A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Paul continues with his pastoral treatment of the return of the Lord, counselling a church body that has some erroneous thoughts on the topic. It seems that some of the believers may have thought that those who passed away, or better said, had fallen asleep, were in some way at a disadvantage to the living believers. Paul addresses this topic in verse 13.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Now given that resurrection was the expectation of believers, the grieving referred to in verse 13 to couldn’t speak to the resurrection, for Paul compares them with those who have no hope.

But Paul brings up the topic of grief. Why?

Verse 15 may give us a clue, for Paul introduces the concept of timing. Specifically the timing of events upon the coming of the Lord for both the living and the sleeping saint. Could some of the Thessalonian saints be thinking that those who have fallen asleep without experiencing the coming of the Lord, with the transformation of earthly body to resurrected body occurring, be at some disadvantage? After all, those who had fallen asleep were in the grave, even decomposing. It seems to be a delay that is causing some to be discouraged, for later on Paul instructs them to encourage one another by the truth he is revealing to them.

Paul speaks of those who have fallen asleep as those who will experience the transformation first, for he instructs those still alive as not being transformed/resurrected before those in the grave. Paul will address some specifics in the next verse, but from our verse this morning, he is laying down a truth about timing. The dead in Christ will rise first.

But Paul – When you speak of those asleep rising first, are the living saints now at a disadvantage. Could the dead in Christ have the advantage, and should the Thessalonians transition their emotion from grief to jealousy?

Stay tuned, for Paul proceeds in the next verse to explain in a positive message the connection the living have with those asleep. This verse provides a truth that we shall not precede those who are asleep. Our next verse will tie it all together, helping those who are alive understand the unity of the body, and the purpose of God in the Messiah’s return for His church.

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