Week 5 day 1

Read 1 Thessalonians 4
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%204&version=NIV

Paul now instructs the Thessalonians further on living to please God (4:1–2). Paul reminds his converts that God calls believers to live holy lives, separate from sexual immorality and lusts (vv. 3–8). He urges them to love each other and all the brothers even more than they do now (vv. 9–10) and reminds them of the importance of honest work (vv. 11–12)



The second coming of Jesus had formed an important part of Paul’s teaching during his visit, but it had led to misunderstandings. Timothy brought two questions to Paul. The first concerned the fate of Christians who had already died when the Lord returned (4:13–18), and the second was about the danger of the living being taken unawares by the Lord and somehow not participating in the event (5:1–11).

Evidently the readers thought that people who fall asleep (i.e. those of their number who had already died and any others who might die) before the second coming would remain in their graves and not take part in the event. This would suggest that either they had not heard of the resurrection of the dead (which is not very likely, since the resurrection of Jesus was part of the primitive gospel), or they had not understood properly what they had been taught. Lacking full knowledge of the Christian hope, they were like non-Christians, ‘without hope and without God’ (Eph. 2:12).

The basic answer to the problem is the fundamental piece of Christian teaching that Jesus died and rose again. It follows that the God who raised Jesus will bring with him the people for whom he died, and who died believing in him. Paul says nothing as yet about the dead being raised to share in this event, but it is obvious that, if they are going to share in it, they must be resurrected in order to do so. In fact, so far from their being left out of the glorious events associated with the second coming of the Lord, they will have precedence over those still living. (Paul speaks of we who are still alive; this use of words indicates that he reckoned with the possibility that the Lord would come in his own lifetime, but did not necessarily regard this as a foregone conclusion.)

Confirmation of this statement is given by reference to the Lord’s own word, which is best understood as teaching of Jesus akin to Mt. 24:30–31 rather than a revelation from the risen Lord to a prophet or to Paul himself. (Paul also refers to it in 1 Cor. 15:52.) The command, the angelic voice and the trumpet are interpreted as means of rousing those who are asleep in death and raising them to be with the Lord (Jn. 5:25–29). They rise first, i.e. before those Christians who are still living are caught up to be with the Lord and go to meet the Lord in the air. This implies that the Lord returns with his people to the earth. This language was probably never intended to be understood absolutely literally; it is describing things that go beyond words. The important thing is that believers, whether the dead or the living, are with the Lord for ever.

Discussion question

The United Methodist believes that Christ will return again, but do not spend much time trying to figure out when that will happen. The UMC feels that we should be spending our efforts on spreading the good news of Christ and reach as many people as possible. We also believe that “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” and live that sanctified Holy life that Paul has been talking about.

What are some of the thoughts and questions that you may have in verses 13-18?


Reflection question

If you know where you are going when you die, how should that effect the way you live your life?