PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

At Paul's time, both in Corinth and Thessalonica sensuality and immorality were rife in the pagan religions and even fostered by their pagan worship. Man was made for expressing God (Genesis 1:26). Nothing ruins man for this purpose more than fornication. This prevents man from being holy, separated unto God, and contaminates man to the uttermost in the fulfilling of God's holy purpose. Hence, the apostle strongly charges the newly converted Gentile believers, by sanctification unto God, to abstain from the damage and contamination of fornication, the most gross sin in the eyes of God.

Here in 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul gives us a warning concerning fornication. He also spoke strongly about fornication in 1 Corinthians. Because there was so much immorality in Corinth and Thessalonica, Paul realized that along with fostering and establishing the saints in Thessalonica, it was necessary for him to warn them about the sin of fornication. Now we can understand why in a book to new believers Paul thought it necessary to speak about fornication. He wanted the saints in that evil city to be aware of the danger. As the church in such a place, they needed a warning about fornication....

We also need this warning today. In the United States and Europe males and females have social contact with hardly any limitation. Because of this situation, it is easy for people to fall into fornication. In order for churches to exist in these regions, there is a need of a warning concerning fornication.

As we read 4:1-12, we see that Paul's tone here is one of warning. The tone is different from that found in the first three chapters. After Paul has completed his task of fostering and establishing a holy life for the church life, he changes his tone. The first warning he gives us concerns fornication. As we shall see, in his warning about fornication, Paul brings in the wonderful matter of sanctification.

SANCTIFICATION VERSUS FORNICATION

In 4:1 Paul says, "For the rest therefore, brothers, we ask and entreat you in the Lord Jesus, that even as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, even as indeed you do walk, that you abound more." In verse 3 Paul says that the will of God is our sanctification. This sanctification is versus fornication. In order to have a walk that pleases God, we need to be sanctified.

Nothing damages a believer as much as fornication. According to Paul's word in 1 Corinthians 6, fornication ruins a person's body. Other sins may not damage us subjectively, but fornication damages our body, contaminates our entire being, and makes us utterly unholy. Moreover, fornication is used by God's enemy to spoil the man God created for the fulfillment of His purpose. Therefore, fornication must be altogether abandoned. This is the reason Paul says in 4:3, "Abstain from fornication." The word "abstain" is strong, and it indicates that we should run away from fornication. God's will is to have us fully separated unto Himself, wholly sanctified for the fulfillment of His purpose. This requires that we abstain from fornication.

In verses 4 and 5 Paul continues, "That each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as also the nations who do not know God." To possess one's vessel is to keep it, to preserve it. There are two schools of interpretation of the word vessel here; one refers the vessel to man's body, as in 2 Corinthians 4:7; the other to his wife, as in 1 Peter 3:7. The context in this verse and the following one, with phrases "each one of you," "in sanctification and honor," and especially "not in the passion of lust," does not justify the interpretation of the second school, but that of the first.

The apostle considers man's body here as his vessel, just as David did in 1 Samuel 21:5. In the same matter concerning the use of the body, both Paul and David consider man's body as his vessel. To keep or preserve man's vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, is the safeguard against committing fornication.

Sanctification refers more to a holy condition before God; honor, more to a respectable standing before man. Man was created for God's purpose with a high standing, and marriage was ordained by God for the propagation of man to fulfill God's purpose. Hence, marriage should be held in honor (Hebrews 13:4).

To abstain from fornication is not only to remain in a sanctified condition before God, but also to hold and keep a standing of honor before man. Whenever someone becomes involved in fornication, he is contaminated, and his sanctification is annulled. Moreover, he loses honor before man. Not even unbelievers honor those who commit fornication. Therefore, we must know how to possess, keep, preserve, our own body in sanctification toward God and in honor before man. We must be those who are sanctified unto God and those who have honor before man. In order to be such persons, we must absolutely abstain from fornication and not give ground for suspicion in this matter.

According to verse 5, we should not possess our body in the passion of lust as the nations who do not know God. Not knowing God is the basic reason for indulgence in the passion of lust.

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