1 Thessalonians 4:11

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; STUDY TO BE QUIET, [ philotimeisthai (G5389)] - 'make it your ambition to be quiet, and to do your own business.' In contrast to the world's ambition 'to make a great stir,' and the restlessness of fanatical 'busybodies' (2 Thessalonians 3:11). WORK WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. B C Delta G f g, Vulgate, omit "own" [idiais]. A 'Aleph (') have it. The Thessalonian converts were, it seems, chiefly of the working classes. Their expectation of Christ's immediate coming led some enthusiasts to neglect their daily work, and be dependent on others (end of...

11_Maintain Peace. _I have already stated that this clause must be separated from what goes before, for this is a new sentence. Now, to _be at peace_, means in this passage — to act peacefully and without disturbance, as we also say in French — _sans bruit _, (_without noise_.) In short, he exhorts them to be peaceable and tranquil. This is the purport of what he adds immediately afterwards — to _do your own business: _for we commonly see, that those who intrude themselves with forwardness into the affairs of others, make great disturbance, and give trouble to themselves and others. This, therefore, is the best means of a tranquil life, when every one, intent upon the duties of his own calling, discharges those duties which are enjoined upon him by the Lord, and devotes himself to these things: while the husbandman employs himself in rural labors, the workman carries on his occupation, a...

9-12 We should notice in others what is good, to their praise, that we may engage them to abound therein more and more. All who are savingly taught of God, are taught to love one another. The teaching of the Spirit exceeds the teachings of men; and men's teaching is vain and useless, unless God teach. Those remarkable for this or any other grace, need to increase therein, as well as to persevere to the end. It is very desirable to have a calm and quiet temper, and to be of a peaceable and quiet behaviour. Satan is busy to trouble us; and we have in our hearts what disposes us to be unquiet; therefore let us study to be quiet. Those who are busy-bodies, meddling in other men's matters, have little quiet in their own minds, and cause great disturbances among their neighbours. They seldom mind the other exhortation, to be diligent in their own calling, to work with their own hands. Christi...

Verse 11. _THAT YE STUDY TO BE QUIET_] Though in general the Church at Thessalonica was pure and exemplary, yet there seem to have been some _idle, tattling_ people among them, who disturbed the peace of others; persons who, under the pretence of religion, _gadded about from house to house_; did not _work_, but were burdensome to others; and were continually _meddling_ with other people's business, _making parties_, and procuring their bread by religious gossipping. To these the apostle gives those directions which the whole Church of God should enforce wherever such troublesome and dangerous people are found; viz: That they should _study to be quiet_, ησυχαζειν, _to hold their peace_, as their religious cant will never promote true religion; that they should _do their own business_, and let that of others alone; and that they should _work with their own hands_, and not be a burden to t...

AND THAT YE STUDY TO BE QUIET - Orderly, peaceful; living in the practice of the calm virtues of life. The duty to which he would exhort them was that of being subordinate to the laws; of avoiding all tumult and disorder; of calmly pursuing their regular avocations, and of keeping themselves from all the assemblages of the idle, the restless, and the dissatisfied. No Christian should be engaged in a mob; none should be identified with the popular excitements which lead to disorder and to the disregard of the laws. The word rendered “ye study” (φιλοτιμέομαι philotimeomai), means properly, “to love honor, to be ambitious;” and here means the same as when we say “to make it a point of honor to do so and so. Robinson, Lex. It is to be regarded as a sacred duty; a thing in which our honor is concerned. Every man should regard himself as disgraced who is concerned in a mob....

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—With this chapter the second portion of the Epistle—its practical application-commences. The apostle exhorts and entreats the Thessalonians to make progress in the Christian life, and to practice those commandments which, when he was with them, he gave them by the authority of Jesus Christ. God had called them to holiness and to the renunciation of their heathen practices. They must especially be on their guard against impurity, to which as Gentiles they were formerly so prone. He who rejected his injunctions rejected, not man, but God, whose commands they were. As they were already taught of God in the active practice of Christian love, so they must abound therein. They must not allow themselves to be led away by excitement, as if the day of Christ were at hand, but with quietness and honesty perform the duties of their earthly calling, and so commend the gospel to...

AND THAT YE STUDY TO BE QUIET,.... To live peaceably in their own families, and to give no disturbance to other families, by talebearing, whispering, and backbiting; to behave with quietness in the neighbourhood, town, or city, they dwell in, and to seek the peace thereof; and to lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, in the commonwealth, and under the government to which they belong; and not to create and encourage factions, divisions, animosities, and contentions, in their own church, or in any of the churches of Christ; and it becomes saints to make this their study, to be very solicitous for it, to strive for it, and pursue after it: the word used signifies to be ambitious of it, as what is a man's glory and honour, to emulate and strive to outdo each other, as who shall have the honour of being the quietest person, and the most peaceable member in the communi...

1 THESSALONIANS 4:11 @ivdi,aij# {C} It is difficult to decide whether ivdi,aij is a gloss, added for the sake of symmetry with ta. i;dia earlier in the sentence, or whether it accidentally fell out in transcription (TAISIDIAIS). In view of the balance of these considerations, the Committee decided to retain the word in the text but to enclose it within square brackets....

IV. THE SEPARATED WALK AND THE BLESSED HOPE CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The separated walk 1 Thessalonians 4:1)_ 2. The coming of the Lord for His saints 1 Thessalonians 4:13) 1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Furthermore, then, brethren, we beg you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, even as ye received from us, how ye ought to walk and please God, even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more. For ye know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor (not in passionate desire, eve

PRACTICAL EXHORTATIONS TO PURITY OF LIFE AND BROTHERLY LOVE. The Church at Thessalonica has begun well and is encouraged to go forward. 1 THESSALONIANS 4:1. ABOUND: 1 THESSALONIANS 3:12 *. 1 Thessalonians 4:3. abstain, etc.: the inculcation of such an elementary principle of conduct seems strange, but we need to remember that certain heathen cults regarded immorality as part of the ritual of worship, and religion and immorality were to them almost convertible terms. This consecration of vice in paganism made it absolutely necessary for Paul to insist upon moral purity....