1 Thessalonians 4:3

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γάρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
this	τοῦτο toûto	G5124	that thing
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
will	θέλημα thelēma	G2307	a determination (properly · noun — nominative singular neuter
God	θεοῦ, theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
your	ὑμῶν hymōn	G5216	of (from or concerning) you
sanctification	ἁγιασμὸς hagiasmos	G38	properly · noun — nominative singular masculine
that	ἀπέχομαι apéchomai	G567	to hold oneself off
ye	ὑμᾶς hymâs	G5209	you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
abstain	ἀπέχομαι apéchomai	G567	to hold oneself off
from	ἀπὸ apo	G575	"off · preposition
fornication	πορνείας· porneias	G4202	harlotry (including adultery and incest) · noun — genitive singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Peter 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,…
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of…
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousnes…
Ephesians 5:3-5 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
1 Thessalonians 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Here we have, I. An exhortation to abound in holiness, to abound more and more in that which is good, Th1 4:1, Th1 4:2. We may observe, 1. The manner in which the exhortation is given - very affectionately. The apostle entreats them as brethren; he calls them so, and loved them as such. Because his love to them was very great, he exhorts them very earnestly: We beseech and exhort you. The apostle was unwilling to take any denial, and therefore repeats his exhortation again and again. 2. The matter of his exhortation - that they would abound more and more in holy walking, or excel in those things that are good, in good works. Their faith was justly famed abroad, and they were already examples…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

For--enforcing the assertion that his "commandments" were "by (the authority of) the Lord Jesus" (Th1 4:2). Since "this is the will of God," let it be your will also. fornication--not regarded as a sin at all among the heathen, and so needing the more to be denounced (Act 15:20).

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

This is the will of God, even your sanctification - God has called you to holiness; he requires that you should be holy; for without holiness none can see the Lord. This is the general calling, but in it many particulars are included. Some of these he proceeds to mention; and it is very likely that these had been points on which he gave them particular instructions while among them. That ye should abstain from fornication - The word πορνεια, as we have seen in other places, includes all sorts of uncleanness; and it was probably this consideration that induced several MSS., some versions and fathers, to add here πασης, all. Directions of this kind were peculiarly necessary among the Greeks, a…

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John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,.... Which is another reason to enforce the above exhortation. "Sanctification" is internal or external. Internal sanctification is the work of the Spirit of God, and is a principle of spiritual life in the soul, a divine and spiritual light in the understanding, a flexion of the will to the will of God, and a settlement of the affections on divine things, and is an implantation of every grace in the heart. External sanctification arises from this, and lies in holiness of life and conversation; and is what is chiefly designed, as appears both by what goes before, and follows after: and this is "the will of God"; the will of his purpose an…

The Church Fathers

The will of God is our sanctification, for He wishes His "image "-us-to become likewise His "likeness; " that we may be "holy" just as Himself is "holy.
— Tertullian, On Exhortation to Chastity

Gregory said, 'God asks three things of anyone who is baptized: to keep the true faith with all his soul and all his might; to control his tongue; to be chaste in his body.'
— Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

That we should "abstain from fornication," not from marriage; that every one "should know how to possess his vessel in honour." In what way? "Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles.
— Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Adultery · 4:17,19,20;5:3,11,12; — 4:17,19,20;5:3,11,12;
Chastity · 2:10,11,16-22;5:15-21;6:24,25;7:1-5;31:3; — 2:10,11,16-22;5:15-21;6:24,25;7:1-5;31:3;
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Holiness · 2:17;5:22-25;6:15; — 2:17;5:22-25;6:15;
Sanctification · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Thessalonians 4:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Thessalonians 4:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:3