1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4:1

But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. Yet he expects by the Lord’s help to be released, and to visit them himself. See notes on 1:25,26.

1 Thessalonians 4:2

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus. He will now send back Epaphroditus, the messenger they had sent to Paul with their offerings, one who had been so welcome, a “brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier”.

1 Thessalonians 4:3

For he longed after you all. Was very desirous to see you. And was full of heaviness. Heart-sickness. Because that ye had heard that he had been sick. We thus learn that their messenger had a serious sickness while in Rome. Of course the news of this caused great anxiety at home.

1 Thessalonians 4:4

God had mercy on him. He was “nigh to death”, but God in his mercy spared him. Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. His death would have been a great sorrow to Paul, who had already many sorrows.

1 Thessalonians 4:5

I sent him therefore the more carefully. “The more diligently” (Revised Version). Because his brethren at home were so anxious about him. That, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice. Their joy in seeing him will be a joy to Paul also, so that he will be the less sorrowful over his absence.

1 Thessalonians 4:6

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness. Give him a glad welcome. And hold such in reputation. Hold such as he in high reputation.

1 Thessalonians 4:7

Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death. Because it was his work for Christ, his refusal to spare himself, his supreme anxiety, to supply your lack of service toward me. To supply by his own service the absence of the church, which brought on his sickness.

1 Thessalonians 4:9

Attaining to the Power of the Resurrection SUMMARY OF PHILIPPIANS 3: A Warning Against Judaizing Teachers. Paul’s Grounds for Boasting in the Flesh. All Counted As Loss Compared with Christ. The Great Aim to Attain to the Glorious Resurrection. Pressing Towards the Prize of the High Calling. Enemies of the Cross. At the Resurrection Our Present Bodies Changed to the Likeness. of the Glorified Body of Christ. Rejoice in the Lord. See Philippians 2:5 4:4,10. There might be a little ground for rejoicing in earthly prospects, but they could rejoice in Christ and the blessed hope of the gospel. To write the same things to you. To repeat exhortations made before, either in person, or sent by messengers to them.

1 Thessalonians 4:10

Beware of dogs. Those snarling and snapping like dogs. The Judaizing teachers, who so troubled the early churches, are meant. See Galatians 1:6-9. Beware of evil workers. So called because by their false teaching about the necessity of circumcision they wrought evil. Beware of the concision. Applied to those who called themselves the circumcision. It means simply a “cutting”, the class who were mutilated. It is contemptuous.

1 Thessalonians 4:11

We are the circumcision. See notes Romans 2:29 4:12. The true circumcision is not in the flesh, but of the heart in the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:12

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. The confidence of the Jews was in the flesh of Abraham. They said, “We have Abraham to our father” (Matthew 3:9). I more. But if any man had grounds for relying on the flesh, it was Paul.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

Circumcised the eighth day. As enjoined by the law (Lu 1:59). Of the stock of Israel. Descended from Israel (Jacob), who had the birthright of Isaac and Abraham (Genesis 27:27-29). [Of] the tribe of Benjamin. A tribe descended from the beloved Rachel (Genesis 35:24); a tribe that remained faithful when the Ten Tribes of Israel seceded (1 Kings 12:20,21), the tribe on whose soil Jerusalem and the temple stood (Joshua 18:28 1 Chronicles 9:3). An Hebrew of the Hebrews. Hebrew by race, by religion, by education, and by custom. See 2 Corinthians 11:22. A Pharisee. A member of the strictest sect in Israel, “after the straitest manner of the sect”.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. His zeal for Judaism was demonstrated by the fact that he was a persecutor of the church (Acts 22:4). What were his feelings concerning this part of his career in shown in 1 Timothy 1:13-16. Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Keeping the letter of the law so as to be blameless in the eyes of my fellow-Jews.

1 Thessalonians 4:15

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. These things which were counted as a gain he now counts as nothing; nay, as loss, instead of gain for Christ. Instead of saving him, a trust in them would have been eternal ruin.

1 Thessalonians 4:16

I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge. In comparison with the inestimable value of the knowledge of Christ, all worldly things are to be regarded as a loss. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things. In accepting Christ he gave up all the world holds dear. But he did not long for them; nay, he counted them as a he would count them [but] dung, count filth, to be avoided, if only he may win Christ. The one word “Christ” in itself embraces every real blessing.

1 Thessalonians 4:17

And be found in him. In him “there is no condemnation” (Romans 8:1). Not having mine own righteousness which is of the law. Those in Christ trust not in a legal righteousness, obtained by keeping the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. But in righteousness which the gospel provides to those who accept Christ through faith. That righteousness is the forgiveness of sins, which is from God by faith. Note that, although the definite article is omitted in our Versions before “faith”, the Greek supplies it. “The faith” is equivalent to “the gospel”. It is faith in Christ acted upon, causing an acceptance and steadfast obedience to Christ, which secures the righteousness (forgiveness) of which Paul speaks.

1 Thessalonians 4:18

That I may know him. By enjoying his presence in the soul; an experimental knowledge. And the power of his resurrection. The resurrection demonstrated him to be the Son of God with power (Romans 1:4). The mighty power that worked in his resurrection works in the saints (1) in their resurrection from spiritual death to a new life (Colossians 2:13 Ephesians 1:19-23). It is therefore a present power. (2) It works also when they are lifted from the dead to eternal life. Consciousness of the victory over sin is the earnest of the ultimate triumph over death. And the fellowship of his sufferings. Christ’s life is the plan of that of the saint. Like him, we take the cross, are crucified with him (Romans 6:6), are baptized into his death (Romans 6:3), are planted in the likeness of his death, and are risen with him (Colossians 3:1). In all these we look to the suffering Savior, and are conformable to his death. Not only do we take the “form” of his sufferings, but we sympathize with him. If the obedience is from the heart, there is a partaking of his sufferings.