I 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.
In I Thessalonians 3:10, Paul declares that he wanted to pay another visit to Thessalonica in order to ‘supply what was lacking in their faith’. Based on the text in the remainder of this chapter, doctrines relating to physical death and resurrection may well have fallen under this category. The churches of Paul’s day no doubt benefitted from this teaching. Thankfully, Holy Spirit preserved this information as a resource for us as well. 
Let’s take a look at what Paul had to say about this important topic.
To begin with, Paul talks about people who are ‘asleep’. In scripture, sleep is often used as a euphemism for death.
For example, when Stephen was being martyred for his faith (by stoning), scripture describes his death this way:
Acts 7:60 – And falling to his knees he [Stephen] cried out with a loud voice, “Lord do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Another example is found in John chapter 11, where Jesus has been informed that his friend Lazarus is sick. Instead of going to see him immediately, he waits a couple of days. Then he tells his disciples that “Lazarus has fallen asleep” (verse 11). The disciples think this is a good thing until Jesus plainly tells them Lazarus is dead:
John 11:13-14 – Now Jesus had spoken of his [Lazarus] death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died…”.
(See also I Corinthians 11:30, Deuteronomy 31:16, Luke 8:52-53, etc). There are two main reasons for the comparison between death and sleep.
First, there is a physical resemblance between those who are dead and those who are asleep. Both are still, both are unaware of what is happening around them, both have their eyes closed, etc. Second, physical death (like sleep) is only a temporary state because at some point God is going to resurrect every human being from physical death (more on this later).
So, we know that when Paul spoke about ‘falling asleep’ he was referring to death.
The next thing we want to examine is the implication that the Thessalonian believers were grieving for the dead like ‘others who have no hope’. Who are the people who have no hope? Why don’t they have any hope?
Those without hope are the ‘heathen’ or anyone who is an unbeliever (someone who does not know Christ). The heathen experienced extreme sorrow when someone died because they had no hope of a life beyond this earth. Once their loved ones died and were buried, it was if they ceased to exist. They had no evidence or assurance that their bodies would be resurrected or that their souls and spirits would continue to exist.
Worse yet, if they did believe in an afterlife, they had no way of knowing if their loved ones were happy or in a perpetual state of torment.
More specifically we can say that unbelievers had no hope beyond this life because:
- They had no way to atone for their sin or reconcile themselves to God, the Creator of the universe.
- They had no knowledge of a Savior and thus no assurance/guarantee of pardon resulting in eternal life.
- They lived in a state of darkness and condemnation with no possibility of deliverance.
Because the heathen/unbelievers were hopeless, they indulged in exaggerated or excessive expressions of grief when one of their friends or loved ones died. It was common for them to hire people to loudly mourn and wail. They beat their chests, uttered loud piercing shrieks, cut their flesh/bled everywhere, and engaged in other self-destructive behaviors like tearing out their hair. They also ripped their clothes, fasted, cast dust upon their heads and sat in ashes.
In short, they made huge spectacles of themselves and their sorrow. From their perspective, this was appropriate behavior because they believed their loved ones were gone forever. 
Here is why this is all so important: The majority of the believers in the church of Thessalonica were Gentiles – former heathens! They viewed these exaggerated expressions of sorrow as normal behavior, so they continued to grieve the death of their loved ones in this manner, even after receiving the gospel.
Worse yet, their ignorance of the truth combined with their old heathen traditions caused them to adopt a false doctrine of death and resurrection.
Based on the writings of Paul to both the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, scholars surmise that the false beliefs held by the Gentiles within the Thessalonian church centered around two main points.
One – There were some members of the church who erroneously believed that there was no resurrection. They believed that only those who were alive at the return of the Lord would be taken to heaven to enjoy everlasting life with God.
Obviously, this caused them a great amount of sorrow, because they wanted their departed friends and loved ones to enjoy all the benefits available to Christians. They were also sad for themselves because they would be deprived of the fellowship of these dear people in eternity.
Plus, there was the added stress of knowing that they too could miss out on the unimaginable blessings of God if they somehow died before Christ returned. Thus, this false doctrine drained them of hope, joy and peace while adding a lot of stress to their lives.
Two – There was also an erroneous doctrine circulating which said that there was indeed going to be a resurrection of the saints, however, it would be a long, long, LONG time after the living Christians had been admitted to heaven.
Thus, believers who were dead when Christ returned would somehow be deprived of advantages/blessings which would immediately be given to Christians who were alive at the return of the Lord. Consequently, those who died before the return of the Lord would live in an eternal condition that was inferior to those who went to heaven first, resulting in “unfair” treatment in heaven.
It seems strange to us that these ridiculous beliefs could have taken root in the lives of the church. But keep the following in mind:
- The Thessalonian church was made up of a large number of Gentiles who, until quite recently, were former heathens. Understandably, they were influenced by some of the former doctrines they held when they were serving idols and false gods.
- Paul and his team only ministered at Thessalonica for a few years. In that short amount of time, these new believers had to absorb a huge amount of new information. It isn’t surprising that they didn’t immediately grasp it all. Indeed, some modern day Christians have been believers for decades and still don’t know some of the basic tenents of the faith!
- Today, we have the advantage of being able to read and study the New Testament along with innumerable religious books published on any (and every) topic you can think of. The believers back in Paul’s day did not have these resources; they had nothing to refer back to when these false doctrines began to spread.
- The believers back in that day were surrounded by false religions and heathen philosophers who did not believe in resurrection. These philosophers were no doubt adept at pointing out objections to the doctrine of resurrection and ‘proving’ (by their own limited logic) that it couldn’t possibly be true. It is likely that the Christians did not have the ability to refute their reasoning, which left them perplexed and full of questions.
We can conclude that it wasn’t surprising to have some degree of confusion about this topic within the church. 
In light of these circumstances, it was important for Paul to write down the exact truth regarding death and resurrection so that believers would no longer be ‘uninformed’.
So here is the truth: While Christians still experience sorrow at the death of their friends and family, their grief is mitigated by the knowledge that there is both a resurrection and an afterlife.
We know this because of the biblical principle of the first fruits: The first portion of anything (crops, children, animals, money, etc) belongs to God. The first fruits are brought to him as an acknowledgement that he is the one who provided the blessing. They are also a token of thankfulness. Honoring God with first fruits puts his blessing on your future harvests (Exodus 23:16, II Chronicles 31:5, Nehemiah 10:35-37, etc).
Scripture also tells us that when Jesus rose from the dead, he became the first fruits of the resurrection; he destroyed the power of death. His resurrection was an earnest or guarantee that we too will be raised from death at God’s appointed time.
I Corinthians 15:20, 23 – But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
(See the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15). Thus, the Christian can expect to see their believing friends and family members again one day. Furthermore they can rejoice and be comforted in the knowledge that their loved one is in glory, free from pain, sickness or the cares of this world.
In light of this, it is easy to understand that Christians are NOT subject to the utter hopelessness of death experienced by the heathen/sinners. In fact, the opposite is true:
- Jesus atoned for our sin, became our Mediator, and reconciled us to the Father.
- We have a personal relationship with our Savior; Holy Spirit has been given to us as a guarantee of our pardon and future life with Christ in eternity.
- Christians can be joyful regardless of our circumstances, because we live in the light of Christ who has delivered us from death and given us new life.
- Jesus is the first fruits of resurrection. Because he rose and defeated death, we too will be resurrected from physical death one day.
It is important to note that ordinary sorrow at the death of a loved one is not condemned by Paul. (Indeed, Jesus himself wept at the grave of Lazarus.) However, Paul is instructing the Thessalonians to moderate their grief and sorrow for those who have died because excessive grief represents a pagan point of view. Christians do not sorrow like the pagans, because they have a hope of resurrection from the grave as well as a future state of immortality.
If the Thessalonians continue to excessively grieve, they will be presenting a false picture of Christianity to the unbelievers in their community. They will miss opportunities to share the gospel with those who are hurting.
I Thessalonians 4:14 – For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Obviously, every Christian truly believes that Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day. These are fundamental articles of our faith; nothing is more certain and more firmly believed. Indeed, his atoning sacrifice and resurrection are the bedrocks of Christianity. They are the basis of our peace, consolation, salvation and joy. Without these concepts, there would be no Christianity!
We can be just as sure that those who have fallen asleep (died) in relationship with Jesus will also be brought back or awakened from sleep (resurrected from death) by Jesus when he comes.
But don’t take my word for it - this is what the bible says:
- Romans 4:24-25 tells us that Christ rose for our justification:
Romans 4:24-25 - …Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
When we are justified, sin (which is what brings death) is pardoned/removed. Because sin is gone, there is nothing to keep us under the dominion of death and therefore we know that we are/will be raised from the dead through justification by Christ.
- Ephesians 1:18-23 speaks of the immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward us, which was evident when Christ was raised from the dead and given all rule, power, authority and dominion. Everything has been placed under his feet.
Ephesians 1:22-23 – And he [God] put all things under his [Jesus] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Notice that Jesus did not rise as merely an individual. He rose as Head of the church. Since the church is joined to him (as the head is joined to the body), we too will be resurrected just as he was.
- Romans 8:29 says that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son:
Romans 8:29 – For those whom he [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Therefore, if Jesus has been raised from the dead, we also will be raised because we are destined to be conformed to his image.
We could go on and on, but I think you get the point: Because Christ rose from the dead, we will also be raised. There is no doubt about it!
Let me offer you some encouragement:
The believers of Thessalonica suffered stress, confusion, hurt and hopelessness because they did not have a true understanding of the Christian doctrines of death and resurrection. Thankfully, all of that misery disappeared when they became knowledgeable about the truth.
You too will suffer needlessly if you are ignorant of God’s ways, precepts, laws and provisions. For this reason, I strongly encourage you to be in God’s word!
Psalms 119:10 – The entrance of your words gives light; it gives understanding unto the simple.
The ignorance of the Thessalonians could be partially justified because they had a lack of direct teaching and/or resources on the subject of death and resurrection. However, that is not the case for today’s saints!
Today, we have books, videos, podcasts, classes, blogs (like this one), and any number of other sources to turn to for solid biblical teaching. It is up to each one of us to dig into these resources and train ourselves in righteousness.
So what are you waiting for? Find the answers you need today!
Let me offer you some relief:
In today’s post, Paul instructed Christians not to excessively grieve when one of our loved ones dies.
There is no doubt that we will feel these losses just as sharply and deeply as unbelievers. But in the midst of our sorrow, God gives us hope. Though separated now, we know that the righteous will one day be reunited. At that time, our bonds of love and companionship will be made even stronger - and they will never be broken again!
We also rejoice knowing that those who have gone on before us are no longer experiencing sickness, brokenness, lack or sin. They are in the presence of God, and in his presence, everything is perfect.
Let me offer you some strength:
Is it possible that you have recently lost someone dear to you? If you are a child of God (a Christian), then you should know that there is hope! Those who die in a relationship with Christ are assured of rising from the dead and joining him in the heavenly realms.
If you are not at peace with God – if you have never had a relationship with him or if you have walked away from him for any reason - I would like to give you a chance to be in a relationship with Christ right now. Just pray the following prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I confess to you that I am a sinner. I am sorry for all the wrong things I have done and I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross and rose again, and that your blood paid the price for my sin. I invite you to come into my heart and life and to be my Lord and Savior. I commit myself to you right now. Thank you for saving me from death and giving me the gift of eternal life. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer and sincerely meant it, then you have received the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ!