Paul’s Description of Sanctification in 1 Thess. 4

In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 reads, “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. or this is the will of God, your sanctification:  that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgresses and wrongs his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.  For God has not called us for impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 

Paul commonly presents himself as examples for brethren to follow.  It is described as a walk, or manner of life.   His emphasis in this text is their sanctification.  Sanctification is a very significant and worthwhile study because it is misused and misunderstood.   First, the word comes from a family of words that describes holiness.  The temple and the things in the temple, like vessels and other furnishings, were dedicated to the Lord.  You were not allowed to take a vessel home with you or use it for some unspecified purpose because it was sanctified, i.e., set apart for God’s exclusive purpose.   May of the Old Testament types and figures, especially as they relate to the priesthood were holy.   Holy is the adjective; sanctification and saints are the nouns and they all refer to the act or condition of setting something aside for one exclusive purpose.    To violate its use is to desecrate it or make it unholy.   This means they did not use the holy and sanctified thing for its intended purpose.  

Some, have mistakenly applied the matter of holiness to the church institution as if it was a physical system of collective worship and work.  Consequently, you cannot give into the treasury of the church to do a work that is not authorized in the Bible.  This means that we must find examples of the collective work of a church organization for that work to be an authorized work of the church.   I address this entire system of thought in a book a second version entitled, A Community of Believers.   For our purpose, the application of holiness is not applied to the activities of a local church.  It is applied to individual lives wherein each person “cleanses themselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).   We are not suggesting that the words mean sinlessness.  We are describing a walk of life or manner of living that honors our use and purpose and will not let sin reign in our mortal body.  

Numerous passages describe the walk of the child of God who has crucified the old man and has resurrected a new man in Christ.  Being purchased by the blood of Christ, we are not our own, and therefore, are designed to glorify God in our body,  and spirit which is God’s (1 Cor. 6:20).   Our text gives a specific example that applies to our sanctification – ” that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgresses and wrongs his brother in this matter.  

Fornication is unlawful sexual intercourse that was more common in the pagan world because of its association with the religious pagan rituals of worship.  This passage is very controversial, for even some translations translate “vessel” to mean one’s wife.   This is probably due to Peter’s statement about giving honor to the wife as unto a weaker vessel (cf. 1 Peter 3:7).    If we are describing temple prostitutes who need to be harnessed or prevented from going to the pagan temples, then Paul is giving a very narrow application to men who have such wives that need to be controlled as a possession.  Much study and writing have been done on this verse, but the vessel seems to fit our own bodies better than our wife.   This is something that we have the ability and responsibility to control and it fits two statements in the text.   

(1) One is the introduction of the subject, wherein Paul warns every individual to abstain from fornication.  He’s not giving the husband the responsibility of his wife’s abstinence.    This would indict every man for his wife’s unfaithfulness.   The wife is not possessed as some cow that can be tied up to a post.   He’s not responsible for her fornication anymore than she would be responsible for his defilement of the marriage bed (cf. Hebrews 13:4).   

(2) The second statement is the mention of transgressing a brother in this matter.   We hardly see how that statement has any bearing on controlling his wife from fornication as if she were some wild animal that wanted to sleep with every man.  This presentation is an unwarranted representation of women.  Every man should have his own wife and every woman should have her own husband and each should give each one their conjugal rights (1 Cor. 7:1-5).   God’s answer to the problem of sex is marriage, and in particular, a marriage that fulfills the physical needs of each other.  This is not to be taken lightly but is a serious charge of responsibility that must be honored if we intend to follow God and prevent irreplaceable damage in the marriage.   

Defrauding a brother best fits the charge of abstaining from fornication.  God has given marriage and each bed is to be holy or undefiled (Heb. 13:4) because each person has their own exclusive spouse to satisfy that desire.  The desire is not sinful, the fornication is sinful.  There is nothing dirty about sex.  The dirt and unholiness is breaking the bond of marriage by giving one’s body to an unlawful union and thereby “defiling” the marriage bed.  This warning against defrauding a brother is immediately followed with the matter of brotherly love in verse 9.   Defrauding a brother by taking his wife is the most hurtful, unloving thing a man could do.  So, controlling one’s own vessel (body) by preserving its holiness is a personal obligation of every saint.