1 Thessalonians 4

Live to Please God

1Finally, dear brothers and sisters,#4:1 Greek brothers; also in 4:10, 13. we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4Then each of you will control his own body#4:4 Or will know how to take a wife for himself; or will learn to live with his own wife; Greek reads will know how to possess his own vessel. and live in holiness and honor— 5not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife,#4:6 Greek Never harm or cheat a brother in this matter. for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other,#4:9 Greek about brotherly love. for God himself has taught you to love one another. 10Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers#4:10 Greek the brothers. throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

11Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

The Hope of the Resurrection

13And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died#4:13 Greek those who have fallen asleep; also in 4:14. so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

15We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.#4:15 Greek those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died#4:16 Greek the dead in Christ. will rise from their graves. 17Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18So encourage each other with these words.

Currently Selected:

1 Thessalonians 4: NLT

Highlight

Copy

Compare

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

For more information about the NLT:

Learn More About New Living Translation

I Thessalonians 4

Plea for Purity

1Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus #1 Cor. 15:58that you should abound more and more, #Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3For this is #(Rom. 12:2)the will of God, #Eph. 5:27your sanctification: #(1 Cor. 6:15–20; Col. 3:5)that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4#Rom. 6:19that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5#Col. 3:5not in passion of lust, #Eph. 4:17, 18like the Gentiles #1 Cor. 15:34who do not know God; 6that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord #2 Thess. 1:8is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7For God did not call us to uncleanness, #Lev. 11:44; (Heb. 12:14); 1 Pet. 1:14–16but in holiness. 8#Luke 10:16Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, #1 Cor. 2:10who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

9But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for #(Jer. 31:33, 34); John 6:45; 15:12, 17; (1 John 2:27)you yourselves are taught by God #Matt. 22:39to love one another; 10and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, #1 Thess. 3:12that you increase more and more; 11that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, #2 Thess. 3:11; 1 Pet. 4:15to mind your own business, and #Acts 20:35to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12#Rom. 13:13; Col. 4:5; (1 Pet. 2:12)that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow #Lev. 19:28as others #(Eph. 2:12)who have no hope. 14For #1 Cor. 15:13if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him #1 Cor. 15:20, 23those who sleep in Jesus.

15For this we say to you #1 Kin. 13:17; 20:35; 2 Cor. 12:1; Gal. 1:12by the word of the Lord, that #1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 5:10we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16For #(Matt. 24:30, 31)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with #(1 Cor. 15:52)the trumpet of God. #(1 Cor. 15:23); 2 Thess. 2:1; Rev. 14:13; 20:6And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17#(1 Cor. 15:51–53); 1 Thess. 5:10Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them #Dan. 7:13; Acts 1:9; Rev. 11:12in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus #John 14:3; 17:24we shall always be with the Lord. 18#1 Thess. 5:11Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Currently Selected:

Highlight

Copy

Compare

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

Learn More About New King James Version