1 Thessalonians 4
1 Thessalonians 4 can be divided broadly into two parts. First, verses 1 through 12 are exhortations about a holy life as believers. Then, verses 13 through 18 deal with teaching about the resurrection of the dead and the Lord’s return (the Second Coming). The Apostle Paul urges believers to experience real change in daily life, while also conveying messages of hope and comfort.
1verseFinally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.
2verseFor you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3verseFor this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,
4versethat each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,
5versenot in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God,
6versethat no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.
7verseFor God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.
8verseTherefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
9verseBut concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
10versefor indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;
11verseand that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you,
12versethat you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
13verseBut we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
14verseFor if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15verseFor this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.
16verseFor the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,
17versethen we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.
18verseTherefore comfort one another with these words.
Exhortations About a Holy Life (4:1-12)
- A request that emphasizes growth: Paul encourages the believers to pursue holiness even more diligently, even though the Thessalonian church is already living according to God’s will.
- Practicing purity and love: In particular, he stresses keeping sexual purity and practicing brotherly love. He advises them to adopt an attitude of life that is distinct from the culture of the Greco-Roman society of that time.
- A quiet and honest life: He exhorts them not to interfere excessively in other people’s matters, to work diligently at their own responsibilities, and to become an example to outsiders by living faithfully and sincerely.
The Lord’s Return and the Hope of the Dead (4:13-18)
- The foundation of hope: Paul distinguishes the grief over the dead from those who have no hope. He reminds believers that those who trust in Jesus Christ have hope of resurrection.
- Explanation of the Second Coming: When the Lord comes, those who have already died will rise first, and then those who are still alive will be together with the Lord forever afterward.
- Words of comfort: Through these promises of the Second Coming, he urges the saints to comfort and strengthen one another and to give one another courage.
Meditation Points
- How am I putting more holiness and honesty into practice in my everyday life?
- Is the hope alive within me bringing comfort and encouragement to the people around me?
Apply It to Me
- Today, take time to check specifically which parts of my life please God and which parts I need to grow in further.
- As you look toward the Lord who will come, make a commitment to keep hope and faithfulness in your daily choices and actions.
