1 Thessalonians 4 8

1 Thessalonians 4:8 kjv

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 nkjv

Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 niv

Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 esv

Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 nlt

Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

1 Thessalonians 4 verses

1 Thessalonians 4 8 Meaning

This verse unequivocally states that those who disregard or reject the ethical instructions given by Paul, particularly concerning sanctification and sexual purity (as discussed in 1 Thes 4:1-7), are not merely dismissing a human opinion. Instead, they are directly rejecting God Himself. The foundation for this severe declaration is that it is God who bestows His Holy Spirit upon believers, thereby validating the divine origin and authority of the apostles' teaching and providing the means for living in obedience to it.

1 Thessalonians 4 8 Context

1 Thessalonians 4:8 is found within Paul's fervent exhortations to the young Thessalonian church on practical Christian living. The preceding verses (1 Thes 4:1-7) specifically address sanctification, urging believers to live in sexual purity and to control their own bodies honorably, distinguishing themselves from the prevailing immoral practices of the Gentile world around them. Paul emphasizes that God's will for them is their sanctification, which includes abstaining from sexual immorality. Therefore, verse 8 serves as a potent conclusion to this particular section, underlining the divine origin and gravity of these moral commands. It positions the apostolic instruction not as personal advice or mere human tradition but as a direct divine mandate, given through the One who continually bestows the Holy Spirit. This strong assertion counters any inclination to view these ethical guidelines as optional or secondary.

1 Thessalonians 4 8 Word analysis

• Therefore (Ὥστε, Hōste): This Greek conjunction serves as a strong logical connector, indicating the consequence or conclusion drawn from the preceding statements. It points back directly to Paul's instructions regarding holiness and purity as the will of God for believers.
• he who rejects (ὁ ἀθετῶν, ho atheton): The Greek verb atheteo (ἀθετέω) carries a significant weight. It means to set aside, nullify, make void, repudiate, despise, or treat as of no value or authority. It is not merely a passive disagreement or failure to comply, but an active, deliberate act of spurning or treating as worthless. This word implies a wilful contempt or a formal dismissal of authority. It is used in Lk 10:16 to describe those who reject Christ's messengers.
• this (τοῦτον, touton): This demonstrative pronoun refers directly and specifically to the divine instruction and teaching that Paul has just given in the preceding verses, particularly concerning the call to sanctification and the avoidance of sexual immorality (1 Thes 4:3-7). It embodies both the content of the message and the authority backing it.
• is not rejecting man but God: This phrase provides the ultimate theological justification and severe warning. It emphatically establishes that the teachings delivered by the apostles are not merely their human opinions or traditions. Instead, these teachings originate from God, making any rejection of them an act of defiance directly aimed at the Creator and Sovereign Lord. It strongly asserts the divine inspiration and authority behind apostolic preaching.
• who gives (δίδοντα, didonta): This is a present active participle, highlighting an ongoing or continuous action. God is perpetually in the act of giving or supplying His Spirit to believers. This continuous giving underscores God's constant presence and active involvement in the lives of His people and in authenticating His truth.
• his Holy Spirit: This refers to the `Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον` (Pneuma to Hagion), the third person of the Triune Godhead. The Holy Spirit is God's divine presence within believers, serving as the source of inspiration for Scripture and apostolic teaching, the empowering force for godly living, the guide, comforter, and seal of salvation.
• to you (εἰς ὑμᾶς, eis hymas): This prepositional phrase emphasizes the personal and direct nature of God's action. The giving of the Spirit is not a distant or impersonal phenomenon but a specific, personal bestowal upon the Thessalonian believers themselves. This fact deepens the gravity of rejecting the instruction, as it means rejecting the God who has personally gifted them with His presence and power.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:
• Therefore he who rejects this: This opening clause establishes a clear cause-and-effect relationship. The severity of "rejection" (an active spurning) is highlighted immediately. The object "this" clearly links the consequence back to Paul's prior, specific instructions on ethical conduct and sanctification (1 Thes 4:1-7), framing moral living as a divinely given command.
• is not rejecting man but God: This is the theological pivot of the verse. It dismisses any notion that Paul's instructions are subjective human advice. By drawing a direct link between the apostle's words and God's authority, it makes the act of disobedience an act of direct opposition to God Himself, a profound and dangerous spiritual defiance.
• who gives his Holy Spirit to you: This concluding phrase grounds the divine authority in the reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit is both the ultimate source of the command (through inspiration of the apostles) and the enabling power by which believers can obey. The ongoing giving of the Spirit is a sign of God's intimate and continuous involvement in the lives of believers, and thus, to reject the instruction is to reject the very One who empowers them to fulfill it and who is Himself at work among them.

1 Thessalonians 4 8 Bonus section

The ongoing nature of God's "giving" of the Spirit (didonta, present participle) highlights His continuous presence and active involvement in the sanctification process of believers. This implies that obedience is not achieved through human effort alone but is enabled by divine empowerment. Conversely, rejection of these divinely ordained standards may be seen as actively grieving or quenching the Spirit's work within one's life (1 Thes 5:19; Eph 4:30). This verse establishes a strong theological framework for Christian ethics: true morality is inseparable from God's character and His active work in and through His Spirit in the believer. It emphasizes that sound doctrine (the indwelling Spirit) leads directly to sound living (sanctification).

1 Thessalonians 4 8 Commentary

This verse stands as a powerful divine warning against treating God's moral commands lightly. It asserts that the apostles' ethical teachings, specifically concerning sanctification and sexual purity, originate directly from God, not merely from human wisdom or cultural norms. To spurn these instructions, therefore, is to reject God Himself. This assertion is grounded in the constant work of the Holy Spirit, whom God continually provides to believers. The Spirit not only inspired the message Paul conveyed but also equips and enables believers to live out these very commands. Thus, disregarding divine moral standards is a profound affront to God's will, His authority, and His active work within believers through the indwelling Spirit. It underscores that Christian living is not optional but integral to one's relationship with and obedience to the Lord.