I Thessalonians 4:9-12
Christian Conduct – Part 2
• I Thessalonians 4 sets the stage for Christian Conduct, i.e.
The Process of Sanctification
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Sexual Continence: 1-8
Brotherly Love: 9-10
Minding Our Own Business: 11-12
No Sorrow for the Dead or Living: The Future for Believers is Bright: 13-18
• I Thess 4:9 – Darby “Now concerning brotherly love ye have no
need that we should write to you, for ye yourselves are taught of
God to love one another.”
– Why do you think Paul said that they had no need to write to them about
brotherly love?
• 1 John 2:27 ‘But the anointing which you have received from Him
abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the
same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not
a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.’
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Nov 25, 2007 Bob Eckel
I Thessalonians 4:9-12
Christian Conduct – Part 2
– If you had to give 1 or 2 verses that describe this agapao love,
which would you choose?
• How about John 3:16 and Rom 5:8?
– Let’s just take a moment and ponder these very familiar verses.
– What does this love look like?
• Let’s look at John 13:34 – ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That
ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’
– In both I Thess 4:9 and John 13:34 the verb love is present active
• And 1 John 3:14 ‘We know that we have passed from death to life,
because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides
in death.’
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How are you doing here?
What about the brethren who are not very lovable?
Is this something about which we need to be more diligent?
If not, what is the answer?
Nov 25, 2007 Bob Eckel
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I Thessalonians 4:9-12
Christian Conduct – Part 2
• I Thess 4:10 – Darby “For also ye do this towards
all the brethren in the whole of Macedonia; but
we exhort you, brethren, to abound still more,”
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Nov 25, 2007 Bob Eckel
I Thessalonians 4:9-12
Christian Conduct – Part 2
– And also (indeed) provides emphasis
– Apparently some of this love was already being
demonstrated
• Notice the exhortation (encouragement) to ‘abound still
more’
– A superlative phrase, e.g. to excel beyond, further extend, overflow,
super-abound
– And this type of admonition was not uniquely provided to the
church at Thessalonica
» Phil 1:9 ‘And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and
more in knowledge and all discernment,’
• I Thess 4:11 Darby “and to seek earnestly to be quiet
and mind your own affairs, and work with your [own]
hands, even as we charged you,”
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Nov 25, 2007 Bob Eckel
I Thessalonians 4:9-12
Christian Conduct – Part 2
– What is the basis for this request?
• The Greeks were naturally a restless people, often given to
intermeddling in the business of other people.
– Prov 17:1 ‘Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of
feasting with strife.’
– Eccl 4:6 ‘Better a handful with quietness than both hands full,
together with toil and grasping for the wind.’
– 1 Peter 3:4 ‘Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the
incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very
precious in the sight of God.’
• mind your own affairs (business), idia - pertaining to one's self, one's
own, belonging to one's self
– What about this working with you hands?
• work – ergazesthai, labor, do vs. inactivity or idleness
• What about a white collar job?
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Nov 25, 2007 Bob Eckel
I Thessalonians 4:9-12
Christian Conduct – Part 2
– Think of the practical benefits of working with your hands in
this earthly world of pious idlers.
• My late Father-In-Law Jack Cress used to say that when he was
physically fatigued, he was more spiritually alert?
– What about your own experience here?
– Do the white collar stresses produce the same effect?
• II Thess 3:11 ‘For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a
disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.’
– The entire passage II Thess 3:7-12 is relevant to this verse
• I Thess 4:12 - NKJV “That you may walk properly toward those
who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”
– What is walking properly?
• to walk – to occupy
• properly – in a seemly manner, decently, honestly
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Nov 25, 2007 Bob Eckel
I Thessalonians 4:9-12
Christian Conduct – Part 2
– Rom 13:13 ‘Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and
drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.’
– 1 Peter 2:12 Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that
when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works
which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.’
– toward those that are outside
• Col 4:5 ‘Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the
time.’
• Remember, the world is measuring your performance!
– Is it important for us to be preoccupied with this?
» What’s the danger if we do?
– Which life are they seeing?
– lack of nothing
• Is this simply practical as a result of our labors?
– Of course, even if we lack the body can/should/does respond
» See II Cor 11:7-9
• In Christ we lack nothing!
– And, what does this mean to you?
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Nov 25, 2007 Bob Eckel