1 A few more things: Brothers and sisters, we plead with you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to behave in ways that please God, just as we instructed you. Of course you're already doing this, just do it more and more! 2 You remember the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus. 3 What God wants is for you to live holy lives. So stay away from sexual immorality 4 in order that each of you may control yourselves in a way that is holy and respectful, 5 not indulging passionate lust like the heathen who have no knowledge of God. 6 Don't cheat or take advantage of another Christian in these matters, for the Lord is the one who executes justice in all such things, as we've already clearly explained to you, and warned you about. 7 For God did not call us to live impure lives, but holy lives. 8 So anyone who rejects this position isn't just rejecting what a human being is saying; they are rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 9 We certainly don't need to write and tell you to love fellow-believers, because God teaches you to love one another— 10 and in fact you are demonstrating this love to all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so we want to encourage you, brothers and sisters, to love more and more. 11 Try to live a quiet life, minding your own business, doing your own work, as we've already explained to you, 12 so that your way of life may be respected by non-Christians and you won't have to rely on anyone to provide what you need. 13 We don't want you to be confused about what happens when people die, brothers and sisters, so that you won't grieve like others who don't have any hope. 14 Since we're convinced that Jesus died and rose again, we're also sure that God will bring with Jesus those who have died trusting in him. 15 What we're telling you comes from the Lord: Those of us who are alive and still here when the Lord comes certainly won't precede those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the cry of the archangel, and with the sound of God's trumpet, and those who have died in Christ will rise first. 17 Then those of us who are alive and still here will be carried up together with them into the clouds, and we shall meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever! 18 So encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians · Free Bible Version
1 Thessalonians 4 Free Bible Version
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)