1 Thessalonians 3:13 Meaning and Explanation
“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul prays that growing love would make their hearts firm and blameless in holiness, ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
What Does 1 Thessalonians 3:13 Mean?
Paul names the goal of all this growing love: that the Lord may 'stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness.' Love is meant to make them firm and pure, fit to stand 'before God, even our Father.' And he sets it all against the great horizon, 'the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.' Everything points toward that day.
Holiness here is not cold rule-keeping but the fruit of love, for a heart that abounds in love is being shaped into the likeness of God. Paul wants their inner life so settled and clean that they could stand unashamed before the Father when Christ returns. That coming day governs the whole prayer; it is the appointment for which their hearts are being prepared. To live with the return of the Lord in view is to let the future purify the present. Paul's deepest desire for them is not comfort or success but readiness, hearts established in holiness, awaiting the Lord who is surely coming.
1 Thessalonians 3:13 in the Original Language
hagiosyne (ἁγιωσύνη), 'holiness' -- the quality of being set apart for God, consecrated and pure.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Thessalonians 3:13
What does 1 Thessalonians 3:13 mean?
Paul prays that growing love would make their hearts firm and blameless in holiness, ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus.