5:18a
Give thanks in every circumstance: Paul instructed the Thessalonians that whether good things or bad things should happen to them, they should still thank God. He did not say what they should thank God for, and you should not try to explain this in your translation.
in every circumstance: The emphasis in this command is on the Greek phrase en panti, literally “in every thing.” See the note on 5:15b above. You should emphasize this in your translation in the way that is natural in your language.
5:18b
for: Paul now gives the grounds for the previous three commands: Since it is God’s will that they should do so, the Thessalonians should be joyful, pray, and give thanks.
this: The majority of commentators say that this refers to the previous three commands: 5:16, 5:17, and 5:18a.
in Christ Jesus: It is not clear which part of the verse this phrase is connected to. There are two possibilities:
(1) It is connected to “God’s will.” Most commentators support this interpretation, but they do not agree on what it means here. One possibility is that what Christ taught and how he behaved shows Christians that they should obey all the commands in 5:16–18a.
(2) It is connected to “you” and therefore means that these things are what God wants them, people who belong to Christ Jesus, to do.
(Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
It is most likely that the first option is grammatically correct, but it is still not easy to decide what the meaning is. If possible, you should avoid being too specific in your translation. However, if it is necessary to make information explicit here, you could translate 5:18b as follows:
because all these things are what God has shown you (plur) that he wants you to do through the way Christ Jesus behaved when he was on earth.
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