1 Thessalonians 4:8
in 1 Thessalonians 4Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.
KJV
He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
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This verse in 1 Thessalonians 4
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe therefore that despiseth - He who will not receive these teachings, and is led either to undervalue or despise them, despises not us but God, from whom we have received our commission, and by whose Spirit we give these directions. See Clarke’s note on 1Th 4:
This site's exposition
no one should ever violate or exploit his brother
on 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8
To violate or exploit his brother in this regard means trespassing on another man's marriage. The sanction is God's: the Lord will avenge all such acts. Verse 8 removes the last refuge, for whoever rejects this command does not reject man but God.
This site's exposition
who gives you His Holy Spirit
Gives is present tense, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take it to mean that the Spirit's work of making holy goes on day by day. John Chrysostom reads the rejection as an offense against God Himself. The wronged neighbor is one party, and God is the other.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth His Holy Spirit unto you." So that even if thou shouldest defile the Empress, he says, or even thine own handmaid, that hath a husband, the crime is the same. Why? Because He avenges not the persons that are injured, but Himself. For thou art equally defiled, thou hast equally insulted God; for both the one and the other is adultery, as both the one and the other is marriage. And though thou shouldest not commit adultery, but fornication, though the harlot has no husband, yet nevertheless God avenges, for He avenges Himself. For thou dost this act, not despising the man, so much as God. And it is manifest from this, that thou doest it concealing it from man, but thou pretendest that God doth not see thee. For tell me, if one who was thought worthy of the purple, and of infinite honor from the king (Emperor), and was commanded to live suitably to the honor, should go and defile himself with any woman; whom has he insulted? her, or the king who gave him all? She indeed is insulted too, but not equally.
But if repentance is a thing human, its baptism must necessarily be of the same nature: else, if it had been celestial, it would have given both the Holy Spirit and remission of sins. But none either pardons sins or freely grants the Spirit save God only. Even the Lord Himself said that the Spirit would not descend on any other condition, but that He should first ascend to the Father.
"And grieve not," he adds, "the Holy Spirit of God." A matter this more terrible and startling, as he also says in the Epistle to the Thessalonians; for there too he uses an expression of this sort. "He that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God." So also here. If thou utter a reproachful word, if thou strike thy brother, thou art not striking him, thou art "grieving the Holy Spirit." And then is added further the benefit bestowed, in order to heighten the rebuke.
The Medieval Church2 voices
And so Paul concludes: therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, as if saying: This is the one special reason that I mentioned. The other reason is that these vices are opposed to the Spirit who was given to us. And he who …
After having said that you wrong your brother, and having pointed out that God will avenge, he now expands his thought, showing that even if an unbeliever suffered this, the guilty one will still bear punishment. For God will punish you not in avenging him, …
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He therefore that despiseth,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
"Unto you," in the Greek, implies that the Spirit is being given unto, into (put "into" your hearts), and among you (compare 1Th 2:9; "Giveth" implies that sanctification is not merely a work once for all accomplished in the past, but a present progressive work.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He therefore that despiseth - Margin, “rejecteth.” That is, he who disregards such commands as these which call him to a holy life, is really rejecting and disobeying God. Some might be disposed to say that these were merely the precepts of man, and that therefore it was not important whether they were obeyed or not. The apostle assures them in the most solemn manner, that, though communicated to them by man, yet they were really the commands of God. Who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit - This is a claim to inspiration. Paul did not give these commands as his own, but as taught by the Spirit of God; compare notes on 1Co 7:40.
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοιγαροῦν | toigaroun | So then | G5105 → | |
| ὁ | ho | the [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀθετῶν | atheton | rejecting [this] | G114 → | |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἄνθρωπον | anthropon | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἀθετεῖ | athetei | disregards | G114 → | |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸν | theon | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| τὸν | ton | the [One] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| διδόντα | didonta | giving | G1325 → | |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἅγιον | hagion | Holy | G40 → | 220 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ὑμᾶς.¶ | humas | you. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
τοιγαροῦνSo then
toigarounG5105 →
ὁthe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀθετῶνrejecting [this]
athetonG114 →
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἄνθρωπονman
anthroponG444 →549 times
ἀθετεῖdisregards
atheteiG114 →
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεὸνGod
theonG2316 →1312 times
τὸνthe [One]
tonG3588 →19766 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
διδόνταgiving
didontaG1325 →
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πνεῦμαSpirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
αὐτοῦof Him
autouG846 →5565 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἅγιονHoly
hagionG40 →220 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ὑμᾶς.¶you.
humasG4771 →2973 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 5:5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
it leads to
- Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
- Ephesians 3:16–19
I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
- Philippians 1:20
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or…
- 2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have…
- 2 Corinthians 1:22
placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
- Galatians 4:6
Through
John 12:48There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
it leads to
- Luke 10:16
Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 10:16
Through
1 John 3:24Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Through
Luke 10:16Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
it leads to
- John 13:20
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
- John 13:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
About 1 Thessalonians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1 Thessalonians, Homily 5; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 5; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 14; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Tertullian, On Baptism; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians.