New Testament
1 Thessalonians 4
Overview
The letter pivots from autobiography to exhortation. Paul urges them to excel "more and more" in the God-pleasing walk they have already begun (4:1), then gives concrete content: "this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality" (4:3), each one controlling his own body in holiness rather than "the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God" (4:5), for God is an avenger of such wrongs and has called His people to holiness through the gift of His Holy Spirit (4:7-8). He commends their brotherly love yet calls them to abound still more, and adds a striking exhortation to "aspire to live quietly," mind their own affairs, and work with their hands so as to walk properly toward outsiders and depend on no one (4:11-12). The chapter then reaches its famous climax: Paul comforts those grieving over believers who have died, teaching that since Jesus died and rose, God will bring the dead in Christ with Him. At the Lord's descent with a cry of command and the trumpet of God, "the dead in Christ will rise first," then living believers will be "caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air," so that "we will always be with the Lord" (4:16-17). He closes: "therefore encourage one another with these words" (4:18).
1Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
9But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
10And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
11And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
12That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.