1 Thessalonians 4:5 (DBY)

Passage

(not in passionate desire, even as the nations who know not God,)

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is [the] will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication;

1 Thessalonians 4:4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour,

1 Thessalonians 4:5 (not in passionate desire, even as the nations who know not God,)

1 Thessalonians 4:6 not overstepping the rights of and wronging his brother in the matter, because the Lord [is] the avenger of all these things, even as we also told you before, and have fully testified.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God has not called us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "passionate", "desire", "even", and "nations". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "passionate" and "desire", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "that each of you know how to..." into verse 6's "not overstepping the rights of and wronging...", so "passionate" and "desire" belong inside that flow. In 1 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "passionate" and "desire" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.