Living in a Way That Pleases God
1Now I want to talk about some other matters, brothers and sisters. We taught you how to live in a way that pleases God. In fact, that is how you are living. In the name of the Lord Jesus we ask and beg you to do it more and more. 2You know the directions we gave you. They were given by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3God wants you to be made holy. He wants you to stay away from sexual sins. 4He wants all of you to learn to control your own bodies. You must live in a way that is holy. You must live with honor. 5Don’t desire to commit sexual sins like people who don’t know God. 6None of you should sin against your brother or sister by doing that. You should not take advantage of your brother or sister. The Lord will punish everyone who commits these kinds of sins. We have already told you and warned you about this. 7That’s because God chose us to live pure lives. He wants us to be holy. 8Suppose someone refuses to accept our teaching. They are not turning their back on us. They are turning their back on God. This same God gives you his Holy Spirit.
9We don’t need to write to you about your love for one another. God himself has taught you to love one another. 10In fact, you do love all God’s family all around Macedonia. Brothers and sisters, we are asking you to love one another more and more. 11And do everything you can to live a quiet life. You should mind your own business. And work with your hands, just as we told you to. 12Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won’t have to depend on anyone.
What Happens to Believers Who Have Died
13Brothers and sisters, we want you to know what happens to those who die. We don’t want you to mourn, as other people do. They mourn because they don’t have any hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again. When he returns, many who believe in him will have died already. We believe that God will bring them back with Jesus. 15This agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died. 16The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God’s trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever. 18So encourage one another with these words of comfort.
上帝喜悅的生活
1最後，弟兄姊妹，既然你們領受了我們的教導，知道怎樣行才能討上帝的喜悅，如你們現在所行的，我們靠著主耶穌懇求、勸勉你們要更加努力。 2你們都知道我們靠著主耶穌傳給你們的誡命。 3上帝的旨意是要你們聖潔，遠避淫亂的事， 4要你們人人都知道持守身體的聖潔和尊貴， 5不可荒淫縱慾，像那些不認識上帝的外族人一樣。 6你們在這種事上不可越軌，虧負弟兄姊妹。我們曾經對你們說過，並且鄭重地警告過你們，主必懲治犯這種罪的人。 7因為上帝呼召我們不是要我們沾染污穢，而是要我們聖潔。 8所以，人若拒絕遵行這命令，他不是拒絕人，而是拒絕賜聖靈給你們的上帝。
9關於弟兄姊妹彼此相愛的事，我就不必多寫了，因為你們自己從上帝那裡領受了要彼此相愛的教導。 10你們對馬其頓全境的弟兄姊妹已經做到了這一點。不過，我勸各位要再接再厲。 11你們要立志過安分守己的生活，親手做工，正如我們以前吩咐你們的。 12這樣，你們可以得到外人的尊敬，不必依賴任何人。
復活的盼望
13弟兄姊妹，關於安息的信徒4·13 「安息的信徒」希臘文是「睡了的人」，聖經常用「睡了」作為「死了」的委婉說法，參見約翰福音十一章11—14節。，我不願意你們一無所知，免得你們像那些沒有盼望的人一樣悲傷。 14我們既然相信耶穌死了，又復活了，也要相信上帝必把那些安息的信徒和耶穌一同帶來。
15我們把主耶穌的話告訴你們：主再來的那天，我們還活著的人不會比已安息的信徒先見到主。 16因為主必在號令聲、天使長的呼喊聲和上帝的號角聲中親自從天降臨，已經離世的基督徒必先復活。 17然後，我們還活著的人要和他們一起被提到雲裡，在空中與主相會，永遠和主在一起。 18所以你們要用這些話彼此鼓勵。
