the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible
1 Thessalonians 4:12
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalContextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
ye may walk: 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Romans 12:17, Romans 13:13, 2 Corinthians 8:20, 2 Corinthians 8:21, Philippians 4:8, Titus 2:8-10, 1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 3:16, 1 Peter 3:17
them: Mark 4:11, 1 Corinthians 5:12, 1 Corinthians 5:13, Colossians 4:5, 1 Timothy 3:7, 1 Peter 3:1
nothing: or, no man, 2 Corinthians 11:7-9
Reciprocal: Genesis 13:7 - Canaanite Judges 19:16 - his work Ruth 2:3 - gleaned 2 Kings 4:7 - pay Proverbs 12:11 - tilleth Proverbs 16:26 - laboureth Proverbs 21:5 - thoughts Isaiah 19:15 - General Acts 4:34 - was Romans 12:11 - slothful 1 Corinthians 7:33 - careth 1 Corinthians 16:10 - without Ephesians 4:28 - labour 1 Thessalonians 2:12 - walk 1 Thessalonians 4:1 - ye have Hebrews 13:18 - in all 3 John 1:12 - good
Cross-References
In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Yahweh.
Later, Cain brought some food from the ground as a gift to God.
At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord .
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD.
As time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.
And in the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground.
Sotheli it was don after many daies, that Cayn offride yiftis to the Lord of the fruytis of erthe;
And it cometh to pass at the end of days that Cain bringeth from the fruit of the ground a present to Jehovah;
So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,
Gill's Notes on the Bible
That ye may walk honestly,.... Decently, in good credit and reputation, providing things honest in the sight of all men, for themselves and families, and honestly paying every man his own; on which account it became them to mind their own business, and work at their trades; otherwise their walk and conversation would be scandalous, and not honest and honourable:
toward them that are without: the men of the world, who were without the church; see 1 Corinthians 5:12 profane sinners, unconverted Gentiles, that were without Christ and hope, and God in the world, and were aliens and strangers; and yet care should be taken that no occasion be given to such to reproach the name of God, the ways of Christ, and the doctrines of the Gospel:
and that ye may have lack of nothing; but have wherewith to supply the necessaries of life, and give to them also that stand in need, which is more blessed and honourable than to receive; or might not need any such instruction and exhortation, or any reproof for sloth and idleness; or not stand in need of "any man", as the Syriac version renders it; of the help and assistance of any, of any of those that are without, which would be dishonourable; or of them that are within, of the church, which might be burdensome. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "that ye may not desire anything of anyone"; as the slothful man covets greedily all the day long what is another's, and this desire kills him, Proverbs 21:25 he covets an evil covetousness, and craves in a scandalous way the bread of others; when it would be more honourable for him to work with quietness, and eat his own bread got by honest labour, and not be beholden to another.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without - Out of the church; comp notes on Colossians 4:5. The word rendered honestly, means “becomingly, decorously, in a proper manner;” Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 14:40. It does not refer here to mere honesty in the transaction of business, but to their general treatment of those who were not professing Christians. They were to conduct themselves toward them in all respects in a becoming manner - to be honest with them; to be faithful to their engagements; to be kind and courteous in their conversation; to show respect where it was due, and to endeavor in every way to do them good. There are few precepts of religion more important than those which enjoin upon Christians the duty of a proper treatment of those who are not connected with the church.
And that ye may have lack of nothing - Margin, no man. The Greek will bear either construction, but the translation in the text is probably the correct one. The phrase is to be taken in connection not merely with that which immediately precedes it - as if “their walking honestly toward those who were without” would preserve them from want - but as meaning that their industrious and quiet habits; their patient attention to their own business, and upright dealing with every man, would do it. They would, in this way, have a competence, and would not be beholden to others. Learn hence, that it is the duty of a Christian so to live as not to be dependent on others, unless he is made so by events of divine Providence which he cannot foresee or control. No man should be dependent on others as the result of idle habits; of extravagance and improvidence; of the neglect of his own business, and of intermeddling with that of others. If by age, losses, infirmities, sickness, he is made dependent, he cannot be blamed, and he should not repine at his lot. One of the ways in which a Christian may always do good in society, and honor his religion, is by quiet and patient industry, and by showing that religion prompts to those habits of economy on which the happiness of society so much depends.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. That ye may walk honestly — ευσχημονως. Becomingly, decently, respectably; as is consistent with the purity, holiness, gravity, and usefulness of your Christian calling.
Them that are without — The unconverted Gentiles and Jews. See this expression explained at large on Colossians 4:5.
That ye may have lack of nothing. — That ye may be able to get your bread by honest labour, which God will ever bless; and be chargeable to no man. He that is dependent on another is necessarily in bondage; and he who is able to get his own bread by the sweat of his brow, should not be under obligation even to a king.
I do not recollect whether, in any other part of this work, I have given the following story from the Hatem Tai Nameh. Hatem Tai was an Arabian nobleman, who flourished some time before the Mahommedan era; he was reputed the most generous and liberal man in all the east. One day he slew one hundred camels, and made a feast, to which all the Arabian lords and all the peasantry in the district were invited. About the time of the feast he took a walk towards a neighbouring wood, to see if he could find any person whom he might invite to partake of the entertainment which he had then provided. Walking along the skirt of the wood, he espied an old man coming out of it, laden with a burden of faggots; he accosted him and asked if he had not heard of the entertainment made that day by Hatem Tai. The old man answered in the affirmative. He asked him why he did not attend and partake with the rest. The old man answered: "He that is able to gain his bread even by collecting faggots in the wood, should not be beholden even to Hatem Tai." This is a noble saying, and has long been a rule of conduct to the writer of this note.
