Comfort One Another with These Words
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
This morning’s passage is well known, especially among evangelicals. It is quoted as mentioning an event called the “Rapture.” Other than agreeing on the term, the interpretations of just what the rapture is and when it will happen varies widely as does the other Scriptures used to support the event. This has caused various factions to rise in the Church and has damaged her unity. I am not going to try to add my opinion on this matter. Rather, we need to look at the passage in its own right and see what we can certainly learn from it.
One must first examine any passage of Scripture in its own context and look for clues of what the writer of Scripture, the Holy Spirit through the pen of the Apostle Paul in this case. It begins here with the phrase: “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.” In other words, Paul is emphatically affirming that the church needs to know what he is about to teach. Paul uses this phrase elsewhere, stating the negative of what he wants them to be. It is important that the Christian be knowledgeable about Christian truths. There is no room for ignorance of the truth. In this particular context, he wants them to know what happens to those who are Christians and die before the Lord returns. The last verse admonishes us to “comfort one another with these words.” So the purpose is not to cause agitation and fear, but comfort and encouragement. This text is often used at funerals for this very purpose. Since this is the stated purpose for the text, let us examine this passage in this context.
Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church from Athens, which means he wrote it soon after leaving the church. The necessity of his rapid departure meant that he did not have all the time he would have liked to teach Christian truth to them. He did send Timothy back to Thessaloniki to address this deficit. Paul worried that the church might fall apart. When Timothy sent report of their strong faith, he was much encouraged. People around the other churches were boasting about them. This was quite a testimony considering its newness. But this does not mean that there were not certain matters which needed to be addressed. Some of the Thessalonians had quit their jobs and left their masters to wait for the soon-expected return of Jesus. Paul had taught them about the return of Christ as well as other essential doctrines such as the death of Jesus on the cross for our sin, His resurrection on the third day, His ascension to the Father, along with His promise to return. Considering the difficulties which the Thessalonian Church had faced from outside, they were naturally eager to see the Lord return.
Another misconception concerning the return of Christ is addressed in this passage. Apparently, some of the believers had died since Paul had been there. They seem to have believed that only those who were alive at the return of Jesus would be included in the heavenly kingdom which His return would bring. Those who had died were therefore lost. The euphemism here is that the believers had fallen asleep which means that they had died. The use of “sleep” implies that they would wake up, so Paul is skillfully setting up his argument. It is unfortunate that the Church had become a divided camp even over this. Some say the soul sleeps until the resurrection. Others say that one is immediately with the Lord upon death. I will not reproduce the arguments here. The comfort we get is that upon death, our next experience will be in the presence of the Lord. So let people think what they will on this.
Paul tells us that those who have died before the Lord’s return are not without hope. The hope of the kingdom transcends death. Paul states at the end of time the Lord will shout through an archangel, the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall arise first, that is before the living saints rise to meet the Lord in the air. This might have reminded the Thessalonians who had supported Caesar Augustus in his battle for the throne of Rome against Marc Anthony. Augustus won and granted the city of Thessaloniki special privileges of self- government. He came to Thessaloniki personally to thank him.
When word came of the coming visit to Thessaloniki, the entire city was electrified. they made preparations to receive him into their city. Then as he came and the trumpets heralded his soon arrival, the people came out from the city to greet him and escort Augustus back into the city.
When Jesus returns, one far greater than Caesar is coming to visit. The Christian should live in this hope and prepare for His arrival, not just to Thessaloniki in particular, but to the entire earth. Is the Church electrified over this truth. Augustus could only bring the living, but Jesus shall come with ten thousands of His saints. Those who have died will already be part of this triumph be in rank behind them. We shall meet Jesus in the air rather than some earthly road. This may imply that we are escorting the Lord back to earth with the New Jerusalem.
The important truth is that we shall ever be with the Lord. There shall be no more death, nor separation. The Kingdom Jesus ushers in is not of this world. Rome ruled for centuries, but the empire founded by Augustus failed. So will all earthly kingdoms. New ones shall be established, and old ones shall die. Our hope is in Jesus the King.
I suppose that some interpreter of the end times will be closer to reality than others when he comes. But we are not in a contest to see who gets the prize for the best prediction. Is there a rapture apart from the second coming that occurs pre, mid, or post tribulation. In that day, it will not matter who is right. Concentrate instead of having an expectant and rapturous heart. Concentrate on comforting and encouraging one another. Life is getting increasingly difficult. Christians are facing or already suffering persecution. Some have already laid down their lives for the Gospel. Since the writing of Thessalonians, countless Christians have “fallen asleep.” We can take comfort that our beloved Christian brothers and sisters ore not lost or forgotten. They are remembered to the Lord, and we shall meet them again. This is why we are not to grieve in the manner others who are not Christians do. We should not have a Clementine attitude: “You are gone and lost forever.” The epitaphs of many ancient Greek and Roman tombs are one of utter despair. We are to mourn death, but in the certain hope of the resurrection.
So,is it wrong to grieve those who have died? The answer is to again notice that Paul is not prohibiting grief. Instead we are not to grieve as the others do. We grieve their loss. Death is indeed dreadful. But death shall not separate the Christian from Christ or from the other believers.
But what about the unbeliever. Is this hope for them? They have already been characterized as those having no hope. But their true plight is far worse than that of Clementine. They, too, shall die. But they also will be raised in the end. But they will be raised to an eternal hopeless future apart from Christ. The Bible states that it will be a place where their worm dieth not. It will be a future fo weeping and gnashing of teeth. It will be a place where people will beg for a drop of water to be put on their tongue. We must not comfort them as they face death. Instead, we must confront them with this truth. There are those who tell them about the rapture followed by a great tribulation for those who failed to confess Christ. As bad as that might be, it is judgment in this life. But we must concentrate to reminding them what comes after the Great Tribulation. Where will one spend eternity?
Then we can offer words of comfort. God is not willing any should perish but instead believe on the truth and receive Christ. If they will, then they can share in eternal life and live the rest of their lives in hope of that day when this mortality will put on immortality. This hope is to be offered to all people. Of course, there is risk in proclaiming such judgment and salvation. It might result in our rejection and persecution even as they reject the Savior. We again are reminded of the situation which occured at the time Paul came with this message to Thessaloniki. After a few weeks, those who had rejected stirred up the rabble of the city and attacked the believers. Paul had to be quickly removed from the city and sent on his way. But while we should be aware of the risks of proclaiming the full gospel, we are reminded that we are compelled to do so. After all, those who have not received Christ face a hopeless eternity. the same grace which was offered us who were once eternally perishing is to be offered to them. If this should cost us our lives in the process, we realize that we have a hope which transcends death itself.
