1 Thessalonians - Chapters 4-5

With these last two chapters of Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica, he gave instructions on how to live in Christ. Believers are to live in such a way as to please God (4:1) and to love others (4:10), and both of these we are to do "more and more!" Paul also addressed sexual immorality, loving believers, living in such a way as to not be a busy body but that we would draw respect from outsiders, and to not be dependent upon anyone else. Other things in chapter five that Paul said believers should do are, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil" (5:16-22). What once was in the OT a call to holiness for the Jews, now applies to all believers in Jesus. 5:24, "The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it!" One of the main points of the letter addressed concerns about the Lord's coming again, and what about the saints who have died already? He comforted the people and said, "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."