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Holiness and Hope in the Lord’s Return — 1 Thess 4:1-18 Daily Word
Paul emphasizes holiness and purity of life to the believers of the Thessalonian church. Using the Lord’s return as a reference point, he explains the resurrection of deceased believers and the transformation of those who remain, and exhorts them to live a life of hopeful faith.
[Scripture]
[1] Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. [2] For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. [3] For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; [4] that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, [5] not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; [6] that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. (1 Thess 4:1-6, ESV)
[7] For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. [8] Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. [9] Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, [10] for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, [11] and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, [12] so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thess 4:7-12, ESV)
[13] But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. [15] For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thess 4:13-18, ESV)
[Daily Word]
When Paul was doing missionary work in Thessalonica, he taught the believers how to please God. Since pleasing God is the very goal of life, he instructs them, “[1] Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. (1 Thess 4:1b, ESV)”
In particular, verse 3, ‘[3] For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; (1 Thess 4:3, ESV)’ God’s will for His saints is holiness. (Lev 19:2) Holiness means being set apart from everything in accordance with God’s own character. To that end, believers are called to “abstain from sexual immorality, to know how to treat their own wife, and not to follow lustful passions like the Gentiles” (vv. 3–5). In Greek-centered cities such as Thessalonica and Corinth, where numerous pagan temples stood, sexual morality was extremely corrupt—because worshipers sought union with their gods through relations with temple prostitutes. Therefore, to flee this immorality, Paul instructs that a man should have his own wife (1 Cor 7:2) and treat her with holiness and honor. He further warns in verse 6 that whoever transgresses in these matters will face God’s judgment—that is, God will punish all such sins.
The reason God gives this warning and cautions us against living like the Gentiles is stated in verse 7: [7] For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. (1 Thess 4:7, ESV). To put this more simply, the passage is saying that the life of a true Christian is a life lived in God. Those who were thoroughly immersed in Hellenistic culture would likely have thought it impossible to pursue such Christlike perfection, even if they believed in God. That is why the text goes on to say: verse 8: [8] Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (1 Thess 4:8, ESV)
There was nothing more that needed to be said regarding brotherly love, because the church in Thessalonica was already practicing it faithfully, just as Paul had taught. Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia, and as such it drew people from all directions. Believers who came from other regions were welcomed and shown love simply because they shared the same faith, and this made the Thessalonian church a model for the surrounding congregations. For this reason, in verse 10, Paul urges them to continue as they have been doing — and to do so even more. He also exhorts them not to use brotherly love as an excuse to stop working and become dependent on others — in other words, not to take advantage of the generosity of fellow believers.
The reason Paul raises this point is that within the Thessalonian church, some people were saying that the Lord’s return was imminent and, on that basis, had stopped working and were living idle lives, bringing criticism upon themselves from society. [11] For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. (2 Thess 3:11, ESV) Paul exhorts them to live normal, healthy lives before God.
Beginning in verse 13, Paul addresses those in the Thessalonian church who have “fallen asleep.” Those who are “asleep” refers to believers who have already died. In the Old Testament, “sleep” was commonly used as a metaphor for death (cf. Dan 12:2), while in the New Testament, sleep carries the meaning of a death from which one will be raised (Matt 27:52; Acts 7:60). It is said that for this reason, the early church referred to the graves of believers as “sleeping chambers.”
The Thessalonian believers had heard through the apostle Paul about the death and resurrection of Jesus. However, they struggled to connect the resurrection of Jesus with what would happen to them as well. Therefore, Paul reminds them once more that on the day the Lord returns, those who have already died before His coming will rise, and those who have not experienced death will also be caught up together with Jesus into the heavens.
Most Christians know and believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Yet, like the Thessalonians, many struggle to hold a firm conviction about His second coming. Therefore, this truth
1 Thessalonians, holiness, the Lord’s return, the resurrection of the saints, eternal life
Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com
