OUTLINE: I. General admonition to please God: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 II. Specific admonition concerning fornication: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 III. Exhortation for increased brotherly love: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 IV. Admonition to the lazy: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 V. Comfort to those sorrowing over... [ Continue Reading ]
“FINALLY THEN, BRETHREN, WE BESEECH AND EXHORT YOU IN THE LORD JESUS, THAT, AS YE RECEIVED OF US HOW YE OUGHT TO WALK AND TO PLEASE GOD, EVEN AS YE DO WALK, THAT YE ABOUND MORE AND MORE” “Finally”: Marking not the end of the letter, but. transition to. new topic. The first major division of this le... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR YE KNOW WHAT CHARGE WE GAVE YOU THROUGH THE LORD JESUS” “For ye know”: “Again Paul looks back to the days of his visit to assure them that he is doing no more than lead them along the way he had then showed them” _(Morris p. 119)._ “In order to preclude the charge of being guilty of issuing arb... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, EVEN YOUR SANCTIFICATION, THAT YE ABSTAIN FROM FORNICATION” “This is the will of God”: “This is. thing willed of God” (Rhm). God's will can be understood (Ephesians 5:17), and God clearly expresses His will. Why would God speak to mankind (Hebrews 1:1), if not to be un... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT EACH ONE OF YOU KNOW HOW TO POSSESS HIMSELF OF HIS OWN VESSEL IN SANCTIFICATION AND HONOR” “That”: Connecting 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and this verse together. Paul is still dealing with the subject of abstaining from fornication. “EACH ONE OF YOU”: The same exact moral standard is required of all... [ Continue Reading ]
“NOT IN THE PASSION OF LUST, EVEN AS THE GENTILES WHO KNOW NOT GOD” “Not in the passion of lust”: “And not for the mere gratification of his passions” (TCNT). There is. passion that is healthy, but this passion is being fueled by pure lust. Lust is pure greed. The adulterer is not satisfied with on... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT NO MAN TRANSGRESS, AND WRONG HIS BROTHER IN THE MATTER: BECAUSE THE LORD IS AN AVENGER IN ALL THESE THINGS, AS ALSO WE FOREWARNED YOU AND TESTIFIED” “Transgress”: “You cannot break this rule without in some way cheating your fellow man” (Phi). “Often in LXX, mostly in the literal sense of ove... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR GOD CALLED US NOT FOR UNCLEANNESS, BUT IN SANCTIFICATION” “Not for uncleanness”: “God's call to us does not permit an impure life, but demands purity” (TCNT). See 1 Peter 1:16; 1 Peter 2:11. Christianity does not give us the right to engage in immorality, and grace is not an excuse to sin (Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
“THEREFORE HE THAT REJECTETH, REJECTETH NOT MAN, BUT GOD, WHO GIVETH HIS HOLY SPIRIT UNTO YOU” “Rejecteth not man, but God”: Another clear claim to inspiration. The instruction and subject matter that were given in this letter were God's commands (Luke 10:16). “REJECTETH”: The word here means to se... [ Continue Reading ]
“BUT CONCERNING LOVE OF THE BRETHREN YE HAVE NO NEED THAT ONE WRITE UNTO YOU: FOR YE YOURSELVES ARE TAUGHT OF GOD TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER” “Love of the brethren”: (Romans 12:10; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 1:7). “FOR YE YOURSELVES ARE TAUGHT OF GOD TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER”: Paul did not need to dwe... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR INDEED YE DO IT TOWARD ALL THE BRETHREN THAT ARE IN ALL MACEDONIA. BUT WE EXHORT YOU, BRETHREN, THAT YE ABOUND MORE AND MORE” “For indeed ye do it”: Credit where credit is due. God is not unfair or unreasonable. People, even new converts can apply His teachings (1 John 5:3). “ALL THE BRETHREN... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND THAT YE STUDY TO BE QUIET, AND TO DO YOUR OWN BUSINESS, AND TO WORK WITH YOUR HANDS, EVEN AS WE CHARGED YOU” “Study”: To be fond of honor, that is, emulous (eager or earnest to do something): to labor, strive, study. “Endeavour to live quietly” (Mof). “To be ambitious, to aspire, to strive” _... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT YE MAY WALK BECOMINGLY TOWARD THEM THAT ARE WITHOUT, AND MAY HAVE NEED OF NOTHING” “Walk becomingly”: “Walk reputably” (Rhm). “Your conduct may win respect” (TCNT). “Live influentially” (Wms). “The believer must always bear in mind the impact of his line of conduct on those who are without fa... [ Continue Reading ]
“BUT WE WOULD NOT HAVE YOU IGNORANT, BRETHREN, CONCERNING THEM THAT FALL ASLEEP; THAT YE SORROW NOT, EVEN AS THE REST, WHO HAVE NO HOPE” “We would not have you ignorant”:. common expression that Paul uses (Romans 1:13; Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:8). Paul w... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, EVEN SO THEM ALSO THAT ARE FALLEN ASLEEP IN JESUS WILL GOD BRING WITH HIM” “For”: Such ignorance and hopeless is inexcusable, for” _(Hendriksen p. 111)._ “If we believe that Jesus died and arose again”: This is the fundamental and foundational ston... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR THIS WE SAY UNTO YOU BY THE WORD OF THE LORD, THAT WE THAT ARE ALIVE, THAT ARE LEFT UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD, SHALL IN NO WISE PRECEDE THEM THAT ARE FALLEN ASLEEP” “By the word of the Lord”: “We do not say this on our own authority” _(Vincent p. 40)._ Paul is claiming direct revelation (Gal... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN, WITH. SHOUT, WITH THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE TRUMP OF GOD: AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST” “For the Lord Himself”: “The One who will come at the end of this age is no less than ‘the Lord Himself'. It will be no angel or other... [ Continue Reading ]
“THEN WE THAT ARE ALIVE, THAT ARE LEFT, SHALL TOGETHER WITH THEM BE CAUGHT UP IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD” “Then we that are alive”: The devil will not be able to destroy the church, there will be faithful Christians on the earth when Jesus retur... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHEREFORE COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS” “Comfort”: To call near, invite, invoke (by imploration, exhortation or consolation). “ONE ANOTHER”: The responsibility is mutual. “WITH THESE WORDS”: Hence something is wrong when people say, “I read the Bible, but. could not find any help or encour... [ Continue Reading ]