The document discusses Paul's teachings to the Thessalonians about living a holy life and their beliefs about death and resurrection. It encourages believers to avoid sexual immorality, control their bodies, not take advantage of others, and live peacefully. It explains that God will judge sin and that rejecting Paul's teachings is rejecting God. It also reassures Christians that those who have died believing in Christ will be resurrected when he returns and believers alive at that time will be caught up to meet him.

1. Pauline Epistles
COACH Institute of Intercultural Studies
Hyderabad

3. As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please
God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more
and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that
each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not
in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one
should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who
commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be
impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not
reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

4. • Vs. 3 – Your state of “sanctification” – or
“purification” – separated to God.
• “Fornication” or “Sexual Immorality” –
from the Greek word porneia – broad
heading of sexual sin.
• See 1 Corinthians 6:15-19.
• Vs. 4 – This is the “why” – Vessel refers to
one’s life – keeping one’s life in a
sanctified and honorable fashion (2
Timothy 2:19ff)

5. • Vs. 5 – A Christian’s actions ought not
be controlled by physical desires! (cf.
Galatians 5:16ff; those who knew not
God – Romans 1:21-28).
• Vs. 6 – Don’t defraud your brothers and
sisters – “in this matter” = matter at
hand. (applicable to any matter)
• God will judge evildoers – Hebrews
13:4; Eph. 5:3-6

6. • Vs. 7 – God doesn’t call us to sin –
“uncleanness, impurity” – but rather to
holiness – 2 Thess. 2:13-15
• Vs. 8 – Think twice about rejection!
• Those who reject Paul’s writing are
rejecting God’s Word, given to Paul by
the Holy Spirit.
• We must walk according to the Spirit’s
direction, found in God’s Word – rejection
of these things constitutes rejection of
God. See also 1 Cor. 6:19

7. • Concerning brotherly love, they had no need for him to write to them.
– Paul had likely taught them about it.
– Paul had likely transferred “spiritual gifts” to them (cf. 1 Cor. 12; Rom. 1:11).
• We are taught today, though, through the Bible. (1 Tim. 3:16-17)
• “Brother Love” = concept of good-will
– As Christians, we have a new family.
– Romans 12:10; Heb. 13:1
9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves
have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family
throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,
11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and
work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of
outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

8. • Vs. 11 – Three Aspirations (Contrast these with Worldly Aspirations Titus 2:12):
– A Quiet Life = “tranquility, no disturbance” – 1 Peter 3:4
– Don’t be a “busybody” – we have responsibilities toward others (cf. 1 Cor. 10:24, Gal.
6, etc., especially in brotherly love) – but we ought not be meddlers – 1 Peter 4:15-16
– Honest workers – Ephesians 4:28
• Vs. 12 – Walk properly in the sight of those outside the Church – Col. 4:5

9. • Didn’t want them to be “ignorant” concerning those who had “fallen asleep” – he
wanted them to have this knowledge in their minds!
• Consider this: Timothy might have brought back a report about certain brethren dying,
and the reaction that some had to it, possibly thinking that they had forfeited their
eternal blessings since they died before Christ came.
• Vs. 14 – we believe Christ was raised, why would he not also bring others from the
grave? Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12ff
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in
death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we
who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede
those who have fallen asleep. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

10. • Vs. 15 – those who are alive and remain will not
precede those who are asleep.
• Vs. 16 – the Lord will descend from Heaven “with a
shout” – voice of the archangel.
• Vs. 17 – We will be “caught up in the clouds” – he
will not touch foot again on the earth.
• Vs. 18 – Oh what comfort!
• Other passages dealing with the end of time: John
5:28-29; Acts 24:15; 1 Cor. 15:50-53; Matthew 25:31ff

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