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

Sanctification and Love

(A)Finally then, (B)brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to [a](C)walk and (D)please God (just as you actually do [b]walk), that you (E)excel even more. For you know what instructions we gave you [c]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you (F)abstain from sexual immorality; that (G)each of you know how to [d]possess his own [e](H)vessel in sanctification and (I)honor, not in [f](J)lustful passion, like the Gentiles who (K)do not know God; and that no one violate the rights and (L)take advantage of his brother or sister (M)in the matter, because (N)the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also (O)told you previously and solemnly warned you. For (P)God has not called us for [g](Q)impurity, but in sanctification. Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who (R)gives His Holy Spirit to you.

Now as to the (S)love of the brothers and sisters, you (T)have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are (U)taught by God to love one another; 10 for indeed (V)you practice it toward all the brothers and sisters who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to (W)excel even more, 11 and to make it your ambition (X)to lead a quiet life and (Y)attend to your own business and (Z)work with your hands, just as we instructed you, 12 so that you will [h](AA)behave properly toward (AB)outsiders and [i](AC)not be in any need.

Those Who Died in Christ

13 But (AD)we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who [j](AE)are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed (AF)the rest of mankind do, who have (AG)no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, (AH)so also God will bring with Him (AI)those who have fallen asleep [k]through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you (AJ)by the word of the Lord, that (AK)we who are alive [l]and remain until (AL)the coming of the Lord will not precede (AM)those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord (AN)Himself (AO)will descend from heaven with a [m](AP)shout, with the voice of (AQ)the archangel and with the (AR)trumpet of God, and (AS)the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then (AT)we who are alive, who remain, will be (AU)caught up together with them (AV)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always (AW)be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, [n]comfort one another with these words.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or conduct yourselves
  2. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or conduct yourselves
  3. 1 Thessalonians 4:2 Lit through the Lord
  4. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or acquire
  5. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 I.e., body; or wife
  6. 1 Thessalonians 4:5 Lit passion of lust
  7. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 I.e., moral corruption
  8. 1 Thessalonians 4:12 Lit walk
  9. 1 Thessalonians 4:12 Lit have need of nothing
  10. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 I.e., have died
  11. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 I.e., as believers
  12. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Lit who
  13. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Or cry of command
  14. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Or encourage