In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul exhorted his brethren to abound in their obedience to the commandments of God. He was especially concerned with their moral purity, instructing them to “abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (4:3-5).
Sexual Immorality is the phrase used in the New King James version to translate the Greek term porneia. The term is defined by Thayer as “illicit sexual intercourse.” It is a broad term that would be inclusive of any sexual activity outside of the marriage bed, including adultery, homosexuality, incest and other perversions. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
Many religious people who claim Jehovah as God and Christ as Savior are of the opinion that such a call to abstain from sexual immorality is outdated and irrelevant. Premarital sex is acceptable to them, and homosexuality is considered normal and appropriate sexual behavior.
For example, Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President, and long time member of the Baptist denomination, said the following:
Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things – he never said that gay people should be condemned. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.” (2012 Huffington Post interview).
Our text in 1 Thessalonians 4, however, calls for us to possess our vessel in “sanctification and honor.” The practice of homosexuality, or any other sexual activity outside of a marriage approved by God, would violate this command.
Further, notice the language of the text. There are a number of phrases that indicate the necessity of obedience to the instructions Paul shares. “just as you received from us how you ought to walk”, “what commandments we gave you”, “For God did not call us to uncleanness”, “Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has given us His Holy Spirit” (4:1-8).
That last phrase is especially noteworthy. Some, like Jimmy Carter, make a distinction between what Jesus taught in His ministry on earth, and what the other New Testament writers wrote. Paul made it clear, to reject Paul’s words on the matter was to reject God!
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). There is no distinction to be made regarding the binding nature of any passage of scripture. The scriptures tell us how we “ought to walk.” They contain God’s “commandments”, the things God calls us to do. Therefore, when we reject scripture, we do not “reject man, but God.”
This principle is true, by the way, for much more than Paul’s instructions on moral purity. It is equally applicable for Christian worship, for the government of the church of Christ, and for the work that God calls for Christians to do both individually and collectively. If scripture equips the man of God “for every good work” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:17), then no aspect of man’s existence is exempt from it’s authority.
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