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| 1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. |
Abound more and more – As your capacity increases. F133
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| 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. |
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| 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: |
The will of God – His desire, his design. R5876:3
Concerning you. R5427:6, 5332:3, 5130:4, 5126:3, 4335:3, 2412:1
Thus our personal salvation comes first in God's order. We then inquire, What is the next step? R5427:6
In the nature of advice, rather than command. R5126:3
The great work is not for others, but a work in ourselves; subduing, conquering, ruling self. R5127:1, 2412:1; SM581:2
Heart loyalty; our first duty, continual duty, and the end of our duty. R5127:4
The acceptance of us by the Father is only the beginning of the sanctifying work. It is his will that this work should continue and progress in us, to its full completion. R5877:3
Your – Addressed only to the saints of God. SM578:1; R5876:3
Sanctification – The complete devotion of your will to God. F136; R5126:6; SM582:2
Full setting apart from the world to himself and his service. R5876:3, 3655:6, 200:2, 50:2; SM578:1
Through the truth, which becomes illuminated to us through the holy Spirit. R5878:1, 5877:6
Progresses throughout the Christian course until the character is fully developed and ripened, and it must then be maintained until the end of the way. R5877:1
This work should affect our minds, our hands, our eyes, our ears, our tongues, our all, that we may be fully used of the Lord. R5877:3
Walking after the Spirit, which leads to everlasting life with our great Redeemer. R5100:5
There are two parts to sanctification; the first is our own, the second belongs to God. "Sanctify yourselves," and "I will sanctify you." SM581:4; R5332:3; 200:2
If God's will is really our will, we have a clearly marked pathway. R5127:5
Our sanctification is effected not when we are "called," nor when we begin to turn from sin, but when we come to the point of full consecration. R4592:1
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| 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; |
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| 5 Not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles which know not God: |
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| 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
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| 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. |
But unto holiness – "Be ye holy, for I am holy." (1 Pet. 1:16) F92
Her righteousness is that to which the Bride is called. R50:2*
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| 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. |
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| 9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. |
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| 10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; |
Brethren – Fellow-servants. R2196:2
More and more – In love and service one for the other, which implies a growth in all the graces of the spirit. R2196:3
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| 11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; |
Study to be quiet – Might be rendered literally "that ye be ambitious to be quiet," or that ye have a quiet ambition, not a restless zeal for notoriety and great exploits, but a quiet, earnest perseverance in well-doing. R2196:3
The Lord's people are to study to have a mind that is well balanced; this is not natural to the majority of people, and is, therefore, something to be studied and attained. R5167:3
Quietness that appertains to peace--a composure which is the opposite of nervousness, giddiness and childishness. R5167:3
This desirable quietness represents the graces of the holy Spirit; meekness, gentleness, patience and brotherly kindness. R5167:3
Your own business – "Let none of you suffer as a busybody in other men's matters." (1 Pet. 4:15) F583
A busybody is a person who meddles with the affairs of others with which he properly has nothing whatever to do. R5167:6
One who spends considerable time in correcting others is prone to forget himself. R5168:1
With your own hands – Not to be dependent upon charity, so far as possible. R2196:6
Home and family duties were not to be neglected. R2196:3
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| 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. |
That are without – In darkness, out of Christ. R2196:6
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| 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. |
Which are asleep – All our sleeping friends. R4793:5
Which have no hope – No such substantial hope. E328, E329
No hope of the resurrection. OV333:1
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| 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. |
That Jesus died – For us; a ransom for all. E444; R4793:5, 3529:6, 2197:3,5
The Adamic death penalty was to perish; but it has been cancelled by Christ's ransom. R1126:2
And rose again – To be the Deliverer of the race from the bonds of sin and death. R4175:1
That he might be Lord and life-giver to all. R4793:5, 3529:6, 2197:2
Our faith is built upon this fact; it is an evidence that his sacrifice was acceptable. R2197:4
Even so – Let us believe as true. R4793:5
Them also – All mankind. E328; R4793:5, 4160:5, 3529:6, 3436:5, 2528:2, 2197:2
Which sleep – Not which have gone to heaven. R1591:5
Referring to the dead, both good and bad. R3027:6, 5059:6, 5166:4, 4794:2, 4793:5, 4633:1, 3529:6, 3063:4
Whose death through Jesus' merit has been changed to a sleep. R4175:1
By reason of his death our souls do not die in the full sense of the word, but are Scripturally said to fall asleep. R4956:1
In Jesus – In the sense that the hope of an awakening centers in him. R2618:1, 4175:1, 3436:5, 3063:4; SM38:2
The word Jesus means "Savior." R2197:5
It is through Jesus that the race previously extinct in Adam has hope of an awakening. R5107:3, 4956:1, 4633:1, 3063:4
Will God bring – From the sleep of death. E346; R4793:5, 2197:5, 1881:1
All who sleep in Jesus will God bring from the dead through him. SM740:2
This was the comfort the Apostle set before the early Church. OV213:4
With him – By. R1881:1
Through, his instrumentality. R2197:5
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| 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the presence of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. |
The coming – Greek: parousia; presence. B159; R2981:6, 2979:1, 2198:4, 1881:2, 1693:1, 473:2, 293:2, 223:2
Of the Lord – If Jesus can be present, and not seen, the dead in Christ could be raised and not seen, because when raised they will be like Jesus. R170:1
Prevent – Precede; go before. R5166:4, 2981:6, 1881:2, 473:2, 170:1; F663; C233
Hinder. R4794:2, 2765:2, 293:2
Them – The saints, the Church. C233; F663; R2528:2
Which are asleep – Those of the Church already dead. R2981:6
The dead saints were raised spirit beings in 1878. C234
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| 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: |
Descend from heaven – He comes unknown to the world. R579:3
"If I go I will come again." (John 14:3) F671
With – In, or during. B149
A shout – Greek: keleusma; a shout of encouragement to all men to wake up to a sense of their rights and privileges. B146
The shout of encouragement should be understood to be the people's response to the Jubilee trumpets blown by the priests. R2026:1
With the voice – With the authority and command. B147
Of the archangel – Michael. R668:1, 152:6
The chief messenger, "The Messenger of the Covenant," (Mal. 3:1) Christ. B147; R490:1
The trump of God – The seventh trumpet, the last trump, covering the entire Millennial age; typified by the Jubilee trump. B148, B149, B197; OV386:T
Paul's "shout" and "trumpet" corresponds in every way with those used by John (Rev. 11:15), and the same event in Dagel Michael. R668:1, 845:2, 579:6, 263:3
The dead in Christ – Applicable only to the elect Church. R5107:3, 2528:3, 2197:5, 152:3
They are reckoned as dying with Christ their Redeemer. R1454:4
The death of the flesh being fully accomplished; they are to have the first resurrection, the chief resurrection. R5107:6
They will receive new bodies like unto the Lord's glorious body. R5108:1, 3106:6
The scene described here is the same event of 1 Cor. 15:51, 52 of our change to a spi R152:2
Shall rise first – The faithful sleeping in death will be resurrected, reckoned with, rewarded; before the reckoning with and rewarding of the living members of the Church begins. R2981:6
Each receives life in complete measure instantly. R1854:5
We will from that instant be as invisible to fleshly beings as he is, and as angels are. R152:3
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| 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. |
Then we – The ones left over of the same class. R1260:4
Which are alive – The Lord's people still on the earth after the time of the beginning of the first resurrection. R5566:5
Some are still in the place of polishing and preparation--the Temple is not complete yet. CR457:1
Shall be caught up – Caught away, changed in the moment of death. F663; R667:6, 152:3
Their taking will be unseen by the world. R35:3
As Moses was lost to the sight of the people below, so the entire Church will be gathered to the Lord. R2709:6
This change will take place in the end of the Gospel age, at or during the sounding of the seventh trump. R1260:4
As the type of the passover night in Egypt, without the tasting of death. R212:2*
Together – Or also. R293:3, 473:2
As a class, not separately as each may die. R5132:4
With – Or to. R293:3
In the clouds – In the time of trouble. B138; R191:1
Into obscurity. R1260:4
To meet the Lord – During the gathering of the trouble, before the storm bursts. R153:5
That will be the first meeting of the Church with her Lord. R5132:2
In the air – In the spiritual rulership of the world, now controlled by the present "prince of the power of the air." (Eph. 2:2) C238; R1260:5, 191:1, 152:6
In the realm of spiritual control of the earth--in kingdom power and great glory. R5771:6
Symbol of the spiritual throne from which Satan is to be deposed, and to which our Lord and his joint-heirs are to come. R153:2
This does not necessarily mean that they will occupy Tartarus. R5182:1
Some expect to meet in the immediate presence of God, and others associate the meeting with earthly conditions, while we believe the meeting will be in a condition midway between the other two. R167:1*
Be with the Lord – "Whom he hath appointed heir of all things." (Heb. 1:2) F70
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| 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. |
Comfort – Of the Father, through the Son, by the holy Spirit, communicated through the Scriptures; also communicated by the members of the Body of Christ one to another. R2665:1
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