But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
Read it in contextBrotherly love and quiet work
Start reading at 1 Thessalonians 4:9 (1 Thessalonians 4:9 to 1 Thessalonians 4:12).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The church is urged to increase in love and work responsibly so its daily life is honourable toward outsiders.
4:9But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
4:10And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
4:11And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
4:12That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Paul is the principal author, with Silvanus and Timothy named as co-senders. Biblical references: 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:18. stated in the text
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (1 Thessalonians 4:1–5:28): The Thessalonian believers receive instructions about holiness, love, deceased believers, the Lord's coming, and congregational life. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? The church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, including converts who had turned from idols. Biblical references: 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:9. stated in the text
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? Brotherly love and quiet work. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:9 through 1 Thessalonians 4:12 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? The church is urged to increase in love and work responsibly so its daily life is honourable toward outsiders. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? The letter recalls the founding ministry and Timothy's report and addresses the church's present questions. It does not provide a calendar date. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? The church at Thessalonica is addressed; Athens and Macedonia appear in the account of separation and ministry. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in Brotherly love and quiet work (1 Thessalonians 4:9 to 1 Thessalonians 4:12).
Start reading at 1 Thessalonians 4:9. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The readers have turned to serve the living and true God and await His Son. The coming of the Lord grounds comfort concerning believers who have died and exhortations to holy living. See 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 4:18. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Encourage one another, work responsibly, and pursue holiness. Use the coming of the Lord for the comfort and watchfulness the letter calls for rather than speculative date-setting. interpretation
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
1 Thessalonians 4
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus address the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Their conversion, affliction, and expectation of the Lord's coming frame instruction in holiness, love, and hope.
Connection to the wholePaul identifies God's will in the readers' sanctification and warns that rejecting this instruction is not merely rejecting a human teacher.
Connection to the wholePaul comforts the bereaved by explaining that the dead in Christ will not be excluded at the Lord's coming; the teaching ends with mutual comfort.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
1 Thessalonians
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus address the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Their conversion, affliction, and expectation of the Lord's coming frame instruction in holiness, love, and hope.
Connection to the wholeThe readers' response to the gospel and their witness to others introduce the letter's recurring themes of service, endurance, and expectation.
Connection to the wholePaul recalls the mission and separation, explains Timothy's visit, and prays for the church's growth and establishment in holiness.