1 Thessalonians 4:7
in 1 Thessalonians 4For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.
KJV
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
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This verse in 1 Thessalonians 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness - When he called us to be his followers, it was not that we should lead lives of impurity, but of holiness. We should, therefore, fulfil the purposes for which we were called into his kingdom. The word “uncleanness” (ἀκαθαρσία akatharsia), means, properly, “impurity, filth;” and then, in a moral sense, “pollution, lewdness,” as opposed to chastity; Rom 1:24; Rom 6:19; 2Co 12:21; Gal 5:19; Eph 4:19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5.
This site's exposition
the Lord is the avenger
on 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8
Defrauding a brother in any matter here means trespassing on him in this matter, another man's marriage and purity, and the sanction is not social but divine, the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you. The call runs not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness, so the standard flows from the calling itself. Verse 8 removes the last refuge: he that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit, the indwelling Giver making the body his own concern.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification." Because he had said "his brother," and had also added, that God is the avenger, showing that even if an unbeliever has suffered this, he who has done it shall suffer punishment, he says, it is not as avenging him that He punishes thee, but because thou hast insulted Himself. He Himself called thee, thou hast insulted Him who called thee.
The Medieval Church2 voices
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, …
One reason for this is that God has called us, and a second reason is that such actions are contrary to God's gifts to us. If the Lord calls you to one thing and you do something contrary, then punishment is due. So Paul points …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For God hath not called us,.... The Syriac version reads "you". This is another reason to enforce the above exhortations, and to caution them against the above unclean practices, taken from the end of the effectual calling by the efficacious grace of God, which is not unto uncleanness of any sort, as before specified.
The law of God forbids all impurity, and the gospel requires the greatest purity; it calls us from uncleanness unto holiness. (6.) The contempt therefore of God's law and gospel is the contempt of God himself: He that despises despises God, not man only.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
unto uncleanness--Greek, "for the purpose of." unto--rather as Greek, "in"; marking that "holiness" is the element in which our calling has place; in a sphere of holiness. Saint is another name for Christian.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
God hath not called us unto uncleanness - He is the creator of male and female, and the institutor of marriage, and he has called men and women to this state; but the end of this and all the other callings of God to man is holiness, not uncleanness. And they who use the marriage state as he directs, will find it conducive to their holiness and perfection.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐ | ou | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἐκάλεσεν | ekalesen | has called | G2564 → | 147 times |
| ἡμᾶς | hemas | us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | to | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ἀκαθαρσίᾳ | akatharsia | impurity | G167 → | |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ἐν | en | into | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἁγιασμῷ. | hagiasmo | holiness. | G38 → | 10 times |
οὐNot
ouG3756 →1664 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἐκάλεσενhas called
ekalesenG2564 →147 times
ἡμᾶςus
hemasG3165 →1936 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
ἐπὶto
epiG1909 →883 times
ἀκαθαρσίᾳimpurity
akatharsiaG167 →
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ἐνinto
enG1722 →2738 times
ἁγιασμῷ.holiness.
hagiasmoG38 →10 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
Ephesians 1:4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
- Romans 8:28–30
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- Matthew 25:34
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- 2 Timothy 1:9
Through
Leviticus 11:44For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- 1 Peter 1:15–16
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
- Leviticus 19:2
“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
- Exodus 20:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Thessalonians
This page draws on 9 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, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 5; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians.