1 Thessalonians 4:7

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
God	θεὸς theos	G2316	figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
hath	ἐκάλεσεν ekalesen	G2564	to "call" (properly · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
not	οὐ ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
called	καλέω kaléō	G2564	to "call" (properly
us	ἡμᾶς hēmâs	G2248	us
unto	ἐπὶ epi	G1909	properly · preposition
uncleanness	ἀκαθαρσίᾳ akatharsia	G167	impurity (the quality) · noun — dative singular feminine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
unto	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
holiness	ἁγιασμῷ. hagiasmō	G38	properly · noun — dative singular masculine

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

Leviticus 11:44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves…
1 Peter 2:9-12 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath…
Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
Romans 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethr…
1 Peter 2:21-22 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was giv…

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 4:7

unto uncleanness--Greek, "for the purpose of." unto--rather as Greek, "in"; marking that "holiness" is the element in which our calling has place; in a sphere of holiness. Saint is another name for Christian.

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

God hath not called us unto uncleanness - He is the creator of male and female, and the institutor of marriage, and he has called men and women to this state; but the end of this and all the other callings of God to man is holiness, not uncleanness. And they who use the marriage state as he directs, will find it conducive to their holiness and perfection.

John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

For God hath not called us,.... The Syriac version reads "you". This is another reason to enforce the above exhortations, and to caution them against the above unclean practices, taken from the end of the effectual calling by the efficacious grace of God, which is not unto uncleanness of any sort, as before specified. This they had lived in before their calling, and were now called from it into communion with Christ, who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity; and by the Gospel, which teaches to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to forsake all impurity, both of flesh and spirit: but this call is unto holiness of life and conversation in general, and to chastity in thought, look, w…

The Church Fathers

"For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification." Because he had said "his brother," and had also added, that God is the avenger, showing that even if an unbeliever has suffered this, he who has done it shall suffer punishment, he says, it is not as avenging him that He punishes thee, but because thou hast insulted Himself. He Himself called thee, thou hast insulted Him who called thee.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 5

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

Thessalonians, First Epistle To The — was written by the apostle Paul at Corinth, a few months after he had founded the church at Thessalonica, at the close of the year A.D. 62 or the beginning of 53. The Epistles to the Thessalonians,…
Adultery · 4:17,19,20;5:3,11,12; — 4:17,19,20;5:3,11,12;
Call Of God, The · To man is: To holiness — To man is: To holiness
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;
Holiness · 2:17;5:22-25;6:15; — 2:17;5:22-25;6:15;
Injustice · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

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 4:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Thessalonians 4:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:7