1 Thessalonians 4
God’s Will Concerning You (4:1–8)
4:1 For the rest, then, brothers and sisters, we implore and encourage in the Lord Jesus that just as you learned from us how you ought to live and please God, as indeed you are doing, that you may continue to do so more and more. 2 Now you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 You see, this is God’s will, even your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, 4 that each one of you understand how to control you own body in holiness and reverence, 5 not in passionate lust like the Gentiles who do not know God, 6 so that no one wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister in this matter because the Lord will punish all such sins just as we have previously counseled and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for uncleanness but into holiness. 8 Consequently, anyone who disregards this instruction does not reject man but rather rejects God, who also gives the Holy Spirit to you.
Paul Explains Why He Wants the Saints to Live of Propriety and Virtue (4:9–12)
9 Now concerning filial love, you do not need anyone to write to you because you have been taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters in the whole of Macedonia, and we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more 11 and to earnestly aspire to live peaceably and to mind your own business and to work with your hands, even as we have instructed you, 12 so that you may live with propriety toward outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.
The Resurrection and the Coming of the Lord (4:13–18)
13 Now we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep so that you will not feel sorrow like the rest who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was resurrected, so God will also, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep 16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a loud declaration of an archangel, with a trumpet call from God, and the dead in Christ will be resurrected first. 17 Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, encourage each other with these words.
