Chapter 4

(1 Thessalonians 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:

Paul’s world may not have been all that different from ours in that the boundaries of marriage were not that carefully observed. The Greek word for "fornication" is porneia and refers to sexual uncleanness of any kind, not merely to premarital sex. Fornication was even involved in the worship of some pagan gods or goddesses. For Paul to mention this here implies that it was a problem to some degree.

{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.

This is a strangely worded passage and is variously interpreted by commentators and translators.

The NIV translates verse 4, " that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable." But the Greek lends itself to another view. The first meaning in the lexicon for the word translated "possess," is "to acquire," or "obtain." Peter uses the word "vessel" as a synonym for "Wife."

(1 Peter 3:7) "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

Therefore one could understand this better in the context as pare of the admonition to "abstain from fornication." This could agree with the following verses in that it involves the avoidance of lust and of defrauding of one’s brother. To commit fornication with a woman might be seen as a defrauding of a future husband.

{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.

Be quiet and mind your own business, said Paul. This is just a hint that maybe they would suffer less persecution if they were not quite so obstreperous.

{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."

The implication of this passage is that there was no small amount of sorrow in Thessalonika, certainly more than one would expect after such a short period of time. The only possible explanation is persecution leading to the death of a number of the saints there. The hope is in the resurrection.

There is a great trumpet to be blown when the day of the resurrection takes place. Jesus had not told the disciples when this would be, and there seems to have been a general expectation that it would come within their lifetime. They proceed on the assumption that Christ’s return would be soon.

To: Chapter 5

 

 

Painting: St. Paul by Rembrandt van Rijn

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