WHAT TO DO UNTIL JESUS RETURNS

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Key verse: 16-18

NIV

Final Instructions

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard(A) among you, who care for you in the Lord(B) and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.(C) 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle(D) and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,(E) be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,(F) but always strive to do what is good for each other(G) and for everyone else.

16 Rejoice always,(H) 17 pray continually,(I) 18 give thanks in all circumstances;(J) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit.(K) 20 Do not treat prophecies(L) with contempt 21 but test them all;(M) hold on to what is good,(N) 22 reject every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace,(O) sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul(P) and body be kept blameless(Q) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.(R) 24 The one who calls(S) you is faithful,(T) and he will do it.(U)

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.(V) 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.(W) 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.(X)

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.(Y)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Final Instructions and Benediction

12 We ask you, brothers, (A)to respect those who labor among you and (B)are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. (C)Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish (D)the idle,[a] (E)encourage the fainthearted, (F)help the weak, (G)be patient with them all. 15 See that (H)no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always (I)seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 (J)Rejoice always, 17 (K)pray without ceasing, 18 (L)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 (M)Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise (N)prophecies, 21 but (O)test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may (P)the God of peace himself (Q)sanctify you completely, and may your (R)whole (S)spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at (T)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 (U)He who calls you is faithful; (V)he will surely do it.

25 (W)Brothers, pray for us.

26 (X)Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have (Y)this letter read to all the brothers.

28 (Z)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Now we ask you to... (12-15) Jesus will certainly come again. Meanwhile, we work hard and build up our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We can encourage the discouraged, help the weak, be generous and patient and strive to do good for others. We are to acknowledge those who care for and admonish us in the Lord. We ought to live in peace with each other. At the same time, we should warn those who are idle and disruptive. Hope in Jesus' return molds our relationships with others. 2. Rejoice, pray and give thanks (16-28) We rejoice, pray and give thanks in every circumstance, whether good and bad. This is God's will for us. We can do so because of our hope in Jesus' second coming. We must not quench the Spirit but hold on to what is good. God himself is sanctifying us through and through. He is the God of peace. May God keep us blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as we await your return, help us to love and bless others. Make us joyful, prayerful and thankful in all circumstances.

One Word: Work hard, rejoice, pray and give thanks