1 As to the rest, then, brethren, we request you, and call upon you in the Lord Jesus, as ye did receive from us how it behoveth you to walk and to please God, that ye may abound the more,
to your walking worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, in every good work being fruitful, and increasing to the knowledge of God,
We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because increase greatly doth your faith, and abound doth the love of each one of you all, to one another;
and increase ye in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to him `is' the glory both now, and to the day of the age! Amen.
and of doing good, and of fellowship, be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.
as, then, ye did receive Christ Jesus the Lord, in him walk ye,
Call upon you, then, do I -- the prisoner of the Lord -- to walk worthily of the calling with which ye were called,
and you the Lord cause to increase and to abound in the love to one another, and to all, even as we also to you,
for ye do it also to all the brethren who `are' in all Macedonia; and we call upon you, brethren, to abound still more, and to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we did command you, that ye may walk becomingly unto those without, and may have lack of nothing.
for even when we were with you, this we did command you, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat, for we hear of certain walking among you disorderly, nothing working, but over working, and such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness working, their own bread they may eat;
I testify fully, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the choice messengers, that these things thou mayest keep, without forejudging, doing nothing by partiality.
because of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ; I entreat thee concerning my child -- whom I did beget in my bonds -- Onesimus,
and apart from faith it is impossible to please well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder.
And this same also -- all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the knowledge, and in the knowledge the temperance, and in the temperance the endurance, and in the endurance the piety, and in the piety the brotherly kindness, and in the brotherly kindness the love; for these things being to you and abounding, do make `you' neither inert nor unfruitful in regard to the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins; wherefore, the rather, brethren, be diligent to make stedfast your calling and choice, for these things doing, ye may never stumble,
and whatever we may ask, we receive from Him, because His commands we keep, and the things pleasing before Him we do,
And the righteous layeth hold `on' his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And -- dumb are they all.
Still they bring forth in old age, Fat and flourishing are they,
every branch in me not bearing fruit, He doth take it away, and every one bearing fruit, He doth cleanse by pruning it, that it may bear more fruit;
for I did not keep back from declaring to you all the counsel of God.
I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice -- living, sanctified, acceptable to God -- your intelligent service; and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what `is' the will of God -- the good, and acceptable, and perfect.
For I -- I received from the Lord that which also I did deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was delivered up, took bread,
Wherefore also we are ambitious, whether at home or away from home, to be well pleasing to him,
And working together also we call upon `you' that ye receive not in vain the grace of God --
Henceforth, brethren, rejoice; be made perfect, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of the love and peace shall be with you;
Only worthily of the good news of the Christ conduct ye yourselves, that, whether having come and seen you, whether being absent I may hear of the things concerning you, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul, striving together for the faith of the good news,
to the mark I pursue for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
In this chapter the apostle gives earnest exhortations to abound in holiness, with a caution against uncleanness, enforced with several arguments (v. 1-8). He then mentions the great duties of brotherly love, and quietness with industry in our callings (v. 9-12). And concludes with comforting those who mourned for their relations and friends that died in the Lord (v. 13-18).
1Th 4:1-8
Here we have,
1Th 4:9-12
In these words the apostle mentions the great duties,
1Th 4:13-18
In these words the apostle comforts the Thessalonians who mourned for the death of their relations and friends that died in the Lord. His design is to dissuade them from excessive grief, or inordinate sorrow, on that account. All grief for the death of friends is far from being unlawful; we may weep at least for ourselves if we do not weep for them, weep for own loss, though it may be their fain. Yet we must not be immoderate in our sorrows, because,