American Standard Version
1 Thessalonians 4:3
3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;
1 Thessalonians 4:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
- New International Version (NIV)It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
- English Standard Version (ESV)For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
- New King James Version (NKJV)For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:3
1Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk,—that ye abound more and more. 2For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; 4that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God;
Read all of 1 Thessalonians 41 Thessalonians 4:3 word by word
τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν, ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς πορνείας·Read the interlinear
Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 4:3
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward.
- Psalms 40:8I delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy law is within my heart.
- Psalms 143:10Teach me to do thy will; For thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; Lead me in the land of uprightness.
- Matthew 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 12:50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
- Mark 3:35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
- John 4:34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.
- John 7:17If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself.
- Romans 12:2And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
- Ephesians 5:17Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- Ephesians 6:6not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
- Colossians 1:9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
- Colossians 4:12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
- Hebrews 10:36For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.
- Hebrews 13:21make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- 1 Peter 4:2that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3This is the will of God, even your sanctification - God has called you to holiness; he requires that you should be holy; for without holiness none can see the Lord. This is the general calling, but in it many particulars are included. Some of these he proceeds to mention; and it is very likely that these had been points on which he gave them particular instructions while among them. That ye should abstain from fornication - The word , as we have seen in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification - It is the will or command of God that you should be holy. This does not refer to the purpose or decree of God, and does not mean that he intended to make them holy - but it means that it was his command that they should be holy. It was also true that it was agreeable to the divine will or purpose that they should be holy, and that he meant to use such an influence as to secure this; but this is not…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3it is God’s will that you should be holy: Christian ethics focus on doing God's will, not on philosophical ideas about virtue (Romans 12:1–2; Ephesians 6:6; Hebrews 10:36; 13:20–21). Holiness affects every part of a person's life (1 Thessalonians 4:4, 7; 5:23). Here, it means restraint from sexual sin (Greek porneia, meaning any sexual union or activity outside marriage).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. For--enforcing the assertion that his "commandments" were "by (the authority of) the Lord Jesus" (1Th 4:2). Since "this is the will of God," let it be your will also. fornication--not regarded as a sin at all among the heathen, and so needing the more to be denounced (Ac 15:20).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 4:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries