Page 29 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

Paul. So, Paul did not want them to be uninformed concerning those who sleep in death with the
purpose that they should not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope. The sleeping is not
just mere sleeping but signifies death. Paul is not rebutting Christians’ grieving, but he is attempting
to make available the biblical principles to console the grieving. Just as he has been instructing them
to conduct themselves differently from the pagan worshippers in terms of controlling their bodies
(cf. 1 Thess. 4:5), in the same way, he instructed them to grieve differently from those who do not
know God. What is vague in v13 is the cause for that grieving.

Plausible but not convincing (because there is no internal evidence as a basis) is what Charles A.
Wanamaker argued concerning the cause of grief. This was suggested by Plevnik based on Lohfink’s
work:

Lohfink has shown that in the OT and Jewish apocalyptic literature those who are assumed
(i.e., taken up into heaven) are always alive, and in fact it is axiomatic that those who are dead
cannot be assumed into heaven. From this Plevnik concludes that the issue at Thessalonica was
not whether dead Christians would share in the resurrection but the fear that they would be
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disadvantaged by not being able to participate in the assumption to heaven.

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But how does this reconcile with the fact that the large readers of the 1 Thessalonians were
Gentiles who probably did not bother to adhere to Jewish customs? The fact is that the influence of
Jewish customs and apocalyptic literature could have influenced the Gentile audience enough to the
extent that it could have been regulating their lives as they were attending the synagogues on
regular basis. Green however argues that many Gentiles did not fully understand the resurrection.
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It is obvious in this passage that the church in Thessalonica required clarification about what
happens to a believer who dies before the coming of Christ. Paul discusses this new subject in this
classic New Testament presentation about the second coming of the Lord. The lack of knowledge of
the church concerning the part their fellow Christians who had died will have when the Second
coming occurs led him to write this reassuring passage. Evidently the church in Macedonia thought
that their dead would miss out on the victories and glory of the Lord’s return. Paul wanted to
remind them that the dead will be resurrected and will not be left behind. In fact, they will
“precede” the living in seeing the Lord in the air. What consoling words these were to the confused
church!

In v14, Paul used the conjunction “for” not only to connect this verse to the previous verse but also
to give a rationale why the believers at Thessalonica should not grieve over the departed brothers
and sisters like the rest of mankind. The initial proof for the resurrection of the departed brothers
and sisters is grounded on the resurrection of Jesus Christ Himself. The fact that Jesus Christ died
(just like those brothers and sisters who died) and rose again, God will also bring with Jesus those
who have fallen asleep in Him. Notice here that this resurrection is not for everyone. Simply put, this
resurrection is a resurrection of believers.

In v15, the second proof for the resurrection of the departed brothers and sisters is grounded on
Jesus’ words. This is found in Paul’s own writings saying, “according to the Lord’s word, we tell you
that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those
who have fallen asleep.” The source of this quotation is not found anywhere, even in the gospels
themselves. It should not escape our minds that the authors of the New Testament did not write

49 Wanamaker, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistles to the
Thessalonians, 166.

50 Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians: The Pillar New Testament Commentary, 215.

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