Teks -- 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18 (NET)

A Life Pleasing to God

4:1 Finally then, brothers and sisters, we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) that you do so more and more. 4:2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 4:3 For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4:4 that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor, 4:5 not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. 4:6 In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly. 4:7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. 4:8 Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 4:9 Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 4:10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 4:11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. 4:12 In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

The Lord Returns for Believers

4:13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians. 4:15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: 1Th 4:1 - Finally

Finally ( loipon ).

Accusative of general reference of loipos , as for the rest. It does not mean actual conclusion, but merely a colloquial expression pointing towards the end (Milligan) as in 2Co 13:11; 2Ti 4:8. So to loipon in 2Th 3:1; Phi 3:1; Phi 4:8.

Robertson: 1Th 4:1 - We beseech

We beseech ( erōtōmen ).

Not "question"as in ancient Greek, but as often in N.T. (1Th 5:12; 2Th 2:1; Phi 4:3) and also in papyri to make urgent request of one.

Robertson: 1Th 4:1 - How ye ought

How ye ought ( to pōs dei humās ).

Literally, explanatory articular indirect question (to pōs ) after parelabēte according to common classic idiom in Luke (Luk 1:62; Luk 22:2, Luk 22:4, Luk 22:23, Luk 22:24) and Paul (Rom 8:26).

Robertson: 1Th 4:1 - That ye abound

That ye abound ( hina perisseuēte ).

Loose construction of the hina clause with present subjunctive after two subordinate clauses with kathōs (as, even as) to be connected with "beseech and exhort."

Robertson: 1Th 4:1 - More and more

More and more ( mallon ).

Simply more , but added to same idea in perisseuēte . See also 1Th 4:11.

Robertson: 1Th 4:2 - What charge

What charge ( tinas paraggelias ).

Plural, charges or precepts, command (Act 16:24), prohibition (Act 5:28), right living (1Ti 1:5). Military term in Xenophon and Polybius.

Robertson: 1Th 4:3 - Your sanctification

Your sanctification ( ho hagiasmos humōn ).

Found only in the Greek Bible and ecclesiastical writers from hagiazō and both to take the place of the old words hagizō , hagismos with their technical ideas of consecration to a god or goddess that did not include holiness in life. So Paul makes a sharp and pointed stand here for the Christian idea of sanctification as being "the will of God"(apposition) and as further explained by the epexegetic infinitive that ye abstain from fornication (apechesthai humas apo tēs porneias ). Pagan religion did not demand sexual purity of its devotees, the gods and goddesses being grossly immoral. Priestesses were in the temples for the service of the men who came.

Robertson: 1Th 4:4 - That each one of you know how

That each one of you know how ( eidenai hekaston humōn ).

Further epexegetic infinitive (second perfect active), learn how and so know how (learn the habit of purity).

Robertson: 1Th 4:4 - To possess himself of his own vessel

To possess himself of his own vessel ( to heautou skeuos ktasthai ).

Present middle infinitive of ktaomai , to acquire, not kektēsthai , to possess. But what does Paul mean by "his own vessel"? It can only mean his own body or his own wife. Objections are raised against either view, but perhaps he means that the man shall acquire his own wife "in sanctification and honour,"words that elevate the wife and make it plain that Paul demands sexual purity on the part of men (married as well as unmarried). There is no double standard here. When the husband comes to the marriage bed, he should come as a chaste man to a chaste wife.

Robertson: 1Th 4:5 - Not in the passion of lust

Not in the passion of lust ( mē en pathei epithumias ).

Plain picture of the wrong way for the husband to come to marriage.

Robertson: 1Th 4:5 - That know not God

That know not God ( ta mē eidota ton theon ).

Second perfect participle of oida . The heathen knew gods as licentious as they are themselves, but not God. One of the reasons for the revival of paganism in modern life is professedly this very thing that men wish to get rid of the inhibitions against licentiousness by God.

Robertson: 1Th 4:6 - That no man transgress

That no man transgress ( to mē huperbainein ).

Old verb to go beyond. Final use of to (accusative of general reference) and the infinitive (negative mē ), parallel to apechesthai and eidenai ktasthai above.

Robertson: 1Th 4:6 - And wrong his brother

And wrong his brother ( kai pleonektein ton adelphon autou ).

To take more, to overreach, to take advantage of, to defraud.

Robertson: 1Th 4:6 - In the matter

In the matter ( en tōi pragmati ).

The delicacy of Paul makes him refrain from plainer terms and the context makes it clear enough as in 2Co 7:11 (tōi pragmati ).

Robertson: 1Th 4:6 - An avenger

An avenger ( ekdikos ).

Regular term in the papyri for legal avenger. Modern men and women need to remember that God is the avenger for sexual wrongs both in this life and the next.

Robertson: 1Th 4:7 - Not for uncleanness, but in sanctification

Not for uncleanness, but in sanctification ( epi akatharsiāi all' en hagiasmōi ).

Sharp contrast made still sharper by the two prepositions epi (on the basis of) and en (in the sphere of). God has "called"us all for a decent sex life consonant with his aims and purposes. It was necessary for Paul to place this lofty ideal before the Thessalonian Christians living in a pagan world. It is equally important now.

Robertson: 1Th 4:8 - Therefore

Therefore ( toigaroun ).

This old triple compound particle (toi , gar , oun ) is in the N.T. only here and Heb 12:1. Paul applies the logic of the case.

Robertson: 1Th 4:8 - He that rejecteth

He that rejecteth ( ho athetōn ).

This late verb (Polybius and lxx) is from ȧthetos (a privative and verbal of tithēmi , to proscribe a thing, to annul it.

Robertson: 1Th 4:8 - But God

But God ( alla ton theon ).

Paul sees this clearly and modern atheists see it also. In order to justify their licentiousness they do not hesitate to set aside God.

Robertson: 1Th 4:9 - Concerning love of the brethren

Concerning love of the brethren ( peri tēs philadelphias ).

Late word, love of brothers or sisters. In profane Greek (one papyrus example) and lxx the word means love of those actually kin by blood, but in the N.T. it is the kinship in the love of Christ as here.

Robertson: 1Th 4:9 - Are taught by God

Are taught by God ( theodidaktoi este ).

Only here and ecclesiastical writers. Passive verbal adjective in ̇tos from didaskō as if theȯ in ablative case like didaktoi theou (Joh 6:45).

Robertson: 1Th 4:9 - To love one another

To love one another ( eis to agapāin allēlous ).

Another example of eis to and the infinitive. Only those taught of God keep on loving one another, love neighbours and even enemies as Jesus taught (Mat 5:44). Note the use of agapaō , not phileō .

Robertson: 1Th 4:10 - Ye do it

Ye do it ( poieite auto ).

The auto refers to to agapāin allēlous (to love one another). Delicate praise.

Robertson: 1Th 4:11 - That ye study to be quiet

That ye study to be quiet ( philotimeisthai hēsuchazein ).

First infinitive dependent on parakaloumen (1Th 4:10, we exhort you), the second on philotimeisthai (old verb from philotimos , fond of honour, philos , timē ). The notion of ambition appears in each of the three N.T. examples (1Th 4:11; 2Co 5:9; Rom 5:20), but it is ambition to do good, not evil. The word ambition is Latin ( ambitio from ambo, ire ), to go on both sides to accomplish one’ s aims and often evil). A preacher devoid of ambition lacks power. There was a restless spirit in Thessalonica because of the misapprehension of the second coming. So Paul urges an ambition to be quiet or calm, to lead a quiet life, including silence (Act 11:18).

Robertson: 1Th 4:11 - To do your own business

To do your own business ( prassein ta idia ).

Present infinitive like the others, to have the habit of attending to their own affairs (ta idia ). This restless meddlesomeness here condemned Paul alludes to again in 2Th 3:11 in plainer terms. It is amazing how much wisdom people have about other people’ s affairs and so little interest in their own.

Robertson: 1Th 4:11 - To work with your own hands

To work with your own hands ( ergazesthai tais chersin humōn ).

Instrumental case (chersin ). Paul gave a new dignity to manual labour by precept and example. There were "pious"idlers in the church in Thessalonica who were promoting trouble. He had commanded them when with them.

Robertson: 1Th 4:12 - That ye may walk honestly

That ye may walk honestly ( hina peripatēte euschēmonōs ).

Present subjunctive (linear action). Old adverb from euschēmōn (eu , schēma , Latin habitus , graceful figure), becomingly, decently. In N.T. only here and Rom 13:13. This idea includes honest financial transactions, but a good deal more. People outside the churches have a right to watch the conduct of professing Christians in business, domestic life, social life, politics.

Robertson: 1Th 4:13 - We would not have

We would not have ( ou thelomen ).

We do not wish.

Robertson: 1Th 4:13 - You ignorant

You ignorant ( humas agnoein ).

Old word, not to know (a privative, gnȯ , root of ginōskō ). No advantage in ignorance of itself.

Robertson: 1Th 4:13 - Concerning them that fall asleep

Concerning them that fall asleep ( peri tōn koimōmenōn ).

Present passive (or middle) participle (Aleph B) rather than the perfect passive kekoimēmenōn of many later MSS. From old koimaō , to put to sleep. Present tense gives idea of repetition, from time to time fall asleep. Greeks and Romans used this figure of sleep for death as Jesus does (Joh 11:11) and N.T. generally (cf. our word cemetery ). Somehow the Thessalonians had a false notion about the dead in relation to the second coming.

Robertson: 1Th 4:13 - Even as the rest which have no hope

Even as the rest which have no hope ( kathōs hoi loipoi hoi mē echontes elpida ).

This picture of the hopelessness of the pagan world about the future life is amply illustrated in ancient writings and particularly by inscriptions on tombs (Milligan). Some few pagans clung to this hope, but most had none.

Robertson: 1Th 4:14 - For if we believe

For if we believe ( ei gar pisteuomen ).

Condition of first class, assuming the death and resurrection of Jesus to be true.

Robertson: 1Th 4:14 - In Jesus

In Jesus ( dia tou Iēsou ).

Literally, through or by means of Jesus. It is amphibolous in position and can be taken either with tous koimēthentas (that are fallen asleep in or through Jesus) like hoi koimēthentes en Christōi in 1Co 15:18 and probably correct or with axei (through Jesus with God).

Robertson: 1Th 4:14 - With him

With him ( sun autōi ).

Together with Jesus. Jesus is the connecting link (dia ) for those that sleep (koimēthentas first aorist passive, but with middle sense) and their resurrection.

Robertson: 1Th 4:15 - By the word of the Lord

By the word of the Lord ( en logōi Kuriou ).

We do not know to what word of the Lord Jesus Paul refers, probably Paul meaning only the point in the teaching of Christ rather than a quotation. He may be claiming a direct revelation on this important matter as about the Lord’ s Supper in 1Co 11:23. Jesus may have spoken on this subject though it has not been preserved to us (cf. Mar 9:1).

Robertson: 1Th 4:15 - Ye that are alive

Ye that are alive ( hēmeis hoi zōntes ).

Paul here includes himself, but this by no means shows that Paul knew that he would be alive at the Parousia of Christ. He was alive, not dead, when he wrote.

Robertson: 1Th 4:15 - Shall in no wise precede

Shall in no wise precede ( ou mē phthasōmen ).

Second aorist active subjunctive of phthanō , to come before, to anticipate. This strong negative with ou mē (double negative) and the subjunctive is the regular idiom (Robertson, Grammar , p. 929). Hence there was no ground for uneasiness about the dead in Christ.

Robertson: 1Th 4:16 - With a shout

With a shout ( en keleusmati ).

Note this so-called instrumental use of en . Old word, here only in N.T., from keleuō , to order, command (military command). Christ will come as Conqueror.

Robertson: 1Th 4:16 - With the voice of the archangel

With the voice of the archangel ( en phōnēi archaggelou ).

Further explanation of keleusmati (command). The only archangel mentioned in N.T. is Michael in Jud 1:9. But note absence of article with both phōnēi and archaggelou . The reference may be thus indefinite.

Robertson: 1Th 4:16 - With the trump of God

With the trump of God ( en salpiggi theou ).

Trumpet. See same figure in 1Co 15:52.

Robertson: 1Th 4:16 - The dead in Christ shall rise first

The dead in Christ shall rise first ( hoi nekroi en Christōi anastēsontai prōton ).

Robertson: 1Th 4:16 - First

First

here refers plainly to the fact that, so far from the dead in Christ having no share in the Parousia, they will rise before those still alive are changed.

Robertson: 1Th 4:17 - Then

Then ( epeita ).

The next step, not the identical time (tote ), but immediately afterwards.

Robertson: 1Th 4:17 - Together with them

Together with them ( hama sun autois ).

Note both hama (at the same time) and sun (together with) with the associative instrumental case autois (the risen saints).

Robertson: 1Th 4:17 - Shall be caught up

Shall be caught up ( harpagēsometha ).

Second future passive indicative of harpazō , old verb to seize, to carry off like Latin rapio .

Robertson: 1Th 4:17 - To meet the Lord in the air

To meet the Lord in the air ( eis apantēsin tou Kuriou eis aera ).

This special Greek idiom is common in the lxx like the Hebrew, but Polybius has it also and it occurs in the papyri (Moulton, Proleg ., p. 14, n. 3). This rapture of the saints (both risen and changed) is a glorious climax to Paul’ s argument of consolation.

Robertson: 1Th 4:17 - And so

And so ( kai houtōs ).

This is the outcome, to be forever with the Lord, whether with a return to earth or with an immediate departure for heaven Paul does not say. To be with Christ is the chief hope of Paul’ s life (1Th 5:10; Phi 1:23; Col 3:4; 2Co 5:8).

Robertson: 1Th 4:18 - With these words

With these words ( en tois logois toutois ).

In these words. They were a comfort to the Thessalonians as they still comfort the people of God.

Vincent: 1Th 4:1 - Furthermore

Furthermore ( λοιπὸν )

Rev. not so well, finally , although the word is sometimes rightly so rendered. The formula is often used by Paul where he attaches, in a somewhat loose way, even in the midst of an Epistle, a new subject to that which he has been discussing.

Vincent: 1Th 4:2 - Commandments

Commandments ( παραγγελίας )

Better, charges . Only four times in N.T. o lxx. The verb παραγγέλλειν to command or charge is frequent, and is often used in Class of military orders. See Xen. Cyr . ii., 4, 2; Hdt. iii., 25.

Vincent: 1Th 4:3 - Fornication

Fornication

Paul wrote from Corinth, where sensuality in the guise of religion was rife. In Thessalonica, besides the ordinary licentious customs of the Gentiles, immorality was fostered by the Cabeiric worship (see Introduction). About the time of Paul, a political sanction was given to this worship by deifying the Emperor as Cabeirus.

Vincent: 1Th 4:4 - That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, etc

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, etc. ( εἰδέναι ἕκαστον ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαι )

The interpretation of 1Th 4:3-6 usually varies between two explanations: 1. making the whole passage refer to fornication and adultery: 2. limiting this reference to 1Th 4:3-5, and making 1Th 4:6 refer to honesty in business. Both are wrong. The entire passage exhibits two groups of parallel clauses; the one concerning sexual, and the other business relations. Thus: 1. Abstain from fornication: deal honorably with your wives . 2. Pursue your business as holy men , not with covetous greed as the heathen: do not overreach or defraud . A comma should be placed after σκεῦος vessel , and κτᾶσθαι procure or acquire , instead of being made dependent on εἰδέναι know , should begin a new clause. Render, that every one of you treat his own wife honorably . Εἰδέναι is used Hebraistically in the sense of have a care for , regard , as 1Th 5:12, " Know them that labor ," etc.: recognize their claim to respect, and hold them in due regard. Comp. Gen 39:6 : Potiphar οὐκ ᾔδει τῶν καθ ' αὑτὸν οὐδὲν " gave himself no concern about anything that he had." 1Sa 2:12 : the sons of Eli οὐκ εἰδότες τὸν κύριον " paying no respect to the Lord." Exo 1:8 : Another King arose ὃς οὐκ ᾔδει τὸν Ἱωσήφ " who did not recognize or regard Joseph" : did not remember his services and the respect in which he had been held. Σκεῦος is sometimes explained as body , for which there is no evidence in N.T. In 2Co 4:7 the sense is metaphorical. Neither in lxx nor Class. does it mean body . In lxx very often of the sacred vessels of worship: sometimes, as in Class., of the accoutrements of war . In N.T. occasionally, both in singular and plural, in the general sense of appliances , furniture , tackling . See Mat 12:29; Luk 17:31; Act 27:17; Heb 9:21. For the meaning vessel , see Luk 8:16; Joh 19:20; 2Co 4:7; Rev 2:27. Here, metaphorically, for wife ; comp. 1Pe 3:7. It was used for wife in the coarse and literal sense by Rabbinical writers. The admonition aptly follows the charge to abstain from fornication. On the contrary, let each one treat honorably his own wife. The common interpretation is, " as a safeguard against fornication let every one know how to procure his own wife." It is quite safe to say that such a sentence could never have proceeded from Paul. He never would have offset a charge to abstain from fornication with a counsel to be well informed in the way of obtaining a wife. When he does touch this subject, as he does in 1Co 7:2, he says, very simply, " to avoid fornication let every man have (ἐχέτω ) his own wife" ; not, know how to get one . Εἰδέναι know , as usually interpreted, is both superfluous and absurd. Besides, the question was not of procuring a wife, but of living honorably and decently with her, paying her the respect which was her right, and therefore avoiding illicit connections.

Vincent: 1Th 4:4 - That he pursue his gain-getting in sanctification and honor

That he pursue his gain-getting in sanctification and honor ( κτᾶσθαι ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ τιμῇ )

As a holy and honorable man. The exhortation now turns to business relations. Κτᾶσθαι cannot mean possess , as A.V. That would require the perfect tense. It means procure , acquire . Often buy , as Act 17:28; lxx, Gen 33:19; Gen 39:1; Gen 47:19; Gen 49:30; Jos 24:33; absolutely, Eze 7:12, Eze 7:13.

Vincent: 1Th 4:5 - Not in the lust of concupiscence

Not in the lust of concupiscence ( μὴ ἐν πάθει ἐπιθυμίας )

Lit. in passion of desire . Not with avaricious greed. For ἐπιθυμία see on Mar 4:19. Its meaning is by no means limited to sensual lust; see, for instance, Luk 22:15. It is used as including all kinds of worldly desires, as Gal 5:16, Gal 5:24; 1Jo 2:17. In Rom 7:7, especially of covetousness.

Vincent: 1Th 4:6 - That no man go beyond

That no man go beyond ( τὸ μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν )

Lit. the not going beyond . Dependent on this is the will of God , 1Th 4:3. The verb N.T. Often in lxx, mostly in the literal sense of overpassing limits . Also of overtaking , passing by , surpassing , as in wickedness or cruelty. It is an expansion of the preceding thought. Pursue your business as holy men: do not overreach or defraud.

It is the overstepping of the line between mine and thine. It is used absolutely, being defined by the succeeding clause. The A.V. is literal, go beyond . Rev. renders transgress . Weizsäcker and Bornemann " ubergreife overreach ." So. Rev. margin. This last is the best.

Vincent: 1Th 4:6 - Defraud

Defraud ( πλεονεκτεῖν )

Po . See on 2Co 2:11, and see on covetousness , Rom 1:29. It emphasizes gain as the motive of fraud. Three times in lxx, Jdg 4:11; Hab 2:9; Eze 22:27. Often in Class.

Vincent: 1Th 4:6 - In any matter

In any matter ( ἐν τῷ πράγματι )

Rev. correctly, in the matter. Comp. 2Co 7:11. The sense is the business in hand, whatever it be. The τῷ does not stand for τινι any . For πράγματι , matter , see on Mat 18:19. Those who connect this clause with the preceding, explain τῷ as the matter just mentioned - adultery.

Vincent: 1Th 4:6 - Avenger

Avenger ( ἔκδικος )

Po . Here and Rom 13:4. In lxx rarely, and in the same sense as here. In this sense it occurs only in late Greek. For the warning comp. Eph 5:6; Col 3:6; Rom 13:4; Gal 5:21.

Vincent: 1Th 4:7 - Unto uncleanness

Unto uncleanness ( ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ )

Better, for uncleanness; ἐπὶ denoting aim or intention . The intention is viewed as the basis of the act (ἐπὶ upon ). Comp. Gal 5:13; Eph 2:10.

Vincent: 1Th 4:7 - In sanctification

In sanctification ( ἐν )

Note the change of preposition. Sanctification is the characteristic life-element of the Christian, in which he is to live. Comp. in peace , 1Co 7:15; in hope , Eph 4:4.

Vincent: 1Th 4:8 - Despiseth

Despiseth ( ἀθετῶν )

Better, rejecteth . Setteth aside. Comp. Gal 2:21; Gal 3:15; 1Co 1:19. Used in N.T. both of persons and things.

Vincent: 1Th 4:8 - His Holy Spirit

His Holy Spirit ( τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἅγιον )

Solemn and emphatic: His Spirit , the holy . Similarly, Act 15:8, Act 15:28; Act 19:6; Act 20:23; Eph 1:13; Eph 4:30.

Vincent: 1Th 4:9 - Taught of God

Taught of God ( θεοδίδακτοι )

N.T.o . o lxx. Not in Class.

Vincent: 1Th 4:11 - Study

Study ( φιλοτιμεῖσθαι )

Po . Make it your aim. Comp. Rom 15:20 (see note); 2Co 5:9. Often in Class. Lit. to be fond of honor: hence to strive for honor , to be ambitious .

Vincent: 1Th 4:11 - To be quiet

To be quiet ( ἡσυχάζειν )

Note the paradox, strive to be quiet . For similar instances see Rom 1:20, unseen things clearly seen: Rom 1:22, wise , be fooled (comp. Horace, Od . 1, 34, 2, insaniens sapientia ): 2Co 8:2, poverty abounded unto riches: 2Co 7:10, repentance , not to be repented of . The disturbances rebuked in the second Epistle may have begun to show themselves, so that there is a possible allusion to the idle busybodies of 2Th 3:11.

Vincent: 1Th 4:12 - Honestly

Honestly ( εὐσχημόνως )

Po . Better, seemly . From εὐ well and σχῆμα figure or fashion . The literal sense is suggested by the familiar phrase in good form . The contrast appears in ἀτάκτως disorderly , 2Th 3:6. Paul has in view the impression to be made by his readers on those outside of the church. See on Rom 13:13, and comp. 1Co 14:40.

Vincent: 1Th 4:12 - Of nothing

Of nothing ( μηδενὸς )

Either neuter, of nothing , or masculine, of no man . In the latter case it would refer to depending upon others for their support, which some, in view of the immediately expected parousia, were disposed to do, neglecting their own business.

Vincent: 1Th 4:13 - I would not have you to be ignorant

I would not have you to be ignorant ( οὐ θέλομεν ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν )

The Greek is, we would not, etc. A formula often used by Paul to call special attention to what he is about to say. See Rom 1:13; Rom 11:25; 1Co 2:1, etc. He employs several similar expressions for the same purpose, as θέλω ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι I wish you to know (1Co 11:3; Col 2:1): γινωρίζω ὑμῖν I declare unto you (1Co 15:1; 2Co 8:1; Gal 1:11): γινώσκειν ὑμᾶς βούλομαι I would have you know (Phi 1:12).

Vincent: 1Th 4:13 - Them which are asleep

Them which are asleep ( τῶν κοιμωμένων )

Or, who are sleeping . See on Act 7:60; see on 2Pe 3:4, and comp. 1Co 7:39; 1Co 11:30; 1Co 15:6, 1Co 15:18, 1Co 15:20, 1Co 15:51; Joh 11:11, etc. The dead members of the Thessalonian church.

Vincent: 1Th 4:13 - Ye sorrow

Ye sorrow ( λυπῆσθε )

Opinions differ as to the possible ground of this sorrow. According to some, the Thessalonians supposed that eternal life belonged only to such as should be found alive at the parousia, and therefore that those already dead would not share the blessings of the second advent. Others, assuming an interval between the advent and the general resurrection, think that the Thessalonians were anxious lest their brethren who died before the advent would be raised only at the general resurrection, and therefore would not share the blessings of communion with the Lord during the millennial reign. It is impossible to decide the question from Paul's words, since he does not argue, but only consoles. The value of his consolation does not depend upon the answer to the question whether the departed saints shall first be raised up at the general resurrection, or at a previous resurrection of believers only. The Thessalonians were plainly distressed at the thought of separation from their departed brethren, and had partially lost sight of the elements of the Christian hope - reunion with them and fellowship with the Lord. These elements Paul emphasizes in his answer. The resurrection of Jesus involves the resurrection of believers. The living and the dead Christians shall alike be with the Lord.

Vincent: 1Th 4:13 - Others

Others ( οἱ λοιποὶ )

More correctly, the rest . Paul makes a sharp distinction between Christians, and all others.

Vincent: 1Th 4:13 - Who have no hope

Who have no hope

Only believers have hope of life after death. The speculations and surmisings of pagan philosophy do not amount to a hope.

Vincent: 1Th 4:14 - Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him

Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him ( καὶ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς κοιμηθέντας διὰ τοῦ Ἱησοῦ ἄξει σὺν αὐτῷ ).

(1) Which sleep should be, which have been laid asleep or have fallen asleep , giving the force of the passive.

(2) Διὰ τοῦ Ἱησοῦ can by no possibility be rendered in Jesus , which would be ἐν Ἱησοῦ : see 1Co 15:18; 1Th 4:16. It must mean through or by means of Jesus.

(3) The attempt to construe διὰ τοῦ Ἱησοῦ with τοὺς κοιμηθέντας those who have fallen asleep by means of Jesus , gives an awkward and forced interpretation. It has been explained by supposing a reference to martyrs who have died by Jesus; because of their faith in him. In that case we should expect the accusative, διὰ τὸν Ἱησοῦν on account of or for the sake of Jesus. Moreover Paul is not accentuating that idea. Κοιμηθέντας would be universally understood by the church as referring to the death of Christians, so that by Jesus would be superfluous.

(4) Διὰ τοῦ Ἱησοῦ should be construed with ἄξει will bring . Rend. the whole: them also that are fallen asleep will God through Jesus bring with him . Jesus is thus represented as the agent of the resurrection. See 1Co 15:21; Joh 5:28; Joh 6:39, Joh 6:44, Joh 6:54. Bring (ἄξει ) is used instead of ἐγειρεῖ shall raise up , because the thought of separation was prominent in the minds of the Thessalonians.

Vincent: 1Th 4:15 - By the word of the Lord

By the word of the Lord ( ἐν λόγῳ κυρίου )

Or in the word. Λόγος of a concrete saying, Rom 9:9; Rom 13:9. We do not say this on our own authority. Comp. 1Co 7:10, 1Co 7:12, 1Co 7:25. No recorded saying of the Lord answers to this reference. It may refer to a saying transmitted orally, or to a direct revelation to Paul. Comp. Gal 1:12; Gal 2:2; Eph 3:3; 2Co 12:1, 2Co 12:9.

Vincent: 1Th 4:15 - Remain

Remain ( περιλειπόμενοι )

Po . and only in this Epistle. The plural we indicates that Paul himself expected to be alive at the parousia.

Vincent: 1Th 4:15 - Shall not prevent

Shall not prevent ( οὐ μὴ φθάσωμεν )

The A.V. misses the force of the double negative - shall in no wise prevent. Prevent in the older sense of anticipate , be beforehand with . See on Mat 17:25, and see on 1Th 2:16. The living shall not share the blessings of the advent sooner than the dead in Christ.

Vincent: 1Th 4:16 - The word of the Lord

The word of the Lord

1Th 4:15, is apparently not intended to include the specific details which follow. In that word the revelation was to the effect that all believers simultaneously should share the blessings of the advent. The following description of the Lord's descent from heaven is intended to emphasize the fact that the reunion of dead and living believers will be accomplished by the Lord in person (αὐτὸς ) Ὅτι does not indicate the contents of the word of the Lord ( that , as A.V.), but means for or because ; and the details are meant to strengthen the more general declaration of 1Th 4:15. In the details themselves there are traces of certain O.T. theophanies, as Exo 19:11-18; Mic 1:3.

Vincent: 1Th 4:16 - Shall descend from heaven

Shall descend from heaven

Used nowhere else of Christ's second coming. Frequently in the Fourth Gospel, of Christ's descent to earth as man. See Joh 3:13; Joh 6:33, Joh 6:38, Joh 6:41, etc. In Eph 4:9, of his descent by the Spirit in order to endow the church.

Vincent: 1Th 4:16 - With a shout

With a shout ( ἐν κελεύσματι )

N.T.o . Once in lxx, Proverbs 24:62 (English Bib. Pro 30:27). From κελεύειν to summon . Often in Class. Lit. a shout of command , as of a general to his army, an admiral to his oarsmen, or a charioteer to his horses.

Vincent: 1Th 4:16 - Archangel

Archangel ( ἀρχαγγέλου )

Only here and Jud 1:9. Not in O.T. The Pauline angelology shows traces of Rabbinical teachings in the idea of orders of angels. See Eph 1:21; Col 1:16; Rom 8:38. The archangels appear in the apocryphal literature. In the Book of Enoch (see on Jud 1:14) four are named, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel. Michael is set over the tree which, at the time of the great judgment, will be given over to the righteous and humble, and from the fruit of which life will be given to the elect. In Tob. 12:15, Raphael appears as one of the seven holy angels. Comp. Rev 8:2. See also on Jud 1:9, and comp. Dan 12:1.

Vincent: 1Th 4:16 - With the trump of God

With the trump of God ( ἐν σάλπιγγι θεοῦ )

For the trumpet heralding great manifestations of God, see Exo 19:13, Exo 19:16; Psa 47:5; Isa 27:13; Zec 9:14; Zep 1:16; Joe 2:1; Mat 24:31; 1Co 15:52; Rev 1:10; Rev 4:1. Of God does not indicate the size or loudness of the trumpet, but merely that it is used in God's service. Comp. harps of God , Rev 15:2; musical instruments of God , 1Ch 16:42. The later Jews believed that God would use a trumpet to raise the dead.

Vincent: 1Th 4:17 - Together with them

Together with them ( ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς )

Ἅμα , at the same time , referring to the living. We that are alive shall simultaneously or one and all (comp. Rom 3:12) be caught up. Σὺν αὐτοῖς along with them , i . e ., the dead. Thus ἅμα is to be const. with shall be caught up . The A.V. and Rev. are inaccurate. These are the important words as related to the disquietude of the Thessalonians.

Vincent: 1Th 4:17 - Shall be caught up

Shall be caught up ( ἁρπαγησόμεθα )

By a swift, resistless, divine energy. Comp. 2Co 12:2, 2Co 12:4; Act 8:39.

Vincent: 1Th 4:17 - In the air

In the air ( εἰς ἀέρα )

Rend. into the air, and const. with shall be caught up . Ἁὴρ the atmosphere with the clouds , as distinguished from αἰθὴρ the pure ether , which does not occur in N.T.

Vincent: 1Th 4:17 - And so

And so

After having met the Lord.

Wesley: 1Th 4:1 - More and more

It is not enough to have faith, even so as to please God, unless we abound more and more therein.

Wesley: 1Th 4:3 - Sanctification

Entire holiness of heart and life: particular branches of it are subjoined.

Wesley: 1Th 4:3 - That ye abstain from fornication

A beautiful transition from sanctification to a single branch of the contrary; and this shows that nothing is so seemingly distant, or below our thoughts, but we have need to guard against it.

Wesley: 1Th 4:4 - That every one know

For this requires knowledge, as well as chastity.

Wesley: 1Th 4:4 - To possess his vessel

His wife.

Wesley: 1Th 4:4 - In sanctification and honour

So as neither to dishonour God or himself, nor to obstruct, but further, holiness; remembering, marriage is not designed to inflame, but to conquer, natural desires.

Wesley: 1Th 4:5 - Not in passionate desire

Which had no place in man when in a state of innocence.

Wesley: 1Th 4:5 - Who know not God

And so may naturally seek happiness in a creature. What seemingly accidental words slide in; and yet how fine, and how vastly important!

Wesley: 1Th 4:6 - In this matter

By violating his bed. The things forbidden, here are three: fornication, 1Th 4:3; the passion of desire, or inordinate affection in the married state, 1Th 4:5; and the breach of the marriage contract.

Wesley: 1Th 4:8 - He that despiseth

The commandments we gave.

Wesley: 1Th 4:8 - Despiseth God

Himself.

Wesley: 1Th 4:8 - Who hath also given you his Holy Spirit

To convince you of the truth, and enable you to be holy. What naked majesty of words! How oratorical, and yet with what great simplicity! - a simplicity that does not impair, but improve, the understanding to the utmost; that, like the rays of heat through a glass, collects all the powers of reason into one orderly point, from being scattered abroad in utter confusion.

Wesley: 1Th 4:9 - We need not write

Largely.

Wesley: 1Th 4:9 - For ye are taught of God

By his Spirit.

Wesley: 1Th 4:11 - That ye study

Literally, that ye be ambitious: an ambition worthy a Christian.

Wesley: 1Th 4:11 - To work with your hands

Not a needless caution; for temporal concerns are often a cross to them who are newly filled with the love of God.

Wesley: 1Th 4:12 - Decently

That they may have no pretence to say, (but they will say it still,) "This religion makes men idle, and brings them to beggary." And may want nothing - Needful for life and godliness. What Christian desires more?

Wesley: 1Th 4:13 - Now

Herein the efficacy of Christianity greatly appears, - that it neither takes away nor embitters, but sweetly tempers, that most refined of all affections, our desire of or love to the dead.

Wesley: 1Th 4:14 - So

As God raised him.

Wesley: 1Th 4:14 - With him

With their living head.

Wesley: 1Th 4:15 - By the word of the Lord

By a particular revelation.

Wesley: 1Th 4:15 - We who are left

This intimates the fewness of those who will be then alive, compared to the multitude of the dead. Believers of all ages and nations make up, as it were, one body; in consideration of which, the believers of that age might put themselves in the place, and speak in the person, of them who were to live till the coming of the Lord. Not that St. Paul hereby asserted (though some seem to have imagined so) that the day of the Lord was at hand.

Wesley: 1Th 4:16 - With a shout

Properly, a proclamation made to a great multitude. Above this is, the voice of the archangel; above both, the trumpet of God; the voice of God, somewhat analogous to the sound of a trumpet.

Wesley: 1Th 4:17 - Together

In the same moment.

Wesley: 1Th 4:17 - In the air

The wicked will remain beneath, while the righteous, being absolved, shall be assessors with their Lord in the judgment.

Wesley: 1Th 4:17 - With the Lord

In heaven.

JFB: 1Th 4:1 - Furthermore

Greek, "As to what remains." Generally used towards the close of his Epistles (Eph 6:10; Phi 4:8).

JFB: 1Th 4:1 - then

With a view to the love and holiness (1Th 3:12-13) which we have just prayed for in your behalf, we now give you exhortation.

JFB: 1Th 4:1 - beseech

"ask" as if it were a personal favor.

JFB: 1Th 4:1 - by, &c.

Rather as Greek, "IN the Lord Jesus"; in communion with the Lord Jesus, as Christian ministers dealing with Christian people [EDMUNDS].

JFB: 1Th 4:1 - as ye . . . received

When we were with you (1Th 2:13).

JFB: 1Th 4:1 - how

Greek, the "how," that is, the manner.

JFB: 1Th 4:1 - walk and . . . please God

That is, "and so please God," namely, by your walk; in contrast to the Jews who "please not God" (1Th 2:15). The oldest manuscripts add a clause here, "even as also ye do walk" (compare 1Th 4:10; 1Th 5:11). These words, which he was able to say of them with truth, conciliate a favorable hearing for the precepts which follow. Also the expression, "abound more and more," implies that there had gone before a recognition of their already in some measure walking so.

JFB: 1Th 4:2 - by the Lord Jesus

By His authority and direction, not by our own. He uses the strong term, "commandments," in writing to this Church not long founded, knowing that they would take it in a right spirit, and feeling it desirable that they should understand he spake with divine authority. He seldom uses the term in writing subsequently, when his authority was established, to other churches. 1Co 7:10; 1Co 11:17; and 1Ti 1:5 (1Th 4:18, where the subject accounts for the strong expression) are the exceptions. "The Lord" marks His paramount authority, requiring implicit obedience.

JFB: 1Th 4:3 - For

Enforcing the assertion that his "commandments" were "by (the authority of) the Lord Jesus" (1Th 4:2). Since "this is the will of God," let it be your will also.

JFB: 1Th 4:3 - fornication

Not regarded as a sin at all among the heathen, and so needing the more to be denounced (Act 15:20).

JFB: 1Th 4:4 - know

By moral self-control.

JFB: 1Th 4:4 - how to possess his vessel

Rather as Greek, "how to acquire (get for himself) his own vessel," that is, that each should have his own wife so as to avoid fornication (1Th 4:3; 1Co 7:2). The emphatical position of "his own" in the Greek, and the use of "vessel" for wife, in 1Pe 3:7, and in common Jewish phraseology, and the correct translation "acquire," all justify this rendering.

JFB: 1Th 4:4 - in sanctification

(Rom 6:19; 1Co 6:15, 1Co 6:18). Thus, "his own" stands in opposition to dishonoring his brother by lusting after his wife (1Th 4:6).

JFB: 1Th 4:4 - honour

(Heb 13:4) contrasted with "dishonor their own bodies" (Rom 1:24).

JFB: 1Th 4:5 - in the lust

Greek, "passion"; which implies that such a one is unconsciously the passive slave of lust.

JFB: 1Th 4:5 - which know not God

And so know no better. Ignorance of true religion is the parent of unchastity (Eph 4:18-19). A people's morals are like the objects of their worship (Deu 7:26; Psa 115:8; Rom 1:23-24).

JFB: 1Th 4:6 - go beyond

Transgress the bounds of rectitude in respect to his "brother."

JFB: 1Th 4:6 - defraud

"overreach" [ALFORD]; "take advantage of" [EDMUNDS].

JFB: 1Th 4:6 - in any matter

Rather as Greek, "in the matter"; a decorous expression for the matter now in question; the conjugal honor of his neighbor as a husband, 1Th 4:4; 1Th 4:7 also confirms this view; the word "brother" enhances the enormity of the crime. It is your brother whom you wrong (compare Pro 6:27-33).

JFB: 1Th 4:6 - the Lord

The coming Judge (2Th 1:7-8).

JFB: 1Th 4:6 - avenger

The Righter.

JFB: 1Th 4:6 - of all such

Greek, "concerning all these things;" in all such cases of wrongs against a neighbor's conjugal honor.

JFB: 1Th 4:6 - testified

Greek, "constantly testified [ALFORD].

JFB: 1Th 4:7 - unto uncleanness

Greek, "for the purpose of."

JFB: 1Th 4:7 - unto

Rather as Greek, "in"; marking that "holiness" is the element in which our calling has place; in a sphere of holiness. Saint is another name for Christian.

JFB: 1Th 4:8 - despiseth, &c.

Greek, "setteth at naught" such engagements imposed on him in his calling, 1Th 4:7; in relation to his "brother," 1Th 4:6. He who doth so, "sets at naught not man (as for instance his brother), but God" (Psa 51:4) is used of despising or rejecting God's minister, it may mean here, "He who despiseth" or "rejecteth" these our ministerial precepts.

JFB: 1Th 4:8 - who hath also given unto us

So some oldest manuscripts read, but most oldest manuscripts read, "Who (without 'also') giveth (present) unto you" (not "us").

JFB: 1Th 4:8 - his Spirit

Greek, "His own Spirit, the Holy (One)"; thus emphatically marking "holiness" (1Th 4:7) as the end for which the Holy (One) is being given. "Unto you," in the Greek, implies that the Spirit is being given unto, into (put "into" your hearts), and among you (compare 1Th 2:9; Eph 4:30). "Giveth" implies that sanctification is not merely a work once for all accomplished in the past, but a present progressive work. So the Church of England Catechism, "sanctifieth (present) all the elect people of God." "His own" implies that as He gives you that which is essentially identical with Himself, He expects you should become like Himself (1Pe 1:16; 2Pe 1:4).

JFB: 1Th 4:9 - brotherly love, &c.

Referring here to acts of brotherly kindness in relieving distressed brethren. Some oldest manuscripts support English Version reading, "YE have"; others, and those the weightiest, read, "WE have." We need not write, as ye yourselves are taught, and that by God: namely, in the heart by the Holy Spirit (Joh 6:45; Heb 8:11; 1Jo 2:20, 1Jo 2:27).

JFB: 1Th 4:9 - to love

Greek, "with a view to," or "to the end of your loving one another." Divine teachings have their confluence in love [BENGEL].

JFB: 1Th 4:10 - And indeed

Greek, "For even."

JFB: 1Th 4:11 - study to be quiet

Greek, "make it your ambition to be quiet, and to do your own business." In direct contrast to the world's ambition, which is, "to make a great stir," and "to be busybodies" (2Th 3:11-12).

JFB: 1Th 4:11 - work with your own hands

The Thessalonian converts were, it thus seems, chiefly of the working classes. Their expectation of the immediate coming of Christ led some enthusiasts among them to neglect their daily work and be dependent on the bounty of others. See end of 1Th 4:12. The expectation was right in so far as that the Church should be always looking for Him; but they were wrong in making it a ground for neglecting their daily work. The evil, as it subsequently became worse, is more strongly reproved in 2Th 3:6-12.

JFB: 1Th 4:12 - honestly

In the Old English sense, "becomingly," as becomes your Christian profession; not bringing discredit on it in the eyes of the outer world, as if Christianity led to sloth and poverty (Rom 13:13; 1Pe 2:12).

JFB: 1Th 4:12 - them . . . without

Outside the Christian Church (Mar 4:11).

JFB: 1Th 4:12 - have lack of nothing

Not have to beg from others for the supply of your wants (compare Eph 4:28). So far from needing to beg from others, we ought to work and get the means of supplying the need of others. Freedom from pecuniary embarrassment is to be desired by the Christian on account of the liberty which it bestows.

JFB: 1Th 4:13

The leading topic of Paul's preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Act 17:7), some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be excluded from the glory which those found alive alone should share. This error Paul here corrects (compare 1Th 5:10).

JFB: 1Th 4:13 - I would not

All the oldest manuscripts and versions have "we would not." My fellow labourers (Silas and Timothy) and myself desire that ye should not be ignorant.

JFB: 1Th 4:13 - them which are asleep

The oldest manuscripts read present tense, "them which are sleeping"; the same as "the dead in Christ" (1Th 4:16), to whose bodies (Dan 12:2, not their souls; Ecc 12:7; 2Co 5:8) death is a calm and holy sleep, from which the resurrection shall waken them to glory. The word "cemetery" means a sleeping-place. Observe, the glory and chief hope of the Church are not to be realized at death, but at the Lord's coming; one is not to anticipate the other, but all are to be glorified together at Christ's coming (Col 3:4; Heb 11:40). Death affects the mere individual; but the coming of Jesus the whole Church; at death our souls are invisibly and individually with the Lord; at Christ's coming the whole Church, with all its members, in body and soul, shall be visibly and collectively with Him. As this is offered as a consolation to mourning relatives, the mutual recognition of the saints at Christ's coming is hereby implied.

JFB: 1Th 4:13 - that ye sorrow not, even as others

Greek, "the rest"; all the rest of the world besides Christians. Not all natural mourning for dead friends is forbidden: for the Lord Jesus and Paul sinlessly gave way to it (Joh 11:31, Joh 11:33, Joh 11:35; Phi 2:27); but sorrow as though there were "no hope," which indeed the heathen had not (Eph 2:12): the Christian hope here meant is that of the resurrection. Psa 16:9, Psa 16:11; Psa 17:15; Psa 73:24; Pro 14:32, show that the Old Testament Church, though not having the hope so bright (Isa 38:18-19), yet had this hope. Contrast CATULLUS [Carmina 5.4], "When once our brief day has set, we must sleep one everlasting night." The sepulchral inscriptions of heathen Thessalonica express the hopeless view taken as to those once dead: as AESCHYLUS writes, "Of one once dead there is no resurrection." Whatever glimpses some heathen philosophers, had of the existence of the soul after death, they had none whatever of the body (Act 17:18, Act 17:20, Act 17:32).

JFB: 1Th 4:14 - For if

Confirmation of his statement, 1Th 4:13, that the removal of ignorance as to the sleeping believers would remove undue grief respecting them. See 1Th 4:13, "hope." Hence it appears our hope rests on our faith ("if we believe"). "As surely as we all believe that Christ died and rose again (the very doctrine specified as taught at Thessalonica, Act 17:3), so also will God bring those laid to sleep by Jesus with Him (Jesus)." (So the order and balance of the members of the Greek sentence require us to translate). Believers are laid in sleep by Jesus, and so will be brought back from sleep with Jesus in His train when He comes. The disembodied souls are not here spoken of; the reference is to the sleeping bodies. The facts of Christ's experience are repeated in the believer's. He died and then rose: so believers shall die and then rise with Him. But in His case death is the term used, 1Co 15:3, 1Co 15:6, &c.; in theirs, sleep; because His death has taken for them the sting from death. The same Hand that shall raise them is that which laid them to sleep. "Laid to sleep by Jesus," answers to "dead in Christ" (1Th 4:16).

JFB: 1Th 4:15 - by the word of the Lord

Greek, "in," that is, in virtue of a direct revelation from the Lord to me. So 1Ki 20:35. This is the "mystery," a truth once hidden, now revealed, which Paul shows (1Co 15:51-52).

JFB: 1Th 4:15 - prevent

That is, "anticipate." So far were the early Christians from regarding their departed brethren as anticipating them in entering glory, that they needed to be assured that those who remain to the coming of the Lord "will not anticipate them that are asleep." The "we" means whichever of us are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. The Spirit designed that believers in each successive age should live in continued expectation of the Lord's coming, not knowing but that they should be among those found alive at His coming (Mat 24:42). It is a sad fall from this blessed hope, that death is looked for by most men, rather than the coming of our Lord. Each successive generation in its time and place represents the generation which shall actually survive till His coming (Mat 25:13; Rom 13:11; 1Co 15:51; Jam 5:9; 1Pe 4:5-6). The Spirit subsequently revealed by Paul that which is not inconsistent with the expectation here taught of the Lord's coming at any time; namely, that His coming would not be until there should be a "falling away first" (2Th 2:2-3); but as symptoms of this soon appeared, none could say but that still this precursory event might be realized, and so the Lord come in his day. Each successive revelation fills in the details of the general outline first given. So Paul subsequently, while still looking mainly for the Lord's coming to clothe him with his body from heaven, looks for going to be with Christ in the meanwhile (2Co 5:1-10; Phi 1:6, Phi 1:23; Phi 3:20-21; Phi 4:5). EDMUNDS well says, The "we" is an affectionate identifying of ourselves with our fellows of all ages, as members of the same body, under the same Head, Christ Jesus. So Hos 12:4, "God spake with us in Beth-el," that is, with Israel. "We did rejoice," that is, Israel at the Red Sea (Psa 66:6). Though neither Hosea, nor David, was alive at the times referred to, yet each identifies himself with those that were present.

JFB: 1Th 4:16 - himself

In all the Majesty of His presence in person, not by deputy.

JFB: 1Th 4:16 - descend

Even as He ascended (Act 1:11).

JFB: 1Th 4:16 - with

Greek, "in," implying one concomitant circumstance attending His appearing.

JFB: 1Th 4:16 - shout

Greek, "signal shout," "war shout." Jesus is represented as a victorious King, giving the word of command to the hosts of heaven in His train for the last onslaught, at His final triumph over sin, death, and Satan (Rev 19:11-21).

JFB: 1Th 4:16 - the voice of . . . archangel

Distinct from the "signal shout." Michael is perhaps meant (Jud 1:9; Rev 12:7), to whom especially is committed the guardianship of the people of God (Dan 10:13).

JFB: 1Th 4:16 - trump of God

The trumpet blast which usually accompanies God's manifestation in glory (Exo 19:16; Psa 47:5); here the last of the three accompaniments of His appearing: as the trumpet was used to convene God's people to their solemn convocations (Num 10:2, Num 10:10; Num 31:6), so here to summon God's elect together, preparatory to their glorification with Christ (Psa 50:1-5; Mat 24:31; 1Co 15:52).

JFB: 1Th 4:16 - shall rise first

Previously to the living being "caught up." The "first" here has no reference to the first resurrection, as contrasted with that of "the rest of the dead." That reference occurs elsewhere (Mat 13:41-42, Mat 13:50; Joh 5:29; 1Co 15:23-24; Rev 20:5-6); it simply stands in opposition to "then," 1Th 4:17. FIRST, "the dead in Christ" shall rise, THEN the living shall be caught up. The Lord's people alone are spoken of here.

JFB: 1Th 4:17 - we which are alive . . . shall be caught up

After having been "changed in a moment" (1Co 15:51-52). Again he says, "we," recommending thus the expression to Christians of all ages, each generation bequeathing to the succeeding one a continually increasing obligation to look for the coming of the Lord. [EDMUNDS].

JFB: 1Th 4:17 - together with them

All together: the raised dead, and changed living, forming one joint body.

JFB: 1Th 4:17 - in the clouds

Greek, "in clouds." The same honor is conferred on them as on their Lord. As He was taken in a cloud at His ascension (Act 1:9), so at His return with clouds (Rev 1:7), they shall be caught up in clouds. The clouds are His and their triumphal chariot (Psa 104:3; Dan 7:13). ELLICOTT explains the Greek, "robed round by upbearing clouds" [Aids to Faith].

JFB: 1Th 4:17 - in the air

Rather, "into the air"; caught up into the region just above the earth, where the meeting (compare Mat 25:1, Mat 25:6) shall take place between them ascending, and their Lord descending towards the earth. Not that the air is to be the place of their lasting abode with Him.

JFB: 1Th 4:17 - and so shall we ever be with the Lord

No more parting, and no more going out (Rev 3:12). His point being established, that the dead in Christ shall be on terms of equal advantage with those found alive at Christ's coming, he leaves undefined here the other events foretold elsewhere (as not being necessary to his discussion), Christ's reign on earth with His saints (1Co 6:2-3), the final judgment and glorification of His saints in the new heaven and earth.

JFB: 1Th 4:18 - comfort one another

In your mourning for the dead (1Th 4:13).

Clarke: 1Th 4:1 - We beseech you, brethren, and exhort

We beseech you, brethren, and exhort - We give you proper instructions in heavenly things, and request you to attend to our advice. The apostle used the most pressing entreaties; for he had a strong and affectionate desire that this Church should excel in all righteousness and true holiness

Clarke: 1Th 4:1 - Please God more and more

Please God more and more - God sets no bounds to the communications of his grace and Spirit to them that are faithful. And as there are no bounds to the graces, so there should be none to the exercise of those graces. No man can ever feel that he loves God too much, or that he loves man too much for God’ s sake.

Clarke: 1Th 4:2 - Ye know what commandments we gave you

Ye know what commandments we gave you - This refers to his instructions while he was among them; and to instructions on particular subjects, which he does not recapitulate, but only hints at.

Clarke: 1Th 4:3 - This is the will of God, even your sanctification

This is the will of God, even your sanctification - God has called you to holiness; he requires that you should be holy; for without holiness none can see the Lord. This is the general calling, but in it many particulars are included. Some of these he proceeds to mention; and it is very likely that these had been points on which he gave them particular instructions while among them

Clarke: 1Th 4:3 - That ye should abstain from fornication

That ye should abstain from fornication - The word πορνεια, as we have seen in other places, includes all sorts of uncleanness; and it was probably this consideration that induced several MSS., some versions and fathers, to add here πασης, all. Directions of this kind were peculiarly necessary among the Greeks, and indeed heathens in general, who were strongly addicted to such vices.

Clarke: 1Th 4:4 - How to possess his vessel

How to possess his vessel - Let every man use his wife for the purpose alone for which God created her, and instituted marriage. The word σκευος answers to the Hebrew כלי keli , which, though it signifies vessel in general, has several other meanings. That the rabbins frequently express wife by it, Schoettgen largely proves; and to me it appears very probable that the apostle uses it in that sense here. St. Peter calls the wife the weaker Vessel, 1Pe 3:7. Others think that the body is meant, which is the vessel in which the soul dwells. In this sense St. Paul uses it, 2Co 4:7 : We have this treasure in earthen Vessels; and in this sense it is used by both Greek and Roman authors. There is a third sense which interpreters have put on the word, which I forbear to name. The general sense is plain; purity and continency are most obviously intended, whether the word be understood as referring to the wife or the husband, as the following verse sufficiently proves.

Clarke: 1Th 4:5 - Not in the lust of concupiscence

Not in the lust of concupiscence - Having no rational object, aim, nor end. Some say, "not like beasts;"but this does not apply as they who use it wish, for the males and females of the brute creation are regular and consistent in their intercourse, and scarcely ever exceed such bounds as reason itself would prescribe to those most capable of observing and obeying its dictates

Clarke: 1Th 4:5 - The Gentiles which know not God

The Gentiles which know not God - These are the beasts; their own brutes are rational creatures when compared with them. Enough has been said on this subject on Romans 1, and 2: They who wish to see more may consult Juvenal, and particularly his 6th and 9th Satires; and indeed all the writers on Greek and Roman morals.

Clarke: 1Th 4:6 - That no man go beyond and defraud his brother

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother - That no man should by any means endeavor to corrupt the wife of another, or to alienate her affections or fidelity from her husband; this I believe to be the apostle’ s meaning, though some understand it of covetousness, overreaching, tricking, cheating, and cozenage in general

Clarke: 1Th 4:6 - The Lord is the avenger of all such

The Lord is the avenger of all such - He takes up the cause of the injured husband wherever the case has not been detected by man, and all such vices he will signally punish. Every species of uncleanness was practised among the heathens, nor were they reputed as vices. Their gods, their emperors, their philosophers, and their great men in general, gave them examples of every species of impurity; and they had no system of ethics which forbade these abominations. The Christian religion not only discountenances these things, but forbids them on the most awful penalties; therefore wherever Christianity prevails, these vices, if practised at all, are obliged to seek the deepest gloom of midnight to cover them from the eyes of men. On this account they are comparatively rare, even among the mere professors of Christianity; they exist, but do not flourish.

Clarke: 1Th 4:7 - God hath not called us unto uncleanness

God hath not called us unto uncleanness - He is the creator of male and female, and the institutor of marriage, and he has called men and women to this state; but the end of this and all the other callings of God to man is holiness, not uncleanness. And they who use the marriage state as he directs, will find it conducive to their holiness and perfection.

Clarke: 1Th 4:8 - He therefore that despiseth

He therefore that despiseth - He who will not receive these teachings, and is led either to undervalue or despise them, despises not us but God, from whom we have received our commission, and by whose Spirit we give these directions. See Clarke’ s note on 1Th 4:15

Clarke: 1Th 4:8 - Hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit

Hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit - Instead of εις ἡμας, unto Us, εις ὑμας, unto You, is the reading of BDEFG, a great many others, the Syriac, all the Arabic, Armenian, later Syriac in the margin, some of the Itala, Clement, Didymus, and Ambrosiaster; this seems to be the better reading. God has taught us that we may teach you; and he has also given you his Holy Spirit that ye might understand and be enabled to practice these things. It is one thing to receive a revelation from the Spirit of God; it is another thing to receive that Spirit to enable a man to live according to that revelation. In the first sense the apostles alone received this Holy Spirit; in the latter sense all true Christians, as well as the Thessalonians, receive it. I think ὑμας, you, is the true reading, and that it is confirmed by the following verse: For ye yourselves are Taught of God to love one another. Griesbach has inserted it in the margin, but has not admitted it into the text, because it has not what he deemed full support from those MSS. which are of the Alexandrian recension; but he thought its genuineness very probable.

Clarke: 1Th 4:9 - Touching brotherly love

Touching brotherly love - They were remarkable for this; and though the apostle appears to have had this as a topic on which he intended to write to them, yet, from the account which he received of their prosperous state by Timothy, he finds that it is unnecessary to spend any time in inculcating a doctrine which they fully understood and practised. See 1Th 3:6.

Clarke: 1Th 4:10 - Ye do it toward all the brethren

Ye do it toward all the brethren - Ye not only love one another at Thessalonica, but ye love all the brethren in Macedonia; ye consider them all as children of the same Father; and that all the Churches which are in Christ make one great and glorious body, of which he is the head.

Clarke: 1Th 4:11 - That ye study to be quiet

That ye study to be quiet - Though in general the Church at Thessalonica was pure and exemplary, yet there seem to have been some idle, tattling people among them, who disturbed the peace of others; persons who, under the pretense of religion, gadded about from house to house; did not work, but were burdensome to others; and were continually meddling with other people’ s business, making parties, and procuring their bread by religious gossiping. To these the apostle gives those directions which the whole Church of God should enforce wherever such troublesome and dangerous people are found; viz.: That they should study to be quiet, ἡσυχαζειν, to hold their peace, as their religious cant will never promote true religion; that they should do their own business, and let that of others alone; and that they should work with their own hands, and not be a burden to the Church of God, or to those well meaning but weak and inconsiderate people who entertain them, being imposed on by their apparent sanctity and glozing conversation. An idle person, though able to discourse like an angel, or pray like an apostle, cannot be a Christian; all such are hypocrites and deceivers; the true members of the Church of Christ walk, work, and labor.

Clarke: 1Th 4:12 - That ye may walk honestly

That ye may walk honestly - Ευσχημονως· Becomingly, decently, respectably; as is consistent with the purity, holiness, gravity, and usefulness of your Christian calling

Clarke: 1Th 4:12 - Them that are without

Them that are without - The unconverted Gentiles and Jews. See this expression explained at large on Col 4:5

Clarke: 1Th 4:12 - That ye may have lack of nothing

That ye may have lack of nothing - That ye may be able to get your bread by honest labor, which God will ever bless; and be chargeable to no man. He that is dependent on another is necessarily in bondage; and he who is able to get his own bread by the sweat of his brow, should not be under obligation even to a king

I do not recollect whether, in any other part of this work, I have given the following story from the Hatem Tai Nameh. Hatem Tai was an Arabian nobleman, who flourished some time before the Mahommedan era; he was reputed the most generous and liberal man in all the east. One day he slew one hundred camels, and made a feast, to which all the Arabian lords and all the peasantry in the district were invited. About the time of the feast he took a walk towards a neighboring wood, to see if he could find any person whom he might invite to partake of the entertainment which he had then provided. Walking along the skirt of the wood, he espied an old man coming out of it, laden with a burden of faggots; he accosted him and asked if he had not heard of the entertainment made that day by Hatem Tai. The old man answered in the affirmative. He asked him why he did not attend and partake with the rest. The old man answered: "He that is able to gain his bread even by collecting faggots in the wood, should not be beholden even to Hatem Tai."This is a noble saying, and has long been a rule of conduct to the writer of this note.

Clarke: 1Th 4:13 - I would not have you to be ignorant

I would not have you to be ignorant - Instead of εχομεν, have, θελομεν, wish, is the reading of ADEFG, many others, besides the Arabic, Ethiopic, Armenian, some of the Slavonian, the Vulgate, and Itala, with many of the Greek fathers. This is undoubtedly the true reading: Brethren, I would not wish you to be ignorant; or, I would not that you should be ignorant

This was probably one of the points which were lacking in their faith, that he wished to go to Thessalonica to instruct them in

Clarke: 1Th 4:13 - Them which are asleep

Them which are asleep - That is, those who are dead. It is supposed that the apostle had heard that the Thessalonians continued to lament over their dead, as the heathens did in general who had no hope of the resurrection of the body; and that they had been puzzled concerning the doctrine of the resurrection. To set them right on this important subject, he delivers three important truths

1.    He asserts, as he had done before, that they who died in the Lord should have, in virtue of Christ’ s resurrection, a resurrection unto eternal life and blessedness

2.    He makes a new discovery, that the last generation should not die at all, but be in a moment changed to immortals

3.    He adds another new discovery, that, though the living should not die, but be transformed, yet the dead should first be raised, and be made glorious and immortal; and so, in some measure, have the preference and advantage of such as shall then be found alive. See Dodd.

Clarke: 1Th 4:14 - For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again - Ει γαρ· Seeing that we believe; knowing that the resurrection of Christ is as fully authenticated as his death

Clarke: 1Th 4:14 - Even so them

Even so them - It necessarily follows that them who sleep - die, in him - in the faith of the Gospel, will God bring with him - he will raise them up as Jesus was raised from the dead, in the same manner, i.e. by his own eternal power and energy; and he will bring them with him - with Christ, for he is the head of the Church, which is his body.

Clarke: 1Th 4:15 - This we say unto you by the word of the Lord

This we say unto you by the word of the Lord - This I have, by express revelation, from the Lord: what he now delivers, he gives as coming immediately from the Spirit of God. Indeed, human reason could not have found out the points which he immediately subjoins; no conjectures could lead to them. Allowing even the general doctrine of the resurrection to be believed, yet what follows does not flow from the premises; they are doctrines of pure revelation, and such as never could have been found out by human ingenuity. In no place does the apostle speak more confidently and positively of his inspiration than here; and we should prepare ourselves to receive some momentous and interesting truth

Clarke: 1Th 4:15 - We which are alive, and remain

We which are alive, and remain - By the pronoun we the apostle does not intend himself, and the Thessalonians to whom he was then writing; he is speaking of the genuine Christians which shall be found on earth when Christ comes to judgment. From not considering the manner in which the apostle uses this word, some have been led to suppose that he imagined that the day of judgment would take place in that generation, and while he and the then believers at Thessalonica were in life. But it is impossible that a man, under so direct an influence of the Holy Spirit, should be permitted to make such a mistake: nay, no man in the exercise of his sober reason could have formed such an opinion; there was nothing to warrant the supposition; no premises from which it could be fairly deduced; nor indeed any thing in the circumstances of the Church, nor in the constitution of the world, that could have suggested a hint of the kind. The apostle is speaking of the thing indefinitely as to the time when it shall happen, but positively as to the Order that shall be then observed

Clarke: 1Th 4:15 - Shall not prevent them which are asleep

Shall not prevent them which are asleep - Those who shall be found living in that day, though they shall not pass through death, but be suddenly changed, shall not go to glory before them that are dead, for the dead in Christ shall rise first - they shall be raised, their bodies made glorious, and be caught up to meet the Lord, before the others shall be changed. And this appears to be the meaning of the apostle’ s words, μη φθασωμεν, which we translate shall not prevent; for, although this word prevent, from prae and venio , literally signifies to go before, yet we use it now in the sense of to hinder or obstruct. Φθανειν τινα signifies the same, according to Hesychius, as προηκειν, to go before, προλαμβανειν, to anticipate, be before. Those who shall be found alive on that day shall not anticipate glory before the dead in Christ; for they shall rise first, and begin the enjoyment of it before the others shall be changed. This appears to be the apostle’ s meaning.

Clarke: 1Th 4:16 - The Lord himself

The Lord himself - That is: Jesus Christ shall descend from heaven; shall descend in like manner as he was seen by his disciples to ascend, i.e. in his human form, but now infinitely more glorious; for thousands of thousands shall minister unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand shall stand before him; for the Son of man shall come on the throne of his glory: but who may abide the day of his coming, or stand when he appeareth

Clarke: 1Th 4:16 - With a shout

With a shout - Or order, εν κελευσματι· and probably in these words: Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment; which order shall be repeated by the archangel, who shall accompany it with the sound of the trump of God, whose great and terrible blasts, like those on mount Sinai, sounding louder and louder, shall shake both the heavens and the earth

Observe the order of this terribly glorious day

1.    Jesus, in all the dignity and splendor of his eternal majesty, shall descend from heaven to the mid region, what the apostle calls the air, somewhere within the earth’ s atmosphere

2.    Then the κελευσμα, shout or order, shall be given for the dead to arise

3.    Next the archangel, as the herald of Christ, shall repeat the order, Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment

4.    When all the dead in Christ are raised, then the trumpet shall sound, as the signal for them all to flock together to the throne of Christ. It was by the sound of the trumpet that the solemn assemblies, under the law, were convoked; and to such convocations there appears to be here an allusion

5.    When the dead in Christ are raised, their vile bodies being made like unto his glorious body, then

6.    Those who are alive shall be changed, and made immortal

7.    These shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air

8.    We may suppose that the judgment will now be set, and the books opened, and the dead judged out of the things written in those books

9.    The eternal states of quick and dead being thus determined, then all who shall be found to have made a covenant with him by sacrifice, and to have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, shall be taken to his eternal glory, and be for ever with the Lord. What an inexpressibly terrific glory will then be exhibited! I forbear to call in here the descriptions which men of a poetic turn have made of this terrible scene, because I cannot trust to their correctness; and it is a subject which we should speak of and contemplate as nearly as possible in the words of Scripture.

Clarke: 1Th 4:18 - Comfort one another with these words

Comfort one another with these words - Strange saying! comfort a man with the information that he is going to appear before the judgment-seat of God! Who can feel comfort from these words? That man alone with whose spirit the Spirit of God bears witness that his sins are blotted out, and the thoughts of whose heart are purified by the inspiration of Gods Holy Spirit, so that he can perfectly love him, and worthily magnify his name. Reader, thou art not in a safe state unless it be thus with thee, or thou art hungering and thirsting after righteousness. If so, thou shalt be filled; for it is impossible that thou shouldst be taken away in thy sins, while mourning after the salvation of God. They that seek shall find.

Calvin: 1Th 4:1 - Furthermore

1.Furthermore. This chapter contains various injunctions, by which he trains up the Thessalonians to a holy life, or confirms them in the exercise of it. They had previously learned what was the rule and method of a pious life: he calls this to their remembrance. As, says he, ye have been taught. Lest, however, he should seem to take away from them what he had previously assigned them, he does not simply exhort them to walk in such a manner, but to abound more and more. When, therefore, he urges them to make progress, he intimates that they are already in the way. The sum is this, that they should be more especially careful to make progress in the doctrine which they had received, and this Paul places in contrast with frivolous and vain pursuits, in which we see that a good part of the world very generally busy themselves, so that profitable and holy meditation as to the due regulation of life scarcely obtains a place, even the most inferior. Paul, accordingly, reminds them in what manner they had been instructed, and bids them aim at this with their whole might. Now, there is a law that is here enjoined upon us — that, forgetting the things that are behind, we always aim at farther progress, (Phi 3:13) and pastors ought also to make this their endeavor. Now, as to his beseeching, when he might rightfully enjoin — it is a token of humanity and modesty which pastors ought to imitate, that they may, if possible, allure people to kindness, rather than violently compel them. ⁵⁶⁶

Calvin: 1Th 4:3 - For this is the will of God // That ye abstain // And honor

3.For this is the will of God. This is doctrine of a general nature, from which, as from a fountain, he immediately deduces special admonitions. When he says that this is the will of God, he means that we have been called by God with this design. “For this end ye are Christians — this the gospel aims at — that ye may sanctify yourselves to God. ” The meaning of the term sanctification we have already explained elsewhere in repeated instances — that renouncing the world, and clearing ourselves from the pollutions of the flesh, we offer ourselves to God as if in sacrifice, for nothing can with propriety be offered to Him, but what is pure and holy.

That ye abstain. This is one injunction, which he derives from the fountain of which he had immediately before made mention; for nothing is more opposed to holiness than the defilement of fornication, which pollutes the whole man. On this account he assigns the lust of concupiscence to the Gentiles, who know not God. “Where the knowledge of God reigns, lusts must be subdued.”

By the lust of concupiscence, he means all base lusts of the flesh, but, at the same time, by this manner of expression, he brands with dishonor all desires that allure us to pleasure and carnal delights, as in Rom 13:14, he bids us have no care for the flesh in respect of the lust thereof. For when men give indulgence to their appetites, there are no bounds to lasciviousness. ⁵⁶⁷ Hence the only means of maintaining temperance is to bridle all lusts.

As for the expression, that every one of you may know to possess his vessel, some explain it as referring to a wife, ⁵⁶⁸ as though it had been said, “Let husbands dwell with their wives in all chastity.” As, however, he addresses husbands and wives indiscriminately, there can be no doubt that he employs the term vessel to mean body. For every one has his body as a house, as it were, in which he dwells. He would, therefore, have us keep our body pure from all uncleanness.

And honor, that is, honorably, for the man that prostitutes his body to fornication, covers it with infamy and disgrace.

Calvin: 1Th 4:6 - Let no man oppress

6.Let no man oppress Here we have another exhortation, which flows, like a stream, from the doctrine of sanctification. “God,” says he, “has it in view to sanctify us, that no man may do injury to his brother. ” For as to Chrysostom’s connecting this statement with the preceding one, and explaining ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖν to mean — neighing after the wives of others, (Jer 5:8) and eagerly desiring them, is too forced an exposition. Paul, accordingly, having adduced one instance of unchastity in respect of lasciviousness and lust, teaches that this also is a department of holiness — that we conduct ourselves righteously and harmlessly towards our neighbors. The former verb refers to violent oppressions — where the man that has more power emboldens himself to inflict injury. The latter includes in it all immoderate and unrighteous desires. As, however, mankind, for the most part, indulge themselves in lust and avarice, he reminds them of what he had formerly taught — that God would be the avenger of all such things. We must observe, however, what he says — we have solemnly testified; ⁵⁶⁹ for such is the sluggishness of mankind, that, unless they are wounded to the quick, they are touched with no apprehension of God’s judgment.

Calvin: 1Th 4:7 - For God hath not called us

7.For God hath not called us. This appears to be the same sentiment with the preceding one — that the will of God is our sanctification. There is, however, a little difference between them. For after having discoursed as to the correcting of the vices of the flesh, he proves, from the end of our calling, that God desires this. For he sets us apart to himself as his peculiar possession. ⁵⁷⁰ Again, that God calls us to holiness, he proves by contraries, because he rescues us, and calls us back, from unchastity. From this he concludes, that all that reject this doctrine reject not men, but God, the Author of this calling, which altogether falls to the ground so soon as this principle as to newness of life is overthrown. Now, the reason why he rouses himself so vehemently is, because there are always wanton persons who, while they fearlessly despise God, treat with ridicule all threatenings of his judgment, and at the same time hold in derision all injunctions as to a holy and pious life. Such persons must not be taught, but must be beaten with severe reproofs as with the stroke of a hammer.

Calvin: 1Th 4:8 - Who hath also given

8.Who hath also given. That he may the more effectually turn away the Thessalonians from such contempt and obstinacy, he reminds them that they had been endowed with the Spirit of God, first, in order that they may distinguish what proceeds from God; secondly, that they make such a difference as is befitting between holiness and impurity; and thirdly, that, with heavenly authority, they may pronounce judgment against all manner of unchastity — such as will fall upon their own heads, unless they keep aloof from contagion. Hence, however wicked men may treat with ridicule all instructions that are given as to a holy life and the fear of God, those that are endowed with the Spirit of God have a very different testimony sealed upon their hearts. We must therefore take heed, lest we should extinguish or obliterate it. At the same time, this may refer to Paul and the other teachers, as though he had said, that it is not from human perception that they condemn unchastity, but they pronounce from the authority of God what has been suggested to them by his Spirit. I am inclined, however, to include both. Some manuscripts have the second person — you, which restricts the gift of the Spirit to the Thessalonians.

Calvin: 1Th 4:9 - As to brotherly love

9.As to brotherly love. Having previously, in lofty terms, commended their love, he now speaks by way of anticipation, saying, ye need not that I write to you. He assigns a reason — because they had been divinely taught — by which he means that love was engraven upon their hearts, so that there was no need of letters written on paper. For he does not mean simply what John says in his first Canonical ⁵⁷¹ Epistle, the anointing will teach you, (1Jo 2:27) but that their hearts were framed for love; so that it appears that the Holy Spirit inwardly dictates efficaciously what is to be done, so that there is no need to give injunctions in writing. He subjoins an argument from the greater to the less; for as their love diffuses itself through the whole of Macedonia, he infers that it is not to be doubted that they love one another. Hence the particle for means likewise, or nay more, for, as I have already stated, he adds it for the sake of greater intensity.

Calvin: 1Th 4:10 - And we exhort you

10.And we exhort you. Though he declares that they were sufficiently prepared of themselves for all offices of love, he nevertheless does not cease to exhort them to make progress, there being no perfection in men. And, unquestionably, whatever appears in us in a high state of excellence, we must still desire that it may become better. Some connect the verb φιλοτιμεῖσζαι with what follows, as if he exhorted them to strive at the maintaining of peace; but it corresponds better with the expression that goes before. For after having admonished them to increase in love, he recommends to them a sacred emulation, that they may strive among themselves in mutual affection, or at least he enjoins that each one strive to conquer himself; ⁵⁷² and I rather adopt this latter interpretation. That, therefore, their love may be perfect, he requires that there be a striving among them, such as is wont to be on the part of those who eagerly ⁵⁷³ aspire at victory. This is the best emulation, when each one strives to overcome himself in doing good. As to my not subscribing to the opinion of those who render the words, strive to maintain peace, this single reason appears to me to be sufficiently valid — that Paul would not in a thing of less difficulty have enjoined so arduous a conflict — which suits admirably well with advancement in love, where so many hindrances present themselves. Nor would I have any objection to the other meaning of the verb — that they should exercise liberality generally towards others.

Calvin: 1Th 4:11 - Maintain Peace // Labor with your hands

11.Maintain Peace I have already stated that this clause must be separated from what goes before, for this is a new sentence. Now, to be at peace, means in this passage — to act peacefully and without disturbance, as we also say in French — sans bruit , ( without noise.) In short, he exhorts them to be peaceable and tranquil. This is the purport of what he adds immediately afterwards — to do your own business: for we commonly see, that those who intrude themselves with forwardness into the affairs of others, make great disturbance, and give trouble to themselves and others. This, therefore, is the best means of a tranquil life, when every one, intent upon the duties of his own calling, discharges those duties which are enjoined upon him by the Lord, and devotes himself to these things: while the husbandman employs himself in rural labors, the workman carries on his occupation, and in this way every one keeps within his own limits. So soon as men turn aside from this, everything is thrown into confusion and disorder. He does not mean, however, that every one shall mind his own business in such a way as that each one should live apart, having no care for others, but has merely in view to correct an idle levity, which makes men noisy bustlers in public, who ought to lead a quiet life in their own houses.

Labor with your hands. He recommends manual labor on two accounts — that they may have a sufficiency for maintaining life, and that they may conduct themselves honorably even before unbelievers. For nothing is more unseemly than a man that is idle and good for nothing, who profits neither himself nor others, and seems born only to eat and drink. Farther, this labor or system of working extends far, for what he says as to hands is by way of synecdoche; but there can be no doubt that he includes every useful employment of human life.

Calvin: 1Th 4:13 - But I would not have you ignorant

13.But I would not have you ignorant. It is not likely that the hope of a resurrection had been torn up among the Thessalonians by profane men, as had taken place at Corinth. For we see how he chastises the Corinthians with severity, but here he speaks of it as a thing that was not doubtful. It is possible, however, that this persuasion was not sufficiently fixed in their minds, and that they accordingly, in bewailing the dead, retained something of the old superstition. For the sum of the whole is this — that we must not bewail the dead beyond due bounds, inasmuch as we are all to be raised up again. For whence comes it, that the mourning of unbelievers has no end or measure, but because they have no hope of a resurrection? It becomes not us, therefore, who have been instructed as to a resurrection, to mourn otherwise than in moderation. He is to discourse afterwards as to the manner of the resurrection; and he is also on this account to say something as to times; but in this passage he meant simply to restrain excessive grief, which would never have had such an influence among them, if they had seriously considered the resurrection, and kept it in remembrance.

He does not, however, forbid us altogether to mourn, but requires moderation in our mourning, for he says, that ye may not sorrow, as others who have no hope. He forbids them to grieve in the manner of unbelievers, who give loose reins to their grief, because they look upon death as final destruction, and imagine that everything that is taken out of the world perishes. As, on the other hand, believers know that they quit the world, that they may be at last gathered into the kingdom of God, they have not the like occasion of grief. Hence the knowledge of a resurrection is the means of moderating grief. He speaks of the dead as asleep, agreeably to the common practice of Scripture — a term by which the bitterness of death is mitigated, for there is a great difference between sleep and destruction ⁵⁷⁴ It refers, however, not to the soul, but to the body, for the dead body lies in the tomb, as in a couch, until God raise up the man. Those, therefore, act a foolish part, who infer from this that souls sleep. ⁵⁷⁵

We are now in possession of Paul’s meaning — that he lifts up the minds of believers to a consideration of the resurrection, lest they should indulge excessive grief on occasion of the death of their relatives, for it were unseemly that there should be no difference between them and unbelievers, who put no end or measure to their grief for this reason, that in death they recognize nothing but destruction. ⁵⁷⁶ Those that abuse this testimony, so as to establish among Christians Stoical indifference, that is, an iron hardness, ⁵⁷⁷ will find nothing of this nature in Paul’s words. As to their objecting that we must not indulge grief on occasion of the death of our relatives, lest we should resist God, this would apply in all adversities; but it is one thing to bridle our grief, that it may be made subject to God, and quite another thing to harden one’s self so as to be like stones, by casting away human feelings. Let, therefore, the grief of the pious be mixed with consolation, which may train them to patience. The hope of a blessed resurrection, which is the mother of patience, will effect this.

Calvin: 1Th 4:14 - For if we believe

14.For if we believe. He assumes this axiom of our faith, that Christ was raised up from the dead, that we might be partakers of the same resurrection: from this he infers, that we shall live with him eternally. This doctrine, however, as has been stated in 1Co 15:13, depends on another principle — that it was not for himself, but for us that Christ died and rose again. Hence those who have doubts as to the resurrection, do great injury to Christ: nay more, they do in a manner draw him down from heaven, as is said in Rom 10:6

To sleep in Christ, is to retain in death the connection that we have with Christ, for those that are by faith ingrafted into Christ, have death in common with him, that they may be partakers with him of life. It is asked, however, whether unbelievers will not also rise again, for Paul does not affirm that there will be a resurrection, except in the case of Christ’s members. I answer, that Paul does not here touch upon anything but what suited his present design. For he did not design to terrify the wicked, but to correct ⁵⁷⁸ the immoderate grief of the pious, and to cure it, as he does, by the medicine of consolation.

Calvin: 1Th 4:15 - For this we say unto you // We who live

15.For this we say unto you. He now briefly explains the manner in which believers will be raised up from death. Now, as he speaks of a thing that is very great, and is incredible to the human mind, and also promises what is above the power and choice of men, he premises that he does not bring forward anything that is his own, or that proceeds from men, but that the Lord is the Author of it. It is probable, however, that the word of the Lord means what was taken from his discourses. ⁵⁷⁹ For though Paul had learned by revelation all the secrets of the heavenly kingdom, it was, nevertheless, more fitted to establish in the minds of believers the belief of a resurrection, when he related those things that had been uttered by Christ’s own mouth. “We are not the first witnesses of the resurrection, but instead of this the Master himself declared it.” ⁵⁸⁰

We who live This has been said by him with this view — that they might not think that those only would be partakers of the resurrection who would be alive at the time of Christ’s coming, and that those would have no part in it who had been previously taken away by death. “The order of the resurrection,” says he, “will begin with them: ⁵⁸¹ we shall accordingly not rise without them.” From this it appears that the belief of a final resurrection had been, in the minds of some, slight and obscure, and involved in various errors, inasmuch as they imagined that the dead would be deprived of it; for they imagined that eternal life belonged to those alone whom Christ, at his last coming, would find still alive upon the earth. Paul, with the view of remedying these errors, assigns the first place to the dead, and afterwards teaches that those will follow who will be at that time remaining in this life.

As to the circumstance, however, that by speaking in the first person he makes himself, as it were, one of the number of those who will live until the last day, he means by this to arouse the Thessalonians to wait for it, nay more, to hold all believers in suspense, that they may not promise themselves some particular time: for, granting that it was by a special revelation that he knew that Christ would come at a somewhat later time, ⁵⁸² it was nevertheless necessary that this doctrine should be delivered to the Church in common, that believers might be prepared at all times. In the mean time, it was necessary thus to cut off all pretext for the curiosity of many — as we shall find him doing afterwards at greater length. When, however, he says, we that are alive, he makes use of the present tense instead of the future, in accordance with the Hebrew idiom.

Calvin: 1Th 4:16 - For the Lord himself // The dead who are in Christ

16.For the Lord himself. He employs the term κελεύσματος, ( shout,) and afterwards adds, the voice of the archangel, by way of exposition, intimating what is to be the nature of that arousing shout — that the archangel will discharge the office of a herald to summon the living and the dead to the tribunal of Christ. For though this will be common to all the angels, yet, as is customary among different ranks, he appoints one in the foremost place to take the lead of the others. As to the trumpet, however, I leave to others to dispute with greater subtlety, for I have nothing to say in addition to what I briefly noticed in the First Epistle to the Corinthians. ⁵⁸³ The Apostle unquestionably had nothing farther in view here than to give some taste of the magnificence and venerable appearance of the Judge, until we shall behold it fully. With this taste it becomes us in the mean time to rest satisfied.

The dead who are in Christ. He again says that the dead who are in Christ, that is, who are included in Christ’s body, will rise first, that we may know that the hope of life is laid up in heaven for them no less than for the living. He says nothing as to the reprobate, because this did not tend to the consolation of the pious, of which he is now treating.

He says that those that survive will be carried up together with them. As to these, he makes no mention of death: hence it appears as if he meant to say that they would be exempted from death. Here Augustine gives himself much distress, both in the twentieth book on the City of God and in his Answer to Dulcitius, because Paul seems to contradict himself, inasmuch as he says elsewhere, that seed cannot spring up again unless it die. (1Co 15:36) The solution, however, is easy, inasmuch as a sudden change will be like death. Ordinary death, it is true, is the separation of the soul from the body; but this does not hinder that the Lord may in a moment destroy this corruptible nature, so as to create it anew by his power, for thus is accomplished what Paul himself teaches must take place — that mortality shall be swallowed up of life. (2Co 5:4) What is stated in our Confession, ⁵⁸⁴ that “Christ will be the Judge of the dead and of the living,” ⁵⁸⁵ Augustine acknowledges to be true without a figure. ⁵⁸⁶ He is only at a loss as to this — how those that have not died will rise again. But, as I have said, that is a kind of death, when this flesh is reduced to nothing, as it is now liable to corruption. The only difference is this — that those who sleep ⁵⁸⁷ put off the substance of the body for some space of time, but those that will be suddenly changed will put off nothing but the quality

Calvin: 1Th 4:17 - And so we shall be ever

17.And so we shall be ever. To those who have been once gathered to Christ he promises eternal life with him, by which statements the reveries of Origen and of the Chiliasts ⁵⁸⁸ are abundantly refuted. For the life of believers, when they have once been gathered into one kingdom, will have no end any more than Christ’s. Now, to assign to Christ a thousand years, so that he would afterwards cease to reign, were too horrible to be made mention of. Those, however, fall into this absurdity who limit the life of believers to a thousand years, for they must live with Christ as long as Christ himself will exist. We must observe also what he says — we shall be, for he means that we profitably entertain a hope of eternal life, only when we hope that it has been expressly appointed for us.

Calvin: 1Th 4:18 - Comfort

18.Comfort. He now shews more openly what I have previously stated — that in the faith of the resurrection we have good ground of consolation, provided we are members of Christ, and are truly united to him as our Head. At the same time, the Apostle would not have each one to seek for himself assuagement of grief, but also to administer it to others.

Defender: 1Th 4:3 - sanctification

"Sanctification" (Greek hagiasmos) is used to indicate both separation to God (1Co 1:30; 2Th 2:13; 1Pe 1:2) and the holy lifestyle of those so separated (1Th 4:4, 1Th 4:7; Rom 6:19, Rom 6:22; 1Ti 2:15; Heb 12:14). When Christians are seeking to find the will of God for their lives, they should recognize that His will centers, first of all, on their sanctification - that is, the total dedication of their lives, as redeemed sinners, to Christ.

Defender: 1Th 4:3 - abstain from fornication

While there may be questions about engaging in "doubtful" things (Rom 14:1), there can be no doubt at all, even in this permissive age, that fornication (any sexual relationship outside of heterosexual marriage) is always contrary to God's will. Engaging in it will, inevitably, bring grief."

Defender: 1Th 4:8 - but God

Since our bodies are now temples of the indwelling Holy Spirit (God Himself), it is insulting to Him if we misuse those bodies in fornication or any uncleanness (1Co 6:19, 1Co 6:20)."

Defender: 1Th 4:11 - study

One should "diligently strive" to be silent and calm except when speaking is necessary, gracious and purposeful (Col 4:6). Christ soberly warns against "every idle word" (Mat 12:36), and Paul against "foolish talking" (Eph 5:4).

Defender: 1Th 4:11 - your own business

"Your own business" (Greek idios) places emphasis on one's own affairs, not those of others (1Pe 4:15).

Defender: 1Th 4:11 - your own hands

Paul set the example himself (2Th 3:8, 2Th 3:9). Idlers are out of place in the Christian ministry (Mat 20:6)."

Defender: 1Th 4:13 - asleep

Death for a Christian is considered merely being asleep (Joh 11:11-14). The sleep, however, applies only to the body, for the soul and spirit are with the Lord (2Co 5:8).

Defender: 1Th 4:13 - no hope

The Christian's unique "hope," one that cannot be shared by non-Christians, is the return of Christ for His own, as He had promised. That will be the great resurrection day when living believers will be reunited with all their loved ones who have died. This great event, in fact, is called the "blessed hope" (Tit 2:13; 1Jo 3:2, 1Jo 3:3; 1Pe 1:13). They had this promise "by the word of the Lord" (1Th 4:15) Himself (Joh 14:2, Joh 14:3)."

Defender: 1Th 4:14 - if

The sense here is not one of uncertainty, but of declaration, that is, "[since] we believe that Jesus died and rose again." Note also that there is no other condition than just this condition for a believer to participate in the resurrection and rapture. All born-again Christians and sleeping believers, having real faith in the substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Christ, will be called up to be with Christ when He comes.

Defender: 1Th 4:14 - in Jesus

"In Jesus" here, actually is "through Jesus" (Greek preposition is dia). Believers are often said to be in Christ, but never "in Jesus." Our "sleep" is made only that through the real death of the human Jesus, but our souls go to be "with Christ" (Phi 1:23), the resurrected Lord in heaven. Because He died, we only sleep, awaiting His return. Thus, the believer's death is only physical, partially illustrated by the dream state when the body lies still in bed while the soul and spirit are very conscious and active. These "will God bring with him when Christ returns" (see also 1Th 3:13)."

Defender: 1Th 4:15 - we

It is significant to note in these relatively early years of his ministry, Paul considered it likely that he, himself, would be living when Christ returned: "We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord," he said. This divinely inspired conviction proves that the rapture has always been imminent, not contingent on other events that must come first. That is why Jesus urged His disciples always to be watchful and ready for His return (Mat 24:42, Mat 24:44).

Defender: 1Th 4:15 - prevent

"Prevent" is an earlier English way of saying "anticipate" or "precede" (Latin for "come before")."

Defender: 1Th 4:16 - shout

The "shout" is a military command. The great event is described as a military assault with the great host of heaven, under the command of an (not "the") archangel (probably Michael - compare Jud 1:9; Rev 12:7-9), penetrating Satan's domain ("the prince of the power of the air" - Eph 2:2; Eph 6:12). The Lord Jesus, Himself, will lead the mighty army of heaven, and Satan's hosts are powerless to stem the tide. The old "strong man" of this world, the Devil, will soon be bound. The Lord "will spoil his house" (Mat 12:29), raising the dead and rapturing into the air all His redeemed ones, whether living or sleeping."

Defender: 1Th 4:17 - caught up

"Caught up" means "raptured" (Greek harpazo; the same word is used in 2Co 12:2, 2Co 12:4; Act 8:39 and Rev 12:5). The English word "rapture" comes from the Latin raptus , meaning "seized" or "carried away." This verse, of course, is the classic defining passage on the great doctrine of the rapture of the saints, caught out of this world to be with the Lord forever.

Defender: 1Th 4:17 - together with them

The dead in Christ will first be resurrected, their bodies once again serving as the temples of their souls and spirits, but made immortal (1Co 15:51-54). Then those saints living at the time (quite possibly many in this present generation) will, likewise, receive immortal, glorified bodies like that of the Lord Jesus (1Jo 3:2; Phi 3:20, Phi 3:21) and be caught up "together with them." Then living and dead believers reunited in the rapture will together meet the Lord in the air."

Defender: 1Th 4:18 - comfort

"Comfort" equals "strengthen." When we have such a blessed hope to share, it is surely reasonable that we "sorrow not, even as others which have no hope" (1Th 4:13) when our loved ones die."

TSK: 1Th 4:1 - we // we beseech // exhort // by the // ye have // ye ought // to please // so ye

we : 1Th 2:11; Rom 12:1; 2Co 6:1, 2Co 10:1; Eph 4:1; Phm 1:9, Phm 1:10; Heb 13:22

we beseech : or, we request

exhort : or, beseech.

by the : 1Th 4:2; Eph 4:20; 2Th 2:1; 1Ti 5:21, 1Ti 6:13, 1Ti 6:14; 2Ti 4:1

ye have : 1Th 4:11, 1Th 4:12; Act 20:27; 1Co 11:23, 1Co 15:1; Phi 1:27; Col 2:6; 2Th 3:10-12

ye ought : 1Th 2:12

to please : Rom 8:8, Rom 12:2; Eph 5:17; Col 1:10; Heb 11:6, Heb 13:16; 1Jo 3:22

so ye : 1Th 4:10; Job 17:9; Psa 92:14; Pro 4:18; Joh 15:2; 1Co 15:58; Phi 1:9, Phi 3:14; 2Th 1:3; 2Pe 1:5-10, 2Pe 3:18

TSK: 1Th 4:2

Eze 3:17; Mat 28:20; 1Co 9:21; 2Th 3:6, 2Th 3:10

TSK: 1Th 4:3 - this // your // that

this : 1Th 5:18; Psa 40:8, Psa 143:10; Mat 7:21, Mat 12:50; Mar 3:35; Joh 4:34, Joh 7:17; Rom 12:2; Eph 5:17, Eph 6:6; Col 1:9, Col 4:12; Heb 10:36, Heb 13:21; 1Pe 4:2; 1Jo 2:17

your : 1Th 4:4, 1Th 5:23; Joh 17:17-19; Act 20:32, Act 26:18; Rom 6:22 *Gr: 1Co 1:30, 1Co 6:11; Eph 5:26, Eph 5:27; 2Th 2:13; Tit 2:14; 1Pe 1:2

that : Mat 15:19; Act 15:20,Act 15:29; Rom 1:29; 1Co 5:9-11, 1Co 6:9, 1Co 6:10,1Co 6:13-18, 1Co 7:2; 2Co 12:21; Gal 5:19; Eph 5:3-5; Col 3:5; Heb 12:16, Heb 13:4; Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15 *Gr.

TSK: 1Th 4:4 - should // his // honour

should : Rom 6:19, Rom 12:1; 1Co 6:15, 1Co 6:18-20

his : 1Sa 21:5; Act 9:15; Rom 9:21-23; 2Ti 2:20,2Ti 2:21; 1Pe 3:7

honour : Phi 4:8; Heb 13:4

TSK: 1Th 4:5 - in the // as the // know

in the : Rom 1:24, Rom 1:26; Col 3:5

as the : Mat 6:32; Luk 12:30; Eph 4:17-19; 1Pe 4:3

know : Act 17:23, Act 17:30,Act 17:31; Rom 1:28; 1Co 1:21, 1Co 15:34; Gal 4:8; Eph 2:12; 2Th 1:8

TSK: 1Th 4:6 - go // defraud // in any matter // the Lord // as we

go : Exo 20:15, Exo 20:17; Lev 19:11, Lev 19:13; Deu 24:7, Deu 25:13-16; Pro 11:1, Pro 16:11, Pro 20:14; Pro 20:23, Pro 28:24; Isa 5:7, Isa 59:4-7; Jer 9:4; Eze 22:13, Eze 45:9-14; Amo 8:5, Amo 8:6; Zep 3:5; Mal 3:5; Mar 10:19; 1Co 6:7-9; Eph 4:28; Jam 5:4

defraud : or, oppress, or, over-reach, Lev 25:14, Lev 25:17; 1Sa 12:3, 1Sa 12:4; Pro 22:22; Jer 7:6; Mic 2:2; Zep 3:1; Jam 2:6

in any matter : or, in the matter

the Lord : Deu 32:35; Job 31:13, Job 31:14; Psa 94:1, Psa 140:12; Pro 22:22, Pro 22:23; Ecc 5:8; Isa 1:23, Isa 1:24; Rom 1:18, Rom 12:19; Eph 5:6; 2Th 1:8

as we : Luk 12:5; Gal 5:21; Eph 4:17

TSK: 1Th 4:7 - God // uncleanness

God : Lev 11:44, Lev 19:2; Rom 1:7, Rom 8:29, Rom 8:30; 1Co 1:2; Eph 1:4, Eph 2:10, Eph 4:1; 2Th 2:13, 2Th 2:14; 2Ti 1:9; Heb 12:14; 1Pe 1:14-16, 1Pe 2:9-12, 1Pe 2:21, 1Pe 2:22

uncleanness : 1Th 2:3; Gal 5:19; Eph 4:19; 2Pe 2:10

TSK: 1Th 4:8 - despiseth // despiseth not // who

despiseth : or, rejecteth, 1Sa 8:7, 1Sa 10:19; Joh 12:48

despiseth not : Pro 1:7, Pro 23:9; Isa 49:7, Isa 53:10; Luk 10:16; Act 13:41; Jud 1:8

who : Neh 9:30; Act 5:3, Act 5:4; 1Co 2:10, 1Co 7:40; 1Pe 1:12; 2Pe 1:21; 1Jo 3:24

TSK: 1Th 4:9 - touching // ye need // for ye

touching : Lev 19:8; Psa 133:1; Joh 13:34, Joh 13:35, Joh 15:12-17; Act 4:32; Rom 12:10; Eph 5:1, Eph 5:2; Heb 13:1; 1Pe 3:8; 2Pe 1:7; 1Jo 2:10, 1Jo 3:11, 1Jo 3:14-19, 1Jo 3:23; 1Jo 4:7-16

ye need : 1Th 5:1; Jer 31:34; Heb 8:10,Heb 8:11; 1Jo 2:20-27

for ye : Isa 51:13; Mat 22:39; Joh 6:44, Joh 6:45, Joh 13:34, Joh 14:26, Joh 15:12, Joh 15:17; Eph 5:2; Heb 10:16; 1Pe 4:8; 1Jo 3:11, 1Jo 3:23, 1Jo 4:21, 1Jo 5:1

TSK: 1Th 4:10 - all the // that ye

all the : 1Th 1:7; 2Co 8:1, 2Co 8:2, 2Co 8:8-10; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 2Th 1:3; Phm 1:5-7

that ye : 1Th 4:1, 1Th 3:12; Phi 1:9, Phi 3:13-15; 2Pe 3:18

TSK: 1Th 4:11 - that // study // and to do // to work

that : Pro 17:1; Ecc 4:6; Lam 3:26; 2Th 3:12; 1Ti 2:2; 1Pe 3:4

study : Rom 15:20; 2Co 5:9 *Gr.

and to do : Mar 13:34; Luk 12:42, Luk 12:43; Rom 12:4-8; Col 3:22-24; 2Th 3:11; 1Ti 5:13; Tit 2:4-10; 1Pe 4:10,1Pe 4:11, 1Pe 4:15

to work : Act 20:35; Rom 12:11; 1Co 4:12; Eph 4:28; 2Th 3:7-12; Tit 3:14 *marg.

TSK: 1Th 4:12 - ye may walk // them // nothing

ye may walk : 1Th 5:22; Rom 12:17, Rom 13:13; 2Co 8:20,2Co 8:21; Phi 4:8; Tit 2:8-10; 1Pe 2:12; 1Pe 3:16, 1Pe 3:17

them : Mar 4:11; 1Co 5:12, 1Co 5:13; Col 4:5; 1Ti 3:7; 1Pe 3:1

nothing : or, no man, 2Co 11:7-9

TSK: 1Th 4:13 - I would // which are // ye sorrow // which have

I would : Rom 1:13; 1Co 10:1, 1Co 12:1; 2Co 1:8; 2Pe 3:8

which are : 1Th 4:15, 1Th 5:10; 1Ki 1:21, 1Ki 2:10; Dan 12:2; Mat 27:52; Luk 8:52, Luk 8:53; Joh 11:11-13; Act 7:60, Act 13:36; 1Co 15:6, 1Co 15:18; 2Pe 3:4

ye sorrow : Gen 37:35; Lev 19:28; Deu 14:1, Deu 14:2; 2Sa 12:19, 2Sa 12:20, 2Sa 18:33; Job 1:21; Eze 24:16-18; Joh 11:24; Act 8:2

which have : Eph 2:12; Job 19:25-27; Pro 14:32; Eze 37:11; 1Co 15:19

TSK: 1Th 4:14 - if we // sleep // God

if we : Isa 26:19; Rom 8:11; 1Co 15:12-23; 2Co 4:13, 2Co 4:14; Rev 1:18

sleep : 1Th 4:13, 1Th 3:13; 1Co 15:18; Rev 14:13

God : 1Th 4:17; Gen 49:19; Zec 14:15; Mat 24:31; 1Co 15:23; Phi 3:20,Phi 3:21; 2Th 2:1; Jud 1:14, Jud 1:15

TSK: 1Th 4:15 - by the // which are // prevent // asleep

by the : 1Ki 13:1, 1Ki 13:9, 1Ki 13:17, 1Ki 13:18, 1Ki 13:22, 1Ki 20:35, 1Ki 22:14

which are : 1Co 15:51-53; 2Co 4:14

prevent : Job 41:11; Psa 88:13, Psa 119:147, Psa 119:148; Mat 17:25

asleep : 1Th 4:13

TSK: 1Th 4:16 - the Lord // with a // the archangel // with the trump // and the

the Lord : Isa 25:8, Isa 25:9; Mat 16:27, Mat 24:30,Mat 24:31, Mat 25:31, Mat 26:64; Act 1:11; 2Th 1:7; 2Pe 3:10; Rev 1:7

with a : Num 23:21; Psa 47:1, Psa 47:5; Zec 4:7, Zec 9:9

the archangel : Jud 1:9

with the trump : Exo 19:16, Exo 20:18; Isa 27:13; Zec 9:14; 1Co 15:52; Rev 1:10, Rev 8:13

and the : 1Co 15:23, 1Co 15:51, 1Co 15:52; Rev 20:5, Rev 20:6

TSK: 1Th 4:17 - we which // caught // in the // and so

we which : 1Th 4:15; 1Co 15:52

caught : 1Ki 18:12; 2Ki 2:11, 2Ki 2:16; Act 8:39; 2Co 12:2-4; Rev 11:12, Rev 12:5

in the : Mat 26:64; Mar 14:62; Act 1:9; Rev 1:7

and so : Psa 16:11, Psa 17:15, Psa 49:15, Psa 73:24; Isa 35:10, Isa 60:19, Isa 60:20; Joh 12:26, Joh 14:3; Joh 17:24; 2Co 5:8; Phi 1:23; 2Pe 3:13; Rev 7:14-17, Rev 21:3-7, Rev 21:22, Rev 21:23; Rev 22:3-5

TSK: 1Th 4:18 - Wherefore // comfort

Wherefore : 1Th 5:11, 1Th 5:14; Isa 40:1, Isa 40:2; Luk 21:28; Heb 12:12

comfort : or, exhort, Heb 10:24, Heb 10:25

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: 1Th 4:1 - as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk

1Th 4:1-8 Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians to proceed in their

endeavours to please God by a holy and just conversation.

1Th 4:9,10 He commendeth their love to one another, entreating

them to abound in it,

1Th 4:11,12 and quietly to follow their respective callings.

1Th 4:13-18 And that they might not sorrow for the dead, as men

without hope, he briefly deseribeth the resurrection

of the just, and Christ’ s second coming.

He descends to some particular duties about their walking, which he ushers in by a general exhortation in this first verse; wherein we may observe his style: he calls them brethren and speaks to them with much condescension and earnestness, and in the name of Christ, &c. And the subject he insists on is their walking, the course of their life and conversation, which he describes by the rule of it,

as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk he refers them to the directions he had given them about it as the rule; for he did in his ministry not only open gospel mysteries, but explain moral duties. And not only to walk in them, but to abound more and more, to press forward to a greater exactness and excellency in their Christian conversation. And he here useth motives:

1. From the Person in whose name he speaks to them, which is the Lord Jesus Christ; for he was but Christ’ s minister and ambassador.

2. From the knowledge they had received of their duty, and therefore they could not plead ignorance.

3. Their walking as they had been instructed by him would please God

Poole: 1Th 4:2 - By the Lord Jesus

This explains what he said before; what they had received of him about their walking he here calls commandments not so much his own as the Lord’ s, as the word itself imports here used, and is expressed in the text.

By the Lord Jesus: though the apostle had authority, yet it was but derivative from Christ; and therefore not to walk as the apostle had commanded would be disobedience to Christ himself. And he minds them of what they knew, that their knowledge might be exemplified in practice; for as faith, so knowledge, is dead which doth not influence the life; and they knew that he commanded them not in his own name, but in the name of Christ.

Poole: 1Th 4:3 - abstain from fornication

What in the former verse he called commandments from Christ, he here calls the will of God or he had some further duties to lay before them, which he had not yet given commandments about, which were the will of God. There is the secret and revealed will of God, and his revealed will is about things to be believed or practised. The latter is here meant, so that the will of God is put figuratively here for the things he willeth, or commandeth of us. And that which the apostle first mentions is sanctification which is often taken for holiness in general, which consists in men’ s conformity to the will of God both in the heart and life. But I think not so taken here, but for chastity, as opposite to the sin of uncleanness, as the apostle explains it in the next words. For to

abstain from fornication is the will of God. And by it is meant all unchasteness, either of persons married or unmarried; and that either in the heart, or in speech, or in the eye, or lascivious gesture, as well as in the very act itself. It was a sin common among the Gentiles, especially the Grecians, and judged as no sin. And therefore it is particularly mentioned and forbidden to the believing Gentiles by the council of Jerusalem, lest they should apprehend it not to be an evil, Act 15:20 . For it is not so evident by the light of nature as many other moral evils; and therefore the apostle tells the Thessalonians that it is the will of God they should abstain from it, and that is a sufficient ground either of doing or not doing. This will of God is expressed in the seventh commandment, which though the Jews well knew, yet these new converted Gentiles might not yet so well understand. And therefore the apostle in his several Epistles to the Gentile churches doth dehort them from it, especially the Corinthians, 1Co 6:9 , and that by many arguments. It is a sin which corrupts and effeminates the mind, captivates the heart, consumes the flesh, and wastes men’ s estates. So that this will of God that forbids it is a good will, Rom 12:2 , as all the commandments of God are said to be for our good, Deu 10:13 .

Poole: 1Th 4:4 - And honour // how to possess his vessel in sanctification // and

This is added as a means to prevent that sin. By vessel some understand the married wife, who is called the weaker vessel 1Pe 3:7 ; and her husband is to possess her in sanctification in chastity, as the Greek word may signify here.

And honour for as marriage is honourable to all men, Heb 3:4 , so to live chastely in a married estate is honourable also. For by whoredom man gets dishonour, and his reproach shall not be wiped away, Pro 6:33 . Others by vessel understand the body, which is the vessel of the soul; the soul carries it up and down, useth it in the several functions of the vegetative, sensitive, and intellectual life. And so some understand the words of David to the priest, 1Sa 21:5 : The vessels of the young men are holy, being kept from women; that is, their bodies. Fornication is said above all other sins to be a sin against the body, 1Co 6:18 , and he that keeps his body chaste possesseth his vessel, keeps it under government; whereas by fornication we give it to a harlot, and that which is a member of Christ we make it the member of a harlot, 1Co 6:15 ; and though the words are directed properly to the masculine sex, the word ekaston being masculine, yet under that the female is comprehended. And because the practice of this duty requires care, skill, and much watchfulness against temptations, therefore saith the apostle that every man may know

how to possess his vessel in sanctification To which is added,

and in honour for acts of uncleanness dishonour the body; Rom 1:24 : God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies, & c. God hath bestowed much curious workmanship upon the body, it is part of Christ’ s purchase, and, with the soul, is a member of Christ, a temple of the Holy Ghost, in all true saints, alld therefore should be possessed with honour. Or it is to be kept to the honour and glory of God, as 1Co 6:20 , and to be offered up a holy sacrifice to him, Rom 12:1 .

Poole: 1Th 4:5 - the lust of concupiscence // Even as the Gentiles which know not God

Any violence of affection we call passion, whether of love, or anger, or desire, because the soul is passive, or suffers thereby. The Stoics said passions were not incident to a wise man; and: They that are Christ’ s, saith the apostle, have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts, Gal 5:24 . And lust is usually taken for all inordinate affection, either with respect to the object or degree; though the Greek word doth signify only desire, and is sometimes taken in a good sense, as Phi 1:23 ; for, there are good lustings as well as evil, as Gal 5:17 , the Spirit lusteth against the flesh; but here the word is taken in a bad sense, for the lust of uncleanness, which the apostle here calls

the lust of concupiscence The philosophers distinguish of the affections or passions of the soul, some are irascible, some concupiscible. The former are conversant about evil, to repel it or fly from it; the latter about good, either real or imaginary, to pursue it or embrace it. And the lusts of concupiscence are either of the mind or of the flesh, Eph 2:3 : here we understand the latter, that fleshly concupiscence that is conversant about women, which if by vessel in the former verse is understood man’ s lawful wife, then he forbids all unchasteness even towards her; if the body, then he forbids all unchaste usage of the body in any kind, or towards any person whatsoever. And, to avoid fornication, he forbids lust that leads to it.

Even as the Gentiles which know not God which the apostle useth as an argument to them: Though ye are Gentiles by nation as well as others, yet not in state, such as know not God. There is a natural knowledge of God, which the apostle speaks of, Rom 1:21 , which the Gentiles had; and supernatural, which is by the Scriptures; to know the mind, will, nature, decrees, and counsels of God as they are there revealed: and the knowledge of God in Christ; this is meant in the text, and this the Gentiles had not, and therefore no wonder though they followed the lust of concupiscence, they wanted the rule of God’ s word to direct them, and that effectual knowledge of God, and presence of his grace, that would have restrained them from such lust. But these Thessalonians now, since their conversion by the gospel, were come to this knowledge of God, which they had not before, and therefore were not to live as before they did. Knowledge ought to influence our hearts and lives, and to sin against knowledge is the great aggravation of sin, and will make men more inexcusable. But yet where knowledge is wanting what wickedness will not men practise! The Gentiles were alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them, Eph 4:18 . The Jews crucified Christ, and Saul persecuted the disciples, through ignorance, 1Ti 1:13 . Much more are those Christians to be condemned, who, having more knowledge than the Gentiles, yet practise worse than they; as the apostle upbraids the Jews upon this account, Rom 2:27 .

Poole: 1Th 4:6 - go beyond // As we also have forewarned you and testified

This some understand to be another part of sanctification, mentioned before, 1Th 4:3 , taking the word sanctification in a more general sense. And as before he spake of chastity, so here of commutative justice in commerce and traffic; and the rather because Thessalonica was a city of great trade and merchandise, and it is true that sanctification doth comprehend this righteousness in it, and will restrain men from that which is opposite to it, which, as the apostle speaks, is going beyond and defrauding his brother. To

go beyond is that which we call overreaching; when in buying or selling we keep not a just measure, when we observe not a due proportion between the price and the commodity, considering it either in its natural worth, or in such circumstances as make it more or less valuable: or, to take advantage of another’ s ignorance or necessities, to take unreasonable profit: or, to break covenant with another, answering to the Hebrew word Gnabhar, used in this sense, Deu 17:2 : the original word signifies to transgress, or go above the due bounds. And to defraud is, when, out of a covetous mind, we exact upon another beyond what is meet. Some refer the former word to injustice by force, and the latter by fraud, 2Co 7:2 . And the evil is the greater because done to a brother There is a brother by a common relation, and so all men that partake of human nature are brethren; or by special relation, which is either natural, civil, or spiritual. We may understand the word in all these senses, especially the last, that those that are brethren in Christ and in the faith, should not defraud one another. And when the apostle adds, in any matter, the word any not being in the Greek, we may better read it, in dealing, or doing; the word is general, and is to be restrained by the subject matter spoken of. There is another sense of the words, agreeable to the former verses, and the verse that follows, and so some understand the apostle as still speaking of chastity; and so here he forbids the invading another’ s bed, transgressing the bounds of marriage, whereby men go beyond or defraud their brother, usurping the use of another man’ s wife, whom he hath no right to. And then in any matter we must read, in that matter which he had been speaking of before, or it is a modest expression of the act of adultery. The Hebrew Bo is often used in the Old Testament for carnal copulation, and thence the Greek bainw and uqerbainw , here used; and the other word, qleonektein , denotes excessiveness in it, Eph 4:19 . And the reason he adds is: because the Lord is the avenger of all such. Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord, Deu 32:35 Rom 12:19 . Whether we understand it of fraud, or overreaching in dealings, when man cannot right and relieve himself, the righteous God will avenge the unrighteousness of men; or of the fraud of the marriage bed, which is done in secret, and man cannot avenge himself, Heb 13:4 .

As we also have forewarned you and testified: and this the apostle saith he had forewarned them of, and testified. Though the light of nature told the heathen that God was an avenger of wickedness, Act 28:4 , and the heathen could say, ’ Ecei yeov ekdikon omma . God hath a revengeful eye; yet the apostle had in his preaching assured it. He had told them of Christ’ s coming to judge the world, when he would execute vengeance, Jud 1:15 ; and this they were before ignorant of: and though God sometimes takes vengeance in this world, yet he seems to refer to this last vengeance, because he speaks of it as that which he had forewarned them of, and testified in his ministry, and whereof they had not so clear a testimony in natural conscience.

Poole: 1Th 4:7-8 - Who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit

Ver. 7,8. These two verses are added, as further arguments to persuade to that chastity he had spoken of, called sanctification, 1Th 4:3,4 . The first is taken from their Christian calling, which is not to uncleanness, but to chastity, called holiness When they were Gentiles in state, they lived in the lust of uncleanness, but they were now called by the power of the gospel, and brought to such a profession that did forbid and condemn it. And the author of their call is God himself, though the apostles and other ministers were the instruments. Whence he fetcheth this second argument, 1Th 4:8 , that if this chastity he despised, or rejected, as we may read the text, it is not man, but God, that is despised. To despise a minister in a commandment he delivers from God is to despise God himself, Luk 10:16 , &c.; and the apostle doth here intimate, not to obey the commandment of God is a despising God. Or, that the apostle was despised by some because of the outward meanness of his person, or questioning his authority.

Who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit: this he adds as a third argument; so that what he had preached to them, was not from himself, but from the Holy Spirit. Or if by us he means these Thessalonians also, as some copies read it, he hath given you, &c., then he argues from the gift of the Holy Spirit they had received against living in the sin of uncleanness. This would be very disagreeable, not only to their holy calling, but the Holy Spirit God had given them. Or else these arguments of the apostle are to persuade to universal holiness, taking sanctification and holiness in a larger sense; and uncleanness, for all sin in general standing opposite thereunto. Sin is often spoken of in Scripture under the notion of filth, defilement, pollution, &c., and so was typed forth under the law; and to be cleansed from sin is a cleansing man from filthiness, 2Co 7:1 ; so that to live in sin, as the apostle argues, is to live in uncleanness, to contradict our holy calling, to despise God, and to walk contrary to the nature and dictates of his Holy Spirit.

Poole: 1Th 4:9 - But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you // For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: the apostle proceeds from chastity and justice to speak of brotherly love, which is love upon a spiritual ground; to love the saints as such, with respect to God as a common Father, and so all his children are brethren, 1Th 2:8,9 ; so Heb 13:1 . And he persuadeth the practice of it by a loving and winning insinuation; Sure you are forward enough of yourselves; as he useth the same artifice, Act 26:27,28 2Co 9:1 ; wherein the apostle tacitly commends them, and hereby would engage them to answer the commendation, and good opinion he had of them.

For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another what need I write to teach you that which you have already been taught of God? The saints have this promise, Isa 54:13 Jer 31:34 ; fulfilled, 1Jo 2:26,27 : and this Divine teaching is always efficacious, for none teacheth like God. Not that all teaching of men is to be laid aside, as some enthusiasts would hence infer, but that the apostle thought he had less need to teach that which God himself had so effectually taught them. Hereby we perceive that God’ s teaching doth not only enlighten the mind, but reacheth the affections, and especially inclines the heart to love, for God is love; and though they were taught other things of God besides this love, yet he mentions only this as the most proper work of the Spirit of God by the gospel; and though common love of man to man may be found in mere nature.

Poole: 1Th 4:10 - Toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia // But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more

As an evidence of the truth of their love for which he commended them, and that they were taught it of God, he gives a practical instance of it in this verse; else the apostle might have been thought to flatter, or to command a love that was without fruit; and therefore he saith not, ye profess it, but ye do it: so 2Co 8:11 , perform the doing of it.

Toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia which was a large province, wherein were planted many churches. Their love was not guided by interests, opinions, civil relations, or self-respects, but it reached to all that were brethren; and that in some real effect of it, in some work of charity, or liberality, or otherwise, not here mentioned, but we read of it, 2Co 8:1,2 .

But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more but, however, their love was not yet perfect, and therefore he beseecheth them to abound more and more; either meant as to the extent of it, not to confine it only to Macedonia, or as to the degree of it, to excel men in it, as the Greek word may be rendered: and the same word the apostle useth, and upon the same account, 2Co 8:7 . Neither love, nor any other grace, is made perfect at once; even those that are taught of God, are taught by degrees. And love being a grace so suitable to the gospel, and their present suffering state, he therefore especially exhorts to a progress in it.

Poole: 1Th 4:11 - And that ye study to be quiet // And to do your own business // And to work with your own hands // As we commanded you

And that ye study to be quiet: he exhorts to quietness, and yet to be diligent; and probably he might see this needful, either by what he himself had observed amongst them, or by what he had heard of them, as appears by what he writes in his Second Epistle, 2Th 3:10,11 . To be quiet is to be of a peaceable temper and carriage, as the Greek word hsucazein importeth both; and stands contrary to strife, contention, division, either upon a civil or religious account. And to

study to be quiet because the thing may be difficult, especially in some circumstances of times, places, and persons. And the Greek word filotimeisyai implies an ambitious study. Quietness we should pursue with a holy ambition, as that which is honourable to ourselves and our profession, Pro 20:3 . The same word is used 2Co 5:9 , where it is rendered we labour, & c. Study is properly the exercise of the mind, yet it here comprehends any kind of labour. This agrees with what the apostle elsewhere exhorteth to, Heb 12:14 : see 1Pe 3:11 .

And to do your own business: he next commendeth to them diligence, and that in our own business; and this he prescribeth as a good way for quietness, contentions often arising from meddling in the affairs of other men which concern us not; for which he rebukes some in this church, 2Th 3:11 . But yet only to seek our own things is a great fault, and lamented by the apostle, Phi 2:21 . We are to concern ourselves in the affairs of others when called to it, and not otherwise; and then we may reckon them among our own things. A Christian’ s calling is either general or particular, and what falls not within the compass of one of these, is to be accounted not our own business. And our doing and suffering ought to be kept within the sphere of our calling; for to suffer otherwise, is to suffer as busybodies, which the apostle cautions against, 1Pe 4:15 ; as a bishop intruding himself into another’ s office, to which the word there alludes.

And to work with your own hands this condemneth idleness, and living out of a calling; we are not only to keep within our own sphere, but to stretch forth our hands to work. The same precept he gives to the Ephesians, Eph 4:28 , not to steal, but to work with their hands, that they may not only eat their own bread, 2Th 3:12 , but have to give to him that lacketh. Not that there is no other work but that of the hands; the ministers of the gospel are excused from that, 1Co 9:6 , but not from work; there is the work of the head, and the tongue, and the foot, and the lungs, as well as of the hands; but either under one species he comprehends all, or it may be he fitteth his speech to the condition of the people to whom he writes, who generally had such occupations wherein they wrought with their hands, Thessalonica being a great place of trade. And the apostle speaks of the churches of Macedonia as a poor sort of people, 2Co 8:2 , and liberal beyond their power; though some among them might be tempted to idleness by the charity of others to them, which, as some conceive, was the occasion of the apostle’ s thus writing. But if men have estates, and upon that account need not work, yet no man is to be idle: men’ s time, parts, or other talents are to be employed, and account thereof is to be given, Mat 25:19 ; and the unprofitable servant is cast into outer darkness, Mat 25:30 . Some way or other every man is to work, and may work, for profit to himself and others, unless under some invincible impediment.

As we commanded you he means, when he was with them. He might probably observe some occasion for this commandment. Industry is of good report with all; and by meddling in others’ affairs, and unquiet carriage and idleness, they might dishonour their Christian profession among the heathen, which might be the chief reason of this commandment: and the apostle doth not act herein as a civil magistrate, commanding about civil affairs for the public welfare; but as a minister of Christ, with respect to a spiritual end, as appears by what follows.

Poole: 1Th 4:12 - That ye may walk honestly // Toward them that are without // That ye may have lack of nothing

He enforceth his commands by a twofold reason, the former is ab honesto, the other is ab utili. First:

That ye may walk honestly or decently, as the word is rendered, 1Co 14:40 .

Toward them that are without that is, Gentiles, infidels, so they are described, 1Co 5:12 Col 4:5 ; as those that were received into the church of Christ are said to be within. The apostle would have them honour the gospel before the heathen in such moral actions which they did approve of, and were able to judge of, not understanding the higher mysteries of faith and gospel holiness; which he calls walking in wisdom totoards them that are without, Col 4:5 . The other reason is ab utili:

That ye may have lack of nothing or, of no man, have no need to beg of any man. It might offend and be a stumblingblock to the Gentiles, to see Christians to beg of any, and especially of themselves, for their necessary relief. Or, of nothing; that you may by your own labour be able to subsist, and not depend upon others, and so not be a burden to friends, or a scandal to strangers. For every man to subsist by his own labour, was the primitive law to Adam, Gen 3:19 , commended often by Solomon in his Proverbs, and enjoined by the apostle to believing Christians, 2Th 3:10 .

Poole: 1Th 4:13

The apostle now proceeds to a new discourse, about moderating of their sorrow for the dead, not for all, but the dead in Christ. He had either observed their sorrow in this kind excessive, while with them; or else by Timothy, or some other way, he had heard of it. Wherein observe in general, he doth not condemn their sorrow, but the excess of it. Grace destroys not nature, but regulates it; nor reason, but rectifies it; nor takes away the affections, but moderates them; doth not make us Stoics, or stocks. Affections are good when set upon right objects, and kept within due bounds, and this Christianity doth teach, and grace doth effect. And to mourn for the dead, especially the dead in the Lord, is a duty that both nature and grace teach, and God requireth; and the contrary is reproved by God himself, Isa 57:1 , and to die unlamented is reckoned as a curse, Jer 22:18,19 . It is only then immoderate sorrow the apostle here means; and to prevent it, or remove it, gives many instructions and arguments. And he supposeth their ignorance might be a great occasion of it, and so instructs them about the doctrine of the resurrection, and Christ’ s personal coming again, which by the light of nature, while Gentiles, they knew nothing of, or were very uncertain in. And the apostle, because of his short stay among them, had not had opportunity to instruct them about these things, and therefore doth it here distinctly and fully; as he doth the Corinthians, hearing there were some among them, even of the church itself, that said there was no resurrection, 1Co 15:12 . It is such a mystery to reason, that it is hard to believe it; and the most learned of the heathen doubted of it, and some exploded and scoffed at it, as we find, Act 17:18 , even such as yet held the immortality of the soul. And hereupon in this verse the apostle doth assert two things in general to relieve them against immoderate sorrow.

1. He calls the death of the saints a sleep , see Dan 12:2 Luk 8:52 Joh 11:11 1Co 15:20,51whether referring to those that are already dead, or do die, or that shall afterwards die; and why should they then excessively mourn? After sleep we know there is awaking, and by sleep nature is revived; and so it shall be with the saints in death. Hereupon the grave is called a bed, Isa 57:2 ; and the burying place, cemeterium, a place of sleep. And:

2. There is hope in their death, as Pro 14:32 ; there is hope concerning their happy state after death, and hope of their resurrection, and seeing them again at Christ’ s coming; it is not an eternal farewell. This the apostle here intends. And they will be then seen in a more excellent state, and probably so seen then as that their Christian friends may know them; else the apostle’ s argument would not have so much strength, and so well suit the present case. The heathen and infidels buried their dead without this hope, as they are said to be without hope, Eph 2:12 ; and so were excessive in their sorrows, which they expressed by cutting their flesh, making themselves bald, doleful songs, and mourning ejulations, expressed sometimes upon instruments: and which the Jews had learned from them, as appears by God’ s often reproving it, and Christ’ s putting out the minstrels, Mat 9:23,24 ; and as that which he forbade them, Lev 19:28 Deu 14:1 . And the apostle may refer to this in the text, as that which is not only grievous to nature, but dishonourable to a Christian’ s faith, hope, and profession. We are hereby the betrayers of our faith and hope, and the things we preach will seem false and feigned. Cypr. de Mortalitate. And though man is said to die without hope as to a return to his former state of life here, Job 14:7-10 ; yet not with respect to the life at the resurrection, in them that die in Jesus.

Poole: 1Th 4:14 - For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again // Question // Answer // Even so them also which sleep in Jesus // Will God bring with him

As in the former verse the apostle made use of the hope of the resurrection, as an argument against immoderate sorrow, so here he proves the resurrection by Christ’ s rising again, &c.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again he supposeth they did believe that Christ died and rose again; it was that which he had taught them, and which they had received, as being the two first and fundamental points of the Christian faith, without which they could not have been a church of Christ.

Question. But how doth Christ’ s resurrection prove the resurrection of the saints? He being the eternal Son of God, might have a privilege above all.

Answer. This first shows the thing is possible, God hath already done it in Christ.

2. Christ rose for our justification, Rom 4:25 ; and in justification sin is pardoned which brought in death, and which alone by its guilt can keep under the dominion of death.

3. Christ rose not as a private person, but as the Head of the body, his church, Eph 1:4,20 , &c., and so loosed the bands of death, and conquered the grave, for his people.

4. As the first-fruits, 1Co 15:20 , which was a pledge and assurance of the whole harvest to follow.

5. God hath predestinated the elect, whom he foreknew, to be conformed to the image of his Son, Rom 8:29 .

6. He is not complete without them, Eph 1:23 .

Lastly: They sleep in Jesus as the text speaks; not only live but die in him, Rev 14:13 , their union remains with Christ even in death.

Even so them also which sleep in Jesus by which words also the apostle distinguisheth believers from all others; it is only they shall have the privilege of this blessed resurrection who sleep in Jesus. And perseverance in Christ to the end is here also intimated.

Will God bring with him and though their resurrection is not expressed in the text, yet it is implied in this saying. By God is meant, as some understand here, the Son of God, who is to come from heaven, 1Th 1:10 , and who will bring the spirits of just men, made perfect in heaven, with him, and unite them to their bodies, which cannot be done without their resurrection: whereby the apostle gives another argument against excessive sorrow for the saints departed, they shall return from heaven again with Christ at his coming. Others understand it of God the Father, who will raise the dead, and then bring them to his Son, and bring them with him to heaven. Those that read the text, those that sleep, or die, for Jesus, and so confine it only to martyrs, restrain it to too narrow a sense.

Poole: 1Th 4:15 - For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord // That we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep

The apostle here sets down particularly the manner of the Lord’ s coming, the method and order how all the saints shall then meet with him and with one another, which we find not so distinctly in any other scripture; and whereby he further prosecutes the argument he is upon.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that they might not think that what he speaks was either by some tradition from others, or an invention of his own; and that is ground enough for faith, to which our judgment and reason ought to be captivated.

That we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep: that which he saith here about the resurrection, Christ’ s coming, the ministry of angels, the sound of a trumpet, the voice of Christ at that day, we have it in the evangelists; but the method and order of all the saints meeting together, and meeting the Lord in the air, we find not in any express words before written; the apostle speaks it here by extraordinary revelation, which is the word of the Lord, though not then written. And this order is expressed:

1. Negatively. The saints then living upon earth shall not be with Christ sooner than those that were fallen asleep, and be caught up into the air while the others are in the grave; and the apostle speaks as if he should be one of that number: surely he could not think the coming of Christ should be in the age wherein he lived; he speaks otherwise, 2Th 2:2 ; or that his life should be prolonged to that day; for the time of his departure, he saith, was at hand, 2Ti 4:6 . But he looks upon the whole body of saints together, and himself as one of that number, and so speaks, we which are alive and remain, & c.; as in 1Co 15:51 : We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

2. Affirmatively. The dead in Christ shall rise first, that is, before they that are alive shall be caught up into the air; they shall stay till the rest be risen: as 1Co 15:51 : We shall not all sleep, but be changed, and in a moment; which the apostle calls clothed upon, 2Co 5:2 , and which he rather desired than to be unclothed, 1Th 4:4 : and then they that are dead in Christ shall rise, and be united to these in one visible body.

Poole: 1Th 4:16 - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout // With the voice of the archangel

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout the means which effect this. The word shout in the Greek signifies a command, or word of command; alluding to mariners or soldiers summoned to be ready with their assistance when called upon; and may refer to the angels whom Christ now summons to attend and assist in that day. And the evangelist speaks of the voice of Christ, Joh 5:28 , which is there said to raise the dead. Whether this is an oral shout and voice from the mouth of Christ, or only an expression of his Divine power, whereby he shall awaken them that sleep out of their graves, is a question I shall not be curious about.

With the voice of the archangel: Christ is said to come with all the holy angels, Mat 25:31 ; and to send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, Mat 24:31 . But here is mentioned only the archangel and his voice, instead of all the rest, they all coming under his conduct. Though there be not such distinct orders of angels as the schoolmen affirm, yet there is order among them, as archangel implies. And whether he will put forth an audible voice or not at that day, or whether this archangel be not the same with Christ himself, who is the Head of all principality and power, Col 2:10 , I leave it as doubtful; but, however, it is certain the angels shall be ministering to Christ at that day, especially in the resurrection of the elect, Mat 24:31 , and severing the righteous from the wicked, Mat 13:41 .

And with the trump of God; as 1Co 15:52 . And whether this is to be taken literally, and distinct from the shout and voice before mentioned, or used only to show forth the Divine power of God that shall gather all the elect together out of their graves, as the trumpet in war gathers the scattered army, or as the silver trumpets under the law assembled the congregation of Israel, I shall not be positive. And this is the account of the saints that are raised.

Poole: 1Th 4:17 - caught up // together with them // in the clouds // To meet the Lord in the air

Christ will have a church to the end of the world, and some will be found alive at his coming, and will be

caught up or snatched up, to denote its suddenness, it may be in the arms of angels, or by some immediate attractive power of Christ; and it will be

together with them that are now raised from the dead; they shall all ascend in one great body, and it will be

in the clouds as Christ himself ascended in a cloud, Act 1:9 , and so will return again, Mat 24:30 , he making the clouds his chariots, Psa 104:3 .

To meet the Lord in the air:

1. To congratulate his coming, when others shall flee and tremble.

2. To put honour upon him; as the angels will also attend him for that end.

3. To receive their final discharge.

4. To be visibly joined to their Head.

5. To be assistants with him in judging of the world, and to reign with him upon earth.

And whether the last judgment will be upon the earth, or in the air, I shall not determine; but after this Christ and his saints shall never part. Their first meeting shall be in the air, and their continuance will be with him while he is in this lower world, and after that they shall ascend with him into heaven, and so be for ever with him. Augustine imagined that the saints that are found alive shall in their rapture die, and then immediately revive, because it is appointed to all men once to die; but the apostle saith expressly: We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed, 1Co 15:51 .

Poole: 1Th 4:18 - comfort one another // with these words

The apostle makes application of all this discourse to the end he designed, which was to comfort them under their sorrows for departed Christian friends; and he saith not, be ye comforted, but

comfort one another to put them upon the great duty of Christian sympathy; though this is a duty we owe to all, yet especially to the saints, and more especially of the same particular congregation. And funeral sorrows are usually most afflictive, and therefore need to be allayed with words of comfort; and not with any words, but, saith the apostle,

with these words or these things, as the Hebrew, the things or words that he had before laid before them. The philosophers used many arguments against the fears of death, and for comfort under funeral sorrows, but Christians should fetch their comforts from the Scriptures. These are the best, most solid, most durable, and universal, and therefore the apostle commends them to the believing Romans, Rom 15:4 , as here to these Thessalonians particularly. These considerations, that those which sleep in Jesus shall rise again, and that we shall meet them again, and we and they shall be for ever with the Lord together, are a great relief against the sorrows of their departure hence. And the comforts arising hence may serve to support under other sorrows as well as these, which the apostle also might intend in the words.

PBC: 1Th 4:9

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A healthy church, a model church, doesn't require blood defense for accusations.  It requires reasonableness and graciousness.  So Paul first of all begins by defending his ministry both by motive and example as being a good steward of the gospel and of Jesus Christ.  He calls, not the false accusers, but he calls the Thessalonians themselves to the witness stand.  "For yourselves brethren know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain but even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as ye know at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention." 

By the way, and this really begins some of the points I want to emphasize as forcefully as I can this morning in terms of the church's culture - this word contention is not debate, harsh, angry or emotional exchanges.  It is rather the Greek word AGON SGreek: 73. agon , the root for our English word "agony" and it referred in the first century primarily to the energy and effort invested by olympic competetors in the games. 

We know today, not only because of the wonderful publicity of the olympic events that we see on television, but sometimes by the less than perfect demonstrations, that large body of rules governs both the administration and participation of the olympic events and if a competitor in the events has gone through all of the qualifications and the training and is a worthy competetitor, if he breaks the rules he becomes disqualified.  He cannot compete nor gain the goal or any other honor for his competetion.  We think sometimes as we hear about these rules and see perhaps an energetic competitior breaking the rules and being disqualified, "well those rules are so demanding and so strict" but that's the rules and he knew those rules when he entered the competition. 

The issue here is that there are rules of competition and there is a spirit of teaching and interaction within the family of God that should prevail.  It is not the spirit of harsh, competitive or abrasive accusation and acrimony but it is rather a spirit of gracious and winsome gentleness. 

Like it or not, today Christians, as probably at no other time in our lifetime, are we faced with competition in the marketplace of ideas with a variety, a very wide variety, of world views.  I grew up in the bible belt, in the deep South.  It was the competition of Christianity was whether you were a Baptist, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, an Assembly of God or someone like that.  Not only do you have those issues today but you have the competition of many of the cults.  You have the competion of world religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and you take some of the synergestic blends of all those and you have New Ageism that is far more commonplace in our American culture than we'd like to admit and sometimes it threatens our own thinking and minds with relativism beyond what scripture allows. 

It's not only "what" we say but how we say it that makes our ideas either competitive or non-competitive in this marketplace of ideas in religious thought.  J. T. operates his business based on reputation and the knowledge of people out in the world that he has a certain degree of expertise.  You could go into a marketplace or in to a prospective client - you could convince them that you know exactly what they need, you know exactly how to fix it and you can do it with expertise but you could put on an attitude that would cause you to lose the account before you even got it.  I think sometimes Christians may at times present the truth but they do it in such an unappealing and ungracious spirit that they lose the battle of ideas before the competition begins. 41

Haydock: 1Th 4:1

In this chapter the apostle begins to remind them of their obligation of always striving to increase in virtue. Though he praises them through the whole epistle, he still thinks it necessary to warn them not to be surprised in uncleanness. He repeats what he had taught them before; first, that there is vengeance awaiting the workers of evil; and secondly, that the favour of God is the reward of those who deal with the brethren in simplicity, and preserve themselves from the defilements of the Gentiles. (St. Ambrose, Comment., on this place)

Haydock: 1Th 4:4 - His vessel

His vessel. That is, his own body. See 1 Kings xxi. 5. (Witham)

Haydock: 1Th 4:6 - That no man overreach, nor deceive his brother in business

That no man overreach, nor deceive his brother in business. [1] The Protestant and Mr. N. even in their translations, add, in any matter, because some expound it of frauds and circumventions in any kind of business. But this addition of any, should be left out, seeing the best interpreters expound it of a prohibition of adultery, and the injury thereby done to another, and of sins of that kind only, which is confirmed by what follows and what goes before. See St. Jerome in chap. iv. ad Ephes. tom. 4. p. 369.; St. John Chrysostom serm. 3 on this place. Here, says he, he speaks of adultery, as before of fornication, &c. See Theodoret, Theophylactus, Estius, Menochius, A. Lapide, &c. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Ne quis supergrediatur, neque circumveniat in negotio fratrem, Greek: en to pragmati. See St. Jerome: diligenter observa, quia ad castitatem nos provocans, et volens uxoribus tantum esse contentos, dixerit, ne quis supergrediatur, &c. St. John Chrysostom, ( Greek: log. e. p. 186.) Greek: entautha peri moicheias phesin, anotero de peri porneias pases.

Haydock: 1Th 4:11 - And that you want nothing of any man's

And that you want nothing of any man's. [2] This is the sense by the Greek, nor does the Latin here signify to desire, but to want them that are without; i.e. infidels out of the pale of the Church. (Witham) ---

In regard of brotherly love, he advises them to remain quiet, at peace with every one, troubling nobody, nor interfering with the concerns of others, but each one minding his own work. It had been reported to the apostle that there were some at Thessalonica who made religion a pretest for idleness. It is to reprove such persons as these, that we are given to understand in this place that religion will never excuse the neglect of relative duties, either to our neighbours or to ourselves. It is the duty of all to labour, in order to prevent the evils of poverty; for involuntary poverty is a great snare, and a dangerous temptation against salvation. It exposes to ignorance, and forgetfulness of God. Happy are the poor in spirit, but miserable they who are involuntarily so: miserable, not for the wants, the humiliations, or inconveniences of their state, but for the irregularities and disorders of conduct to which they are exposed. It is therefore wise of man to pray, Give me not riches or poverty, but give me only what is sufficient, &c. (Calmet)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Nullius aliquid desideretis, Greek: medenos chreian echete. i.e. nullius opus habeatis.

Haydock: 1Th 4:15 - With commandment // And the dead, who are in Christ // Shall rise first

With commandment. [3] God's command will in a moment raise and bring all to judgment. ---

And the dead, who are in Christ, in the grace of Christ, shall rise first, not as to time, but in dignity. (Witham) ---

Shall rise first. Not in order of time, for all shall rise in the twinkling of an eye, but first in order of dignity. St. John Chrysostom, however, thinks that the elect rise before the reprobate, to go before the Lord; whereas the latter shall come behind him, only to appear before the tribunal of justice. (St. John Chrysostom)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

In jussu, Greek: en keleusmati, from Greek: keleo, in celeusmate, in voce simul clamantium.

====================

Gill: 1Th 4:1 - Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren // and exhort you // by the Lord Jesus // That as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God // so ye would abound more and more

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren,.... Or request of you in the most kind and tender manner, from real and hearty love and affection for you, and with a view to your good, and the glory of God:

and exhort you: or beseech and entreat you. The apostle does not lay his commands upon them as he might have done, and sometimes does, but endeavours to work upon them by way of entreaty, and which he doubtless thought the most effectual method to win upon them, and gain them; for some minds are more easily wrought upon by entreaty than by authority: and this he does in the most moving and powerful manner, even

by the Lord Jesus; or "in the Lord Jesus"; in his name and stead, as personating him, and as though he did beseech and entreat them by him, and his fellow ministers; or for his sake, intimating, that if they had any regard to him, any value for his name, if that had any weight with them, or they had any concern for his honour and interest, then he begs their attention to the following exhortation; or by the Lord Jesus, by all that is in him, or done for them by him; in whom they were chosen, by whom they were redeemed, in whom they were made new creatures, to whose image they were to be conformed, whose followers they professed to be, whose Gospel they embraced, and by whose name they were called.

That as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God. The walk of believers is twofold, either internal or external. Their internal walk is by faith, which is the going out of the soul by faith to Christ for every supply of grace. Their external walk is not as it was before conversion, according to the course of this world, or as other Gentiles walk, but in a holy religious life and conversation; and this requires spiritual life, strength and direction from Christ; for neither dead men, nor, if alive, yet weak, can walk; nor is it in a spiritual man, that walketh to direct his steps; and such a walk also denotes continuance, in well doing, and a progression or going on in it, and supposes ways to walk in. Christ, he is the chief and principal way, and there are other paths which regard him, or relate and lead unto him; as the way of truth, the path of ordinances, and of religious worship, both public and private, and the ways of righteousness, holiness, and good works: the manner in which saints are to walk is as Christ himself walked, after the Spirit, and not after the flesh, according to the rule of the word, which is the standard of faith and practice, with prudence, wisdom, circumspection, and worthy of God, and of that calling wherein they are called: and of such a walk there is a necessity; it "ought", it must be both on the account of God, it being his will, and for his glory, and the contrary would show great ingratitude to him; and on the account of the saints themselves, to adorn them, and their profession, and preserve them from shame and disgrace, to show their faith, and demonstrate their calling and election to others; and likewise on account of others, partly for the winning of some, by recommending in this way the Gospel to them, and partly for the bringing of others to shame and silence, who falsely accuse their good conversation. Now when the apostle, and those that were with him, were at Thessalonica, they gave these saints directions and instructions about their walk and conversation, to order it in such a manner as might "please God"; which is not to be understood of rendering their persons acceptable to God hereby, for the saints' acceptance with God is only in Christ the beloved; nor of their gaining the love and favour of God by such means, for the love of God is from everlasting, and is free, and sovereign, and does not arise from, or depend upon the holiness and obedience of men; or of making peace with God by such a walk, for peace is only made by the blood of Christ; but of doing those things, and in such a way God approves of: unregenerate men cannot please God, nor anything they do, because they are destitute of the Spirit of God, and are without Christ, and his grace and have not faith in him, without which it is impossible to please God; but what a believer does in faith, from a principle of love, in the name and strength of Christ, and to the glory of God, is approved of by God, and is acceptable to him through Christ, and for his sake; and there are many things of this kind, as prayer, praise, acts of beneficence to the poor, and indeed every good work and holy action: and inasmuch as they had been thus taught and instructed how to behave and conduct in their outward walk and conversation, they are entreated and exhorted to go on and abound in the work of the Lord:

so ye would abound more and more: that is, be more and more in the exercise of every grace, and in the discharge of every duty, making advances in holiness of life, and perfecting it in the fear of God. Beza's ancient copy, and another manuscript, as also the Alexandrian copy, and some others, add between the preceding, and this last clause, "as ye also walk"; and so the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions seem to have read; commending them for their present and past walk and conversation, in order to persuade and encourage them to go forward.

Gill: 1Th 4:2 - For ye know what commandments we gave you // by the Lord Jesus

For ye know what commandments we gave you,.... When among them; such as those of faith and love, the ordinances of the Gospel, baptism, and the Lord's supper, and all such as relate to the worship and service of God, to the discipline of Christ's house, to their behaviour one towards another, and their conduct in the world: and which were delivered to them, not as from themselves, and by their own authority, but

by the Lord Jesus; in his name, and by his authority, and as ordered by him; for their commission ran to teach men all things, whatsoever Christ commanded: now since they knew what these commandments were, and whose they were, and the obligation they lay under to regard them, the apostle makes use of it as a reason or argument to engage them to obedience to them; for he that knows his Lord's will, and does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, Luk 12:47.

Gill: 1Th 4:3 - For this is the will of God, even your sanctification // That ye should abstain from fornication

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,.... Which is another reason to enforce the above exhortation. "Sanctification" is internal or external. Internal sanctification is the work of the Spirit of God, and is a principle of spiritual life in the soul, a divine and spiritual light in the understanding, a flexion of the will to the will of God, and a settlement of the affections on divine things, and is an implantation of every grace in the heart. External sanctification arises from this, and lies in holiness of life and conversation; and is what is chiefly designed, as appears both by what goes before, and follows after: and this is "the will of God"; the will of his purpose and decree; for in the same decree that he wills the salvation of any by Jesus Christ, he also wills their sanctification in heart and life, and here and hereafter: and this is his approving will, or what is well pleasing in his sight, being agreeable to his nature, and divine perfections, particularly his holiness, in which he is glorious; and it is his will of command, and what he requires in his law, which is holy, just, and good, and perfectly agrees with the sound doctrine of the Gospel, and the revelation of his will in both.

That ye should abstain from fornication: which is particularly mentioned, abstinence from it being a branch of external holiness; and because that this sin was common among the Gentiles, and not esteemed a sin by them; as also to observe to these Christians, that as simple fornication was not to be allowed of, much less other acts of uncleanness, as adultery, incest, sodomy, and the like, which were iniquities that greatly prevailed among the Heathens. The Syriac version renders it, "from all fornication"; on this subject the apostle enlarges in some following verses.

Gill: 1Th 4:4 - That everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel

That everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel,.... By which may be meant, either a man's wife, or his body, and it is not very easy to determine which, for the Jews call both by this name. Sometimes they call ^p a woman גולם, which the gloss says is a "vessel" unfinished. It is reported ^q, that when R. Eleazar died, Rabbenu Hakkadosh would have married his widow, and she would not, because she was כלי של קדושה, "a vessel of holiness", greater than he. Moreover, it is said ^r, that

"he that forces (a young woman) must drink בעציצו, "in his own vessel" how drink in his own vessel? though she be lame, though she be blind, and though she is stricken with ulcers.''

The commentators ^s on the passage add,

"in the vessel which he has chosen; that is to say, whether he will or not, he must marry her;''

see Pro 5:15. And again, they sometimes call a man's wife his tent: hence that saving ^t,

"wtva ala wlha Nya "there is no tent but his wife", as it is said, Deu 5:30, go, say to them, get you into your tents again.''

And certain it is, that the woman is called the "weaker vessel" in 1Pe 3:7, between which passage and this there seems to be some agreement. The same metaphor of a "vessel" is made use of in both; and as there, honour to be given to the weaker vessel, so here, a man's vessel is to be possessed in honour; and as there, husbands are to dwell with their wives according to knowledge so here, knowledge is required to a man's possessing his vessel aright. Now for a man to possess his vessel in this sense, is to enjoy his wife, and to use that power he has over her in a becoming manner; see 1Co 7:4, and which is here directed to "in sanctification and honour"; that is, in a chaste and honourable way; for marriage is honourable when the bed is kept undefiled; and which may be defiled, not only by taking another into it, and which is not possessing the wife in sanctification and honour, it is the reverse, for it is a breaking through the rules of chastity and honour; but it may even be defiled with a man's own wife, by using her in an unnatural way, or by any unlawful copulation with her; for so to do is to use her in an unholy, unchaste, wicked, and dishonourable manner; whereas possessing of her according to the order and course of nature, is by the Jews, in agreement with the apostle, called ^u, מקדש עצמו, "a man's sanctifying himself", and is chaste, and honourable. And it may be observed, that the Jews use the same phrase concerning conjugal embraces as the apostle does here. One of their canons runs thus ^w:

"though a man's wife is free for him at all times, it is fit and proper for a disciple of a wise man to use himself בקדושה, "in", or "to sanctification".''

When these thing's are observed, this sense of the words will not appear so despicable as it is thought by some. The body is indeed called a "vessel"; see 2Co 4:7, because in it the soul is contained, and the soul makes use of it, and its members, as instruments, for the performance of various actions; and, with Jewish writers, we read of כלי גופו, "the vessel of his body" ^x; so then, for a man to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, is to keep under his body and bring it into subjection, and preserve it in purity and chastity; as the eyes from unchaste looks, the tongue from unchaste words, and the other members from unchaste actions; and to use it in an honourable way, not in fornication, adultery, and sodomy; for, by fornication, a man sins against his own body; and by adultery he gets a wound, and a dishonour, and a reproach that will not be wiped away; and by sodomy, and such like unnatural lusts, men dishonour their own bodies between themselves: particularly by "his vessel", as Gataker thinks, may be meant the "membrum virile", or the genital parts, which, by an euphemism, may he so called; see 1Sa 21:5

Gill: 1Th 4:5 - Not in the lust of concupiscence // even as the Gentiles which know not God

Not in the lust of concupiscence,.... Or "passion of lust"; for the mere gratifying and indulging of that; for a man so to possess his vessel, is to cherish the sin of concupiscence, the first motions of sin in the heart, by which a man is drawn away, and enticed; to blow up the flame of lust, and to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof:

even as the Gentiles which know not God; for, though they knew him, or might know him with a natural knowledge, by the light and works of nature, yet they knew him not savingly and spiritually, as he is revealed in the word, of which they were destitute; or as the God of all grace, and the God and Father of Christ, or as he is in Christ: and though by the light of nature they might know there was a God, yet they knew not who that God was; nor did they act up to that light and knowledge they had; they did not glorify him as God, by ascribing to him what was his due; nor were they thankful for the mercies they received from him; nor did they fear, love, worship, and serve him; nor did they like to retain him in their knowledge, and therefore were given up to judicial blindness and hardness, to a reprobate mind, and to vile affections, and so did things very inconvenient, unnatural, and dishonourable. Wherefore, for a man to use either his wife or his body in any unchaste and dishonourable manner, for the gratifying of his lusts, is to act an Heathenish part; a like argument, dissuading from things unlawful, is used in Mat 6:32.

Gill: 1Th 4:6 - That no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in any matter // because that the Lord is the avenger of all such // As we have also forewarned you and testified

That no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in any matter,.... Or "in this matter", as the Syriac version. This is commonly understood of transgressing the bounds of justice and equity between men and men; and of cheating and defrauding in trade and business, by increasing or lessening the value and prices of goods by the buyer and seller, by not keeping to the bargain, contract, covenant, or sample, by false weights and measures, and by taking the advantage of the weakness and ignorance of men; all which is aggravated by dealing thus with a brother; see 1Co 6:8 and this hint is thought the rather necessary, since Thessalonica was a place of great trade and business. But the matter, or business referred to, is not trade, but the subject of chastity or uncleanness the apostle is speaking of, both before and after; and the phrases used either design the act of adultery, coveting a brother's wife, and lying with her, and so a defrauding and wronging of him by defiling his bed; or rather sodomitical practices, an unnatural lust and desire in men after men, and copulation with them; for υπερβαινειν, rendered, "go beyond", answers to בא על, "to go upon", or "lie with", so often used in Jewish writings for lying with women, men, and beasts, in an unlawful way. Thus, for instance ^y,

"these are to be burned, הבא על אשה, "he that lies with a woman", and her daughter, &c.''

And again ^z,

"these are to be beaten, הבא על, "he that lies with" his sister, or his father's sister, &c.''

And the word πλεονεκτειν, translated "defraud", signifies a greedy, insatiable, and unnatural lust and desire after a man, a brother, or the committing of sodomitical practices with greediness: see Eph 4:19 which abominable iniquities are dissuaded from by the following reasons,

because that the Lord is the avenger of all such; or "with respect to all these things", as the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions render it; or "for all these things", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions; as fornication, adultery, lasciviousness, and all sorts of abominable uncleanness. The person that commits these things the Lord avenges, either in this life, by the hand of the civil magistrate, who is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath on him that does evil; or by a violent death, as in the case of Zimri and Cozbi, and twenty four thousand more at the same time; or by some awful judgment from heaven, as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah; or in the world to come; for the law of God is made and lies against such persons; these living and dying in such sins God will judge, to whom vengeance belongs; these shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but have their part and portion in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

As we have also forewarned you and testified; not by a former epistle, as if this was the second to them, and what follows the first, as Grotius thought; but they did this when they were in person with them, knowing that these abominable vices greatly prevailed in their city; therefore they bore their testimony against them, and exposed the evil of them, and warned them of the danger by them, so that they could not now plead ignorance. The Ethiopic version reads in the first person singular, "as I have before said unto you, and testified to you".

Gill: 1Th 4:7 - For God hath not called us // unto uncleanness // but // unto holiness

For God hath not called us,.... The Syriac version reads "you". This is another reason to enforce the above exhortations, and to caution them against the above unclean practices, taken from the end of the effectual calling by the efficacious grace of God, which is not

unto uncleanness of any sort, as before specified. This they had lived in before their calling, and were now called from it into communion with Christ, who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity; and by the Gospel, which teaches to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to forsake all impurity, both of flesh and spirit:

but this call is

unto holiness of life and conversation in general, and to chastity in thought, look, word, and actions in particular; for God that calls is holy, and therefore those who are called ought to be so; the calling with which they are called is an holy calling, principles of grace and holiness are wrought in their souls, when they are called; and the end of their calling is to live soberly, righteously, and godly; and then, and then only, do they walk worthy of that calling wherewith they are called, and of God who has, by his grace, called them to his kingdom and glory.

Gill: 1Th 4:8 - He therefore that despiseth // despiseth not man // who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit

He therefore that despiseth,.... The Vulgate Latin adds, "these things"; these exhortations now delivered, the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the will of God above declared; he that rejects these things with contempt, takes no notice of them, and acts not according to them,

despiseth not man; not men only, the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the Gospel; for, by despising these exhortations, they themselves were despised, though not alone: but God; Father, Son, and Spirit; God the Father, whose will was their sanctification, even to abstain from fornication, and every act of uncleanness, which, if not attended to, was a despising of him; and the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom, and for whose sake they were entreated and exhorted, and in whose name, and by whose authority the apostle gave them these commandments; wherefore to slight them, was to slight Jesus Christ himself; and, by the way, this is a proof of the true and proper deity of Christ. Moreover, such despisers also, in some sense, do despite unto the spirit of grace, by whom the apostles spake, or who spoke in them these things, as follows,

who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit; as he did to the prophets of the Old Testament, and therefore what they said was equally by divine inspiration of God; and hence despising them, was despising the Spirit of God that spake by them. The Syriac and Arabic versions read, "who hath given unto you his Holy Spirit"; and so all Stephens's copies; which furnishes out a fresh reason or argument, dissuading from uncleanness, since God had given them his "Spirit" to convince them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, so that they were not ignorant of the things warned against; and he had given them his Spirit as an "holy" Spirit, as a Spirit of sanctification, to begin and carry on that work in them, to which uncleanness was very opposite; and he had given his Spirit unto, or "into" them, to dwell in them, as in his temple, and therefore should be careful not to defile it; and to cause them to walk in his statutes, and to assist them to keep his judgments, and do them, and as an earnest of their inheritance, and a sealer of them up unto the day of redemption; wherefore it became them not to grieve him by an impure life; and they were laid under obligations to live in the Spirit, and to walk after him, and not after the flesh.

Gill: 1Th 4:9 - But as touching brotherly love // ye need not that I write unto you // for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another

But as touching brotherly love,.... Another branch of sanctification; which is distinct from love to God and Christ, though it always accompanies it, and from love to all mankind; and is what is peculiar to brethren in a spiritual relation, and ought to be universal, fervent, and sincere, and as Christ has loved them: concerning which the following things are said,

ye need not that I write unto you. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "we have no need to write unto you"; and so some copies. It seems that it was needful to write unto them about other things, as to refresh their memories with the instructions they had given them, when with them, how they should walk and please God; and to put them in mind of the commandments given them by Christ, and that their sanctification was the will of God; and particularly it was necessary to write unto them about chastity, and purity of life, whether in or out of the conjugal state; but as for brotherly love, there was no immediate absolute necessity to write about that, either about the nature of it, or to describe the objects of it, or point out instances of it, or to exhort to it in a pressing manner: the reason is,

for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; not merely by the light of nature, which teaches men to be kind, courteous, affable, and beneficent; nor by the law of Moses, which obliges men to love their neighbours as themselves; nor only doctrinally by the ministry of the Gospel, which frequently inculcates the exercise of this grace as a matter of great importance and consequence; nor only by the new commandment, and example of Christ; but by the Spirit of God internally in regeneration, who, according to the tenor of the new covenant, writes this law of love, and of Christ, upon the heart; and this being written upon the hearts of the Thessalonians, by the finger of the Spirit of God, whereby they were dearly directed, and powerfully taught to exercise this grace, and discharge this duty, and under the influence of the same spirit did exercise it, it was unnecessary for the apostle to write about it, and press them to it.

Gill: 1Th 4:10 - And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren // which are in all Macedonia // but we beseech you, brethren

And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren,.... Whether high or low, rich or poor, bond or free, greater or lesser believers, and whether related in the bonds of nature or not; they exercised this grace of love without respect of persons, to all, and not only to all the brethren in the particular community at Thessalonica, but

which are in all Macedonia; throughout the whole country, particularly at Philippi and Berea, and other places:

but we beseech you, brethren. The Alexandrian copy reads, "beloved brethren"; and the Syriac version, "I beseech you, my brethren: that ye increase more and more"; in showing love to the brethren; which may be done both by administering to them in things temporal, by assisting them in distress, by sympathizing with them, and by giving them counsel and advice; and in things spiritual, by bearing their burdens, forbearing with them, and forgiving them; by admonishing them in love, by stirring them up to love and good works, by praying with them and for them, and by instructing and building them up in their most holy faith; and this increase, and abounding in the exercise of this grace, may respect not only the more frequent and fervent use of it, but also the larger extent of it to other objects; as not only to all the brethren in their own church, and to all that were in Macedonia, to which it did extend, but likewise to all the brethren in other parts of the world, and which are more distant and remote; and even to the poor saints at Jerusalem in particular; and accordingly we find that their love did abound unto them; see Rom 15:25, this shows, that though brotherly love was much practised by these saints, yet it was not perfect; nor is any grace perfect as to degrees; nor is any saint perfect in the discharge of duty in this life.

Gill: 1Th 4:11 - And that ye study to be quiet // and to do your own business // and to work with your own hands // as we commanded you

And that ye study to be quiet,.... To live peaceably in their own families, and to give no disturbance to other families, by talebearing, whispering, and backbiting; to behave with quietness in the neighbourhood, town, or city, they dwell in, and to seek the peace thereof; and to lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, in the commonwealth, and under the government to which they belong; and not to create and encourage factions, divisions, animosities, and contentions, in their own church, or in any of the churches of Christ; and it becomes saints to make this their study, to be very solicitous for it, to strive for it, and pursue after it: the word used signifies to be ambitious of it, as what is a man's glory and honour, to emulate and strive to outdo each other, as who shall have the honour of being the quietest person, and the most peaceable member in the community:

and to do your own business: or private business, or what is proper and peculiar to a man's self; to abide every man in his own calling wherein he is called, and attend the business of it, and not thrust himself into other families, and officiously take upon him, under a pretence of zeal, affection, and friendship, to inspect, direct, or manage the business of others: in short, he should not meddle with other people's business, but mind his own: and this is what the Jews call דרך ארץ, "the way of the earth", or the business of life:

"there are four things, (they say ^a) in which a man should employ himself continually, with all his might, and these are they, the law, and good works, and prayer, and the business of life;''

upon which the gloss has this note by way of explanation,

"if a man is an artificer (let him attend) to his art; if a merchant to his merchandise, and if he is a soldier to war;''

and which may serve to illustrate the apostle's sense:

and to work with your own hands; the reason of this is, because there were some among them, who would not work at all; see 2Th 3:11 and by this instruction it appears, that the members of this church, in common, were such as were brought up to handicraft trades and businesses, and were poor and mean; and this was the general case of the primitive churches: it pleased God to choose and call the poor of this world, to whom the Gospel was preached, and they received it; few of the rulers among the Jews believed in Christ, and not many mighty, rich, or noble among the Gentiles were called; some there were, and in this church there were some of the chief women of the city, Act 17:4, and though these and others of the better sort, as well as ministers of the Gospel among them, who laboured in the word and doctrine, were not obliged by this to perform manual work and labour, yet were not exempted from all concern in the exhortation; it being proper and necessary, that all sorts of persons be employed in one sort of business or another, and to use diligence and application in it: the apostle's view being chiefly to inveigh against sloth and idleness, and to exhort to labour and industry as the most effectual method to preserve peace and quietness, and to keep persons from being troublesome and hurtful, in families, churches, and commonwealths: the reasons enforcing this follow in this and the next verse,

as we commanded you; and the command of an apostle carries weight and authority with it, and ought to be obeyed; yea, they not only strictly enjoined a diligent application to business, but set them an example themselves, see 1Th 2:9.

Gill: 1Th 4:12 - That ye may walk honestly // toward them that are without // and that ye may have lack of nothing

That ye may walk honestly,.... Decently, in good credit and reputation, providing things honest in the sight of all men, for themselves and families, and honestly paying every man his own; on which account it became them to mind their own business, and work at their trades; otherwise their walk and conversation would be scandalous, and not honest and honourable:

toward them that are without: the men of the world, who were without the church; see 1Co 5:12 profane sinners, unconverted Gentiles, that were without Christ and hope, and God in the world, and were aliens and strangers; and yet care should be taken that no occasion be given to such to reproach the name of God, the ways of Christ, and the doctrines of the Gospel:

and that ye may have lack of nothing; but have wherewith to supply the necessaries of life, and give to them also that stand in need, which is more blessed and honourable than to receive; or might not need any such instruction and exhortation, or any reproof for sloth and idleness; or not stand in need of "any man", as the Syriac version renders it; of the help and assistance of any, of any of those that are without, which would be dishonourable; or of them that are within, of the church, which might be burdensome. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "that ye may not desire anything of anyone"; as the slothful man covets greedily all the day long what is another's, and this desire kills him, Pro 21:25 he covets an evil covetousness, and craves in a scandalous way the bread of others; when it would be more honourable for him to work with quietness, and eat his own bread got by honest labour, and not be beholden to another.

Gill: 1Th 4:13 - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren // concerning them which are asleep // that ye sorrow not, even as others that have no hope

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,.... As they seem to have been, about the state of the pious dead, the rule and measure of mourning for them, the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, the second coming of Christ, and the future happiness of the saints; wherefore the apostle judged it necessary to write to them upon these subjects: the Alexandrian copy and others, the Complutensian edition, the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "we would not have you to be ignorant", &c.

concerning them which are asleep; that is, dead: it was in common use among the Eastern nations, when they spoke of their dead, to say they were asleep. This way of speaking is used frequently both in the Old and the New Testament; see 1Ki 2:10 1Co 15:20 and very often with the Targumists; so the Targum on Ecc 3:4 "a time to weep", paraphrases it,

"a time to weep על שכיבא, "over them that are asleep":''

and in Ecc 4:2.

"I praised ית שכיבא, "those that are asleep",''

the dead: the reason of this way of speaking was, because there is a likeness between sleep and death; in both there is no exercise of the senses, and persons are at rest, and both rise again; and they are common to all men, and proper and peculiar to the body only. The apostle designs such persons among the Thessalonians, who either died a natural death, or were removed by violence, through the rage and fury of their persecutors, for whom their surviving friends were pressed with overmuch sorrow, which is here cautioned against:

that ye sorrow not, even as others that have no hope; the apostle's view is not to encourage and establish a stoical apathy, a stupid indolence, and a brutal insensibility, which are contrary to the make of human nature, to the practice of the saints, and even of Christ and his apostles, and our apostle himself; but to forbid excessive and immoderate sorrow, and all the extravagant forms of it the Gentiles ran into; who having no notion of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, had no hope of ever seeing their friends more, but looked upon them as entirely lost, as no longer in being, and never more to be met with, seen, and enjoyed; this drove them to extravagant actions, furious transports, and downright madness; as to throw off their clothes, pluck off their hair, tear their flesh, cut themselves, and make baldness between their eyes for the dead; see Deu 14:1 practices forbidden the Jews, and which very ill become Christians, that believe the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead: the words are to be understood not of other Christians, who have no hope of the eternal welfare of their deceased friends; not but that the sorrow of those who have a good hope of the future Well being of their dear relatives, must and ought to be greatly different from that of others, who have no hope at all: it is observed by the Jews ^b on those words in Gen 23:2 and "Abraham came to mourn for Sarah", &c. that

"it is not said to weep for Sarah, but to mourn for her; "for such a woman as this, it is not fit to weep", after her soul is joined in the bundle of life, but to mourn for her, and do her great honour at her funeral; though because it is not possible that a man should not weep for his dead, it is said at the end, "and to weep for her":''

but here the words are to be understood of the other Gentiles that were in a state of nature and unregeneracy, who had no knowledge of the resurrection of the dead, or and hope of a future state, and of enjoying their friends in it: they are called οι λοιποι, "the rest"; and the Syriac version renders it, "other men".

Gill: 1Th 4:14 - For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again // even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him

For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again,.... As every Christian does, for both the death and resurrection of Christ are fundamental articles of faith; nothing is more certain or more comfortable, and more firmly to be believed, than that Christ died for the sins of his people, and rose again for their justification; on these depend the present peace, joy, and comfort of the saints, and their everlasting salvation and happiness: and no less certain and comfortable, and as surely to be believed, is what follows,

even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. The saints that are dead are not only represented as asleep, as before, but as "asleep in Jesus"; to distinguish them from the other dead, the wicked; for the phrase of sleeping in death is promiscuously used of good and bad, though most commonly applied to good men: and so say the Jews ^c,

"we used to speak of just men, not as dead, but as sleeping; saying, afterwards such an one fell asleep, signifying that the death of the righteous is nothing else than a sleep.''

To represent death as a sleep makes it very easy and familiar; but it is more so, when it is considered as sleeping in Jesus, in the arms of Jesus; and such as are asleep in him must needs be at rest, and in safety: some join the phrase "in", or "by Jesus", with the word bring, and read the passage thus, "them that are asleep, by Jesus will God bring with him"; intimating, that God will raise up the dead bodies of the saints by Christ, as God-man and Mediator; and through him will bring them to eternal glory, and save them by him, as he has determined: others render the words, "them which sleep through", or "by Jesus"; or die for his sake, and so restrain them to the martyrs; who they suppose only will have part in the first resurrection, and whom God will bring with Jesus at his second coming; but the coming of Christ will be "with all his saints"; see 1Th 3:13 wherefore they are best rendered, "them that sleep in Jesus"; that is, "in the faith of Jesus", as the Arabic version renders it: not in the lively exercise of faith on Christ, for this is not the case of all the saints at death; some of them are in the dark, and go from hence under a cloud, and yet go safe, and may be said to die, or sleep, in Jesus, and will be brought with him; but who have the principle, and hold the doctrine of faith, are, and live and die, true believers; who die interested in Christ, in union with him, being chosen and blessed, and preserved in him from everlasting, and effectually called by his grace in time, and brought to believe in him; these, both their souls and bodies, are united to Christ, and are his care and charge; and which union remains in death, and by virtue of it the bodies of the saints will be raised at the last day: so that there may be the strongest assurance, that such will God bring with him; either God the Father will bring them with his Son, or Jehovah the Son will bring them with himself; he will raise them from the dead, and unite them to their souls, or spirits, he will bring with him; the consideration of which may serve greatly to mitigate and abate sorrow for deceased friends.

Gill: 1Th 4:15 - For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord // That we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord // shall not prevent them that are asleep

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,.... The apostle having something new and extraordinary to deliver, concerning the coming of Christ, the first resurrection, or the resurrection of the saints, the change of the living saints, and the rapture both of the raised and living in the clouds to meet Christ in the air, expresses himself in this manner; either in allusion to the prophets of old, to whom the word of the Lord is said to come, and who usually introduced their prophecies with a "Thus saith the Lord"; or in distinction from his own private sense, sentiment, and opinion of things; signifying, that what he was about to say, was not a fancy and conjecture of his own, the fruit and produce of his own brain, but what he could assert upon a sure foundation, upon the best and greatest authority, even the word of the Lord; and has respect either to some particular word of Christ, as some think, such as Mat 24:30 or rather to a particular and peculiar revelation, and special instruction in these things, he had immediately from Christ; and it may be when he was caught up into the third heaven himself, and had an experience in himself of somewhat of that which both the living and raised saints shall feel, when they are caught up together in the clouds; since the change of the living saints, at the time of the resurrection of the dead, is a mystery which seems to have been first made known unto, and discovered by the Apostle Paul; see 1Co 15:51.

That we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord: not that the apostle thought that he and the saints then in the flesh should live and continue till the second coming of Christ; for he did not imagine that the coming of Christ was so near, as is manifest from 2Th 2:1 though the Thessalonians might take him in this sense, which he there corrects; but he speaks of himself and others in the first person plural, by way of instance and example, for illustration sake; that supposing he and others should be then in being, the following would be the case: and moreover, he might use such a way of speaking with great propriety of other saints, and even of those unborn, and that will be on the spot when Christ shall come a second time; since all the saints make up one body, one family, one church and general assembly; so that the apostle might truly and justly say, "we which are alive"; that is, as many of our body, of our family, of our church or society, that shall be living at the coming of Christ; and he might choose the rather to speak in this form, person, and tense, to awaken the care, circumspection, diligence, and watchfulness of the saints, since it could not be known how soon the Lord would come: however, from hence it appears, that there will be saints alive at Christ's second coming; he will have a seed to serve him till he comes again; he always had in the worst of times, and will have, and that even in the last days, in the days of the son of man, which are said to be like those of Noah and of Lot: and these are said to "remain", or to be "left", these will be a remnant, the residue and remainder of the election of grace, and will be such as have escaped the fury of antichrist and his followers, or of the persecutors of the saints: now these

shall not prevent them that are asleep; that is, that are dead, so the Ethiopic version; the reason why the dead are so called, see in the note on the preceding verses: the sense is, either they "shall not come up to them that are asleep, or dead", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render the words; they shall not come into the state of the dead, they shall undergo a change equivalent to death, but not death itself; see 1Co 15:51 or rather they "shall not go before" them; they shall not get the start of them, and be in the arms of Jesus, and enjoy his presence when he comes, before the dead in Christ, which might be thought, but this will not be the case; for the dead saints will rise before the living ones are changed, and both will be caught up together to meet the Lord, as is said in the following verses; so that the one shall not come or go before the other, or come at, or into the enjoyment of Christ first, but both together.

Gill: 1Th 4:16 - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven // with a shout // with the voice of the archangel // and with the trump of God // And the dead in Christ shall rise first // Isa 40:26

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven,.... Not by proxy, or by representatives; not by the ministry of angels, as on Mount Sinai; nor by the ministers of the word, as under the Gospel dispensation; nor by his spirit, and the discovery of his love and grace, in which sense he descends in a spiritual manner, and visits his people; but in person, in his human nature, in soul and body; in like manner as he went up to heaven will he descend from thence, so as to be visible, to be seen and heard of all: he will come down from the third heaven, whither he was carried up, into which he was received, and where he is retained until the time of the restitution of all things, and from whence the saints expect him: and this descent will be

with a shout; the word here used is observed by many to signify such a noise or shout as is made either by mariners, when they pull and row together; and shout to direct and encourage one another; or to an army with the general at the head of it, when about to undertake some considerable action, to enter on a battle, and make the onset; Christ will now appear as the King of kings, and Lord of lords, as the Judge of the whole earth, attended with the host, or armies of heaven, and the shout of a king will be among them: perhaps the same is intended, as by the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, and of mighty thunderings upon the coming of Christ, the destruction of antichrist, and the marriage of the Lamb, in Rev 19:1. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions render it, "in", or "with command"; and the Arabic version, "with his own government", or "authority"; that is, he shall descend, either by the command of his Father, as man and Mediator, having authority from him, as the son of man, to execute judgment; or with his commanding power and authority over the mighty angels, that shall descend with him: it follows,

with the voice of the archangel; so Michael is called, in Jud 1:9 with which compare Rev 12:7 and who perhaps is no other than Christ himself, who is the head of all principality and power; and the sense be, that Christ shall descend from heaven with a voice, or shall then utter such a voice, as will show him to be the archangel; or as the Syriac version renders it, "the head", or "prince of angels"; and which whether, it will be an articulate voice, such as was expressed at the grave of Lazarus; or a violent clap of thunder, which is the voice of God; or the exertion of the power of Christ, is not certain: it is added,

and with the trump of God; called "the last trump", 1Co 15:52 because none will be blown after it, and may be the same with the seventh trumpet, Rev 11:15 and here the trump of God, because blown by his order; or by Christ himself, who is God, and so be the same with the voice of the archangel; and these figurative expressions are used, to set forth the grandeur and magnificence in which Christ will come; not in that low, mean, and humble form in which he first came, but with great glory, and marks of honour and respect; with angels shouting, trumpets blowing, and saints rejoicing. This is said in allusion to the trumpet which was heard on Mount Sinai at the giving of the law, and of which the Jews say ^d, that it מיתיא מאחא, "quickened the dead"; for they have a notion, that, when the Israelites first heard the voice of the Lord, they died; but upon hearing it the second time, they returned to life ^e: and they suppose also in the time, to come, at the resurrection of the dead, a trumpet will be blown, which will quicken the dead ^f, and the day of judgment ^g; and this is reckoned by them as one of the signs of the Messiah's coming ^h:

"Michael shall shout with a great shout, and the graves of the dead shall be opened at Jerusalem, and the holy blessed God will restore the dead to life, and Messiah the son of David shall come,'' &c.

And the dead in Christ shall rise first; the same with those that are asleep in Jesus, 1Th 4:14 not only the martyrs that died for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel; nor merely those who die in the lively exercise of faith in Christ; but all that die interested in him, and in union with him: and these shall "rise", in consequence of their being his; being given to him, made his care and charge, and engaged for by him, and in virtue of their union to him; and shall rise to an entire conformity to his glorious body, and in order to enjoy eternal life and glory with him: and these will rise "first", before the wicked, which is the first resurrection, Rev 20:5 even a thousand years before them; the righteous will rise in the morning of the resurrection, and so will have the dominion in the morning, Psa 49:14 even at the beginning of the thousand years, as soon as Christ will come; but the wicked will not rise till the evening of that day, or till the close of the thousand years: and this agrees with the notions of the Jews, who thought that some will rise before others;

"Wheresoever thou findest the dead, take them and bury them, and I will give thee the first place in my resurrection.'' (2 Esdras 2:23)

Having mentioned those words in Psa 116:9 "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living", it is asked ⁱ,

"is there no land of the living but Tyre and its neighbours, and Caesarea, and its neighbours, where is cheapness and fulness? says R. Simeon ben Lekish, in the name of Bar Kaphra, the land in which the dead live, תחילה, "first", in the days of the Messiah:''

and on the same place elsewhere ^k they observe, that

"our Rabbins say two things, or give two reasons, why the fathers loved to be buried in the land of Israel, because the dead in the land of Israel חיים תחילה, "live", or "rise first", in the days of the Messiah, and shall enjoy the years of the Messiah:''

and in another place ^l they take notice of what is written in Isa 26:19 "and the earth shall cast out the dead": says R. Jochanan,

"the dead which are in the land (i.e. of Israel), they shall "live first"; as it is said, "thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise": these are they that are without the land; "awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust", these are they that die in the wilderness:''

and again ^m,

"as it is said,

Isa 40:26 "that bringeth out their host by numbers", come see, it is said, all that die in the land of Israel יקומון בקדמיתא, "shall rise first", because the holy blessed God shall awake them, and raise them, according to Isa 26:19.''

Once more they say ⁿ,

"they that study in the law as they ought, these are they that shall "rise first" to everlasting life, as it is said Dan 12:2, "and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life", &c. and these are for everlasting life, because they study in everlasting life, which is the law:''

to which may be added the following passage ^o,

"they that are worthy to be buried in the land of Israel, shall "be raised first"--and they shall be raised and quickened before the rest of the children of the world, who draw the waters of the law; and they draw, because they study to draw out of the waters of the law; and they are strengthened by the tree of life, and they shall go out "first", because the tree of life is the cause why they shall "rise first":''

they sometimes endeavour to fix the time, how long they will rise before the rest ^p;

""many of those that sleep", &c. these are the righteous that shall "go before" others in life, and how many years shall they go before them? R. Judah says, two hundred and ten years; R. Isaac says, two hundred and fourteen; according to others, the righteous shall go (or be raised) a year before the rest of men; says R. Nachman, it will be according to the computation (of time) that the carcass has been in the dust; R. Jose replies, if so, there will be many resurrections.''

These instances may suffice to show, that the Jews had a notion of some persons rising before others, to which the apostle may have some reference; though his sense is not only this, but also that the dead in Christ shall rise before the living saints are changed, and taken up to be with Christ, and so shall not go before to him; which illustrates and proves what he had before asserted.

Gill: 1Th 4:17 - Then we which are alive and remain // shall be caught up // together with them // in the clouds // to meet the Lord in the air // and so shall we ever be with the Lord

Then we which are alive and remain,.... See Gill on 1Th 4:15.

shall be caught up; suddenly, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and with force and power; by the power of Christ, and by the ministry and means of the holy angels; and to which rapture will contribute, the agility which the bodies both of the raised and changed saints will have: and this rapture of the living saints will be

together with them; with the dead in Christ, that will then be raised; so that the one will not come before the other, or the one be sooner with Christ than the other; but the one being raised and the other changed, they will be joined in one company and general assembly, and be caught up together:

in the clouds; the same clouds perhaps in which Christ will come, will be let down to take them up; these will be the chariots, in which they will be carried up to him; and thus, as at our Lord's ascension a cloud received him, and in it he was carried up out of the sight of men, so at this time will all the saints ride up in the clouds of heaven:

to meet the Lord in the air; whither he will descend, and will then clear the regions of the air of Satan, and his posse of devils, which now rove about there, watching all opportunities, and taking all advantages to do mischief on earth; these shall then fall like lightning from heaven, and be bound and shut up in the bottomless pit, till the thousand years are ended: here Christ will stop, and will be visible to all, and as easily discerned by all, good and bad, as the body of the sun at noonday; as yet he will not descend on earth, because it is not fit to receive him; but when that and its works are burnt up, and it is purged and purified by fire, and become a new earth, he will descend upon it, and dwell with his saints in it: and this suggests another reason why he will stay in the air, and his saints shall meet him there, and whom he will take up with him into the third heaven, till the general conflagration and burning of the world is over, and to preserve them from it; and then shall all the elect of God descend from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband, and he with them, and the tabernacle of God shall be with men; see Rev 21:1. The resurrection by the Mahometans is called לקא אללה ^q, "a meeting of God", or a going to meet God:

and so shall we ever be with the Lord; now the saints are with him at times, and have communion with him, but not always; but then they shall be ever with him; wherever he is; first in the air, where they shall meet him; then in the third heaven, where they shall go up with him; then on earth, where they shall descend and reign with him a thousand years; and then in the ultimate glory to all eternity: and this will be the issue and accomplishment of the counsel and covenant of grace, of the sufferings and death of Christ, and of his preparations and prayers.

Gill: 1Th 4:18 - Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Or doctrines; as that the saints, when they die, do not cease to be, but are asleep, and asleep in Jesus; that their souls are with him, and their bodies sleep in his arms, and are his care; that these will be as soon with Christ, as the saints that will be alive when he comes; that the coming of Christ will be with great power and glory; that the righteous will rise first in the morning of the resurrection, and before the living saints are changed, and are with Christ; that they will both be taken up together to meet him; and that they shall all be with him, and that for ever, and never part more; than which nothing can yield more true and solid comfort, under all the trials and troubles of this life, under all diseases and distempers of body, under all afflictions and persecutions for Christ's sake, under the loss of near and dear relations, and in a view of death and eternity: some copies read, "with these words of the spirit"; and so the Arabic version, "with these spiritual words": for such they are, being the word of God, as in 1Th 4:15.