Christians should behave so that their faith will be attractive toward outsiders and not detractive. Of slaves Paul wrote in Titus 2:10 that they should be: "… showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect." Idleness and laziness does not adorn the doctrine of God.

First Thessalonians chapter four introduces two new trains of thought. First, Paul gives some practical exhortation as to how the Thessalonians ought to walk. (See verses 1-12) Second, he offers consolation to those who were bereaved of loved ones who died in the Lord.

The first part of the chapter deals with several practical issues. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to continue walking so as to please God and to excel even more. (Verses 1-2) Then he speaks of the need for sanctification. He applies it to one area specifically: abstinence from sexual immorality. (Verses 3-8) He then speaks to them about the need for brotherly love and calls on them to excel even beyond what they were doing. (Verses 9-10) Also, he admonishes them to live quiet, productive lives. (Verses 11-12)

The second part of the chapter was written to comfort those in Thessalonica who were bereaved over losing loved ones who had died in Christ before His return. He clears up an apparent misunderstanding that led them to grieve.

One cannot help but be impressed with Paul’s statement in verse 1 where he said that he gave the Thessalonians instruction as to "how" they ought to walk. We must not only instruct in the "what," but also the "how" or "how-to." In verses 3-8, Paul gives some straight talk about immorality that is as applicable today as it was then. When Paul wrote in verses 9-10 that they should excel still more in brotherly affection, he inferred that we can never really suffer "overkill" in this area. His words about living a quiet, productive life are fruitful ground for teaching. This quiet industry can be very attractive in a world where so many are looking for a free ride and even demanding it.

Finally, the words in verses 13-18 are priceless when it comes to offering comfort to grieving Christians. I read them often at funerals.

Finally then, brethren - Moving on from his defense of his work in Thessalonica, Paul now provides some practical instruction on Christian living. He often does this in the last part of his letters.

"we request" - Greek: erotao – to ask. W.E. Vine says of this word: "…frequently suggests that the petitioner is on a footing of equality or familiarity with the person whom he requests. Sometimes used of a king making a request of another king.

"and exhort" – Greek: parakaleo – to call beside, exhort. Paul could have used his apostolic authority to command them to comply with the things he was about to say. Instead he took a humble position beside them as their equal. See also 2 Thessalonians 3:6 where Paul used the stronger words, "we command you."

"as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk" – Every new Christian (and old ones, too) needs to receive practical instruction on how to walk as a Christian. This is the practical instruction that goes beyond just instruction on what to believe. It explains how to live.

"that you excel still more" – Since we are never perfect, there is always room to improve. The entire Christian life is a journey toward excellence. We should never retire from this quest.

"For you know the commandments we gave you" – It hadn’t been that long since he was with them so they would remember.

"by the authority of the Lord Jesus" – Paul did not push his own authority but rather appealed to Christ’s authority as a fellow Christian. (See also 1 Corinthians 14:37-38.)

"For this is the will of God" – Many today struggle to ascertain "God’s will" when often it is clearly known but ignored. Why would God grant more of His will if we ignore what is already known?

"your sanctification" – Greek: hagiosmos – holiness, "set apartness." This word is used both of our initial sanctification when we are saved (see 1 Corinthians 6:11) and the growing practical sanctification that should be a part of every Christian’s behavior. (See 1 Peter 1:15) Here Paul is talking about the practical holiness or sanctification that we should strive for.

"that you abstain from" – Greek: apecho – to hold oneself from.

"sexual immorality" – Greek: porneia – illicit sexual sin, including adultery, incest, homosexuality, fornication, and any thing else that God says is wrong.

"possess" – Greek: ktaomai – Typically this word means to obtain, to acquire, to win. However here many translators render it "possess." (See KJV, NKJV, NAS, NASU). It is translated this way in Luke 18:12: "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess."(KJV)

"his own vessel" – His own body.

Note: Some suggest that this passage is a reference to a man obtaining a wife. They refer to 1 Peter 3:7 where the wife is called a "weaker vessel." However, this rendering doesn’t seem to fit the context, in my opinion.

"in sanctification" – Same word as verse 3 above.

"and honor" – Greek: timay – A valuing, thus, dignity. A person who abstains from immorality will keep his/her dignity.

"lustful" – Greek: pathos – Having to do with disease. Described by Trench as "the diseased condition out of which epithumia (passion) springs." Translated "vile" in Romans 1:26 (KJV); "inordinate" in Colossians 3:5 (KJV).

"passion" – Greek: epithumia – Strong desire. This word is typically neutral in that in and of itself it is not sinful. Here it is modified by a more negative adjective – "lustful" passion.

"like the Gentiles who do not know God" – This kind of abandonment to unbridled passion was common among the Gentile everywhere. (See Ephesians 4:17-19)

"that no one transgress" – God has drawn a line around some things and made them off limits.

"defraud his brother" – Literally, "to seek to get more" or "get and advantage of." A literal application of this might be someone taking advantage of a weak marriage and thus, defrauding his brother. This is what adultery is made of.

"the Lord is the avenger of these things" – This is good reason to reign in illicit passions and keep them under control!

"God has not called us for the purpose of impurity" – i.e., sexual impurity. Actually He has called us to be pure in this area.

"sanctification" – same word as verse 3 and 4. To give in to sexual impurity (fornication) is contrary to the whole purpose of God. He didn’t save us so we could become fornicators!

"he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit" – This is not just a matter of human opinion. It is a matter of rejecting God! Sexual sin has very serious consequences!

"as to love of the brethren" – A definite change of subject. The Greek word for "love of the brethren" is philadelphia.

"you have no need for anyone to write to you" – Paul does not mean that they had sufficient love for the brethren they had no room for improvement. Note in verse 10 that he told them to "excel still more." Paul is rather encouraging them that they are already on the right track. See verse 10.

"indeed you do practice it" – They had already showed their desire to love the brethren in the way they dealt with other brethren in Macedonia.

"but we urge you, brethren, to excel still more" – Literally, "to superabound." It can probably be said that because of our fallen human nature, we will never attain fully to the right level of love for the brethren.

"quiet life" – Literally, "to be quiet." Generally, to refrain from meddling and making a ruckus. It does not mean "mute" in this context, but rather, "peaceable."

"attend to your own business" – When we attend to our own business we are less likely to meddling in the business of others. This is the Bible’s MYOB verse.

"work with your hands" – Busyness and honest labor are highly valued in Christianity. Idleness is often disparaged because of its tendency to lead us into sin. See Proverbs 19:15; 1 Timothy 5:13. Note also Paul’s example in Acts 20:34-35: "You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’" Every Christian should lead a productive life, taking care of the needs of his own first, then of those who cannot care for themselves. To lead a life of total leisure, though a desired goal of the world, doesn’t seem to fit in the teaching of Christ and His apostles.

"that you may behave properly toward outsiders" - Christians should behave so that their faith will be attractive toward outsiders and not detractive. Of slaves Paul wrote in Titus 2:10 that they should be: "… showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect." Idleness and laziness does not adorn the doctrine of God.

"and not be in any need" – Hard work will nearly always produce a level of sufficiency to meet one’s own needs. This is far preferred than being always needy and living with a hand out. All Christians who are able to work ought to support themselves. The "welfare lifestyle" is not the Christian lifestyle.

An abrupt change of subject here!

"we do not want you to be uninformed" – i.e., ignorant. God wants Christians to be knowledgeable of His will and ways.

"about those who are asleep" – That is, dead. This verse is sometimes cited to prove the doctrine of "soul sleeping," that is, the idea that after death there is only sleep until the resurrection. However this does not match Jesus’ description of life after death in Luke 16:19-31. Scriptural writers sometimes euphemized death for the same reasons we do today when we say someone "passed away."

"that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope." – Not that you may not grieve at all (this would be unrealistic) but that you may not grieve as those who have no hope beyond the grave. A Christian’s grief should be different than that of an unbeliever. According to the Bible, those at the funeral of an unbeliever have "no hope" unless it is a false one.

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again" – This is the central issue of the gospel. See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. If Jesus can be raised from the dead then certainly God can produce the spirits of others who live even after death.

"even so" – In like manner.

"God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus" – This will be the living spirits of dead Christians returning at the second coming of Christ with Him. See verse 16 below where we have the bodies of dead Christians rising first. Presumably these spirits and changed bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-43) will be reunited and death (the word means separation) will be no more (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).

We dare not forget that according to this verse this marvelous happening describes an event that pertains only to those "in Jesus."

"we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord" – That is, the last generation of Christians alive at Christ’s coming.

"shall not precede those who have fallen asleep" – This final generation of living Christians will not rise to meet the Lord in the air before the dead in Christ do. See next verse. (Does this mean this last generation of living Christians will actually see the general resurrection?)

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven" – See Acts 1:11 for the fulfillment of an important prediction. Jesus was taken up into heaven at His ascension and will return from heaven. This is where He has been since He ascended (Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55; 1 Peter 3:22).

Thought: If Jesus will "bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus" then is it not reasonable to conclude that Christians who have died have gone to be with Christ in heaven? If this is so then those who die today go directly into heaven to be with Christ. See 2 Corinthians 5:8.

(Note: Jesus’ description of life after death in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 was an Old Testament picture. This changed markedly once Jesus offered His life for sin. After His sacrifice, for the first time in all human history since the fall, there was full atonement for sin and those who belonged to God could go directly into the presence of God.)

"with a shout" – No secret event here. This sounds noisy! (Note: The "thief in the night" passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 and 2 Peter 3:10 refer to the unexpected nature of the event, not the secrecy of it.

"with the voice of the archangel" – Michael. See Jude 9. "Archangel" means "ruling angel." Again note that this sounds like a noisy event – not a secret.

"and the trumpet of God" – See 1 Corinthians 15:52. Blowing the trumpet of God was not a quiet event when He blew it before! See Hebrews 12:18-19; Exodus 19:16.

"dead in Christ" – Note again, only those "in Christ." See Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3.

"shall rise first" – That is, their bodies shall rise first. Apparently this is the time that their bodies are changed and join their departed spirits.

"Then" – After the things just spoken.

"we who are alive and remain" – The last generation of living Christians on earth.

"shall be caught up" – Greek word is harpazo. It means "to snatch away." The English term "rapture" is a fair representation of this, though the modern and fanciful doctrine of a "secret rapture" is not. The noisy, visible nature of this passage rules out a secret event.

"together with them" – That is, reunited with loved ones who have died. This is the hope that Paul holds out to those who are grieving the lost of loved ones who were Christians. Thought: Surely this implies that we will recognize them – otherwise how would this offer any comfort to those grieving lost loved ones? There would be no comfort in meeting a multitude of anonymous spirits. Besides, their bodies will be resurrected also. This also is in harmony with the idea that they will be recognizable.

"in the clouds" – See again Acts 1:11.

"and meet the Lord in the air" – This reunion is "in the air" not on the earth.

"and thus we shall always" – Eternity!

"be with the Lord" – Be with Christ – and our loved ones who have died in Christ.

These words still offer Christians comfort today!

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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