to order serve God exclusively.

The baptism of the Spirit resulted in the church age believer being united with and identified with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.

Now, in Ephesians 5:4, like the prohibition, which preceded it, the strong adversative clause is also elliptical and presents an emphatic contrast between members of the Christian community engaging in obscene speech, foolish talk and coarse jesting when interacting with each other or with those outside the Christian community and giving thanks to God.

The comparative adverb mallon (μᾶλλον) functions as a marker of alternative, which means that it presents giving thanks to God as an alternative to members of the Christian community engaging in obscene speech, foolish talk and coarse jesting when interacting with each other or with those outside the Christian community and is marking the former as the preferred choice.

The noun eucharistia (εὐχαριστία) pertains to expressing gratitude for benefits or blessings.

The word also contains the figure of metonymy, which means that thanksgiving is put for the practice of it.

Now, as was the case with Ephesians 1:16, Ephesians 5:4 also mentions one of the essential elements of a productive prayer life for the church age believer, namely, thanksgiving (Matt 15:36; 26:27; Mark 8:6; 14:23; Luke 22:17-19; John 6:11; 23; 11:41; Acts 27:35; 28:15; Rom. 1:8; 7:25; 1 Cor. 1:4; 11:24; Eph. 5:20; Col. 1:12; 3:17; Phlp. 1:3-4; 4:6; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13).

We should never forget to thank God in prayer.

Our gratitude demonstrates our respect and appreciation for God’s grace policy, which blesses us without us ever earning or deserving blessings.

Colossians 3:15 Consequently, the peace produced by the teaching of the one and only Christ must continue to habitually rule within your hearts. For which purpose, each and every one of you were effectually called into union with one body. Therefore, each and every one of you must continue to make it your habit of being characterized by thankfulness. (Lecturer’s translation)

Colossians 4:2 Each of you must continue to make it your habit of being dedicated to persevering in prayer while at the same time continuing to exist in a state of being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. (Lecturer’s translation)

Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. (NASB95)

Also, the believer should always give thanks to the Father for His gift of salvation, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man Savior.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (NASB95)  

Psalm 50:23 teaches that the believer who offers thanksgiving to God the Father in prayer honors Him.

Psalm 50:23 He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God. (NASB95)

We are to give thanks with other believers in our congregation.

This too glorifies God, if done with the proper motivation, which is to worship God in prayer, not to make ourselves look holy.

Psalm 35:18 I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng. (NASB95)

The humanity of Christ employed thanksgiving to God in prayer when performing miracles (Mat 14:19; 15:36; Mark 6:41; 8:6; Luke 9:16; John 6:11).

One particular account was when Christ resuscitated Lazarus.

The Lord Jesus Christ, in His humanity, showed immense gratitude towards His Father for hearing His prayer.

John 11:41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” (NASB95)

The Lord Jesus Christ also offered a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father when instituting the Lord’s Supper for the Church (Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17, 19; 1 Co 11:23-26).

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, the apostle Paul issues the Thessalonian Christian community who like the recipients of the Ephesian epistle, were Gentiles and which command required that they continue to make it their habit of giving thanks to the Father in each and every circumstance in life.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Each and every one of you must continue to make it your habit of giving thanks in each and every circumstance because this is God’s will for each and every one of you because of your union and identification with the Christ who is Jesus. (Lecturer’s translation)