1st Thessalonians 4:13-18

Good Morning!

Our Bible Study lesson yesterday was in Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica. The Greek culture did not believe in the “after life” – in short, a person lived his life and then died – period. And so there was some concern on behalf of the people at Thessalonica about those early Christians who were dying before Christ’s return. Paul seeks to deal with this concern in the passage below:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (New Century Version)
The Lord's Coming

13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no hope.14 We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. So, because of him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died.15 What we tell you now is the Lord's own message. We who are living when the Lord comes again will not go before those who have already died.16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel,[a] and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first.17 After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.18 So encourage each other with these words.

Footnotes:
a. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 archangel The leader among God's angels or messengers.


Paul’s purpose is to teach the believers at Thessalonica that our life is not limited to this earthly existence. We have the promises given by God that when we are no longer on this earth, we are with the Lord. Now our bodies are consigned to the grave – where they decay and turn to dust. But our soul lives! And we are with Christ. And when He returns, we will be given a glorified body that will never perish. So death is not something to fear – it is a transition that comes in our Eternal life.

The believer lives by faith in God and in His promises. What else can we do? Without God there is no hope – but with God, our hope becomes reality.

So, as Paul ends this passage, you should encourage each other with these words – on this good day that God has given to us.

Agape’


Mr. Jim