1 Thessalonians 4:1–8

4:1 The letter transitions from Paul’s joy at the good news of the Thessalonians’ steadfast faith and love. Paul now encourages them to continue to grow in their faithful Christian walk.

Strikingly, Paul employs the word “finally,” although two chapters remain in the epistle. Elsewhere Paul uses “finally” to highlight the instruction that follows (2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 6:10; Phil. 4:8), even when he has substantially more to say (Phil. 3:1; 2 Thess. 3:1). This functions as a transition to the instruction in chapters 4–5. The urgency of what follows is also accentuated by overlapping verbs of communication (“we ask and urge”), words spoken solemnly “in the Lord Jesus.”

Paul and his colleagues remind the Thessalonians that they had “received” similar instruction before. Although they already know how to walk before God, every believer must be reminded continually of proper Christian conduct in order to live out those principles in a world resistant to Christ. As noted earlier (cf. comment on 2:11–12), “walking” is a common Pauline metaphor, emphasizing the ongoing daily endurance required in following Christ. Paul also directs churches regularly to “please” God (e.g., 1 Cor. 7:32; Gal. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:4; cf. 2 Tim. 2:4). “Pleasing” does not refer to an attempt to win salvation from God by our actions (Rom. 8:8), but it does indicate that, as those saved by grace, our proper response is to live in Spirit-empowered sanctification, which is pleasant (1 Thess. 4:1) to the God who has redeemed us.

Paul acknowledges yet again (cf. 1:6–10; 2:13–14; 3:6–8) that the Thessalonians are already walking according the Christian pattern they have received, further encouraging them to abound in this holy manner of life (cf. also 3:12–13).

4:2 Throughout this epistle, Paul often reminds the Thessalonians of what they already “know” from his previous work among them (e.g., 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:1, 2, 5, 11; 3:3–4; 5:2). Often Christian discipleship does not hinge on studying new and deeper truths; it instead entails growth in proper Christian habits in order to live out truths already learned.

4:3 Paul and his colleagues highlight one particular dimension of Christian sanctification: maintaining sexual purity before the Lord. Sanctification elsewhere in Paul’s letters involves many other aspects of holiness as well (e.g., Rom. 6:22; 1 Cor. 1:30; 1 Thess. 5:23), but the Greek here clearly directs the reader to apply sanctification to sexual fidelity (also in 4:4, 7). Significantly, Paul calls this the “will of God” (cf. 1 Pet. 4:1–6; 1 John 2:15–17).

Roman sexual mores famously endorsed behavior that Paul knew to be sexually immoral. Even though marital fidelity was commonly expected from Roman matrons, their husbands might regularly participate in dinner parties that included slave-consorts. Young men were often encouraged to be sexually active prior to marriage. Ancient Roman literature contains numerous stories of adulterous males, and in some tales even married women would pursue lovers. Homosexuality was widely practiced, especially among the Greeks, including forms of pederasty. Cities were famous for their prostitutes, especially cities on major trade routes (such as Thessalonica). Amid such widespread licentiousness, the church’s pagan neighbors likely thought these Christians strange to refuse such behavior. Indeed, some members of the church, having participated in such Roman sensuality prior to coming to Christ, likely still felt the addictive pull of such temptations.

God’s plan for sex, rooted in the creational joys of marriage (e.g., Gen. 1:26–28; 2:24–25), had long been revealed. Paul knew well both the seventh commandment prohibiting adultery (Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18; Rom. 13:9) and the various OT laws condemning fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, bestiality, and other forms of sexual immorality (e.g., Lev. 18:6–23; 20:10–21; Deut. 22:13–30). Paul would also have studied the OT proverbial and prophetic pronouncements against such sexual sins (e.g., Prov. 2:16–19; 6:32; 7:1–27; Jer. 7:9; 29:23; Hos. 4:2; Mal. 3:5). The early church also knew Jesus’ teaching on such matters (e.g., Matt. 5:27–32; 15:19; 19:9, 18). The Jerusalem council, cognizant of the Roman practices surrounding them, directed Gentile believers to abstain from sexual immorality (Acts 15:20, 29; cf. also Heb. 13:4; Rev. 2:14; 22:15). Thus it is not surprising that Paul frequently instructs believers throughout the Roman Empire to practice sex only in the context of marriage (e.g., Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 5:1–13; 6:9–20; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3, 5; Col. 3:5; 1 Tim. 1:10).

4:4–5 Commentators debate the meaning of the word “body” in verse 4. As the ESV footnote mentions, the Greek speaks literally of “possessing” one’s own “vessel” in holiness and honor. Because this is contrasted with the “passion of lust” in 4:5 and falls immediately after the admonition to “abstain from sexual immorality” (v. 3), the context favors an interpretation tied to the sexuality themes in this passage. In that regard, it is best to understand (as does the ESV) the “possessing of one’s own vessel” as referring to controlling one’s body by avoiding sexual promiscuity.

Paul contrasts controlling one’s body “in holiness and honor” (4:4) with giving the body over to the “passion of lust” (v. 5). In context, “lust” constitutes a desire for passions that transgress the bounds of righteousness (cf. Rom. 1:26–27). Paul here overtly associates such lustful passions with the Roman milieu of Gentiles “who do not know God.” The Thessalonian believers, including those who as Gentiles formerly followed pagan sexual behavior, are to look different from their culture on this matter (Eph. 2:1–3; 4:17; Col. 3:5–9).

4:6 Paul warns that giving in to lustful passions injures others, and the God of justice will avenge the oppressed. Paul supplies two verbs here to indicate that sexual immorality “transgresses” and “wrongs” another; the first verb refers to crossing boundaries (e.g., LXX Mic. 7:18; Jer. 5:22).

The particular nature of “wrong[ing] his brother” has overtones in Greek of greed and taking advantage of others (Gk. pleonektein; cf. 2 Cor. 2:11; 7:2; 12:17–18). Some interpreters understand such greed as that which defrauds others, perhaps implying that Paul has shifted topics here to business relations. However, the context concerns sexual sin, and verses 3–6 form a single sentence, implying that the subject matter has not changed. The greed of pleonektein and its cognate nouns appear elsewhere in contexts of sexual immorality as well (Eph. 4:19; 5:3, 5; also Mark 7:22), and thus this word can refer to the greed of lustful passions.

In committing sexual sin, those who do so transgress the boundaries of others as their covetousness injures their brother. At a minimum, Paul observes that adultery injures the spouse of the adulterer. Yet we could well extend his thought to observe that many are trespassed against anytime someone pursues their lustful desires—certainly one’s spouse and children (whether present or future), but also the other person in the sexual act and all of their own family relations, and even Christians in the community among which they worship.

God, who mandates that we love our brothers and neighbors and not injure them, commanded long ago not to engage in illicit sexual encounters. Every such event creates injury, whether or not the perpetrator is cognizant of this fact. God avenges those who are injured and judges those who transgress his righteous law. Thus Paul warns the Thessalonians of the dire consequences of failing to abide by God’s precepts concerning sex. In marriage, sex is a joyful gift. Outside the marriage of husband and wife, sex brings injury to others as well as judgment. Paul closes this verse by yet again emphasizing solemnly that he has already taught the Thessalonians on this matter.

4:7 God calls the believer both to salvation and to sanctification (e.g., 1 Thess. 2:12; 5:23–24; Eph. 4:1). Drawing on OT imagery, Paul here emphasizes the call unto holiness and sanctification. He contrasts holiness with “impurity” (Gk. akatharsia), a metaphorical reference to uncleanness. Although Paul can apply “impurity” to a general propensity to sin (Rom. 6:19; 1 Thess. 2:3), he often associates this term with sexual impurity specifically (Rom. 1:24; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 4:19; Col. 3:5). Sexual immorality renders the culprit unclean before God.

4:8 In one last emphatic statement, Paul reminds his readers that the call to sexual purity originates not from mere human teaching (whether from Paul or others) but from the God who created, called, saved, and sanctifies these believers (cf. 2:13).

God the Father has sent his Holy Spirit to fill and indwell believers (e.g., Rom. 8:9–11; Gal. 5:22–23; 2 Tim. 1:14). Paul does not explain fully here the import of the Father’s identity as he “who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” Yet in 1 Corinthians, Paul argues that believers must live a holy life and especially avoid sexual immorality, lest they take their bodies, the temple dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and join them in sinful relationship to another (1 Cor. 6:15–20; also 3:16–17).

In sum, sexual immorality injures others (1 Thess. 4:6), deserves the Lord’s vengeance (v. 6), contravenes the holy calling and instruction of God (vv. 7–8), and associates the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit with impurity and transgression (v. 8).