Bullet Point Bible - 1 Thessalonians 4

A Call to Please God and Live Holy Lives

¹ Finally then, brothers and sisters, we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) that you do so more and more.² For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.³ For this is Godâ€(tm)s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality,⁴ that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor,⁵ not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God.⁶ In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.⁷ For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.⁸ Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Paul shifts from thanksgiving and relational updates to practical ethical instruction.
The core exhortation is to live in a way that pleases God, building upon the foundation already laid (1 Thess 4:1).
These instructions carry the authority of the Lord Jesus himself (1 Thess 4:2).
God's explicit will for believers is their "sanctification" (hagiasmos), meaning being set apart for God and living a holy life (1 Thess 4:3).
A primary aspect of sanctification involves abstaining from "sexual immorality" (porneia), a broad term covering various illicit sexual activities prevalent in the Greco-Roman world (1 Thess 4:3).
Controlling one's own "body" (skeuos, possibly meaning 'vessel' or even 'wife' in context) in holiness and honor contrasts sharply with the uncontrolled "passionate lust" characteristic of those who don't know God (1 Thess 4:4-5).
Sexual sin is not merely personal; it violates and exploits others within the community ("brother"), highlighting its social and relational consequences (1 Thess 4:6).
God acts as the "avenger" against such exploitation, emphasizing the seriousness with which He views sexual sin and injustice (1 Thess 4:6).
God's calling is fundamentally oriented towards holiness (hagiasmos), not impurity (akatharsia) (1 Thess 4:7).
Rejecting these moral instructions is equivalent to rejecting God himself, who empowers holy living through the gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 4:8).

Instructions on Brotherly Love and Daily Conduct

⁹ Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.¹⁰ And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,¹¹ to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.¹² In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

Paul addresses "brotherly love" (philadelphia), a key virtue within the Christian community.
He affirms that the Thessalonians are already practicing this, being "taught by God" (theodidaktoi) – suggesting an internal work of the Spirit guiding them in love (1 Thess 4:9). This echoes prophetic promises (cf. Jer 31:34).
Their love extends beyond their local church to believers throughout the region of Macedonia (1 Thess 4:10).
Despite their commendable love, Paul urges them to increase in it "more and more" (1 Thess 4:10).
He instructs them to lead a "quiet life," possibly countering disruptive behavior or idleness perhaps linked to eschatological fervor (1 Thess 4:11).
Minding one's own affairs and working diligently ("work with your own hands") promotes personal responsibility and counters cultural disdain for manual labor (1 Thess 4:11).
This work ethic serves two purposes: earning the respect of non-believers ("outsiders") and achieving financial independence ("be dependent on no one") (1 Thess 4:12).
Proper daily conduct and work are presented as integral parts of Christian witness and community health.
This section links the internal life of the church (love) with its external reputation and stability (quiet living, work).

Comfort Concerning Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.

Paul addresses a specific pastoral concern: the Thessalonians' grief and uncertainty about believers who had died before Christ's expected return (1 Thess 4:13).
The goal is to provide knowledge ("not want you to be uninformed") that leads to hope-filled grief, distinct from the hopelessness often associated with death in the pagan world (1 Thess 4:13).
"Those who are asleep" is a gentle metaphor for the death of believers, implying a temporary state of rest before resurrection, not soul sleep or annihilation.
Christian hope concerning death is anchored in the historical reality of Jesus' death and resurrection (1 Thess 4:14).
The logical connection is crucial: belief in Jesus' resurrection guarantees the future resurrection and return *with* Jesus of those believers who have died ("fallen asleep as Christians" or "fallen asleep through Jesus") (1 Thess 4:14).
This passage provides profound theological comfort, assuring believers of their secure union with Christ even through death.
It affirms that death does not negate a believer's participation in the future culmination of God's plan.

The Lord's Return for His People

¹⁵ For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Paul asserts divine authority for this teaching, stating it comes "by the word of the Lord," possibly indicating a direct revelation or an unrecorded teaching of Jesus (1 Thess 4:15).
He directly addresses the Thessalonians' concern: living believers at Christ's return ("coming," Greek: parousia) will have no advantage over those who have already died (1 Thess 4:15).
The description of the Lord's descent is dramatic and authoritative, involving a "shout of command," the "voice of the archangel," and the "trumpet of God," signaling a momentous divine event (1 Thess 4:16).
The sequence of events is clearly stated: first, the resurrection of "the dead in Christ" (1 Thess 4:16).
Second, the living believers ("we who are alive, who are left") will be "suddenly caught up" (Greek: harpazo – the basis for the term "Rapture") together with the resurrected believers (1 Thess 4:17).
The meeting point is specified as "in the clouds" and "in the air," signifying a transition to meet the descending Lord (1 Thess 4:17).
The ultimate goal and comfort is perpetual union with Christ: "And so we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thess 4:17).
The explicit purpose of this detailed eschatological teaching is mutual encouragement and comfort within the church (1 Thess 4:18).
This passage is foundational for doctrines concerning the return of Christ and the resurrection/rapture of believers, though specific interpretations (e.g., timing relative to tribulation) vary.

The Bullet Point Bible

1 Thessalonians 4