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1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4 provides instructions on how to live in a way that pleases God, emphasizing sanctification, love among brethren, and hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul urges the Thessalonian believers to live holy lives, to love each other more fervently, and to remain hopeful and steadfast in the belief of Christ’s return, which he discusses in more detail toward the end of the chapter.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
8 Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;

Paul begins by reminding the Thessalonians of the teachings they received on how to live a life pleasing to God, emphasizing sanctification and abstaining from sexual immorality. He stresses the importance of treating each other with dignity and respect, indicating that such behavior reflects their commitment to God’s standards, not merely human rules. Furthermore, Paul highlights that their practice of brotherly love is well-known but encourages them to continue growing in this virtue.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NKJV)
11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Paul encourages believers to live quietly, mind their own business, and work with their hands, as previously instructed. This counsel promotes a lifestyle of humility, diligence, and self-reliance, reflecting a Christlike character that earns the respect of outsiders and demonstrates the practical application of faith. By living in this manner, believers avoid dependence on others, maintain a good witness to the world, and contribute to the harmony and effectiveness of the church community. This passage underscores the importance of a disciplined, peaceful, and purposeful life as a testimony to God’s transformative power.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Paul comforts believers grieving the loss of loved ones by affirming the hope of resurrection at Christ's return. He assures them that those who have died in Christ will be raised first when the Lord descends with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. Paul uses the word "we" to refer to those alive at Christ’s coming, not necessarily implying that he and his contemporaries would still be alive, but emphasizing the shared hope of all believers across generations. This language unites the church in expectancy, focusing on the certainty of Christ’s return rather than its timing. After the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the living will join them to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever. This passage highlights the assurance of Christ’s second coming, victory over death, and eternal reunion, urging believers to live in readiness and encourage one another. It also underscores a key biblical principle: prophetic messages are divinely inspired, but their fulfillment unfolds in God’s timing, often beyond the full understanding of the messenger.

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