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| Chapter 4 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God; 6 that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despiseth this, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit. 9 ¶ But concerning brotherly love, ye have no need that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed ye do it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more, 11 and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that ye may walk honestly toward those who are outsiders, and that ye may have need of nothing. 13 ¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so will God bring with Him those also who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 17 then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. |
v1-3 We have received a divine call to be holy. Paul’s request is made with the authority of Jesus. God commands us to keep ourselves clean and set apart for Him, to live a holy life. We must keep away from evil fornication, any sexual relationships are to only be with our married partner. v4-8 What is involved with this call? v4,5 That we should all know how to look after the body we have been given, not desiring and deliberately arranging to live a life which could damage the body, as is so common amongst those who do not know God. Our life should be set apart, kept clean just for God. v6 We must make sure that we do not upset other brothers and sisters of the fellowship by our actions. God will make sure that any who hurt or upset the fellowship are dealt with. v7 God did not call us to a life of evil but to holiness, set apart for Him alone. v8 If you ignore this instruction then you are not upsetting other people, you are hurting God who gave to you, as a gift, His Holy Spirit, 1 Cor 6:19. v9 But concerning how to love and live with each other, I do not have to teach you that, God has already been able to teach you how to love each other, John 15:12; James 2:8; 1 John 3:11-18. v10 This love has already been shown to all those in the area around you, but we would encourage you to increase this love so that it becomes even more obvious. v11 Your aim should be to live a quite life, to live at peace with others, minding your own business in other peoples lives. The Greeks did not normally like manual work, they were quite happy to lay about and let others do all the physical work, so here Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians to make sure they do their share of the physical work, not be lazy or living off of others work. v12 A Christian should also be honest in all areas of their life, especially with those who were not believers as this is a good witness for the Lord. v13-18 Death for unbelievers and believers is a great obstacle, to the believer it is a time of faith. It appears that the Thessalonians were concerned for the believers who had already died (asleep), the Thessalonians were worried that those who had already died would not receive the glory when Christ returns. A believer does not really die, they go to ‘sleep’ in Jesus, this state exists because Jesus died and rose again, 1 Cor 15:20, on the return of Jesus they will be restored, 1 Cor 15:51-55; Rom 6:4; Col 3:1-5. Believers, when they die physically, they go to ‘sleep’ with Christ. When He returns He will bring those ‘sleeping souls and spirits’ to be joined back to their new risen bodies. v14,15 Any believer, alive at the time of the return of Christ, will not go before those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. v16-18 The return of the Lord. The hope of all believers, "the Lord Himself (personally) shall descend from Heaven," to take them home to be with Him, the shout will be that death is ended, 1 Cor 15:54-57. Daniel tells us that the angel will be Michael, Dan 12:1-2. The dead in Christ will rise first, then the living saints will be "caught up" with them and they will all go into heaven with the Lord, for ever. What a wonderful promise. |
Easy English Translation
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