帖撒罗尼迦前书 4
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
要讨 神喜悦
4 此外，弟兄们，我们在主耶稣里求你们，劝你们，你们既然接受了我们的教训，知道应该怎样行事为人，并且怎样讨 神喜悦，就要照你们现在所行的更进一步。 2 我们凭着主耶稣传给你们的是甚么命令，你们是知道的。 3 神的旨意是要你们圣洁，远避淫行； 4 要你们各人晓得怎样用圣洁尊贵的方法保守自己的身体（“身体”原文作“器皿”）； 5 不要放纵邪情私欲，像那些不认识 神的外族人一样； 6 谁也不要在这事上越轨，占弟兄的便宜，因为这一类的事，主必报应。这是我们从前告诉过你们，又严严警戒过你们的。 7 神呼召我们，不是要我们沾染污秽，而是要我们圣洁。 8 所以那弃绝这命令的，不是弃绝人，而是弃绝把他自己的圣灵赐给你们的那位 神。
9 论到弟兄相爱，用不着人写甚么给你们，因为你们自己受了 神的教导，要彼此相爱。 10 其实，你们向全马其顿所有的弟兄，已经这样行了。但是，弟兄们，我们劝你们要更加彼此相爱； 11 又要立志过安静的生活，办自己的事，亲手作工，正如我们从前吩咐过你们， 12 使你们行事为人可以得到外人的尊敬，自己也不会有甚么缺乏了。
在主里睡了的人必先复活
13 弟兄们，论到睡了的人，我们不愿意你们不知道，免得你们忧伤，像那些没有盼望的人一样。 14 我们若信耶稣死了，又复活了，照样，也应该相信那些靠着耶稣已经睡了的人， 神必定把他们和耶稣一同带来。
15 我们现在照着主的话告诉你们：我们这些活着存留到主再来的人，绝不能在那些睡了的人以先。 16 因为主必亲自从天降临，那时，有发令的声音，有天使长的呼声，还有 神的号声，那些在基督里死了的人必先复活； 17 然后，我们还活着存留的人，必和他们一同被提到云里，在空中与主相会。这样，我们就要和主常常同在。 18 所以，你们应该用这些话彼此劝慰。
1 Thessalonians 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
III. Specific Exhortations
Chapter 4
General Exhortations. 1 Finally, brothers, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more. 2 For you know what instructions[a] we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
Holiness in Sexual Conduct.[b] 3 This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, 4 that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor, 5 not in lustful passion as do the Gentiles who do not know God;(A) 6 not to take advantage of or exploit a brother in this matter, for the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you before and solemnly affirmed. 7 For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. 8 Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who [also] gives his holy Spirit to you.(B)
Mutual Charity. 9 On the subject of mutual charity you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.(C) 10 Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Nevertheless we urge you, brothers, to progress even more,(D) 11 and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your [own] hands, as we instructed you, 12 that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not depend on anyone.
Hope for the Christian Dead. 13 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.(E) 15 Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,[c] will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.(F) 16 For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.(G) 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together[d] with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, console one another with these words.
Footnotes
- 4:2 Instructions: these include specific guidelines on the basis of the Lord’s authority, not necessarily sayings Jesus actually uttered. More profoundly, as 1 Thes 4:8 implies, the instructions are practical principles that Paul worked out in accordance with his understanding of the role of the Spirit.
- 4:3–8 Many think that this passage deals with a variety of moral regulations (fornication, adultery, sharp business practices). It can be more specifically interpreted as bringing general norms to bear on a specific problem, namely, marriage within degrees of consanguinity (as between uncle and niece) forbidden in Jewish law but allowed according to a Greek heiress law, which would insure retention of an inheritance within the family and perhaps thereby occasion divorce. In that case, “immorality” (1 Thes 4:3) should be rendered as “unlawful marriage” and “this matter” (1 Thes 4:6) as “a lawsuit.” The phrase in 1 Thes 4:4, “acquire a wife for himself,” has often been interpreted to mean “control one’s body.”
- 4:15 Coming of the Lord: Paul here assumes that the second coming, or parousia, will occur within his own lifetime but insists that the time or season is unknown (1 Thes 5:1–2). Nevertheless, the most important aspect of the parousia for him was the fulfillment of union with Christ. His pastoral exhortation focuses first on hope for the departed faithful, then (1 Thes 5:1–3) on the need of preparedness for those who have to achieve their goal.
- 4:17 Will be caught up together: literally, snatched up, carried off; cf. 2 Cor 12:2; Rev 12:5. From the Latin verb here used, rapiemur, has come the idea of “the rapture,” when believers will be transported away from the woes of the world; this construction combines this verse with Mt 24:40–41 (see note there) // Lk 17:34–35 and passages from Revelation in a scheme of millennial dispensationalism.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
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