上帝喜悦的生活

最后,弟兄姊妹,既然你们领受了我们的教导,知道怎样行才能讨上帝的喜悦,如你们现在所行的,我们靠着主耶稣恳求、劝勉你们要更加努力。 你们都知道我们靠着主耶稣传给你们的诫命。 上帝的旨意是要你们圣洁,远避淫乱的事, 要你们人人都知道持守身体的圣洁和尊贵, 不可荒淫纵欲,像那些不认识上帝的外族人一样。 你们在这种事上不可越轨,亏负弟兄姊妹。我们曾经对你们说过,并且郑重地警告过你们,主必惩治犯这种罪的人。 因为上帝呼召我们不是要我们沾染污秽,而是要我们圣洁。 所以,人若拒绝遵行这命令,他不是拒绝人,而是拒绝赐圣灵给你们的上帝。

关于弟兄姊妹彼此相爱的事,我就不必多写了,因为你们自己从上帝那里领受了要彼此相爱的教导。 10 你们对马其顿全境的弟兄姊妹已经做到了这一点。不过,我劝各位要再接再厉。 11 你们要立志过安分守己的生活,亲手做工,正如我们以前吩咐你们的。 12 这样,你们可以得到外人的尊敬,不必依赖任何人。

复活的盼望

13 弟兄姊妹,关于安息的信徒[a],我不愿意你们一无所知,免得你们像那些没有盼望的人一样悲伤。 14 我们既然相信耶稣死了,又复活了,也要相信上帝必把那些安息的信徒和耶稣一同带来。

15 我们把主耶稣的话告诉你们:主再来的那天,我们还活着的人不会比已安息的信徒先见到主。 16 因为主必在号令声、天使长的呼喊声和上帝的号角声中亲自从天降临,已经离世的基督徒必先复活。 17 然后,我们还活着的人要和他们一起被提到云里,在空中与主相会,永远和主在一起。 18 所以你们要用这些话彼此鼓励。

Footnotes

  1. 4:13 安息的信徒”希腊文是“睡了的人”,圣经常用“睡了”作为“死了”的委婉说法,参见约翰福音十一章11—14节。

For the rest, then, brethren, we beg you and exhort you in [the] Lord Jesus, even as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and please God, even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more.

For ye know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is [the] will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication;

that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour,

(not in passionate desire, even as the nations who know not God,)

not overstepping the rights of and wronging his brother in the matter, because the Lord [is] the avenger of all these things, even as we also told you before, and have fully testified.

For God has not called us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.

He therefore that [in this] disregards [his brother], disregards, not man, but God, who has given also his Holy Spirit to you.

Now concerning brotherly love ye have no need that we should write to you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 For also ye do this towards all the brethren in the whole of Macedonia; but we exhort you, brethren, to abound still more,

11 and to seek earnestly to be quiet and mind your own affairs, and work with your [own] hands, even as we charged you,

12 that ye may walk reputably towards those without, and may have need of no one.

13 But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are fallen asleep, to the end that ye be not grieved even as also the rest who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus has died and has risen again, so also God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

15 (For this we say to you in [the] word of [the] Lord, that *we*, the living, who remain to the coming of the Lord, are in no way to anticipate those who have fallen asleep;

16 for the Lord himself, with an assembling shout, with archangel's voice and with trump of God, shall descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

17 then *we*, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in [the] clouds, to meet the Lord in [the] air; and thus we shall be always with [the] Lord.

18 So encourage one another with these words.)

Lemaskana (finally), Achim b’Moshiach, we ask and exhort you in Adoneinu Yehoshua, in order that, just as from us (Moshiach’s Shlichim) you received (as authoritative halachic tradition, as the Messianic teaching to be followed) how it is necessary for you to be fier zich (comport oneself) in your derech (way of life) and to please Hashem (just as you in fact are doing), so you should abound more and more.

For you have da’as what mitzvot (commandments) we gave you through [Moshiach] Adoneinu Yehoshua.

For this is the ratzon Hashem (the will of G-d), your kedushah (holiness), your consecration, that you abstain from zenut (fornication),

That each one of you [as Kadoshim] have da’as of how to control your own k’li (vessel) in kedushah and kavod,

Not in the passion of ta’avah (evil desire, lust) like Goyim who do not have da’as of Hashem;

That no man commit peysha and take advantage of one of his Achim b’Moshiach in this [sexual] matter, because Hashem is the Nokem (Avenger) concerning all these things, just as also we told you before and warned you.

For [as far as our bechirah (election) is concerned], Hashem did not summon us for tu’ma (uncleanness) but in kedushah (holiness).

Therefore, the one rejecting this mitzvah (commandment) does not reject Bnei Adam but Hashem who gives to you His Ruach Hakodesh.

Concerning the matter of ahavah shel achvah (brotherly love), you have no need that we write you, for you yourselves are limudei Elohim (taught of G-d) to have ahavah (agape) one for another.

10 For indeed this you do toward all the Achim b’Moshiach in all of Macedonia. But in this we exhort you, Chaverim, to abound more and more.

11 And have as your ambition to lead a quiet life of shalom bayis, and to mind your own business, and to have a parnasah, working with your own hands, according to the mitzvot (commandments) we gave you.

12 The tachlis (purpose) is that the way you fier zich (comport oneself) in your derech (way of life) be conducted properly toward outsiders and that you might not be nitzrach (needy).

13 We do not want you to lack da’as, Chaverim, concerning those who have "fallen asleep." The purpose is that you not have agmat nefesh (grief) like the rest, who do not have tikvah (hope).

14 For, if we have an Ani Ma’amin belief that Yehoshua had his histalkus and then stood up alive again in the Techiyas HaMoshiach from HaMesim, even so, Hashem will bring with him [Moshiach] those who have fallen asleep through Yehoshua.

15 For this we say to you by the Dvar Hashem, that we who are alive and have been left behind until the Bi’as (Coming, Parousia of) Moshiach Adoneinu, may in no way be kodem (preceding) those who have fallen asleep.

16 For Adoneinu Himself, at the signal, at the bat kol of the Sar HaMalachim (the Archangel), and at the shofar blast of Hashem, shall come down from Shomayim, and the Mesim in Moshiach shall stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMesim first.

17 Then [next in sequence], we who are alive and who have been left behind simultaneously with them shall be snatched up in the ananim (clouds) to meet Adoneinu in the air. And so always with Adoneinu we shall be.

18 Therefore, give chozek (strength) and speak divrei chizzuk (words of encouragement), comforting one another with these words.