1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
New Catholic Bible
God Wills Your Sanctification[a]
Chapter 4
Respect for the Body.[b] 1 Finally, brethren, you learned from us how you ought to live so that you may be pleasing to God—and as you are indeed doing. Now we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus to do so even more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is the will of God that you should lead a life of sanctity. You must refrain from sexual immorality. 4 Each of you must learn to acquire a wife from pure and honorable motives, 5 not to gratify passion[c] like the Gentiles who do not know God. 6 No one is ever to wrong or take advantage of a brother in this regard.
As we have previously instructed you and solemnly warned you, the Lord is the avenger in all this. 7 For God has called us to holiness, not to impurity. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects these instructions[d] rejects not human authority but the God who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
An Honorable Life.[e] 9 In respect to brotherly love, there is no necessity to write to you about that, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you have shown your love to all the brethren throughout Macedonia. However, we urge you, brethren, to make even greater progress in this regard.
11 Strive to live quietly, to attend to your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.[f] 12 In this way, you will earn the respect of outsiders and not have to be dependent on anyone.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Conversion to Christ involves a total rejection of the values and the way of life that one previously led. Speaking of sanctification and holiness in Biblical language, we are conscious of being in the presence of the Lord. This gives new value to the destiny, action, and relationships of human beings—nothing is any longer lost in insignificance. In his correspondence, Paul always underlines some important traits for one’s way of life, in keeping with the needs of the community. He does so usually by way of a warm exhortation, but sometimes also by way of a warning. The Christian life is a journey toward a goal: union with God in Christ.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1 In the language of the period, two interpretations are possible: that each person should take a spouse in order to live honorably (see 1 Cor 7:2); or that each should exercise self-control and self-respect. In either case, and in light of the dissolute morals of the period, the affirmation of marriage and of sexual morality was a rejection of a meaningless and sordid existence. Paul has a high idea of human beings, for he views them in the call of God addressed to him. The effort of Christians arises from living ties with the divine Persons.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:5 Acquire a wife . . . gratify passion: another possible translation is: “control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable and not to succumb to lustful passion.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8 Instructions: this word does not necessarily refer to the sayings of Jesus but rather to guidelines set forth in the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9 God pours the Spirit into the hearts of believers and that Spirit guides them in God’s ways. However, other questions remain: certain Christians, awaiting the imminent coming of the Lord, experience a crisis of laziness (see 2 Thes 3:6-12); they must be seriously reminded of the personal and social life, without which love is but a futile word.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11 The early Church strongly believed in the need of Christians to earn their living. However, some of the converts—possibly as a result of their belief in Christ’s imminent return (see 2 Thes 3:11)—were not working and so were letting others support them.
