1 Thessalonians 4:14

If we believe. The Greek shows that there is here no expression of doubt. The conditional clause assumes the death and resurrection of Jesus to be true. Since Paul had presented these teachings to the Thessalonians when he first entered their city (Acts 17:1-3), his converts were well grounded in these basic tenets of the Christian faith. Paul now wants them to use these teachings as a foundation on which to build belief concerning the future resurrection of the Christian dead. The death and resurrection of Jesus give to the Christian a sure hope of resurrection (see John 14:19; see on 1 Cor. 15:20-23). Therefore the Thessalonians should not despair when their loved ones die.

Which sleep. Rather, “which have fallen asleep,” that is, the Christians who have already died.

In Jesus. Literally, “through Jesus.” Various interpretations have been offered to explain the force of this difficult expression. Some think that Paul means that death is a sleep only by virtue of Christ’s life-giving power that will one day awaken the dead. If Christ’s power did not operate, death would be the end. Others connect the phrase “through Jesus” with the latter part of the verse, making it read, “even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” (RSV). Such a translation is possible, but the Greek tends to favor the KJV rendering.

Still others regard the expression as parallel with the phrase “dead in Christ.” This interpretation is perhaps to be preferred inasmuch as the two expressions occur in close contextual relationship.

With him. That is, with Jesus, from the grave. Paul reaches the crux of his reply to the troubled Thessalonians. They have been concerned over the fate of their dead. The apostle now assures them, by a categorical statement, that God has planned for those Christians who have died to be resurrected as Jesus was resurrected. Such words assured the believers that their loved ones were not forgotten. This inspired assurance would satisfy the queries of the Thessalonians and set their minds at rest. It should be noted that Paul is concerned primarily with the fact that the righteous dead are not forgotten, not with the chronological details of the resurrection. These are set forth in 1 Cor. 15:23: “Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” Paul wished to stress the fact that as God brought forth Christ from the grave, even so would He bring forth the sleeping saints from the graves.

Some teach that Paul is here speaking of disembodied souls, which, they assert, ascend to heaven at death and return with Jesus when He descends to this earth at the time of the second advent. But the Bible nowhere teaches that the soul of man is immortal and that it ascends to heaven at death (see on Matt. 10:28; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:2-8). Furthermore, the interpretation is quite out of harmony with the context.

Paul is not speaking of immortal souls, but of “them which are asleep” (1 Thess. 4:13), “them also which sleep in Jesus” (v. 14), “the dead in Christ” (v. 16). The “dead in Christ” rise (v. 16), not descend. The living are described as not preceding them, with reference to being with the Lord (v. 15). All enter the kingdom together (v. 17). If the dead preceded the living and spent some time with the Lord prior to the resurrection, the apostle’s language would be quite meaningless, in fact, absurd. His comfort would be misplaced. Paul would have told the Thessalonians to dispel all their concern, for their loved ones were enjoying the bliss of heaven. But this he did not do. This he could not do. His teaching was in harmony with that of his Lord (see on John 14:3). Some commentators, seeing the problems involved, freely admit that “the disembodied souls are not here spoken of” (Jamiesen, Fausset, and Brown).