We recently looked at 1Th 4.1-12 in the home group study I take part in. I wanted to work a little further through the flow of the text, so this seems as good a place as any to do it.
Section 1: 1Th 4.1-2
Λοιπὸν οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν
Finally, then, brothers, we ask you and urge you
ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ,
in the Lord Jesus,
ἵνα καθὼς παρελάβετε
that just as you have received
παρ’ ἡμῶν τὸ πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν καὶ ἀρέσκειν θεῷ,
from us how you should necessarily walk and please God,
καθὼς καὶ περιπατεῖτε,
just as you are walking,
ἵνα περισσεύητε μᾶλλον.
that your progress may continue even more.
οἴδατε γὰρ τίνας παραγγελίας ἐδώκαμεν ὑμῖν
For you know this message we have given to you
διὰ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.
through the Lord Jesus.
In chapter 3, Paul (and Silas, and Timothy; though primarily Paul) had written concerning their relationship with the Thessalonians. How fellowship with them was missed, and how Paul was apprehensive about their condition and faith. After being reassured by Timothy's report, Paul digs in and switches to didactic mode. This is the preface. Note how Paul's request -- that the Thessalonians continue to progress and apply what they have been taught -- is bounded on both sides by reminders that this message is from "the Lord Jesus". It is asked in the Lord Jesus (v. 1) and given through the Lord Jesus (v. 2). The message is serious: Don't stop. Keep going, and keep walking and progressing, that you may continually please God to a greater degree with your obedience to His will.
The focus on the message and on the source of the message is important. Paul wants them to know that what he has to say is not from him, but from the Lord. It is a serious message, one that requires attention and one that demands obedience.
Section 2: 1Th 4.3-8
Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ,
For this is the will of God,
ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν,
your sanctification,
ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς πορνείας,
that you keep yourselves from sexual immorality,
εἰδέναι ἕκαστον ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαι
that each of you know (how to) gain control of your own body
ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ τιμῇ,
in holiness and honor,
μὴ ἐν πάθει ἐπιθυμίας
not in lustful passion
καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ εἰδότα τὸν θεόν
just as the Gentiles who do not know God;
τὸ μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖν
no one should exceedingly transgress or take advantage
ἐν τῷ πράγματι τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ,
of his brother in this matter,
διότι ἔκδικος κύριος περὶ πάντων τούτων,
because the Lord is the one who punishes concerning all things,
καθὼς καὶ προείπαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ διεμαρτυράμεθα.
just as we warned you and testified against.
οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς
For God has not called us
ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ ἀλλ’ ἐν ἁγιασμῷ.
for impurity but into holiness.
τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ ἀλλὰ τὸν θεὸν
For this very reason, the one who rejects this rejects not man but God,
τὸν [καὶ] διδόντα τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἅγιον εἰς ὑμᾶς.
the one who gives his spirit, the holy one, to you.
After underscoring the importance of the message in 1Th 4.1-2, Paul digs right in. The holiness, or sanctification, of the Thessalonians is what God wills. Paul describes that in three parts:
- "that you keep yourselves from sexual immorality"
- "that you know how to keep control of your own body"
- "no one should exceedingly transgress or take advantage of his brother"
Is this all that sanctification consists of? No. But these are three areas that Paul instructs the Thessalonians to address and ensure they are obedient in. It is interesting that the second and third items in the list are expanded upon.
Keeping control of one's own body is to be done in holiness (prepositional phrase with prepositional object of "holiness" or "sanctification", the same word used earlier in v. 3) and honor. This is contrasted with the lack of control that Gentiles (others outside Christian community) show. They follow their "lustful passions" instead of curbing them in obedience. The Thessalonians are to curb their lustful passions, they are to control their bodies with their eyes focused on honor and holiness.
The third item has to do with defrauding or cheating others, taking advantage of others with the idea of benefitting ones self instead of acting in the interest of others. It is the self-focused nature of the action that is the underlying problem. The Thessalonians are to act with the interests of the other in view, particularly if the other is a fellow believer.
The consequences of disobedience are then laid out: The Lord punishes. Paul simply reiterates that this is what the Thessalonians were told by Paul, Silas and Timothy during their stay.
This is all followed up by another reminder of the will of God: sanctification. God calls to holiness, not to impurity or immorality. This bounds the section, it began by stating God's will was sanctification, it ends with a reminder that impurity (reflected in the three areas mentioned) is not what God calls His own to; he calls to holiness. Sanctification.
After this, a reminder that the one who rejects this teaching does not reject man (Paul, Silas and Timothy; the ones bringing the message) but reject God. In so doing, the Holy Spirit is rejected. Note the similarity with Lu 10.16, where Jesus says, "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (ESV).
Section 3: 1Th 4.9-12
Περὶ δὲ τῆς φιλαδελφίας οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε γράφειν ὑμῖν,
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need [for anyone] to write to you.
αὐτοὶ γὰρ ὑμεῖς θεοδίδακτοί ἐστε εἰς τὸ ἀγαπᾶν ἀλλήλους,
for you yourselves have been taught by God in the love of others,
καὶ γὰρ ποιεῖτε αὐτὸ
for this is what you do
εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς
to all the brothers,
[τοὺς] ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ.
the ones in the whole of Macedonia.
Παρακαλοῦμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, περισσεύειν μᾶλλον
But we implore you, brothers, to progress still more
καὶ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι ἡσυχάζειν
and have as your ambition quietness,
καὶ πράσσειν τὰ ἴδια
and mind your own,
καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι ταῖς [ἰδίαις] χερσὶν ὑμῶν,
and work with your own hands,
καθὼς ὑμῖν παρηγγείλαμεν,
just as we proclaimed to you,
ἵνα περιπατῆτε εὐσχημόνως
so that you may walk properly
πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω
among those who are outside
καὶ μηδενὸς χρείαν ἔχητε.
and you may have need of nothing.
Paul next transitions straight into the Thessalonians' love of the community. They practice this, and they do it well. But Paul isn't satisfied with this and he encourages them to strive even more in this area. Paul offers three areas of refinement:
- have quietness as their ambition (cf. 1Ti 2.1-2)
- mind their own personal matters
- work with their hands
The Thessalonians aren't to be boorish or overbearing, they are to be serious and respectful. They aren't to be nosey. And they are to be productive. These are all things Paul had told them earlier, he is reiterating them here. The result of this action, says Paul, is twofold:
- Those outside the fellowship will see these things, they will see the proper walk (cf. 1Ti 3.7)
- Need of and reliance on things of the world will decrease
Paul urges them to take the next step, to "up their game" a notch. He says, "You're doing great. But you can do better, so shoot for a higher goal." They are to love others with more than a brotherly love, they are to love with the love of Christ. This love isn't the naive love of embracing tolerance, nor is it the tough love of judgement and rebuke. It is a love that focuses on Christ our Savior, loving him and obeying the will of God as we progress toward sanctification. It is a love that strives for holiness in our relationship with Him, and in our relationship with others, loving Him and loving others with the eternal and not necessarily the temporal in primary view. We can meet temporal needs, and this is good. But we need to primarily attend to the need of salvation in non-believers and the need of sanctification in our lives and the lives of other believers. Adding this eternal focus to the way they love others is how the Thessalonians can do even better, "excel still more" as the NASB translates.
Of course, that's what we need to do too.