11Finallythen, 2brethren, we request and exhort you in the LordJesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to 3walk and 4pleaseGod (just as you actually do walk ), that you 5excelstillmore.
2
For you knowwhatcommandments we gave you by the authority of the LordJesus.
3
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you 6abstain from sexualimmorality;
4
that 7each of you knowhow to possess his own8vessel in sanctification and 9honor,
5
not in 10lustfulpassion, like the Gentiles who 11do not knowGod;
6
and that no man transgress and 12defraud his brother13in the matterbecause14the Lord is the avenger in allthesethings, just as we also15told you before and solemnlywarned you.
7
For 16God has not called us for 17the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.
8
So, he who rejects this is not rejectingman but the God who 18gives His HolySpirit to you.
9
Now as to the 19love of the brethren, you 20havenoneed for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are 21taught by God to loveoneanother;
10
for indeed22you do practice it towardall the brethrenwho are in allMacedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to 23excelstillmore,
11
and to make it your ambition24to lead a quietlife and 25attend to your own business and 26work with your hands, just as we commanded you,
12
so that you will 27behaveproperlytoward28outsiders* and 29not be in anyneed.
Those Who Died in Christ
13 But 30we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, aboutthose who 31are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do 32the rest who have33nohope.
14
For if we believe that Jesusdied and roseagain, 34evensoGod will bring with Him 35those who have fallenasleep in Jesus.
15
For this we say to you 36by the word of the Lord, that 37we who are alive and remainuntil38the coming of the Lord, will not precede39those who have fallenasleep.
16
For the Lord40Himself41will descend from heaven with a 42shout, with the voice of 43the archangel and with the 44trumpet of God, and 45the dead in Christ will risefirst.
17
Then46we who are alive and remain will be 47caught up together with them 48in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always49be with the Lord.