Introductory remarks:
This chapter is a continuation of the last chapter. "Paul asks them to follow what they were taught and have self-control to avoid fornication and do nothing to hurt their brothers. He says he doesn't need to urge them to love each other because they do, but they can grow more. He urges them to live quiet, industrious, honest lives. He tells them not to grieve hopelessly over the death of brothers because as Christ rose, so will they. When Christ comes, he will raise the dead first, then those which remain alive, to be with Him forever, and that is our comfort" (A Survey of 1 Thessalonians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: A life pleasing to God vv. 1-12: The Lord's coming vv. 13-18.
A Life Pleasing to God
Verse 1, "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more."
LGT "As for the rest then, brethren, we beseech you and we exhort in the Lord Jesus, that just as ye received from us how it is necessary that you walk and please God, in order that you should abound more."
As for the rest: "this formula is often used by Paul where he attaches, in a somewhat loose way, even in the midst of an Epistle, a new subject to that which he has been discussing (chp-4)" (Vincent). We beseech you and we exhort in the Lord Jesus: this is Paul making an earnest plea, which comes a little short of a command; it is Paul's way of politely urging them to walk in the Light. The phrase in the Lord Jesus is the authority by which Paul beseeches and exhorts them. Paul is inspired to write these things, and it is the same as if Christ were there to tell them the same things. That just as ye received from us: just as we have taught you previously these doctrines of grace. How it is necessary that you walk and please God: to walk in the light is walking in the Holy Spirit, that is, according as the Spirit directs, and this is walking in fellowship with the Father, which is the Spirit's aim for all of us, and when we sin, we miss that mark, and both quench and grieve the Holy Spirit, and this does not please the Father; when His children are disobedient He must apply discipline, and believe me, no one should want the Father's displeasure resulting in discipline. In order that you should abound more: both the grace doctrines and the Father's discipline are designed for our spiritual maturity; however, adjusting our lives to grace doctrine is far more pleasurable than the Father's discipline. When Paul uses the term abound more, he means that they should not only live the grace doctrines they have previously learned, but they need to press on to learn more, and this is the only way they will continue to grow; we should never grow weary of learning, for if we spent our entire lives studying the Word, we would still lack knowledge; we should never be satisfied with our present, but press on toward the future.
Verse 2, "For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus."
LGT "For ye know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus."
The term charge is a military term, and Paul is very careful not to use the term commandment, because he knows that the Christian walk is one of grace and not law. The walk of the believer is through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Ten Commandments were designed by God to bring men to Christ, because they could not keep them; the Holy Spirit in the Life of the willing, submissive believer accomplishes the life of grace. Attempting to live by keeping the Ten Commandments is impossible, while living in the Spirit is not only possible, it is desirable, and rewarding beyond description.
Verse 3, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication."
LGT "For this is God's will, your sanctification, for you to abstain from fornication."
For this is God's will, your sanctification: it is the will and design of God that you walk in the Light, that is, in fellowship with Him. Your sanctification: this word sanctification must be understood in the context with which Paul uses it. The general meaning is "set apart unto God;" however, there is positional sanctification, and practical sanctification, and total sanctification. McGee has three brief paragraphs describing all three:
"Positional sanctification means that Christ has been made unto us sanctification. We are accepted in the Beloved, and we will never be more saved than at the moment we put our trust in Christ. We are never accepted because of who we are, but because of what Christ has done. This positional sanctification is perfection in Christ.
"Practical sanctification is the Holy Spirit working in our lives to produce a holiness in our walk. This practical sanctification will never be perfect so long as we are in these bodies with our old sinful flesh.
Total sanctification will occur in the future when we are conformed to the image of Christ Jesus. Then both the position and the practice of sanctification will be perfect."
For you to abstain from fornication: "Pagan religion did not demand sexual purity of its devotees, the gods and goddesses being grossly immoral. Priestesses were in the temples for the service of men who came" (A.T. Robertson). "Paul wrote from Corinth where sensuality in the guise of religion was rife [widespread]. In Thessalonica, besides the ordinary licentious customs of the Gentiles, immorality was fostered by the Cabeiric worship. About the time of Paul, a political sanction was given to this worship by deifying the Emperor as Cabeirus. (Cabeiri were Pelasgic deities worshipped in the islands between Euboea and the Hellespont, on the adjacent coasts of Asia Minor, and at Thebes and Anbania in Greece. They were four in number, answering to Demeter. Persephone, Hades, and Hermes in the Greek mythology. Throughout the Roman period of Greek history the Cabeiric mysteries were held only second to the Eleusinian, and many Romans of high position were initiated" (Marvin Vincent).
Verse 4, "That every one of you should know how to posses his vessel in sanctification and honor."
LGT "[For] each of you to know [how] to posses his own vessel in sanctification and honor."
For each of you to know how to posses his own vessel: there are two schools of thought among the commentators I have read about the term vessel. Some say it means the wife, that the husband is to possess, hold, own, enjoy his own wife, and that his affections are to be to her alone; others say the word vessel applies to the body, that a man should abstain from fornication and reserve himself for his future wife. I believe this is more in line with the context, because single people commit fornication, and married people commit adultery. In sanctification and honor: being set apart unto God, whether married or single, a man should posses his body with honor, away from all uncleanness, as pleasing unto God. Today, it is no big thing for couples to live together out of wedlock, but for the believer it should not be; every believer should want God's will, and if you want God's will, you must do it God's way.
Verse 5, "Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God."
LGT "Not in passions of lust, just as also the nations who know not God."
This can apply to any passion for greed of money or power etc. But in this context it is limited to sexual lusts. Man is consistently trying to get rid of all inhibition toward casual sexual intercourse outside of marriage. By inhibitions would mean, shyness, embarrassment, self-consciousness; the world has no trouble with these things, however, the child of God should praise Him for these feelings, for they mean that he knows they are wrong, no matter how much trash the world feeds us. "The Gentiles know not God, and what else can be expected than that they should practice the sin denounced [fornication], and what greater inconsistency can be predicted of believers than that they are governed by these inordinate passions which characterize the Gentiles because they are ignorant of God" (Eadie).
Verse 6, "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."
LGT "Not to go beyond and to overreach in the matter of his brother, because [the] avenger [is the] Lord concerning all these things, just as also we told you before, and fully testified."
Not to go beyond and to overreach in the matter of his brother: this means to take advantage of or to deceive your brother. Conduct your business as unto the Lord. The context is to deceive in any matter, including your marriage vows. Because the avenger is the Lord concerning all these things: because the Lord has warned us about these things, He will discipline the son that transgresses. Just as also we told you before, and fully testified: when we were with you. We warned you of the discipline of the Lord, that you do not have to go through it.
Verse 7, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."
LGT "For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification."
God has predestined all believers to walk as Christians, not as the world walks. The preposition in the second phrase in sanctification, is a position, that is, we are set apart unto God, and we are in union with Christ, so we must walk in fellowship with the Father, in order to walk pleasing to Him. We have a wonderful position as perfect in Christ therefore we should walk accordingly. The Prodigal son visited the pigpen, but he did not remain in the pigpen; he recognized his sin, confessed them to his father, and was restored to fellowship. This is practical sanctification.
Verse 8, "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit."
LGT "So then he that rejects, rejects not man, but God, [and] gave His Holy Spirit to us."
So then he that rejects, rejects not man, but God: The atheist then, in order to justify their licentiousness, set God aside, that is, they say God does not exist. There is no such things as a genuine atheist, that is just the name they give themselves in order to say no to God; everyone knows God exists; but if they say they don't believe He exists, they can justify themselves before men by calling them selves atheists. Paul gives the Thessalonians heart by telling them that the God rejecter is not rejecting them personally, but only their association with the God they reject. The unbeliever says that man wrote the Bible, therefore, they are able to say no to God because He is the figment of man's imagination; so you see, if they say no to the Word of God, they are saying no to God, and it is useless to discuss Christ to them; give them the Word, and walk away. And gave His Holy Spirit to us: every believer is indwelt with the Holy Spirit the moment they put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is not someone to seek after; He is the free gift of God's wonderful grace given to every believer, in order to make it possible for us all to live sanctified lives unto God; without Him, it would be impossible to please God.
Verse 9, "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."
LGT "Now concerning brotherly love, ye have no need [for me] to write to you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."
Now concerning brotherly love: this is Christian love for brothers and sisters. This love is through kinship with the love of Christ; those in union with Christ that takes in all Christendom. In the world brother love is through kinship of blood. Ye have no need for me to write to you: Paul knew that they loved one another, so he didn't waste time or paper. For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another: All believers are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and this is shown by the fact that Christians love one another. Since believers love God, who is love, it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that we love one another. Believers love one another by knowing that we are all joint heirs with Christ, and as joint heirs love is the natural response believers show one another. The apostle John wrote in his first epistle about the influence of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life: "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him" (1 John 2:27) This teaching of the Holy Spirit is connected with the study of the Word of God, for it is through Divine Revelation that the Holy Spirit teaches us.
Verse 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."
LGT "For also ye do this towards all the brethren who [are] in the whole of Macedonia: but we exhort you, brethren, to abound more:"
For also ye do this towards all the brethren who are in the whole of Macedonia: that is, ye love all the brethren. "The direction of the love toward all the fellow-believers, not only in their own city, but also in the whole province, including Philippi, and Berea, along with other places to which the gospel had been carried" (Eadie). But we exhort you, brethren, to abound more: Paul says I recognize that you love one another, but there is more room for improvement. Paul recognized that there would be personality conflicts among them, and that to improve on their love, they would have to consider the true meaning of love; for love is not an emotion, but it is an end in itself of seeing other believers as joint heirs with Christ, and then loving them for this fact.
Verse 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."
LGT "And endeavor earnestly to be quiet and to do your own things, and to work with your own hands, just as we instructed you:"
And endeavor earnestly to be quiet and to do your own things: Paul urges them to live quiet lives and mind their own affairs. "It is amazing how much wisdom people have about other people's affairs and so little interest in their own" (A.T. Robertson). By minding their own business, Paul does not mean that they should not care for the welfare of their brethren, but he means that they should not try and run other peoples lives, but to remain quiet about others, and tend to their own lives. And to work with your own hands: every man should work as God intended. It is a terrible thing for a man to expect others to support him. This is rampant in our society. The bleeding heart liberals take our money in taxes to support worthless bums, and illegal aliens. This is not only outrageous, but it is also anti-God. "This phrase "work with your own hands", is to be taken in its plain literal significance, and no doubt the majority of the Thessalonian Church belonged to the working classes. They were not to cease manual labor, and by their idleness leach off the generosity of others: but they were to be as assiduous [industrious] at their daily toil as they may have been before the Gospel came to the city" (Eadie). "Paul gave a new dignity to manual labor by precept and example [making tents for his living]. There were pious idlers in the church in Thessalonica who were promoting trouble" (Robertson). Just as we instructed you: Paul had warned them of these pious idlers, and told them to work as unto the Lord, on a previous visit.
Verse 12, "That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."
LGT "In order that ye may walk decently towards those without, and may have need of no one."
In order that ye may walk decently towards those without: the word decently includes honesty as well as being well mannered, and not a loud-mouth brawler; this is what Paul meant in the last verse as endeavoring to be quiet. Our walk before the unbeliever is very important in order that they have no foul ammunition to fire at Christianity, because they have enough stored up in their hatred of God. "This idea includes honest financial transactions, but a good deal more. People outside the family have a right to watch the conduct of professing Christians in business, domestic life, social life, politics" (Robertson). And may have need of no one: Paul says that by being industrious and working quietly with the hands, they would not need others to support them.
The Lord's Coming
Verse 13, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."
LGT "But we wish you not to be ignorant, brethren, concerning the ones who have fallen asleep, that ye be not grieved, even as also the rest who have no hope."
But we wish you not to be ignorant, brethren: Paul uses this expression to stress the importance of what he is about to teach them. Paul's teaching here was not only to console them, but also to correct some misguided thinking on the issue of death of the believer. There were some in the church that believed that those who had fallen asleep before the rapture of the church, that somehow they would be excluded from the resurrection. Concerning the ones who have fallen asleep: Paul calls death sleep, because the spirit of man never dies. The spirits of the believers go immediately to be with the Lord, while the spirits of the unbelievers go into hell, reserved for judgment at the last day, and then they will be cast into the eternal lake of fire. This is why he makes the next statement: that ye be not grieved: Paul does not say that they shouldn't sorrow over their departed loved ones, just that they should not grieve, that is, be distressed as if there were no beautiful heaven waiting for them. Even as the rest who have no hope: we should never mourn as the unbeliever who has no hope of eternal life with Christ. All of us have experienced the loss of loved ones, and our loss never goes away, but we do have the consolation that one day we will be reunited and will spend eternity with them. "Christian survivors are not to sorrow as the unbeliever. Sorrow under bereavement with no hope of heaven belongs to those who have no hope of resurrection life. The death of a believer only translates him from sin and struggle, from disease and death, from mixed society and imperfect work, to purity, life, unwearied activity, and joyous fellowship with Christ" (John Eadie) (Italics mine).
Marvin Vincent notes on the Thessalonians sorrow:
"Opinions differ as to the possible ground of this sorrow. According to some, the Thessalonians supposed that eternal life belonged only to such as should be found alive at the Parousia, and therefore that those already dead would not share the blessings of the second advent. Others, assuming an interval between the advent and the general resurrection, think that the Thessalonians were anxious lest their brethren who died before the advent would be raised only at the general resurrection, and therefore would not share in the blessings of communion with the Lord during the millennial reign. It is impossible to decide the question from Paul's words, since he does not argue, but only consoles. The value of his consolation does not depend upon the answer to the question whether the departed saints shall first be raised up at the general resurrection, or at a previous resurrection of believers only. The Thessalonians were plainly distressed at the thought of separation from their departed brethren, and had partially lost sight of the elements of the Christian hope - reunion with them and fellowship with the Lord. These elements Paul emphasizes in his answer. The resurrection of Jesus involves the resurrection of believers. The living and the dead Christians shall be with the Lord."
Verse 14, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
LGT "For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also those who are fallen asleep will God through Jesus bring with Him."
For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again: the "if" in this phrase is in the first class condition meaning that Paul assumes it to be true, it is best translated with the word "since." So also those who are fallen asleep will God through Jesus bring with Him: Jesus Christ is the agent of the resurrection, for He is the firstborn of those who slept. The fact that believers are in union with Christ, and have shared in His death, they will also share in His resurrection. "To sleep in Jesus, is to retain in death the connection that we have in Christ, for those that are by faith engrafted into Christ, have death in common with Him, that they may be partakers with Him of life. It is asked, however, whether unbelievers will not also rise again, for Paul does not affirm that there will be a resurrection, except in the case of Christ's members. I answer, that Paul does not here touch upon anything but what suited his present design. For he did not design to terrify the wicked, but to correct the immoderate grief of the pious, and to cure it, as he does, by the medicine of consolation." (John Calvin)
Verse 15, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep."
LGT "For this we say to you by [the] Word of the Lord, that we the living who remain to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who are fallen asleep."
For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord: Paul gives them the assurance that what he teaches the Thessalonians about the rapture is inspired by the Lord. "The word of the Lord might have been transmitted to Paul orally, or by a direct revelation to him." He is consoling them of any anxiety they might have concerning those who have died before the rapture. That we the living who remain to the coming of the Lord: Paul in using the term we shows that he included himself, and that he either thought the Lord would come in his time, or that he simply meant that we here and now and all other believers living at the time of the rapture; either way, Paul believed in the eminent return of Christ. The word eminent does not necessarily mean at any time, it simply means that this is the next event on God's calendar. It could be at any time, but it is simply foolish to set dates; however, as we watch the events happening in the middle East, we are encouraged that perhaps God is stirring those filthy Arabs up for a final countdown to Armageddon. Will in no way precede those who are fallen asleep: the old English word "prevent" means to go before, so I used the word "precede" in my LGT by good authority, that is, those at my disposal. Paul sets their minds at ease about the order of the rapture in the next verse. "The living shall in no privilege or blessing prevent the dead, and the dead lose nothing by their earlier decease. The Thessalonian believers need not sorrow over the deceased as if they had any degree fallen short of the prize, or were in any way to come behind the others who shall be alive, and remaining over at the rapture."
Verse 16, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
LGT "Because the Lord Himself with a shout of command, with archangel's voice and with trumpet of God shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
Because the Lord Himself: the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and not with a band of angels, comes in the air to summon the living and the dead to meet Him. With a shout of command, with archangel's voice: the absence of the article with shout of command and archangel voice makes these terms indefinite, that is, they are only descriptions of Christ's command, that He comes back as Conqueror. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. I love that - He won't be sending angels. When He comes to the earth to establish His kingdom, He will send His angels to the four corners of the earth to gather the elect, who will be both Israelites and Gentiles who enter the kingdom. However, there is no angel ministry concerned with the Rapture of the Church. Angels announced the birth of Christ, but how was He announced? As the Son of David, the newborn King. He was announced as a King. The wise men wanted to know where they could find Him who was born King of the Jews. In contrast to this, at the establishment of the church on the Day of Pentecost, there were no angels. The Holy Spirit Himself came down. When the Lord takes His church out of the world, the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. There will be no angels. Angels are connected with Israel but not with the church at all" (McGee). And with trumpet of God shall descend from heaven: again, there is no definite article before trumpet so it is descriptive and not actually a trumpet. This also describes the sound of His voice. We read in Revelation 1:10, 11a, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last;" What John saw was the glorified Lord. And the dead in Christ shall rise first: Paul comforts the Thessalonians by assuring them that those who have died earlier will be raised first before the ones remaining alive on earth are changed, in the twinkling of the eye. The term in Christ is very significant in that our union with Christ does not change because the body dies, for our union with Christ is a spiritual union, and the spirit never dies. "In Christ has the common meaning - in union with Christ; that union is not dissolved by death; they were in Christ - the source of their spiritual life when in the body, in Him when they died, and they are in Him still; yea, so in Him that His resurrection secures theirs. He cannot rise without raising all included in Him, and livingly and organically united to Him as the members to the Head" (John Eadie).
Verse 17, "Then we which 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."
LGT "Then we the living who remain, together with them shall be caught away in [the] clouds for [the] meeting of the Lord in [the] air: and thus we shall always be with [the] Lord."
Then we the living who remain; this is given to console the Thessalonians apprehensions. Together with them shall be caught away in the clouds: this all happens simultaneously. For the meeting of the Lord in the air: this is the grand climax of Paul's consolation to the church. And thus we shall always be with the Lord: this is what we all are looking forward to. I can't think of anything more wonderful than eternity with our wonderful Savior and big brother.
Verse 18, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
LGT "So encourage one another with these words."
This word encourage has many meanings, all of which are to edify one another. (1.) The first meaning is give confidence, and the second coming of Christ should give us this confidence. (2.) To give support means to build one another up in the lord. (3.) To persuade is to teach this doctrine of the second coming the way Paul presents it here, without all the eschatological hocus-pocus. (4.) To promote is to teach one another these truths, and encourage one another with these words. (5.) To hearten means to build one another up, and this will certainly build us up with confidence. (6.) To cheer is to be joyful with one another concerning the second coming of Christ. "The topics of consolation are these: first, that those who had died in the faith would not always lie in the grave' second, that when they rose they would not occupy an inferior condition because they were cut off before the coming of the Lord; and third, that all Christians, living and dead, would be received to heaven and dwell for ever with the Lord" (Barnes). Paul exhorts us here not to just look for our own personal advantage in the Rapture, but to consider our brothers and sisters by comforting them with these truths.
The next chapter continues this wonderful teaching on the Rapture.
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