1 Thessalonians

4:13-18

3. Exhortations toward Christian living, 4:1-5:22

iii] Instructions concerning the dead in Christ

Jesus' parousia, his "coming / appearing / presence", v15, is like the visit of an important person, a coming heralded with shouts and trumpets. In fact, his coming will be like the coming of God to Mount Sinai. When he comes, those who are his, both alive and dead, will be caught up in the clouds to meet him. This will happen in much the same way as Moses was caught up in the cloud of God's divine appearing on Mount Sinai. So, believers in Christ, both the dead as well as the living, will rise to life in the day of Christ's coming and share fully in the assumption of all believers to heaven.

i] Context: See 4:1-8. Having broached the subject of Christian living, particularly sexual purity, brotherly love and industriousness, Paul now deals with the parousia / Christ's second coming.

ii] Structure: Instructions concerning the dead in Christ:

iii] Interpretation:

The subject of the second coming is probably the reason why Paul wrote this letter in the first place. It seems likely that some members of the church have died and for some reason or other the remaining members are concerned for their eternal standing. This seems strange since the resurrection of the dead is central to the Christian faith, so what are the Thessalonian believers worried about?

Marshall lists five proposed answers to this problem, opting for the commonly held view that the Thessalonians had been instructed on the resurrection of the dead at the return of Christ, but had not properly understood it.

Green lists six possible reconstructions of the problem:

•iPaul has failed to properly instruct the Thessalonians about the resurrection of the dead;

•iA false doctrine has infected the church - a Gnostic / Platonic influence (spiritual resurrection);

•iA loss in hope of the resurrection due to the death of some members;

•iThe death of some members had prompted irrational grief, prompting the assumption that it was a chastisement for sin which has resulted in them missing out on the resurrection, cf., Morris.

•iThe notion that the dead are in a disadvantaged situation with respect to the return of Christ.

•iConfusion between assumption of the dead and the resurrection of the dead, cf., Plevnick below.

Wanamaker, following Plevnick in his work The Taking Up of the Faithful and the Resurrection of the Dead in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1984, suggests that the problem is a peculiarly Jewish one. The Elijah experience of being assumed into heaven will be the experience of those alive at Christ's return, but those who have died, although resurrected on that day, may not experience a full assumption into heaven.

The most widely held view is that the Thessalonian believers understand their present sufferings in terms of the messianic woes prior to the parousia, but given that some members have already died, those who remain are worried about the status of deceased members in relation to the return of Christ. Paul's answer is a simple one; "Believers who have died will be raised to join the living at Christ's coming", Fee.

Paul obviously instructed the Thessalonians on the subject of Christ's return, but now, due to circumstances, they are a little confused. So, he now sets out to reinforce that teaching, explaining that those who have already died will participate fully in the day of Christ's coming.

 

Platonic dualism: Today, it is commonly held that believers who have died are already spiritually alive with Christ in heaven and will come back with him in the last day. We Westerners are greatly affected by Platonic thinking, assuming that the spirit leaves the body after death and goes to be with God. The Bible, on the other hand, reveals that the body and the spirit/soul are a unified whole such that the whole is resurrected and transformed in the last day. Deceased believers are in a state Paul describes as sleeping and that they will rise from the grave at the coming of Christ.

The preacher needs to remember that the majority of Christians believe that the spirit of their departed friends and family members has left the body, a body which is now a mere shell, such that their loved-one is presently with Jesus in heaven. There is a sense where this is true, in that they are no longer constrained by time and so the day of resurrection is now their experience - see the time issue below. The strength of the Platonic idea of the duality of body and soul is not easy to shake, and for many, unwise to shake. We can always assert the truth that a deceased believer is "asleep in [the arms of] Jesus" to reinforce confidence in the security of the departed.

 

The problem of time in Biblical eschatology: In approaching Biblical eschatology, we are able to draw out a time-line of events leading up to Christ's second coming, events which trace Christ's ascension to heaven, his present reign and his return to gather believers to himself. All these events herald the end of the world. Systems, diverse and amazing, have expanded on these basic facts, many without Biblical warrant.

Schemata on the second coming of Christ are often complicating by a linear view of time, yet, God is not bound by time because he created time. What happens in the heavenlies is not in any way constricted by the progress of time on earth. We may have been waiting for 2,000 years for the return of Christ, but that time interval does not apply in heaven, 2Pet.3:8. This collapse of time is evident in Jesus' words to the thief on the cross, "this evening you will be with me in paradise". The thief, as with all of us, still awaits the day of resurrection, but his experience is also ours - the day of our death is the day we meet our Lord.

God, as the creator of time, exists beyond time such that from the heavenly perspective Christ's ascension, our gathering with him in the clouds of heaven, and his coming with the angels / saints to the Ancient of Days, his enthronement and his judgment of creation, is both now and not yet. We are already perfected in Christ, risen, eternally alive and reigning with him, Eph.2:6, yet at the same time we are Paul's "wretched man" entwined by sin, with our body awaiting its redemption in resurrection, cf., Rom.7:14-25. So, somehow, within the moment of Christ's ascension and enthronement, we live, we die and we rise at his "appearing /coming" to join with him in the celestial feast. The "eschatological tension" (Dunn) raised by this now / not yet paradigm, cannot be properly represented in time terms, none-the-less, this earth-bound state, this merciful moment in the mind of God, requires that we at least try. The following mouse-over illustration may help.

Where does the parousia, "coming / appearing / presence" take place? Christ's coming is usually understood as a coming to earth, but given Daniel's perspective in chapter 7 verse 13, the coming of the Son of Man with his saints / angels is a coming to heaven, an appearing in the presence of the Ancient of Days for his enthronement. There have been many paradigms of this coming, often acts of divine judgment, such as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. The final coming / appearing of the messianic King will entail the judgment of the world, and unlike other such comings / appearings, this one will be witnessed by the totality of God's creation.

From an earthly perspective such is a coming down, an appearing in the sky. From a heavenly perspective it is a coming to / an appearing in the presence of the Ancient of Days. This coming / appearing involves the living and the dead ascending to gather with their Lord on that day. Again, from an earthly perspective, a meeting in the sky, but from a heavenly perspective, a meeting in the clouds above the throne room of heaven. This coalescing of scriptural truth defies systemisation, but again we are bound to teach a simple sequence of events - at the end of the age, Jesus will gather those who are his, both living and dead, in the clouds of heaven, and from there come to the Ancient of Day to receive his eternal crown.

 

iv] Homiletics: A Passing Shadow

All believers, both alive and deceased, will share in Christ's triumph, v13-18: i] Issue / topic and Proposition, v13. In the opening sentence, Paul broaches the subject of the status of believers who have already died in Christ, making the point that, unlike unbelievers ("those without hope"), believers have no need to grieve for deceased brothers and sisters.

de "-" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the argument; "Now, I do not want you ....".

agnoein (agnoew) pres. inf. "to be ignorant" - [we do not want you] to be ignorant [brothers]. The infinitive is usually classified here as complementary, completing the sense of the verb "we [do not] want", but of course, given that we are dealing with a cognitive verb, it can be classified as introducing an object clause / dependent statement of perception expressing what Paul wants, with uJmaV, "you", serving as the accusative subject of the infinitive; "we do not wish that you be ignorant". As noted above, the Thessalonians are probably not ignorant of the status of the dead at the resurrection, but their understanding is limited and/or confused and so they need further instruction on the issue.

peri + gen. "about" - about, concerning. Here expressing reference / respect, as NIV.

twn koimwmenwn (koimaw) gen. pres. pas. part. "those who fall asleep" - the ones sleeping. The participle serves as a substantive. Variant perfect exists, "have fallen asleep". The term "sleeping" serves as a common euphemism for death. The present tense, which is better attested, is possibly indicating durative action, namely the ongoing state of "sleeping" = "the sleepers". Obviously describing death not as the state of sleeping, but as the state of being about to wake from sleep. So the statement on many a grave, "At rest". On my son's grave we had "Asleep in the arms of Jesus".

iJna mh + subj. "or to / so that [you do] not" - lest [you be sorrowful]. This construction introduces a negated final clause expressing purpose / hypothetical result - the purpose of the teaching is "in order that / so that you may not grieve as others do."

kaqwV kai "like" - as, like. Comparative, made emphatic by the adverbial use of kai, "just like, even as". Paul's point seems to be that we are all going to grieve at the loss of a loved one, but he doesn't want the Thessalonian believers oppressed by a hopeless grieving, the type of grieving experienced by those who have no eternal hope, ie., grief driven by the misguided notion that believers who have already died will not share fully in the advantages of those who are alive at Christ's coming.

oiJ loipoi (oV) "the rest" - the remaining. This word takes the same sense as touV exw, "the ones outside" = "the world of lost humanity."

oiJ mh econteV (ecw) pres. part. "who have no [hope]" - the ones not having [hope]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "the rest"; "who have nothing to hope for", Barclay.

ii] Reason 1, v14-17a: A1, Creedal truth, and A2, its conclusion / redaction, v14. Paul now explains why (gar) believers have no reason to grieve as those who have no hope, "because" "Christ died and rose again". This statement presents as a credal confession of the early church and is usually understood as such by the majority of commentators. For Paul, this statement, concerning the resurrection of the dead, is no vain hope. Jesus died and rose again and from this fact he concludes that those who have put their faith in him, united with him (en cristoV, "in Christ"), but have died, will ultimately live with him. The immortality of the deceased is dependent on a fact of history - the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, the bereaved have no need to despair for a departed loved-one.

gar "-" - for. Introducing a causal clause explaining why the Thessalonians have no need to grieve for those who have died.

ei + ind. "-" - if [we believe]. Introducing a conditional clause, 1st. class, where the proposed condition is assumed to be true; "if, as is the case, [we believe that Jesus died and rose again] then [so also ....]". A 1st. class conditional clause does not express doubt, which fact is reinforced here by the emphatic use of ouJtwV kai to introduce the apodosis. The clause is difficult to translate, first because the "if" in English expresses doubt, and second because the apodosis is somewhat confusing - note how the NIV repeats it as a statement of belief. It is likely that only "Jesus died and rose again" is the statement of belief, while the apodosis deduces the truth that those in union with Christ inevitably rise with him. "If, as is the case, we affirm that Jesus died and rose again, then so also we affirm that, through the agency of Jesus (dia), God will bring deceased believers with him (sun, "with" the risen Christ) to heaven". Those who have died trusting in Christ's death and resurrection on their behalf, rise with Christ and share eternity with him.

oJti "that" - that. Here introducing an object clause / dependent statement of perception expressing what is believed. The content of what is believed (the protasis of the conditional clause / the if clause) bears the marks of a creedal formula.

ou{twV adv. "so we believe that" - thus, therefore. Inferential, serving to draw a logical conclusion.

kai "and" - and = also. Adverbial, most likely adjunctive, "also", but possibly ascensive, "even"

dia + gen. "-" - [we believe that] through, by means of [jesus]. This prepositional phrase probably expresses agency, but possibly means. Through what Jesus has done for us in his death and resurrection (ie., through his agency), "God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep", ESV.

axei (agw) fut. "will bring" - [god] will bring = gather together. The verb probably has the sense here of "to gather", cf., Matt.24:31. It is often argued that this means that when Jesus returns he will bring from heaven those who have already died, yet such an idea does not fit with a resurrection of the dead on the last day. It surely means that Jesus will gather the living and death and progress with them into glory. At any rate, those who sleep will not miss out.

sun + dat. "with [Jesus]" - with [him]. This preposition, expressing accompaniment / association, can mean either "with Jesus", or "with God." It's proximity to the verb supports "with God", although "with Jesus" is assumed by most commentators, as NIV. Note how the NASB stands out from the pack, "God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus".

touV koimhqentaV (koimaw) aor. pas. part. "those who have fallen asleep" - the ones having fallen asleep. The participle serves as a substantive, object of the verb "will bring / gather".

iii] Reason 2, v15-17a. In v14 Paul provided a reason why (gar) the Thessalonians have no need to grieve for their brothers and sisters who have died, and now he provides a second reason why (gar) they have no need to grieve. He does this by drawing a conclusion from a propositional truth. It is possible that the propositional truth is "Christ died and rose again", v14a, but he has already drawn a conclusion from this truth, v14b. So, it is likely that the conclusion that the dead rise first, v15, is drawn from the logion / saying in v16-17a. This conclusion is derived en, "on the basis of / with respect to", the "word of the Lord", namely, the logion / saying in v16-17a. Paul's conclusion / redaction of the Lord's word (touto, "this [I say to you") presents as a derived truth / article of faith introduced by an epexegetic oJti, "that", v15. A second epexegetic oJti, "that", v16, then serves to specify the "word of the Lord", namely, the logion / saying on which Paul builds his conclusion that the dead in Christ rise first followed by the living. As for the logion / saying itself, it presents as an apocalyptic non canonical saying from Jesus, or an early church prophet.

B2. Conclusion / Redaction: Those alive will not precede those who have died, v15. The conclusion Paul derives on the basis of / with respect to the word of the Lord expressed in the logion / saying in v16-17a is that those who are alive at the coming of the Lord will not have an advantage over those who have already died - dead believers rise first, followed by living believers. All believers will be caught up together in the clouds to meet with the Lord.

gar "-" - for. Introducing a causal clause aligned to the first causal clause in v14, explaining why the Thessalonian believers have no reason to grieve for their deceased brothers and sisters.

touto pro. "-" - this [we say to you in a word of lord]. The demonstrative pronoun points forward to Paul's redaction of the word of the Lord introduced by oJti.

en "according to" - in. Here adverbial, possibly instrumental, expressing means, "by an article from the Lord", Shogren, ESV, but better either reference / respect, "with respect to", or as NIV, expressing a standard, "in accordance with", or base / cause, "on the basis of". What Paul has to say is "with respect to", or "in accord with", or "on the basis of" the Lord's word in v16-17a.

kuriou (oV) gen. "the Lord's [word]" - [a word] of lord. The genitive is adjectival, possessive, expressing the possession of a derivative characteristic, or idiomatic / source, "from the Lord". Paul's redaction in v15 of the confessional statement in v16-17a, a statement which is rightly a "word of the Lord", is not in itself a word of the Lord, although is as good as. That Paul functions as the exegete of Jesus does not lessen the authority of his words; in his own right he is an inspired apostle / prophet.

uJmin dat. pro. "[we tell] you" - [we say] to you - Dative of indirect object.

oJti "that" - that. Here epexegetic, specifying touto, "this", namely what Paul has to say to the Thessalonians en, "with respect to / in accordance with / on the basis of", the Lord's word (v16-17a).

hJmeiV pro. "we" - we. Paul again uses an epistolary plural / royal plural personal pronoun. Note how Paul has included himself with those who are alive at the coming of Jesus. This has prompted some commentators to suggest that Paul's eschatology is developing, such that it was only in the latter part of his ministry that he concluded that Jesus would not return during his lifetime. Marshall argues against this narrow understanding of "we".

oiJ zwnteV (zaw) pres. part. "who are alive / still alive" - the ones living. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting the pronoun hJmeiV, "we", "who are alive", as NIV. The present tense is not denoting time, but rather aspect, ie., those believers who are still living when Jesus returns do not precede those who are deceased.

oiJ perileipomenoi (perileipomai) pres. pas. part. "who are left" - the ones remaining. The participle is adjectival standing in apposition to "the ones living."

eiV + acc. "till / until" - to, into. Temporal use of the preposition; "until the coming of the Lord."

thn parousian (a) acc. "the coming" - the coming, presence, appearing, arrival. When the New Testament speaks of Jesus' coming / presence / appearing, it is using the word in the sense of the appearing on the scene of a great one. There have been many divine appearings / comings, often experienced in judgment, eg., the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD serves as a paradigm of the "coming" of the Lord. The ultimate coming / appearing / presence is that of Daniel's Son of Man who comes / progresses to the Ancient of Days to take up his messianic rule. This was the "coming" seen by Stephen, Acts 7:56. This "coming" entails judgment, both cursing and blessing.

tou kuriou (oV) gen. "of the Lord" - of the lord. The genitive may be taken as adjectival, possessive, "the Lord's coming", or verbal, subjective, "the coming undertaken by the Lord."

ou mh + subj. "will certainly not" - no not. Subjunctive of emphatic negation.

fqaswmen (fqanw) aor. subj. "precede" - may precede. The word can certainly take a temporal sense, as NIV, but Bruce rightly points out that it can also take a qualitative sense; "shall by no means have precedence over those who have fallen asleep", Malherbe.

touV koimhqentaV (koimaw) aor. pas. part. "those who have fallen asleep" - the ones having fallen asleep. The participle serves as a substantive, object of the subjunctive verb "may precede".

B1. Apocalyptic Logion, v16-17a. It is possible that v16-17a are Pauline, but it seems more likely that Paul is quoting an apocalyptic saying from the apostolic tradition of the early church, originating either from Jesus himself, or a gifted church prophet. Its literary form presents as an apocalyptic drama, describing the indescribable in symbols and metaphors, more a "poem" than a "blueprint", so Gaventa. The drama presents in three scenes: the parousia of Christ; the resurrection of the dead; the gathering of resurrected believers and living believers with Christ in the clouds of heaven. There is very little in the New Testament describing the coming of Christ, but this and the next verse present a fulsome description of the parousia.

It is possible to draw the following conclusions from the three scenes of the apocalyptic drama:

oJti "for" - that. Epexegetic, specifying "the word of the Lord", namely, the logion / saying.

autoV pers. pro. "himself" - [the lord] himself. Reflective use of the personal pronoun.

katabhsetai (katabainw) fut. "will come down" - will descend [from heaven]. The word is used of an epiphany, parousia, "an appearing / presence / coming" of a great one. The view-point of this coming is primarily from Daniel's perspective, a coming of the Son of Man in the clouds, from the heavens, with his messengers / saints to the throne room of the Ancient of Days to enact judgment. From earth's perspective it is a going where the saints, living and dead, rise to progress with the Son of Man to the Ancient of Days. This appearing of Christ, whether viewed from heaven or earth, is the appearing of a great one, and is accompanied with fearful pomp and glory.

en + dat. "with" - in = with [a shout / command]. Here the preposition is adverbial, attendant circumstance, or association / accompaniment, "with", as NIV. It is unclear who shouts the command and what is shouted. Possibly God shouts the command for the dead in Christ to rise, although this is more likely the role of the archangel.

arcaggelou (oV) gen. "the archangel" - [in = with a voice, sound] of an archangel. The genitive is adjectival, possessive. Jude 9 has Michael as the archangel, but there are many archangels (rulers of the angels). In the synoptic tradition, God sends his angels with a loud trumpet to gather in the elect, Matt.24:31. It is interesting how the "angels", the word meaning "messengers of God", can also refer to the saints, such that it is not just heavenly beings who announce Christ's appearing / coming, but also believers. Believers, as messengers of God, perform this declaratory role in the proclamation of the gospel (possibly the sense of Matt.24:31, but certainly a paradigm of it).

salpiggi (igx iggoV) "the trumpet" - [and in = with] a trumpet. Often understood as a signal of war and thus of judgment. In the Old Testament, the trumpet of God announces the coming day of the Lord, a day when the lost are gathered to the Lord, and a day when the unrighteous face the judgment due them, Isa.27:13, Joel 2:1, Zeph.1:15-16, Zech.9:14-16. At the present moment the gospel serves this function.

qeou (oV) gen. "of God" - of god. The genitive is adjectival, possessive.

kai "and" - and [the dead]. Here probably consecutive, expressing result; "and as a result ...."

en "in" - in [christ]. Taking a local sense expressing space, incorporative union, referring to those who, although dead, are in an eternal relationship with Christ due to their faith and thus rise to life at his appearing.

prowton adv. "first" - [will rise] first. Temporal use of the adverb.

The first scene in the apocalyptic drama is the parousia of Christ, his "appearing, coming", depicted in the drama of an epiphany, a katabainw, a descent. The second scene is the resurrection of deceased believers, and now we come to the third scene, resurrected believers, along with living believers, caught up in the clouds with the Lord.

iv] Comment, v17b. The final clause of this verse, introduced by ouJtwV, "thus", is likely a comment by Paul, possibly on the logion / saying, but more likely his argument covering v14-17a; "So you see, this is how we end up eternally with the Lord."

epeita adv. "after that" - then. Temporal adverb; next in time. By following prwton, "first", v16, the saying emphasises the sequence of the scenes; "Only after this shall we who are alive be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air", Cassirer.

oiJ zwnteV (zaw) pres. part. "[we] who are still alive" - the ones living, [the ones remaining]. This participle, as with "the ones remaining", is adjectival, attributive, as in v15.

arpaghsomeqa (arpazw) fut. pas. "will be caught up" - will be caught up, snatched away, taken. The phrase "caught up" means seized and carried off by force. This is often called "the rapture" (from the Latin Vulgate, rapiemur), but we do need to understand that there is nothing in this passage about a secret taking away of believers from the world; shouts etc., deal with that. Paul's point is that all believers, both living and dead, will be part of the parousia. The unrighteous, faced with judgment, will watch in horror as the saints are caught up in the clouds with Christ as they progress to the Ancient of Days.

a{ma "together" - together [with them]. This preposition often functions adverbially with temporal force, "at the same time, at once, simultaneously"; "at the same time with them (the resurrected believers) ...." This seems the likely sense here, although it may just mean "together, join together", so reinforcing the preposition sun, "with", which expresses association, as NIV. That the dead and the living are "together" is the point Paul is wanting to make.

en + dat. "in " - in [clouds]. Local, expressing space, reflecting Dan.7:13, and also the transfiguration, "located in". Possibly as epi, "upon [the clouds]". An instrumental sense expressing means is also possible, "by means of the clouds", imaging the way Jesus was "caught up" in the clouds, Acts.1:9, so Weima. A Mount Sinai image (clouds and up high), an image often associated with a theophany. The imagery doesn't have to be taken literally other than to say that together we meet with the Lord.

eiV + acc. "to" - into [a meeting]. Here expressing purpose, "in order to meet."

apanthsin (iV ewV) + gen. / dat. "meet" - a public, official meeting of/with. The word is a strong one, often used of going out to meet a strong one and accompany them back. Moffatt translates it as the "welcome of a great person on his arrival." Chrysostom took the view that the purpose of the meeting was to escort the Lord back to earth. This idea has often been repeated, but it is more likely that we go out to meet the Lord and escort him back to the throne of the Ancient of Days.

tou kuriou gen. "the Lord" - of the lord. A genitive of direct object following the apo prefix verb "to meet with"; "a meeting with the Lord."

eiV + acc. " in" - into [air]. Spatial, here expressing arrival at, as for en, "in". The aera, "air", probably means nothing more than "up", identifying where the meeting takes place, ie., in the heavenlies.

ouJtwV adv. "[and] so" - [and] thus. Inferential, drawing a logical conclusion / result / consequence, as noted above.

pantote adv. "forever" - [we will be] always [with lord]. Temporal adverb; "always".

v] Exhortation, v18. In this verse Paul draws out a conclusion from his argument covering v15-17. Given the weight of his argument, wJste, "therefore", the Thessalonian believers have all the resources they need to encourage one another.

wJste "therefore" - therefore, so. Expressing a logical conclusion or consequence, "therefore / so, accordingly, as a result", so similar to toigaroun, v8, "consequently".

en + dat. "with" - [encourage one another] in = with [these words]. Instrumental, expressing means, as NIV. Paul's eschatological teaching provides the means by which the Thessalonian believers are able to encourage bereaved members. "So then, this is the message with which you can comfort and encourage each other", Barclay.

1 Thessalonians Introduction

Exegetical Commentaries

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