The Call to Sanctification

Additionally then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received instruction from us on how you should live and please God—as you are doing[a]—do this even more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is God’s will,(A) your sanctification:(B) that you keep away(C) from sexual immorality, that each of you knows how to control his own body[b] in holiness and honor, not with lustful passions,(D) like the Gentiles, who don’t know God. This means one must not transgress against and take advantage(E) of a brother or sister in this manner, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. For God has not called us to impurity(F) but to live in holiness. Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.(G)

Loving and Working

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 and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia.(J) But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, 11 to seek to lead a quiet life,(K) to mind your own business,[c] and to work(L) with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 so that you may behave properly(M) in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.[d](N)

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.(O) 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose(P) again,(Q) in the same way, through Jesus,(R) God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord:(S) We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming(T) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.(U) 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,[e](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, who are left, 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[f] one another with these words.

Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Lit walking
  2. 4:4 Or to acquire his own wife; lit to possess his own vessel
  3. 4:11 Lit to practice one’s own things
  4. 4:12 Or not need anything, or not be in need
  5. 4:16 Or command
  6. 4:18 Or comfort

Finally loipos, then oun, brothers adelphos, we ask erōtaō and kai urge parakaleō you hymeis in en the Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous, that hina as kathōs you received paralambanō from para us hēmeis how pōs you hymeis ought dei to live peripateō so as kai to please areskō God theos ( even as kathōs · kai you are doing peripateō), that hina you do so more perisseuō and more mallon. For gar you know oida what tis commands parangelia we gave didōmi you hymeis by dia the authority of the ho Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous.

For gar this houtos is eimi the will thelēma of ho God theos · ho your hymeis sanctification hagiasmos: that you hymeis abstain apechō from apo · ho sexual porneia immorality , that each hekastos of you hymeis learn oida how to maintain control over ktaomai · ho his own heautou vessel skeuos in en holiness hagiasmos and kai honor timē, not with en the passion pathos of lust epithumia, like kathaper · kai the ho Gentiles ethnos who ho do not know oida · ho God theos. No one should sin against hyperbainō or kai take advantage of pleonekteō his autos brother adelphos in en this ho matter pragma, · ho because dioti the Lord kyrios is the avenger ekdikos in peri all pas these houtos things , as kathōs indeed kai we told you hymeis beforehand with kai solemn warning diamartyromai. For gar God theos has not ou called kaleō us hēmeis · ho for epi impurity akatharsia, but alla in en holiness hagiasmos. Consequently toigaroun the ho one who rejects atheteō this is atheteō not ou rejecting atheteō man anthrōpos, but alla · ho God theos, who ho also kai has given didōmi · ho his autos Holy hagios Spirit pneuma · ho to eis you hymeis.

Now de with regard to peri · ho brotherly love philadelphia you have echō no ou need chreia for us to write graphō to you hymeis, for gar you hymeis yourselves autos have been eimi taught by God theodidaktos how eis to love agapaō one another allēlōn. 10 Indeed kai gar you do poieō show love autos toward eis all pas the ho brothers adelphos · ho throughout en holos · ho Macedonia Makedonia, but de we urge parakaleō you hymeis, brothers adelphos, to do so more perisseuō and more mallon. 11 · kai Make it your aim philotimeomai to lead a quiet life hēsychazō, · kai to attend to prassō · ho your own idios affairs , and kai to work ergazomai with ho your hymeis own idios hands cheir, as kathōs we commanded parangellō you hymeis. 12 In this way hina you will live peripateō a proper euschēmonōs life before pros · ho outsiders exō and kai be echō dependent on chreia no one mēdeis.

13 Now de we do not ou want thelō you hymeis to be uninformed agnoeō, brothers adelphos, about peri those ho who are asleep koimaō, so that hina you will not grieve lypeō as kathōs · kai · ho others loipos do who ho have echō no hope elpis. 14 For gar if ei we believe pisteuō that hoti Jesus Iēsous died apothnēskō and kai rose again anistēmi, so houtōs also kai do we believe that · ho God theos will bring agō with syn him autos those ho who have fallen asleep koimaō in dia · ho Jesus Iēsous.

15 For gar this houtos we say legō to you hymeis by en the word logos of the Lord kyrios, that hoti we hēmeis who ho are alive zaō, who ho remain behind perileipomai until eis the ho coming parousia of the ho Lord kyrios, will by no means ou precede phthanō those ho who have fallen asleep koimaō, 16 because hoti the ho Lord kyrios himself autos will descend katabainō from apo heaven ouranos with en a cry of command keleusma, with en the voice phōnē of an archangel archangelos, and kai with en the trumpet salpinx of God theos, and kai the ho dead nekros in en Christ Christos will rise anistēmi first prōton. 17 Then epeita we hēmeis who ho are alive zaō, who ho remain behind perileipomai, will be caught up harpazō in en the clouds nephelē together hama with syn them autos to eis meet apantēsis the ho Lord kyrios in eis the air aēr. And kai so houtōs we will be eimi forever pantote with syn the Lord kyrios. 18 So hōste encourage parakaleō one another allēlōn with en · ho these houtos words logos.