What commandments from Jesus are referenced in 1 Thessalonians 4:2? Setting the Scene in Thessalonica • 1 Thessalonians 4:2 – “For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.” • Paul had already taught these believers face-to-face; now he reminds them that every directive came straight “through” or “by the Lord Jesus,” not as optional advice. • Verses 3-8 immediately list the content of those directives—especially holiness in sexuality and relationships—so we can trace them back to what the Lord Himself commanded. Core Commandments of Jesus Echoed Here • Love God wholeheartedly – Matthew 22:37-38: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” • Love one another sacrificially – John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.” • Pursue purity of heart and body – Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” • Honor God’s design for marriage – Matthew 19:4-6: “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’… ‘and the two will become one flesh’? …What God has joined together, let man not separate.” • Walk in comprehensive holiness – Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” How Jesus’ Commands Shape 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 • “For this is God’s will: your sanctification.” – The call to holiness (Matthew 5:48). • “Abstain from sexual immorality… control his own body in holiness and honor.” – Direct echo of Jesus’ purity teaching (Matthew 5:27-30). • “No one should wrong or defraud his brother in this matter.” – Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39; John 13:34). • “God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.” – Summarizes every command above: love, purity, and wholehearted devotion culminate in a life set apart for God. Scripture Connections—Seeing the Consistency • Holiness: 1 Peter 1:15-16 – “Be holy, because I am holy.” • Sexual purity: Hebrews 13:4 – “Marriage should be honored by all…” • Brotherly love: 1 John 3:23-24 – “And this is His commandment: that we believe…and love one another.” • Living to please God: Colossians 1:10 – “…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way.” Living It Out Today • Guard the mind and eyes; purity starts in the heart. • Treat all relationships—marriage, dating, friendships—with the honor Jesus demands. • Measure daily choices by the twin commands of loving God and loving people. • Remember the source: these are not mere apostolic preferences but the clear, authoritative commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
    |