1 Thessalonians 4:8
“He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →To reject this teaching is to reject not a man but God, who has given His Holy Spirit.
What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:8 Mean?
Paul presses home the weight of his words. To 'despise' this call to holiness, to reject and set it aside, is not to dismiss a mere human teacher but to dismiss 'God' Himself, the author of the command. And Paul adds a reason that makes purity all the more fitting: God 'hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.'
The mention of the Holy Spirit is the heart of the verse. God has not only commanded holiness; He has placed His own Holy Spirit within His people, the very Spirit of holiness dwelling in them. To live in impurity is therefore to grieve the holy presence God has given. This is both a warning and a gift: a warning, that rejecting the call rejects God; a gift, that He supplies the Spirit who makes holiness possible. We are not left to manage purity by willpower alone. The Spirit who indwells the believer is the source and the strength of the holy life God calls us to live.