1 Thessalonians Chapter 4

1 Thessalonians 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.

The "Furthermore" connects what Paul says here with what he has just said back in Chapter 3. And it is in the light of the things they had received of "us," being a reference particularly to Paul and Timothy.

Paul had first found the Thessalonians in the synagogue of the Jews in Acts 17. At that time he had preached to them that information which he identifies as the "gospel of God." The gospel of God is foundational truth. He explains exactly what it is in Romans 1:1-4:

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Romans 1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

The gospel of God was never a mystery, such as Paul's other mysteries. He says it was promised afore, that is in the time of the old testament, by his prophets in the holy scriptures, a reference to the Hebrew scriptures. Then he tells you what it is:

Romans 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Jesus Christ was "begotten again," that is to say "born again." He was the firstborn from the dead as in Colossians 1:18. So we see then that the gospel of God is the testimony of God pertaining to his Son, Jesus Christ, and it includes the fact of his resurrection from the dead. All of that was prophecied in the old testament. As you read what Paul preached in the synagogue in Thessalonica you see that he is preaching the same thing:

Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Acts 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

So Paul proves to them, from the old testament scriptures that Jesus is the Christ of prophecy and that the prophets testified that he must suffer, that is to die on the cross, and must rise again from the dead. Peter preached the same thing on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two. But here, in the synagogue:

Acts 17:4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Some of the Jews believed and a great multitude of the Greeks believed. Now in 1 Thessalonians Paul refers to exactly what he preached, the gospel of God, three different times.

1 Thessalonians 2:2 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.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

Paul labored with them and preached to them and showed them from scripture that this Jesus whom I preach is the Christ of prophecy. And they had believed that. Paul spent three sabbath days doing that. Luke said that that was his manner. But, because of the unbelieving Jews Paul had to leave in a hurry. He had not had the time to ESTABLISH them in HIS gospel, called the gospel of Christ. So he sent Timothy back for that purpose:

1 Thessalonians 3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;

1 Thessalonians 3:2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

The Thessalonians would be parallel to the Romans. In Romans Paul said that he longed to see them that he might impart unto them some spiritual gift to the end they may be established. A person can believe in Jesus Christ. He can beleive in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But he is not established until he trusts what Christ DID in his death, burial and resurrection. He died FOR our sins.

Notice the phrase, the gospel of Christ. That is what Paul calls the gospel he preaches. He says it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. The gospel of Christ is the fact that Christ died for our sins, he was buried and three days and three nights later he was raised from the dead. He was raised for our justification according to Romans 4:25.

So the "Furthermore" of Chapter four and verse one is in the light of this. Not only that but Paul's desire was for them to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men, he said, "even as we do toward you." So in Chapter four he says:

1 Thessalonians 4:2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

Those commandments came in the form of ordinances Paul delivered to the churches. Fornication is a sexual activity done in association with idol worship. The ordinances said that "they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood." So that would be the commandments he refers to.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Paul says in 2 Corinthians four that the light that God commanded has shined in our hearts, giving the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ but that we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. So he says each should know how to possess his vessel.

1 Thessalonians 4:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

The Gentiles which know not God would be like the ones mentioned in Ephesians 4:17. They walk in the vanity of their mind. Their understanding is darkened. They are alienated from the life of God. Now there is a contrast between "the Gentiles" and the "brethren" to whom this letter was written. Notice:

1 Thessalonians 2:14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

And skipping down to verse 16:

1 Thessalonians 2:16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

Do you see the contrast between "ye brethren" of verse 14 and "the Gentiles" of verse 16? The "brethren" are the ones Paul found in the synagogue of the Jews and we saw that they were Jews and Greeks. "The Gentiles" are still "alien" at this time, the time of Acts 17 when Paul preached to them, and the time of Acts 18 when this letter was written. There is an important distinction between those who were IN the promises and the alien Gentiles who were not, as in Ephesians 2:11-12.

1 Thessalonians 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 also have forewarned you and testified.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

So those Gentiles simply didn't get the message at that time. They were "aliens from Israel and strangers from the promises." The book of Acts period of time involves people who were IN the promises.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 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.

1 Thessalonians 4:10 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;

So the "Furthermore" has to do with these instructions he has given them.

1 Thessalonians 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;

To be quiet and to do your own business is to say "mind your own business." Not being a busybody or meddling in other men's affars. He also instructs them to work with their own hands just as he did while he was there.

1 Thessalonians 4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

That instruction is quite a contrast to what the Lord told the "little flock" in his earthly ministry. He had told them to take no thought for what they would eat or drink. But Paul tells the Thessalonians that if a man doesn't work he shouldn't be allowed to eat. By that we understand that the instructions to the body of Christ in this age are different than the instructions given to those Jewish Kingdom believers looking for Christ to restore the throne of David to Israel.

Next is one of Paul's "ignorant brethren" statements. You find them in Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, and here:

1 Thessalonians 4:13 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.

So some believers have died. They are asleep. But Paul wants them to sorrow not as others might sorrow which "have no hope." He is not saying that you should not have sorrow or grief when a loved one dies, but not to sorrow in the sense that others would who do not have the hope that the Thessalonians have. That hope is in the event we commonly refer to as the Rapture of the church, the body of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 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.

When a believer dies, he goes to be with the Lord. Paul says in 2 Corinthians that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were disolved that we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Every indication is that it is already there, waiting for those who die before the Rapture, as well as for those who are alive and remain at the time of the Rapture.

1 Thessalonians 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.

1 Thessalonians 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:

1 Thessalonians 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.

Now to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air is not the same as being on earth and seeing him return to the Mount of Olives. To be caught up to meet the Lord in the air is not the same as the WRATH you read about in Matthew 24. The Rapture cannot be found in Matthew 24. The Rapture pertains to the church, the body of Christ, not to Israel.

Only Paul writes about the Rapture of the church because to Paul and to Paul alone was committed the doctrine to the church the body of Christ. There is not much comfort in Matthew 24, where one is taken, in wrath, and the other left. But the chapter closes with these words:

1 Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

When a believer trusts in the cross of Christ alone for salvation then his redemption is complete. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. So there is nothing that can separate a believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not even death. This is the truth that we are to comfort one another with.