This
passage of study has caused a degree of inner turmoil within me. For a while now I have been quite fixated on
the doctrine of eternal security, namely that once a person receives Jesus Christ
they are forever saved. However, upon
while meditating on this passage I become aware of a much more dynamic
understanding of the Christian life.
Christianity cannot simply be understood in terms of doctrine. Rather, it’s about living out the salvation
that God has called us to. Also, that holiness is not optional for a Christian,
which is an easy frame of mind to digress to; rather, holiness is imperative. Paul urges his audience to live holy lives
that please God by the abstinence of sexual immorality which is realized
through self-control, and Paul’s method of exhortation is executed by drawing
on the character of God as the motivation.
Paul
uses repetition of words quite frequent in this passage. He mentions “Jesus Christ” twice, three times
for “God”, three times for “know”, and “you” twelve times. He also mentions the Holy Spirit once. It is interesting to note that by the end of
this passage—namely, verse 8, Paul has referred to every person of the Trinity. In verses 4 and 5 Paul uses the word
“know.” In the Greek it is also the same
word, that is, οῖδα,
which means to know; thus confirming that Paul did indeed use repetition of words
between these two verses. This is
intriguing because of the unique role that verses 4 and 5 are serving in Paul’s
argument, which will be explored later. He
also employs the literary function contrast twice, and both times referring to
holiness and impurity. The first
contrast is found in verses 4 and 5. The
second contrast is found in verse 7. The
general tone of the passage has undergone a significant shift compared to the
previous chapters. Now Paul takes on a serious disposition in reference to what
he is exhorting them to. Paul explicitly
warns them in regards to wronging each other, and even mentions God as being an
avenger (v. 6). The verses leading up to
4:1 are in a optimistic tone, mentioning names and giving encouragements for
specific deeds of faith. Now, however,
Paul changes his tone from verse 4:1 and following. This is again affirming the seriousness of
the tone. In verse 1 it’s as if Paul is “finally” getting at the heart of his
purpose in writing the letter after his greetings and disclosing his heart
toward the Thessalonians (v. 1). Paul’s
method in his admonishment progresses from a general mention of previous
commands to what that command specifically is, and finally a description of
what obedience to his command looks like.
Also, Paul is quite particular as to who his audience is, that is,
“you”—being the Thessalonians. This idea
is also realized through Paul’s reference to the specific commands that he gave
them (vv. 1&2). It is obvious that
Paul has a degree of history with the Thessalonians.
It
appears, whether intentional or not, that this passage is chiastic in
structure. Verse 2 is a general
statement serving as a segue to the specific command of verse 3, that is, to
“keep away from sexual immortality”; this command reveals God’s will in the
matter. Verse 6 correlates to verse 3 in
that Paul again mentions God’s heart concerning sexual immorality. Verses 4 and 5 are situated parallel to each
other and, sharing the middle place of the chiastic structure, they are the
specifics of what it looks like to abstain from sexual immorality.
Verse
1 seems to set the theme for this passage—that is, “to live and please God”;
and Paul simply becomes more specific in the details of living a God-honoring
life, while using the seriousness of the character of God to urge them toward
obedience. In verse 1 Paul reminds his
audience of their “received instruction”, and in verse 2 he continues the same
thought by reminding them again of the “commands” that he gave. Notice in verse 1 Paul urges them “in the
Lord Jesus”; and in verse 2 he mentions the commands which he gave “through the
Lord Jesus.” He mentions Jesus in these
verses probably for the purpose of emphasizing the Lordship of Jesus.
The
conjunction “for” at the beginning of verse 3 connects the progression of
thought between verse 2 and 3. After
Paul reminds them of the commands he gave, he specifies exactly what commands were
given to the Thessalonians, which has to do with their “sanctification” (NASB). Sanctification is “God’s will”—now this
starts the theme that will carry on to verse 8—that is, the character and will
of God being the incentive for obedience.
The issue that Paul brings up is holiness, which is God’s will, and then
Paul discloses exactly what is on his mind when he mentions
“sanctification.” He says, “that you
abstain from sexual immorality” (v. 3). Abstaining
from sexual immorality is what God’s will is.
Paul’s
admonishment to “abstain from sexual immorality” is apparently too general, so
in verse 4 Paul describes what it looks like to abstain from sexual
immorality. His explanation is to know
how to control your own body in “holiness and honor” (v. 4). The word “body” in verse 4 comes from the
Greek word σκεῦος. This word (σκεῦος) can mean either body or
wife. So verse 4 could also be taken as
a command not only to control one’s own body in holiness and honor but also
one’s own wife.
As
said earlier, verses 4 and 5 share the middle position of what seems to be a
chiastic structure. These verses are
also a contrast. Verse 4 is the
practical application of the command in verse 3, that is, to abstain from
sexual immorality; and verse 5 is the opposite of the pragmatics composed of in
verse 3. Paul is giving the
Thessalonians a very clear picture of what it looks like to disregard
sanctification, and give in to sexual immorality. The “lustful passion” of the Gentiles in
verse 5 stands in juxtaposition to the self-control that is described in verse
4. Notice also in verse 5, Paul
attributes the lustful passion to “the Gentiles who do not know God.” Paul seems to be implying that their lustful
passion is a symptom of the fact that they do not know God viz. if one knows God, then as a result they would not engage in
“lustful passion” or “sexual immorality.”
Next,
in verse 6 Paul maintains the same context, which is sexual immorality, by
saying “in this matter.” This is a
rather perplexing part of the passage, because although the context is sexual
immorality and the positive command is self-control of one’s body, Paul
commands the Thessalonians to not “violate the rights of his brother or take
advantage of him” (v. 6). How do the
rights of our brother have anything to do with personal obligation that Paul
has been emphasizing on the avoidance of sexual immorality, and controlling
one’s own body? Well, how we translate
the word for “body” (σκεῦος)
in verse 4 can help shed light on the ambiguity of verse 6. Remember that σκεῦος can
either be translated as body or wife. If,
in verse 4, we understand Paul’s exhortation to not only know how to control
their bodies in holiness and honor but also their wives, then it puts a
different perspective on Paul’s command in verse 6; this seems reasonable
because verse 4 and 5 is the “matter” that sets the context for verse 6. It seems that Paul is intending his audience
to refrain from engaging in any appropriate conduct with their brother’s wife. Also,
using or abusing their brother or his wife in a way that is sexually immoral.
Similar
to verse 3, in verse 6 Paul again uses the character of God as incentive for
obedience. He says, “because the Lord is
the avenger in all these cases” (v. 6).
Also, similar to verse 1 and 2, Paul alludes to past commands and
warnings at the end of verse 6. Paul
continues his case in verse 7 with the conjunction “for” (v. 7). It is quite fitting that Paul would again
mention God, because this has been the recurring theme—that is, he gives a
command, drawing his audacity from God. Verse
7 is another contrast, which is between “impurity” and “holiness.”
It
seems fitting that Paul would end this passage with God being in perspective,
and also mentioning the Holy Spirit, seeing that the topic of this passage is
holiness; and indeed the Holy Spirit is a Spirit that is Holy. Paul again emphasizes the fact that his
commands are not just his own opinion, but rather they are from God; and so
“consequently” –as Paul says—“the one who rejects this is not rejecting human
authority but God” (v. 8). Paul then
ends in verse 8 with this profound statement about God, that He is the one “who
gives his Holy Spirit to you.” If we
examine the rest of this epistle it then sheds light on Paul’s motive for
mentioning the Holy Spirit. In chapter 1
Paul mentions the Holy Spirit, and in both instances Paul is referring to his
preaching to them, that it was in “power and the Holy Spirit” (1:5); and the
second reference to the Spirit has to do with the conversion of the
Thessalonians, that it was with “the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1:6). So it’s as if Paul is reminding them of the
blessedness and power that comes through the Holy Spirit; and thus allowing the
massive blessing of the Holy Spirit to be a positive reason for obedience.
In
conclusion—Paul stresses the importance of holiness; that (1) it is a command
given “through the Lord Jesus”; also (2) it is “God’s will”; being (3)
consistent with God’s calling; and (4) to reject holiness is to reject God. It is also a blessing to the Thessalonians
(and us) that Paul does not just leave them uninformed concerning the
particulars of holiness. Verse 4 is a
description of what it looks like, and verse 5 is a contrast showing what
holiness is not. Paul definitely had a
reasonable motive for the placement of 4:1-8 within this epistle. Chapter
3:12-13 is a benediction, encouraging love and holiness. He picks up on the theme of love again in 4:9.
It’s as if 4:1-8 is a detour in his flow of thought between the end of chapter
3 and 4:9—that is, by mentioning holiness in 3:13 Paul then, in 4:1-8,
specifies what holiness is and urges his audience to engage in holiness. The path of holiness as described in 4:1-8
also compliments Paul’s exhortations to love one another, which is situated on
either side of 4:1-8, because sexual immorality is offensive to God and other
Christians (v. 6). This passage of study
is also relevant to 3:13, because it is God who keeps their “hearts blameless
in holiness.” So, 4:1-8 also serves as
the human response to the holiness that God works in Christians.
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