1 Thessalonians 4:6
“That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →No one should overreach or cheat a fellow believer, for the Lord Himself avenges all such wrongs.
What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:6 Mean?
Paul widens the call to holiness into how we treat one another. No one should 'go beyond' (overstep proper bounds) or 'defraud his brother,' taking advantage of another for selfish gain. The warning is solemn: 'the Lord is the avenger of all such.' God Himself sees the wrong done to the wronged and will set it right.
Holiness is never merely private; it shapes how we deal with our neighbor. To exploit or cheat another, especially in the intimate matters Paul has been discussing, is to sin not only against them but against the God who watches over them. The reminder that the Lord avenges is sobering, but it is also a comfort to the vulnerable: no injustice escapes His notice. Paul says he had 'forewarned' them of this, taking the matter seriously enough to repeat it. Reverence for God and respect for our brother go together. The same God who calls us to purity guards the dignity of every person we might be tempted to use.