But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;

and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,

so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.

For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;