What does 1 Thessalonians 4:10 mean?
The Christians at Thessalonica had spread their love for their fellow believers throughout the province of Macedonia (1 Thessalonians 1:2–10). Their fellow believers lived in Philippi, Berea, and perhaps in other Macedonian cities as well. According to 2 Corinthians 8:1–5, the churches in Macedonia, which would have included the Thessalonian church, contributed selflessly to the relief of distressed Jewish Christians in Judea. So the Thessalonian believers' love had spread as far as Judea. Nevertheless, Paul exhorted the believers at Thessalonica to keep on increasing their love (1 Thessalonians 4:1), and here he encourages them in much the same way.The act of giving generously to the Lord is encouraged in 2 Corinthians 8. Paul gives a financial report of how the Macedonian churches, which included the church at Thessalonica, had responded to the grace of God by giving generously to the relief of the needy believers in Judea. They had given out of their extreme poverty and did so beyond their means, but more importantly, they had first given themselves to the Lord.
Paul will continue in the following verses to describe how to maintain a good reputation by following God's will.