The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

Therefore, concerning other things, brothers, we ask and beg you, in the Lord Jesus, that, just as you have received from us the way in which you ought to walk and to please God, so also may you walk, in order that you may abound all the more.

For you know what precepts I have given to you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication,

that each one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,

not in passions of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God,

and that no one should overwhelm or circumvent his brother in business. For the Lord is the vindicator of all these things, just as we have preached and testified to you.

For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.

And so, whoever despises these teachings, does not despise man, but God, who has even provided his Holy Spirit within us.

But concerning the charity of brotherhood, we have no need to write to you. For you yourselves have learned from God that you should love one another.

For indeed, you act in this way with all the brothers in all of Macedonia. But we petition you, brothers, so that you may abound all the more,

to choose work that allows you to be tranquil, and to carry out your business and to do your work with your own hands, just as we have instructed you,

and to walk honestly with those who are outside, and to desire nothing belonging to another.

The Return of the Lord

And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope.

For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him.

For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first.

Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always.

Therefore, console one another with these words.

Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.

For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

that each one of you know how to control his own body

(a)

in sanctification and honor,

not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God,

that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,

for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;

and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you,

that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

The Return of the Lord

But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,

then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Footnotes

(a)4:4 literally, possess his own vessel