1 And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more. 2 Because you have in mind the orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh; 4 So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour; 5 Not in the passion of evil desires, like the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of God; 6 And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness. 7 Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy. 8 Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 9 But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary; 10 And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more; 11 And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders; 12 That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing. 13 But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope. 14 For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping. 16 Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first; 17 Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord. 18 So then, give comfort to one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians · Bible in Basic English
1 Thessalonians 4 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Colossians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 13:16; Philippians 1:9
- 2 Matthew 28:20; Ezekiel 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 9:21; 2 Thessalonians 3:6
- 3 1 Peter 4:2; Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:4; Colossians 3:5
- 4 1 Corinthians 7:9; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 Corinthians 6:15
- 5 Galatians 4:8; Acts 17:30–31; Ephesians 4:17–19; Colossians 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8
- 6 Hebrews 13:4; Romans 12:19; Exodus 20:17; Exodus 20:15; Proverbs 28:24
- 7 Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 2:9–12; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:14–16; Romans 8:29–30
- 8 1 John 3:24; Luke 10:16; 1 Samuel 8:7; John 12:48; 2 Peter 1:21
- 9 1 John 3:11; Romans 12:10; 1 John 3:23; John 13:34–35; Hebrews 13:1
- 10 Philippians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 8:1–2
- 11 Ecclesiastes 4:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Peter 3:4; Titus 3:14; Proverbs 17:1
- 12 Colossians 4:5; Romans 12:17; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Timothy 3:7; Romans 13:13
- 13 Daniel 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 15:18–19; 2 Peter 3:4
- 14 Romans 8:11; Philippians 3:20–21; Isaiah 26:19; 2 Corinthians 4:13–14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13
- 15 1 Corinthians 15:51–53; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 2:19
- 16 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30–31; 1 Corinthians 15:23; Matthew 16:27
- 17 1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 11:12; John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; Revelation 1:7
- 18 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Luke 21:28; Hebrews 10:24–25; Isaiah 40:1–2
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When he has met what was pressing, and what was upon his hands, and is about henceforth to enter upon things that are perpetual, and which they ought continually to hear, he adds this expression, "finally," that is, always and forever. "We beseech and exhort you in the Lord." Strange!
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
What friend of wisdom and holy joys, who, being married, but knowing, as the apostle says, "how to possess his vessel in santification and honor, not in the disease of desire, as the Gentiles who know not God," would not prefer, if this were possi ble, to beget children without this lust, so that in this function of begetting offspring …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Which Paul too did, saying, "Sorrow not, even as the rest which have no hope;" and, "Even as the Gentiles which know not God." And to signify that He requires nothing very overpowering, but a little more than was accustomed, He saith, "Do not even the Gentiles the same?" Yet nevertheless He stops not the discourse at this, but makes …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… watch over your souls; keep unshaken and unchanged your hope in Him who rose again; raise you together with Him from your dead sins unto His heavenly gift; count you worthy to be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, in His fitting time; and, until that time arrive of His glorious second advent, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
It is yours according to your merit to be "ever with the Lord," and you expect to be caught up "in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and to be ever with the Lord." You declare the man who numbers and ranks the Spirit with the Father and the Son to be guilty of intolerable impiety.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)