1 Thessalonians 4
4
1A few more things: Brothers and sisters, we plead with you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to behave in ways that please God, just as we instructed you. Of course you're already doing this, just do it more and more! 2You remember the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus. 3What God wants is for you to live holy lives. So stay away from sexual immorality 4in order that each of you may control yourselves#4:4. This could also be translated as “know how to take a wife.” in a way that is holy and respectful, 5not indulging passionate lust like the heathen#4:5. “Heathen,” meaning “Gentiles,” or “other nations.” who have no knowledge of God. 6Don't cheat or take advantage of another Christian in these matters, for the Lord is the one who executes justice in all such things, as we've already clearly explained to you, and warned you about. 7For God did not call us to live impure lives, but holy lives. 8So anyone who rejects this position isn't just rejecting what a human being is saying; they are rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9We certainly don't need to write and tell you to love fellow-believers, because God teaches you to love one another— 10and in fact you are demonstrating this love to all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so we want to encourage you, brothers and sisters, to love more and more. 11Try to live a quiet life, minding your own business, doing your own work, as we've already explained to you, 12so that your way of life may be respected by non-Christians and you won't have to rely on anyone to provide what you need.
13We don't want you to be confused about what happens when people die,#4:13. Literally, “fall asleep.” brothers and sisters, so that you won't grieve like others who don't have any hope. 14Since we're convinced that Jesus died and rose again, we're also sure that God will bring#4:14. “Bring… those,” obviously those who are resurrected from the earth, from the context of the two following verses. with Jesus those who have died trusting in him. 15What we're telling you comes from the Lord: Those of us who are alive and still here when the Lord comes certainly won't precede those who have died. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the cry of the archangel, and with the sound of God's trumpet, and those who have died in Christ will rise first. 17Then those of us who are alive and still here will be carried up together with them into the clouds, and we shall meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever! 18So encourage one another with these words.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
1 Thessalonians 4
4
Sanctification and Love
1Finally, believers, we ask and admonish you in the Lord Jesus, that you follow the instruction that you received from us about how you ought to walk and please God (just as you are actually doing) and that you excel even more and more [pursuing a life of purpose and living in a way that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation]. 2For you know what commandments and precepts we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, that you be sanctified [separated and set apart from sin]: that you abstain and back away from sexual immorality; 4that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor [being available for God’s purpose and separated from things profane], 5not [to be used] in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God and are ignorant of His will; 6and that [in this matter of sexual misconduct] no man shall transgress and defraud his brother because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we have told you before and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness [to be dedicated, and set apart by behavior that pleases Him, whether in public or in private]. 8So whoever rejects and disregards this is not [merely] rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you [to dwell in you and empower you to overcome temptation].
9Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write you, for you have been [personally] taught by God to love one another [that is, to have an unselfish concern for others and to do things for their benefit]. [Lev 19:18; John 13:34] 10For indeed you already do practice it toward all the #4:10 Lit brethren.believers throughout Macedonia [by actively displaying your love and concern for them]. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, that you excel [in this matter] more and more, 11and to make it your ambition to live quietly and peacefully, and to mind your own affairs and work with your hands, just as we directed you, 12so that you will behave properly toward outsiders [exhibiting good character, personal integrity, and moral courage worthy of the respect of the outside world], and be dependent on no one and in need of nothing [be self-supporting].
Those Who Died in Christ
13Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life]. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again [as in fact He did], even so God [in this same way—by raising them from the dead] will bring with Him those [believers] who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For we say this to you by the Lord’s [own] word, that we who are still alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede [into His presence] those [believers] who have fallen asleep [in death]. 16For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the #4:16 Only Michael is identified as an archangel (Dan 10:13; Jude 9).archangel and with the [blast of the] trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain [on the earth] will simultaneously be caught up (raptured) together with them [the resurrected ones] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord! [John 14:3; 1 Cor 15:52; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; Col 3:4] 18Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words [concerning our reunion with believers who have died].
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