1Finally, then, brothers,[1] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. (弗4:1; 腓4:9; 西1:10; 西2:6; 帖前3:12)2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. (林前11:2)3For this is the will of God, your sanctification:[2] that you abstain from sexual immorality; (羅6:19; 羅6:22; 林前1:30; 林前6:18; 帖后2:13; 提前2:15; 來12:14; 彼前1:2)4that each one of you know how to control his own body[3] in holiness and honor, (羅1:24; 林后4:7; 彼前3:7)5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; (诗79:6; 耶9:3; 耶10:25; 羅1:26; 加4:8; 弗4:17)6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. (羅12:19; 羅13:4; 林前6:8; 來13:4)7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. (帖前2:3; 帖前4:3; 彼前1:15)8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (路10:16; 帖前2:13; 约一3:24; 约一4:13)9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, (约6:45; 约13:34; 帖前5:1; 來13:1; 约一2:27)10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, (帖前1:7; 帖前3:12)11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, (箴17:14; 箴20:3; 箴25:8; 徒18:3; 弗4:28; 帖后3:11; 帖后3:12; 彼前4:15)12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (可4:11; 羅13:13; 西4:5)
The Coming of the Lord
13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. (利19:28; 申14:1; 撒下12:20; 可5:39; 弗2:12)14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. (林前15:13; 林前15:18; 林后4:14; 启1:18)15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[4] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (王上13:17; 林前15:51; 帖前2:19)16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (珥2:11; 太16:27; 太24:31; 林前15:23; 林前15:52; 帖后1:7; 帖后2:1; 犹1:9; 启14:13)17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (但7:13; 约12:26; 徒1:9; 林后12:2; 启11:12)18Therefore encourage one another with these words.