Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of I Thessalonians Chapter 4
Metaphysically Interpreting I Thessalonians 4:1-12
4:1Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk, --that ye abound more and more. 4:2For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 4:3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; 4:4that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 4:5not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; 4:6that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. 4:7For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 4:8Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.
4:9But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; 4:10for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more; 4:11and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you; 4:12that ye may walk becomingly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.
Metaphysically Interpreting I Thessalonians 4:13-18
4:13But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. 4:14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 4:15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. 4:16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 4:17then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 4:18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
August 8, 1897: I Thessalonians 4:9-18
9. In practical Christianity every man, who aspires to the highest attainment in the Christian life, “needs not” to be taught of man the doctrine of “brotherly love,” because in finding God he finds Divine Love; and this Eternal Principle springs forth from the heart of love in spontaneity to every man, his brother.
10. And they only need reminding that it is not sufficient to manifest Love within the narrow limits of present environment; but that they are required to “increase more and more,” expanding in depth and widening circles even to the ultimate of Infinite Love. All that we claim for our God we have the right to claim for ourselves: “all that I have is thine,” says the Father to the Faithful Son.
11. Moreover Love requires us to studiously practice meekness (“to be quiet”) and [be] diligent in business, because idleness is injustice to others, as it is living at the expense of others’ toil.
12. Then diligence in business is a duty we owe to others as well as ourselves, “that we may walk honestly toward them that are without.” If you would demonstrate abundance, “lack of nothing”, diligence in business is just as necessary as faith, because “faith without works is dead.” Meekness, faith and diligence (“works”) constitute a working triad of principles for the sure demonstration of success.
13. The Resurrection is the great doctrine of the Christ, which has its basis in the truth that man is Spiritual and not material, and continues to live, though the external manifestation may perish. In this Christian doctrine we “sorrow not for them which are asleep, as other who have no hope” of anything beyond the physical manifestation of life.
14. For the reappearance of Jesus after his death is proof positive that man does not die, that death is a delusion; for “them that sleep in Jesus,” as immortal Spiritual beings, have a resurrection from this appearance of death to the consciousness of life. The continuation of the living Spiritual man in an unseen Spiritual body is accomplished by the power of the Divine within. As with Jesus so with every man, for Jesus was the generic, archetypal man, representing all humanity. In him we have the guarantee of a resurrection from the dead.
15. Therefore, “In the day when the Son of man is revealed,” when we shall see with unbeclouded vision, we shall understand that those, who on the physical plane demonstrated immortality, shall not take precedence over those who make the same demonstration through laying down the physical.
16. For the first in the demonstration of life are “the dead in Christ,” they who “lay down their lives for Christ's sake.” “He that loseth his life for my sake, shall keep it unto life eternal,” shall not lose it at all, but shall make the demonstration of Life Eternal. This was the inspiration of the martyrs. That the omnipotence of the Christ is the great Power manifested is shown by the strong terms, “shout,” “voice of the archangel,” and “trump of God.”
17. And we who make this demonstration from the physical plane “shall be caught up in the air” in realization, ascending above material ideas, until material conceptions disappear as fully as to those who have laid down the body. “And so shall we be forever” on the same plane of realization as our great archetype, “the Lord” Jesus Christ.
18. This is the Christian doctrine of hope and comfort.
– UNITY magazine.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-14-2014
