What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:9 Mean?

(9) **But . . .**—This forms the second subject of instruction, following naturally on the first. “We are very glad to hear of so strong a Christian feeling of brotherhood among you, and think it almost unnecessary to say anything more to you about it; still your charity is hardly *catholic* enough, nor have you exercised it with sufficient sobriety and thrift.” **Brotherly love.**—Not love of men at large, but of Christians in particular: in fact, pretty nearly what we call “Church feeling.” It is the *natural affection* of those who feel that they are children of the same Father and the same mother (Galatians 4:26), members of the same “household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). In itself, it is not the most exalted of graces, being to some extent the outcome of community of interests; therefore St. Peter exhorts his readers to make it a means of obtaining the higher grace of *charity* (1Peter 1:22; 2Peter 1:7). St. Paul in this place does mean the sentiment rather than the practice, but has specially in view the exercise of liberality towards fellow-Christians. The feeling of community can only be known by acts that prove it. **Ye need not.**—A sweet rhetorical figure, by which men are encouraged to the performance of a duty in which they are not perfect, by the praising of their imperfect attempts: a specimen of that “courtesy” which is a part of “brotherly love.” (See 1Peter 3:8.) “I” should be *we, *or *any.* **Ye yourselves.**—It seems as if St. Paul had intended at first to say, “For ye yourselves know without any instruction,” but suddenly inserts the *source* of their knowledge instead:” For ye yourselves are divinely taught already.” This seems more natural to the context (though grammatically less easy) than to understand:” For ye yourselves (as well as we) are taught of God.” (Comp., however, the references.) God’s teaching here comes (though perhaps other modes are not excluded) by the direct contact with the indwelling Spirit. (See 1John 2:27.) **To love.**—In the Greek this is not the simple infinitive after “taught;” it expresses rather the result and issue of God’s teaching: “have been so schooled by God as to love one another.” This love is not actually contrasted with the “brotherly kindness” above, but means more.