Study Desk

Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing^[a]—do so even more.

For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is God's will,^(a) your sanctification:^(b) that you abstain^(c) from sexual immorality,

so that each of you knows how to control his own body^[b] in sanctification and honor,

not with lustful desires,^(d) like the Gentiles who don't know God.

This means one must not transgress against and defraud^(e) his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses,^[c] as we also previously told and warned you.

For God has not called us to impurity^(f) but to sanctification.

Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.^(g)

About brotherly love: You don't need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God^(h) to love one another.⁽ⁱ⁾

In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia.^(j) But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,

to seek to lead a quiet life,^(k) to mind your own business,^[d] and to work^(l) with your own hands, as we commanded you,

so that you may walk properly^[e](m) in the presence of outsiders^[f] and not be dependent on anyone.^[g](n)

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.^(o)

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose^(p) again,^(q) in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through^[h] Jesus.^(r)

For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord:^[i](s) We who are still alive at the Lord's coming^(t) will certainly have no advantage over^[j] those who have fallen asleep.^(u)

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,^[k](v) with the archangel's^(w) voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ^(x) will rise first.

Then^(y) we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(z) to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.

Therefore encourage^[l] one another with these words.