1 Thessalonians 4:12

1 Thessalonians 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
• New International Version (NIV)so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
• English Standard Version (ESV)so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:12

10Certainly, you love all the believers in all the region of Macedonia. And now we ask you, as our Christian friends, ‘Please love each other more and more.’ 11Try very much to live at peace with other people. Work hard at your own job. We have already told you that you must do these things. If you live in this way, other people who are not believers will respect you. Also, you will not have to ask anyone else to give you the things that you need. 13Our Christian friends, we want you to understand properly about your friends who have died. Then you will not continue to be sad about them. People who do not hope for any life after death are sad when their friends die. But you should not be upset like those other people. 14We believe that Jesus died and he rose again after death. So we also believe that people who have died as Christians will rise again. When God brings Jesus back, he will take the Christians to go with Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:12 word by word

ἵνα περιπατῆτε εὐσχημόνως πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω καὶ μηδενὸς χρείαν ἔχητε.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ye may walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• honestlyεὐσχημόνωςeuschēmonōs · properlyG2156
• towardπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• them that areὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• withoutἔξωexō · out/outside(r)G1854
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• ye may haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• lackχρείαchreia · needG5532
• of nothingμηδείςmēdeis mēdemia mēden · nothingG3367

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 4:12

• 1 Thessalonians 5:22But keep away from any kind of bad thing.
• Romans 12:17If someone has done bad things against you, do not do bad things back to them. Try to live in a good way so that people will respect you. They will see that you do good things.
• Romans 13:13We should live in a good way, because we live in the light of day. We should not go to wild parties. We must not be drunks. We must not have sex with anyone who is not our own wife or husband. We must not do wrong things with our bodies. We must not quarrel. We must not be jealous of other people.
• 2 Corinthians 8:20We want to be very careful about this large gift of money. That is why the other believer will come with us. We do not want anyone to say that we have done something wrong.
• Philippians 4:8Now my friends, I want to say this to you. Fill your minds with thoughts about good things. Think about things that are true, clean, right and lovely. Always think about things which people know are very good.
• 1 Peter 2:12You are living among people who do not know God. So be very careful that you always live in a good way. Sometimes these people may wrongly say that you do bad things. But if you continue to live in a good way, they will see that you really do good things. As a result, on the day when God comes as judge, they will give honour to him.
• 1 Peter 3:16But when you tell them, be kind and polite. Do only what you know is right. Then those people will see that you live in a good way because you believe in Christ. When they say bad things against you they will become ashamed.
• Mark 4:11Jesus replied, ‘God has let you understand how he rules in the lives of his people. But these other people only listen to stories.
• 1 Corinthians 5:12It is not right for me to decide about people who do not belong to the church group. God will judge those people. But you should decide what is right for the people who do belong to your group. Do what the Bible says: ‘Send the bad person away from among yourselves.’
• Colossians 4:5When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things.
• 1 Timothy 3:7Also, people outside the church should agree that the leader is a good person. Then nobody can say anything bad against him. And so, he will not come under the Devil's power.
• 1 Peter 3:1I need to speak to you wives. You should each respect the authority of your own husband. Even if your husband does not believe God's message about Jesus Christ, you should still respect him. If you do that, he may then turn to God and believe his message. You will not need to tell him what is true. He will see the good way that you live.
• 2 Corinthians 11:7When I told you God's good news, I never asked you to pay me anything. I made myself less important so that you could be more important. I do not think that I was wrong to do that.

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12That ye may walk honestly - · Becomingly, decently, respectably; as is consistent with the purity, holiness, gravity, and usefulness of your Christian calling. Them that are without - The unconverted Gentiles and Jews. See this expression explained at large on Colossians 4:5. That ye may have lack of nothing - That ye may be able to get your bread by honest labor, which God will ever bless; and be chargeable to no man. He that is dependent on another is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without - Out of the church; comp notes on Colossians 4:5. The word rendered honestly, means “becomingly, decorously, in a proper manner;” Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 14:40. It does not refer here to mere honesty in the transaction of business, but to their general treatment of those who were not professing Christians. They were to conduct themselves toward them in all respects in a becoming manner - to be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 We should notice in others what is good, to their praise, that we may engage them to abound therein more and more. All who are savingly taught of God, are taught to love one another. The teaching of the Spirit exceeds the teachings of men; and men's teaching is vain and useless, unless God teach. Those remarkable for this or any other grace, need to increase therein, as well as to persevere to the end. It is very desirable to have a calm and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Not relying on non-Christians for financial help and behaving properly toward them will earn the respect of non-Christians (see Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:12–13; Colossians 4:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. honestly--in the Old English sense, "becomingly," as becomes your Christian profession; not bringing discredit on it in the eyes of the outer world, as if Christianity led to sloth and poverty (Ro 13:13; 1Pe 2:12). them ... without--outside the Christian Church (Mr 4:11). have lack of nothing--not have to beg from others for the supply of your wants (compare Ep 4:28). So far from needing to beg from others, we ought to work and get the means of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 4:12

• Commandments
• Evil
• Honesty
• Industry
• Jesus Continued
• Labor

In the dictionaries

• Asleep
• Quiet
• Rise
• Sleep
• Trump
• Become
• Disorderly
• Honest; Honesty
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the
• Thessalonians, the Second Epistle of Paul to the

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