The Call to Sanctification

4 Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing^[a]—do so even more. ² For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is God’s will,^(A) your sanctification:^(B) that you abstain^(C) from sexual immorality, ⁴ so that each of you knows how to control his own body^[b] in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not with lustful desires,^(D) like the Gentiles who don’t know God. ⁶ This means one must not transgress against and defraud^(E) his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses,^[c] as we also previously told and warned you. ⁷ For God has not called us to impurity^(F) but to sanctification. ⁸ Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.^(G)

Loving and Working

⁹ About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God^(H) to love one another.^{(I) 10} In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia.^(J) But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, ¹¹ to seek to lead a quiet life,^(K) to mind your own business,^[d] and to work^(L) with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² so that you may walk properly^[e](M) in the presence of outsiders^[f] and not be dependent on anyone.^[g](N)

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.^{(O) 14} Since we believe that Jesus died and rose^(P) again,^(Q) in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through^[h] Jesus.^{(R) 15} For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord:^[i](S) We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming^(T) will certainly have no advantage over^[j] those who have fallen asleep.^{(U) 16} For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,^[k](V) with the archangel’s^(W) voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ^(X) will rise first. ¹⁷ Then^(Y) we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(Z) to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage^[l] one another with these words.