4 Christian friends, there are a few more things that we need to say. We have already taught you how to live in a way that pleases God. And we know that you are living in that way. Now we ask you to continue to live like that even more. On behalf of the Lord Jesus, we seriously ask you to do this. 2 You surely remember what we taught you with the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 This is how God wants you to live: As his own people, he wants you to be completely good. So you must not have sex in a way that is wrong. 4 Each of you men must learn to rule his own body properly. Then you will do only what is pure and right. 5 People who do not know God strongly want to have sex in a wrong way. They cannot control themselves. You must not be like those people. 6 No man among you should ever have sex with the wife of a Christian friend. That would be the same as if you robbed him. It would be a bad thing to do against him. Remember that the Lord will punish everyone who does things like that. We have already told you that. We warned you very seriously about it.
7 God has chosen us to belong to him. He does not want us to do disgusting things. As his people, he wants us to be holy. 8 So do not refuse to accept what I am saying. If you do, it is not just a person that you refuse to obey. You are refusing to obey God. And God is the one who has given his Holy Spirit to you.
9 But I do not need to write to you about how you should love other believers. God himself has taught you how to love each other. 10 Certainly, you love all the believers in all the region of Macedonia. And now we ask you, as our Christian friends, ‘Please love each other more and more.’ 11 Try very much to live at peace with other people. Work hard at your own job. We have already told you that you must do these things. 12 If you live in this way, other people who are not believers will respect you. Also, you will not have to ask anyone else to give you the things that you need.
13 Our Christian friends, we want you to understand properly about your friends who have died. [ a ] Then you will not continue to be sad about them. People who do not hope for any life after death are sad when their friends die. But you should not be upset like those other people. 14 We believe that Jesus died and he rose again after death. So we also believe that people who have died as Christians will rise again. When God brings Jesus back, he will take the Christians to go with Jesus.
15 We are telling you the message that the Lord has given to us. This is what will happen when the Lord returns. Those of us who are still alive will not go to meet the Lord first. We will not go before those people who have already died. 16 On that day, the Lord himself will come down from heaven. He will shout with authority. People will hear the voice of the leader of God's angels. They will hear the sound of God's trumpet. Then those people who have died as Christians will become alive again. They will be the first people to rise up. 17 After that, those of us who are still alive will join together with them. God will suddenly take us up into the clouds. In that way, we will all meet the Lord in the sky. So we will all be with the Lord for ever. 18 Because this message is true, tell it to each other. Help one another to be strong, not sad.
4 Brothers and sisters, now I have some other things to tell you. We taught you how to live in a way that will please God. And you are living that way. Now we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live that way more and more. 2 You know all that we told you to do by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 God wants you to be holy. He wants you to stay away from sexual sins. 4 God wants each one of you to learn to control your own body. Use your body in a way that is holy and that gives honor to God. [ a ] 5 Don’t let your sexual desires control you like the people who don’t know God. 6 Never wrong any of your fellow believers or cheat them in this way. The Lord will punish those who do that. We have already told you this and warned you about it. 7 God chose us to be holy. He does not want us to live in sin. 8 So anyone who refuses to obey this teaching is refusing to obey God, not us. And God is the one who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 We don’t need to write to you about having love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. God has already taught you to love each other. 10 In fact, you love all the believers in Macedonia. We encourage you now, brothers and sisters, to show your love more and more.
11 Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Mind your own business, and earn your own living, as we told you before. 12 If you do these things, then those who are not believers will respect the way you live. And you will not have to depend on others for what you need.
13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those who have died. We don’t want you to be sad like other people—those who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died, but we also believe that he rose again. So we believe that God will raise to life through Jesus any who have died and bring them together with him when he comes.
15 What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. Those of us who are still living when the Lord comes again will join him, but not before those who have already died. 16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And the people who have died and were in Christ will rise first. 17 After that we who are still alive at that time will be gathered up with those who have died. We will be taken up in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
4 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.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
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 also have forewarned you and testified.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
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.
10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
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;
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
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.
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:
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.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
4 ( A ) Finally then, ( B ) brothers and sisters , we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to [ a ] ( C ) walk and ( D ) please God (just as you actually do [ b ] walk), that you ( E ) excel even more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you [ c ] by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is , that you ( F ) abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that ( G ) each of you know how to [ d ] possess his own [ e ] ( H ) vessel in sanctification and ( I ) honor, 5 not in [ f ] ( J ) lustful passion, like the Gentiles who ( K ) do not know God; 6 and that no one violate the rights and ( L ) take advantage of his brother or sister ( M ) in the matter, because ( N ) the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also ( O ) told you previously and solemnly warned you . 7 For ( P ) God has not called us for [ g ] ( Q ) impurity, but in sanctification. 8 Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who ( R ) gives His Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now as to the ( S ) love of the brothers and sisters, you ( T ) have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are ( U ) taught by God to love one another; 10 for indeed ( V ) you practice it toward all the brothers and sisters who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters , to ( W ) excel even more, 11 and to make it your ambition ( X ) to lead a quiet life and ( Y ) attend to your own business and ( Z ) work with your hands, just as we instructed you, 12 so that you will [ h ] ( AA ) behave properly toward ( AB ) outsiders and [ i ] ( AC ) not be in any need.
13 But ( AD ) we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters , about those who [ j ] ( AE ) are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed ( AF ) the rest of mankind do , who have ( AG ) no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead , ( AH ) so also God will bring with Him ( AI ) those who have fallen asleep [ k ] through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you ( AJ ) by the word of the Lord, that ( AK ) we who are alive [ l ] and remain until ( AL ) the coming of the Lord will not precede ( AM ) those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord ( AN ) Himself ( AO ) will descend from heaven with a [ m ] ( AP ) shout, with the voice of ( AQ ) the archangel and with the ( AR ) trumpet of God, and ( AS ) the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then ( AT ) we who are alive, who remain, will be ( AU ) caught up together with them ( AV ) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always ( AW ) be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, [ n ] comfort one another with these words.
4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, ( A ) we instructed you how to live ( B ) in order to please God, ( C ) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will ( D ) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ( E ) 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body [ a ] ( F ) in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust ( G ) like the pagans, ( H ) who do not know God; ( I ) 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. [ b ] ( J ) The Lord will punish ( K ) all those who commit such sins, ( L ) as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ( M ) 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. ( N )
9 Now about your love for one another ( O ) we do not need to write to you, ( P ) for you yourselves have been taught by God ( Q ) to love each other. ( R ) 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. ( S ) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ( T ) 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, ( U ) just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders ( V ) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed ( W ) about those who sleep in death, ( X ) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ( Y ) 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, ( Z ) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ( AA ) 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, ( AB ) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ( AC ) 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, ( AD ) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel ( AE ) and with the trumpet call of God, ( AF ) and the dead in Christ will rise first. ( AG ) 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left ( AH ) will be caught up together with them in the clouds ( AI ) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord ( AJ ) forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another ( AK ) with these words.
