1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

*October 18, 2009
<http://www.2rbetter.org/>*


   *Part 3 - 1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-18*


 *F. 4:1-12 A PRACTICAL WALK*

*1. 4:1-2 EXHORTATIONS PLEASING TO GOD*

*a. 4:1 EXHORTATION*

LoiPON, a-delPHOI, e-r*o*T*O*men [2065] huMAS kai pa-ra-kaLOUmen [3870] en
KuRI*o* 'I*e*SOU,

*For the rest, brethren, I ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus,*

HIna, kaTH*O*S pa-reLAbe-te par' h*e*M*O*N to p*o*s dei huMAS pe-ri-paTEIN
[4043] kai aRESkein [700] The*O*,

*that, as you received of us :how you ought to walk and to please God,*

kaL*O*S kai pe-ri-paTEIte, - HIna pe-risSEU*e*-te [4052] MALlon.

*even as you do walk, - that you abound more.*


 *b. 4:2 PAUL'S CHARGES*

OIda-te gar TInas pa-rag-geLIas [3852] eD*O*ka-men [1325] huMIN diA tou
KuRIou 'I*e*SOU.

*For you know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus.*


 *2. 4:3-8 SANCTIFICATION*

*a. 4:3-6 SANCTIFICATION AND FORNICATION*

TOUto gar es-tin THEl*e*-ma [2307] tou TheOU, ho ha-gi-asMOS [38] huM*O*N;

*For this is the will of :God, your sanctification;*

aPEches-thai [567] huMAS aPO t*e*s porNEIas [4202];

*that you abstain from :fornication;*

eiDEnai HEkas-ton huM*O*N to he-auTOU SKEUos [4632] KTASthai [2932]

*4 that each of you know how to possess himself of his own :vessel*

en ha-gi-asM*O* [38] kai tiM*E* [5092],

*in sanctification and honor, *

m*e* en PAthei [3806] e-pi-thuMIas [1939],

*5 not in passion of lust, *

kaTHAper kai ta ETHn*e* ta m*e* eiDOta ton TheON;

*even as the nations who know not :God;*

to m*e* hu-perBAInein [5233], kai ple-o-nekTEIN [4122] en t*o* PRAGma-ti
[4229] to a-delPHON auTOU:

*6 that no one transgress, and wrong his :brother in the matter:*

di' HOti EKdi-kos [1558] KUri-os peRI PANt*o*n TOUt*o*n,

*because the Lord is avenger in all these,*

kaTH*O*S kai proEIpa-men [4277] huMIN kai di-e-mar-tuRAme-tha [1263].

*as also we forewarned you and testified.*


 *b. 4:7 SANCTIFICATION AND UNCLEANNESS*

ou gar eKAle-sen huMAS ho TheOS ePI a-ka-tharSIa [167], alLA en ha-gi-asM*O*
[38].

*For :God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.*


 *c. 4:8 SANCTIFICATION AND GOD'S COMMAND*

toi-gaROUN ho a-theT*O*N [114], ouk ANthr*o*-pon a-theTEI [114], alLA ton
TheON,

*Therefore who rejects, rejects not man, but :God,*

ton diDONta to PNEUma auTOU to HAgi-on eis huMAS.

*who gives his :Holy :Spirit unto you.*


 *3. 4:9-10a BROTHERLY LOVE*

PeRI de t*e*s phi-la-delPHIas [5360] ou CHREIan [5532] Eche-te GRAphein
huMIN:

*But concerning brotherly :love you have no need that one write you:*

auTOI gar huMEIS The-oDIdakTOI [2312] es-te eis to a-gaPAN alL*E*lous;

*for you yourselves are taught of God :to love one another;*

kai gar poiEIte auTO eis PANtas tous a-delPHOUS tous en hoL*E* t*e*Ma-ke-doNIa.

*10a for indeed you do it toward all the brethren :in all :Macedonia.*


 *4. 4:10b-12 INDUSTRY*

Pa-ra-kaLOUmen [3870] de huMAS, a-delPHOI, pe-risSEUein [4052] MALlon;

*But we exhort you, brethren, that you abound more;*

kai phi-la-tiMEISthai [5389] h*e*-suCHAzein [2270], kai PRASsein [4238] ta
Idi-a,

*11 and that you be ambitious to be quiet, and to do your :own business,*

kai erGAzes-thai [3026] tais cherSIN huM*O*N, kaTH*O*S huMIN pa-r*e*gGEIla-men
[3853];

*and to work with your :hands, even as we charged you;*

HIna pe-ri-paT*E*te [4043] eu-sch*e*MOn*o*s [2156] pros tous Ex*o*,

*12 that you may walk becomingly toward them without,*

kai m*e*-deNOS CHREIan Ech*e*-te.

*and have need of nothing.*



 *G. 4:13-18 RESURRECTION CLARIFICATION*

*a. 4:13 CONCERNING THOSE WHO SLEEP*

Ou THElo-men de huMAS ag-noEIN [50], a-delPHOI,

*But we would not have you ignorant, brethren,*

peRI t*o*n koi-m*o*MEn*o*n [2837];

*concerning them that are asleep;*

HIna m*e* luP*E*Sthe [3076], kaTH*O*S kai hoi loiPOI, hoi m*e* Echon-tes
elPIda.

*that you sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.*


 *b. 4:14 JESUS' RESURRECTION: GROUND FOR RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD*

ei gar piSTEUo-men HOti 'I*e*SOUS aPEtha-nen [599] kai aNESt*e* [450],

*For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,*

HOUt*o*s kai ho TheOS tous koi-m*e*THENtas [2837]

*even so them also that are fallen asleep*

diA tou 'I*e*SOU Axei sun auT*O*.

*will :God through :Jesus bring with him.*


 *c, 4:15 ORDER OF THE RESURRECTION*

TOUto gar huMIN LEgo-men en LOg*o* KuRIou,

*For this we say to you by the Lord's word,*

HOti h*e*MEIS hoi Z*O*Ntes [2198], hoi pe-ri-leiPOme-noi [4035] eis t*e*n
pa-rouSIan [3952] tou KuRIou,

*that we that are alive, that are left unto the presence of the Lord,*

ou m*e* PHTHAs*o*-men [5348] tous koi-m*e*THENtas [2837].

*shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep.*


 *d. 4:16-17 TIMETABLE OF THE RESURRECTION*

HOti auTOS ho KUri-os en keLEUSma-ti [2752], en ph*o*N*E* ar-chagGElou [743]
,

*For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout,*

kai en SALpig-gi [4533] TheOU, ka-taB*E*se-tai [2597] ap' ou-raNOU:

*with an archangel's voice, and with God's trump:*

kai hoi neKROI en ChrisT*O* a-nasT*E*son-tai [450] PR*O*ton;

*and the dead in Christ shall rise first;*

Epei-ta h*e*MEIS hoi Z*O*Ntes [2198], hoi pe-ri-leiPOme-noi [4035],

*17 then we that are alive, that are left,*

HAma sun auTOIS har-pa-g*e*SOme-tha [726] en* *nePHElais [3507],

*shall together with them be caught up in clouds,*

eis aPANt*e*-sin [529] tou KuRIou eis aEra:

*to meet the Lord into the air:*

kai HOUt*o*s PANto-te sun KuRI*o* eSOme-tha.

*and so shall we ever be with the Lord.*


 *e. 4:18 COMFORT THROUGH THE RESURRECTION*

H*O*Ste pa-ra-kaLEIte [3870] alL*E*lous en tois LOgois TOUtois.

*Wherefore comfort one another with these :words.*



 *NOTE**:* This is a most serious passage, which many professing believers
completely ignore. Many parents have children who practice pre-marital sex,
and little is thought of it. More - if the parents are rebuked for
overlooking their laxity in rearing their children in this area, those who
dare challenge them are labeled “*cruel*”.


 Sex out of Biblical bounds is called by the Lord through Paul “*fornication
*”, and *uncleanness*. My wife and I know of instances where adults practice
*adultery* against their mate, and think little of it. They are like the
woman in Proverbs, who also commits adultery against her mate, wipes her
mouth, and says, “I have done nothing wrong!” Adultery in the Bible is often
linked under the heading of *fornication*, which encompasses *any type* of
sexual sin. Often such practicers feel they are spiritually superior to
others, according to *their* standards. But the Lord through Bible writers
says - “As I have told you before, so I tell you again - they who do such
things (habitually, and without conviction) shall *not* enter the Kingdom of
Heaven.”


 Be not deceived - God is *not* mocked - and whoever is deceived in this
area *is not wise*!


 Paul in the Lord ends up this passage by assuring us that the person
rejecting the above teaching is not rejecting man - but God! We
mustremember that the day
is coming, when we all as professing believers will appear before the
Judgment Seat of Christ - and there answer for the deeds done in our body
down here! If we have a conscience that responds to sin, and confess these
sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. Then we can safely appear before Christ's BEma
(Judgment Seat) and *not* be rejected. When the apostle Paul reasoned of
these things to Felix - he *trembled*! He *knew* that what Paul taught was
truth, and unbelievers immediately receive the judgment of eternal
separation from God - and believers will indeed answer for their life down
here following conversion.


 4:9-10b is a *must* for believers. We can't do this on our own, for no good
thing dwells in us. But Galatians 2:20 allows Christ to live out His life of
love through us. *That* will do it, for then *love* is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).


 And what of 4:10b-12? Are there some professing believers yet today who are
moochers? Indeed, yes. If the church again agrees to walk in this word from
God, then we will *fix* the moochers! If a man does not work, neither should
he eat!


 And finally, we come to 4:13-18. The Second Coming of Jesus is indeed the
major theme of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, linking up with the Feast of
Tabernacles. I like to use this portion of Scripture at funerals. What a
comfort to those who have just lost a loved one. *He* is better off, but we
who are left are allowed by Christ to mourn, though *not* in an unseemly,
worldly way. And will we know one another over there? Indeed we will. Agnes
Springer wrote a book years ago entitled “Intra Muros”, (Within the Walls).
It has been reprinted under a new title, “Within Heaven's Gates”, and
answers two questions specifically - we *shall* know one another over there,
and, the two lives are *one*. What starts out down here is but a
continuation over there. We give out this book to those who have recently
lost a loved one, and they again and again confirm what a comfort they
received through this book. - J.A.W.



 *TO SUBSCRIBE -- Please Email:
mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org<mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org?subject=Just%20hit%20send%20be%20automatically%20subscribed>
*


 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE -- Please Email:
mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org<mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org?subject=Just%20hit%20send%20be%20automatically%20unsubscribed>
*


 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES -- Web: http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20091018/5b3e6c6e/attachment.htm>