1 Thessalonians Chapter 4 Breakdown

1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

The Apostles are asking the Thessalonians to call near Yeshua in order to abound more similarly to how the apostles show them how to walk to please YHWH. The apostles gave them commandments to follow because of what Yeshua accomplished.

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.

The will of YHWH is your purification. To achieve that is to refrain from sexual immorality. 

Everyone should understand how to handle themselves concerning Holiness and honor of God instead of handling themselves with out of lust. Gentiles, those who do not know God, do this.

You should not make a gain from another brother in business.  YHWH will avenge such actions.

7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

Believers are not called to uncleanness, but holiness. There is a distinction between uncleanness and holiness made here. Referring to the Old Testament, uncleanness is to be defiled, and in order to be defiled is to commit sin. Sin is the transgression or breaking of God’s law. Now, we also know to be holy is to keep God’s law. It seems very likely Paul is saying here we are called to keep God’s law, and not to live unclean sinful lives like the gentiles do.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness

Romans 6:19

I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

Romans 7:12

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

If the Law is holy then our keeping it should make us holy as well.

8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

The man who rejects the idea of abstaining from uncleanness and striving for holiness is rejecting YHWH, not men. YHWH gave us His Holy Spirit for this purpose.

Ezekiel 36:27

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

All of this is directly connected with each other. The Old Testament and the New is all about getting God’s people to return to His law.

9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Thessalonians do not need to be reminded about loving one another. They are urged to increase their numbers. There is no need for a wild loud life. Men should be happy with a quiet life minding one’s own business and walking properly toward outsiders. Again we see this word walking and I again attribute it to walking in the ways of YHWH, as in keeping His commands.

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

Do not be ignorant concerning those who have already died. You should not be so sad they are gone like those who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

Because Yeshua died and rose again, we can know YHWH will also bring those who have died as believers.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

Paul makes an amazing statement here. Those who have already died will be taken to YHWH before those who remain alive at the second coming.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Yeshua will come down from heaven with a loud cry, the voice of the archangel will be heard as well as YHWH’s trumpet sound. At that point, the dead with rise first, before the living. We see clearly here it is the second coming where Yeshua descends from heaven when the dead in Christ are raised up.

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

It will be after the second coming of Yeshua and the raising of the dead in Christ when all those who are still alive will be taken up to the clouds where they will remain with YHWH forever.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Knowing this, do have hope and do not be so sorrowful about those who have died.