SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:1
¶ Resta pues, hermanos, que os roguemos y exhortemos en el Seor Jess, que de la manera que fuisteis enseados de nosotros de cmo os conviene andar, y agradar a Dios, así vayis creciendo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 4:1
Verse 1. We beseech you, brethren, and exhort] We give you proper instructions in heavenly things, and request you to attend to our advice. The apostle used the most pressing entreaties; for he had a strong and affectionate desire that this Church should excel in all righteousness and true holiness.
Please God more and more.] God sets no bounds to the communications of his grace and Spirit to them that are faithful. And as there are no bounds to the graces, so there should be none to the exercise of those graces. No man can ever feel that he loves God too much, or that he loves man too much for God's sake.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren , etc.] Or request of you in the most kind and tender manner, from real and hearty love and affection for you, and with a view to your good, and the glory of God: and exhort you : or beseech and entreat you. The apostle does not lay his commands upon them as he might have done, and sometimes does, but endeavours to work upon them by way of entreaty, and which he doubtless thought the most effectual method to win upon them, and gain them; for some minds are more easily wrought upon by entreaty than by authority: and this he does in the most moving and powerful manner, even by the Lord Jesus ; or in the Lord Jesus; in his name and stead, as personating him, and as though he did beseech and entreat them by him, and his fellow ministers; or for his sake, intimating, that if they had any regard to him, any value for his name, if that had any weight with them, or they had any concern for his honour and interest, then he begs their attention to the following exhortation; or by the Lord Jesus, by all that is in him, or done for them by him; in whom they were chosen, by whom they were redeemed, in whom they were made new creatures, to whose image they were to be conformed, whose followers they professed to be, whose Gospel they embraced, and by whose name they were called. That as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God .
The walk of believers is twofold, either internal or external. Their internal walk is by faith, which is the going out of the soul by faith to Christ for every supply of grace. Their external walk is not as it was before conversion, according to the course of this world, or as other Gentiles walk, but in a holy religious life and conversation; and this requires spiritual life, strength and direction from Christ; for neither dead men, nor, if alive, yet weak, can walk; nor is it in a spiritual man, that walketh to direct his steps; and such a walk also denotes continuance, in well doing, and a progression or going on in it, and supposes ways to walk in. Christ, he is the chief and principal way, and there are other paths which regard him, or relate and lead unto him; as the way of truth, the path of ordinances, and of religious worship, both public and private, and the ways of righteousness, holiness, and good works: the manner in which saints are to walk is as Christ himself walked, after the Spirit, and not after the flesh, according to the rule of the word, which is the standard of faith and practice, with prudence, wisdom, circumspection, and worthy of God, and of that calling wherein they are called: and of such a walk there is a necessity; it ought, it must be both on the account of God, it being his will, and for his glory, and the contrary would show great ingratitude to him; and on the account of the saints themselves, to adorn them, and their profession, and preserve them from shame and disgrace, to show their faith, and demonstrate their calling and election to others; and likewise on account of others, partly for the winning of some, by recommending in this way the Gospel to them, and partly for the bringing of others to shame and silence, who falsely accuse their good conversation. Now when the apostle, and those that were with him, were at Thessalonica, they gave these saints directions and instructions about their walk and conversation, to order it in such a manner as might please God; which is not to be understood of rendering their persons acceptable to God hereby, for the saints' acceptance with God is only in Christ the beloved; nor of their gaining the love and favour of God by such means, for the love of God is from everlasting, and is free, and sovereign, and does not arise from, or depend upon the holiness and obedience of men; or of making peace with God by such a walk, for peace is only made by the blood of Christ; but of doing those things, and in such a way God approves of: unregenerate men cannot please God, nor anything they do, because they are destitute of the Spirit of God, and are without Christ, and his grace and have not faith in him, without which it is impossible to please God; but what a believer does in faith, from a principle of love, in the name and strength of Christ, and to the glory of God, is approved of by God, and is acceptable to him through Christ, and for his sake; and there are many things of this kind, as prayer, praise, acts of beneficence to the poor, and indeed every good work and holy action: and inasmuch as they had been thus taught and instructed how to behave and conduct in their outward walk and conversation, they are entreated and exhorted to go on and abound in the work of the Lord: so ye would abound more and more : that is, be more and more in the exercise of every grace, and in the discharge of every duty, making advances in holiness of life, and perfecting it in the fear of God. Beza's ancient copy, and another manuscript, as also the Alexandrian copy, and some others, add between the preceding, and this last clause, as ye also walk; and so the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions seem to have read; commending them for their present and past walk and conversation, in order to persuade and encourage them to go forward.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - To abide in the faith of the gospel is not enough, we must abound in the work of faith. The rule according to which all ought to walk an act, is the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ Sanctification, in the renewal of their souls under the influences of the Holy Spirit, and attention to appointed duties, constituted the will of God respecting them. In aspiring after this renewal of the sou unto holiness, strict restraint must be put upon the appetites an senses of the body, and on the thoughts and inclinations of the will which lead to wrong uses of them. The Lord calls none into his famil to live unholy lives, but that they may be taught and enabled to wal before him in holiness. Some make light of the precepts of holiness because they hear them from men; but they are God's commands, and to break them is to despise God.
Greek Textus Receptus
το 3588 λοιπον 3063 ουν 3767 αδελφοι 80 ερωτωμεν 2065 5719 υμας 5209 και 2532 παρακαλουμεν 3870 5719 εν 1722 κυριω 2962 ιησου 2424 καθως 2531 παρελαβετε 3880 5627 παρ 3844 ημων 2257 το 3588 πως 4459 δει 1163 5904 υμας 5209 περιπατειν 4043 5721 και 2532 αρεσκειν 700 5721 θεω 2316 ινα 2443 περισσευητε 4052 5725 μαλλον 3123
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Furthermore (loipon). Rev. not so well, finally, although the word is sometimes rightly so rendered. The formula is often used by Paul where he attaches, in a somewhat loose way, even in the midst of an Epistle, a new subject to that which he has been discussing.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:1 {Finally} (loipon). Accusative of general reference of loipos, as for the rest. It does not mean actual conclusion, but merely a colloquial expression pointing towards the end (Milligan) as in #2Co 13:11; 2Ti 4:8. So to loipon in #2Th 3:1; Php 3:1; 4:8. {We beseech} (erwtwmen). Not "question" as in ancient Greek, but as often in N.T. (#1Th 5:12; 2Th 2:1; Php 4:3) and also in papyri to make urgent request of one. {How ye ought} (to pws dei humas). Literally, explanatory articular indirect question (to pws) after parelabete according to common classic idiom in Luke (#Lu 1:62; 22:2,4,23,24) and Paul (#Ro 8:26). {That ye abound} (hina perisseuete). Loose construction of the hina clause with present subjunctive after two subordinate clauses with kaqws (as, even as) to be connected with "beseech and exhort." {More and more} (mallon). Simply {more}, but added to same idea in perisseuete. See also verse #11.
