1 Thessalonians 4:18 kjv
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 nkjv
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 niv
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 esv
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 nlt
So encourage each other with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Thess 5:11 | Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. | Direct command to mutual encouragement |
| Rom 15:4 | For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. | Scriptures provide hope & encouragement |
| 2 Cor 1:3-4 | Blessed be...the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. | Comfort received enables comfort to others |
| Heb 10:24-25 | ...consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another... | Mutual encouragement in fellowship |
| Eph 4:29 | Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. | Edifying words bring grace and build up |
| Tit 2:13 | waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. | Christ's return is the blessed hope |
| Phil 3:20-21 | But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body... | Hope of bodily transformation at His coming |
| 1 Cor 15:51-57 | ...We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment... For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable... thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Victory over death and the resurrection |
| Jn 14:1-3 | Let not your hearts be troubled... I will come again and will take you to myself... | Jesus promises His return to take His own |
| Acts 1:11 | ...This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. | Jesus' literal return promised |
| Rev 21:4 | He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore... | Ultimate comfort and removal of sorrow |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved... | The certainty of the Day of the Lord |
| Isa 25:8 | He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces... | Prophecy of death's ultimate defeat |
| Isa 26:19 | Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! | Old Testament promise of resurrection |
| Dan 12:2 | And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting contempt. | Resurrection of the dead revealed |
| Job 19:25-27 | For I know that my Redeemer lives... and after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God... | Ancient expression of resurrection faith |
| Jn 5:28-29 | Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out... | Jesus confirms a coming general resurrection |
| Lk 21:28 | Now when these things begin to take take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. | Signs of the end should bring encouragement |
| Rom 8:23-25 | And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. | Waiting eagerly for bodily redemption |
| Col 3:4 | When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. | Believers will share in Christ's glory |
| 1 Jn 3:2-3 | Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. | Hope of becoming like Christ at His appearing |
1 Thessalonians 4 verses
1 Thessalonians 4 18 Meaning
This verse serves as the practical application of Paul's preceding teaching regarding the return of Christ and the resurrection of deceased believers. It instructs the Thessalonian believers, and by extension all believers, to actively comfort and encourage one another with the assured hope of Christ's glorious return and the subsequent reunion with loved ones who have died in the Lord. It underscores that the truth of biblical eschatology is a profound source of solace for the grieving.
1 Thessalonians 4 18 Context
First Thessalonians chapter 4 focuses on various aspects of Christian living. Beginning with commands concerning purity, sanctification, and brotherly love (1 Thess 4:1-12), the apostle Paul then addresses a significant concern among the Thessalonian believers: the fate of those who had died before Christ's return. The immediate context for verse 18 is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. In these verses, Paul alleviates their grief and ignorance (1 Thess 4:13) by revealing a mystery concerning the Parousia, or Christ's second coming. He explains that deceased believers will not miss out but will rise first, then living believers will be "caught up" together with them to meet the Lord in the air, to forever be with Him. This divine revelation of hope is what Paul calls "these words," which are meant to provide profound comfort to the grieving church. The historical context indicates that the Thessalonians were converts from a pagan background, likely unfamiliar with clear resurrection hope, and possibly fearing their deceased loved ones were lost forever. Paul directly addresses this misunderstanding, providing distinct Christian teaching contrasting pagan hopelessness.
1 Thessalonians 4 18 Word analysis
Therefore (ὥστε - hoste): This is a strong connective word in Greek, signifying a consequence, result, or logical conclusion drawn from what has just been stated. It points directly back to the preceding theological revelation in verses 13-17. The command to encourage is not an arbitrary suggestion but the necessary and logical outflow of the truth Paul has just unveiled.
encourage (παρακαλεῖτε - parakaleite): The verb parakaleō (παρακαλέω) is rich in meaning, encompassing comfort, consolation, exhortation, admonition, and beseeching. Here, given the context of grieving believers, it strongly implies comforting those who are sorrowful, yet it also carries the nuance of exhorting or strengthening them. It is an active command, not a passive sentiment, urging mutual spiritual support rooted in the truth.
one another (ἀλλήλους - allēlous): This reciprocal pronoun emphasizes the mutual responsibility and communal nature of this act. The burden of encouragement is not solely on leaders but is a shared duty among all believers. It highlights the supportive and interactive fellowship within the body of Christ.
with these words (ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις - en tois logois toutois): "These words" refers specifically and exclusively to the detailed eschatological teaching Paul has just provided in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 regarding Christ's return and the resurrection of believers. The comfort is not based on mere human sympathy or platitudes but on the revealed, infallible truth of God's future plan. The power of the encouragement lies in the divine origin and certainty of these specific truths.
"Therefore encourage": The practical call to encourage is logically necessitated by the revealed truth. The therefore connects deep doctrine to daily duty. It's not just "know these things," but "because you know these things, act."
"encourage one another": This phrase emphasizes that comfort is a communal exercise within the body of Christ. It highlights horizontal accountability and shared spiritual responsibility in ministry. Believers are called to uplift and support each other actively.
"with these words": This specifies the content and foundation of the encouragement. The power to comfort effectively comes not from personal wisdom but from proclaiming and reaffirming the specific truths of Christ's return and the believer's resurrection. It underscores the vital role of accurate doctrine in practical Christian living and pastoral care.
1 Thessalonians 4 18 Bonus section
- The root word for parakaleō (encourage/comfort) is linked to Paraclete, a term for the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16, 26). Just as the Spirit comes alongside to comfort and guide, believers are to come alongside each other with the truth provided by that same Spirit. This connection highlights the divine origin and nature of true biblical encouragement.
- This verse encapsulates the New Testament's emphasis on Christian eschatology not just as abstract doctrine, but as a practical source of hope that directly impacts daily living, sorrow, and fellowship. The future events concerning Christ's return are given as a specific remedy for present grief and misunderstanding.
- The instruction implies an ongoing practice: believers are to continually remind each other of these truths, especially when doubts arise or grief sets in. It highlights the importance of shared spiritual knowledge and the edifying power of Christian community built on divine truth.
1 Thessalonians 4 18 Commentary
First Thessalonians 4:18 provides the culmination and practical thrust of Paul's profound revelation concerning the future hope of believers. Faced with a congregation grieving for deceased loved ones and uncertain about their standing in Christ's return, Paul did not offer sentimental platitudes. Instead, he delivered concrete, revealed truth from God (1 Thess 4:15). Having described the Lord's descent, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and the snatching up of living believers, he then charges the Thessalonians to apply this divine knowledge. The command to "encourage one another" means to comfort, exhort, and bring alongside, actively strengthening fellow believers. This is not mere sympathy, but a call to inject God-given hope and certainty into hearts burdened by sorrow. The critical phrase "with these words" leaves no ambiguity: the comfort comes from repeatedly articulating and reminding each other of the specific truths found in 1 Thess 4:13-17. This underscores the essential role of sound doctrine in providing authentic, lasting comfort in the face of death and uncertainty, reminding the Church that their hope is solid and communal.