God did not call us makes it clear, as Revised Standard Version‘s “has not called us” does not, that Paul is referring to a specific event, not to a state or a process. “Us” clearly includes both the Thessalonians and the evangelists.

Call must not be understood in the sense of “shouting to,” but in that of “inviting,” that is, “inviting us to be Christians” (cf. 1.4). In many languages it is necessary to change the location of the negative, for example, “for God called us, but not for us to live in immorality; rather, he called us to be holy.”

To live in immorality, but in holiness is literally “for immorality, but in holiness.” The preposition “for” suggests “this was not the purpose God had in mind when he called us,” and “in” suggests “to live in a state of holiness.” Good News Translation combines the ideas of purpose and state, and applies them to both immorality and holiness.

To live in immorality may be rendered as “to live immorally,” or “to have sexual relations with a person to whom one is not married.”

Holiness should refer to the condition of a person who lives as one who belongs to God. Hence it is rendered in some languages as “God called us to live as those who belong to him.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .