1 Thessalonians 4:14

Contextual Overview

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those who have died. We don't want you to be sad like other people—those who have no hope. ¹³ But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹³ I wolde not brethren have you ignoraut concerninge them which are fallen aslepe that ye sorowe not as other do which have no hope. ¹³ But we don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve like the rest, who have no hope. ¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 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. ¹³ But we would not have you ignorant, brothers, concerning those that fall asleep; that you do not sorrow, even as the rest, who have no hope. ¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. 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. ¹³ But we don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if we: Isaiah 26:19, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 2 Corinthians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 4:14, Revelation 1:18

sleep: 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 1 Corinthians 15:18, Revelation 14:13

God: 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Genesis 49:19, Zechariah 14:15, Matthew 24:31, 1 Corinthians 15:23, Philippians 3:20, Philippians 3:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Jude 1:14, Jude 1:15

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 7:12 - sleep Job 14:12 - awake Job 14:14 - shall he live Psalms 4:8 - I will Psalms 16:9 - my flesh Proverbs 3:24 - and Song of Solomon 6:2 - and to Song of Solomon 7:9 - those that are asleep Jeremiah 31:16 - Refrain Daniel 12:2 - many Hosea 13:14 - O death Matthew 27:52 - slept Mark 5:39 - not dead Mark 13:27 - shall gather John 5:19 - and John 5:28 - for John 11:11 - sleepeth John 11:25 - I am Acts 4:2 - preached Acts 7:60 - he fell Acts 24:15 - that Romans 6:8 - we believe Romans 14:8 - we live therefore 1 Corinthians 6:14 - God 1 Corinthians 11:30 - sleep 1 Corinthians 15:13 - General 1 Corinthians 15:51 - We shall not Philippians 3:10 - and the power Hebrews 6:2 - resurrection Hebrews 9:28 - he appear

Cross-References

Genesis 4:5
but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

Genesis 4:5
but to Cain and to his offering he did not have respect. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Genesis 4:5
but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and felt rejected.

Genesis 4:5
but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.

Genesis 4:5
But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Genesis 4:5
but he didn't respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

Genesis 4:5
but for Cain and his offering He had no respect. So Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and he looked annoyed and hostile.

Genesis 4:5
sotheli he bihelde not to Cayn and to hise yiftis. And Cayn was wrooth greetli, and his cheer felde doun.

Genesis 4:5
and unto Cain and unto his present He hath not looked; and it is very displeasing to Cain, and his countenance is fallen.

Genesis 4:5
but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again,.... As every Christian does, for both the death and resurrection of Christ are fundamental articles of faith; nothing is more certain or more comfortable, and more firmly to be believed, than that Christ died for the sins of his people, and rose again for their justification; on these depend the present peace, joy, and comfort of the saints, and their everlasting salvation and happiness: and no less certain and comfortable, and as surely to be believed, is what follows,

even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. The saints that are dead are not only represented as asleep, as before, but as "asleep in Jesus"; to distinguish them from the other dead, the wicked; for the phrase of sleeping in death is promiscuously used of good and bad, though most commonly applied to good men: and so say the Jews c,

"we used to speak of just men, not as dead, but as sleeping; saying, afterwards such an one fell asleep, signifying that the death of the righteous is nothing else than a sleep.''

To represent death as a sleep makes it very easy and familiar; but it is more so, when it is considered as sleeping in Jesus, in the arms of Jesus; and such as are asleep in him must needs be at rest, and in safety: some join the phrase "in", or "by Jesus", with the word bring, and read the passage thus, "them that are asleep, by Jesus will God bring with him"; intimating, that God will raise up the dead bodies of the saints by Christ, as God-man and Mediator; and through him will bring them to eternal glory, and save them by him, as he has determined: others render the words, "them which sleep through", or "by Jesus"; or die for his sake, and so restrain them to the martyrs; who they suppose only will have part in the first resurrection, and whom God will bring with Jesus at his second coming; but the coming of Christ will be "with all his saints"; see 1 Thessalonians 3:13 wherefore they are best rendered, "them that sleep in Jesus"; that is, "in the faith of Jesus", as the Arabic version renders it: not in the lively exercise of faith on Christ, for this is not the case of all the saints at death; some of them are in the dark, and go from hence under a cloud, and yet go safe, and may be said to die, or sleep, in Jesus, and will be brought with him; but who have the principle, and hold the doctrine of faith, are, and live and die, true believers; who die interested in Christ, in union with him, being chosen and blessed, and preserved in him from everlasting, and effectually called by his grace in time, and brought to believe in him; these, both their souls and bodies, are united to Christ, and are his care and charge; and which union remains in death, and by virtue of it the bodies of the saints will be raised at the last day: so that there may be the strongest assurance, that such will God bring with him; either God the Father will bring them with his Son, or Jehovah the Son will bring them with himself; he will raise them from the dead, and unite them to their souls, or spirits, he will bring with him; the consideration of which may serve greatly to mitigate and abate sorrow for deceased friends.

c Shebet Juda, p. 294. Ed. Gent.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again - That is, if we believe this, we ought also to believe that those who have died in. the faith of Jesus will be raised from the dead. The meaning is not that the fact of the resurrection depends on our believing that Jesus rose, but that the death and resurrection of the Saviour were connected with the resurrection of the saints; that the one followed from the other, and that the one was as certain as the other. The doctrine of the resurrection of the saints so certainly follows from that of the resurrection of Christ, that, if the one is believed, the other ought to be also; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 15:12-14.

Which sleep in Jesus - A most beautiful expression. It is not merely that they have calm repose - like a gentle slumber - in the hope of awaking again, but that this is “in Jesus” - or “through” (διὰ dia) him; that is, his death and resurrection are the cause of their quiet and calm repose. They do not “sleep” in paganism, or in infidelity, or in the gloom of atheism - but in the blessed hope which Jesus has imparted. They lie, as he did, in the tomb - free from pain and sorrow, and with the certainty of being raised up again.

They sleep in Jesus, and are bless’d,

How kind their slumbers are;

From sufferings and from sin released,

And freed from every snare.

When, therefore, we think of the death of saints, let us think of what Jesus was in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Such is the sleep of our pious friends now in the grave; such will be our own when we die.

Will God bring with him - This does not mean that God will bring them with him from heaven when the Saviour comes - though it will be true that their spirits will descend with the Saviour; but it means that he will bring them from their graves, and will conduct them with him to glory, to be with him; compare notes, John 14:3. The declaration, as it seems to me, is designed to teach the general truth that the redeemed are so united with Christ that they shall share the same destiny as he does. As the head was raised, so will all the members be. As God brought Christ from the grave, so will he bring them; that is, his resurrection made it certain that they would rise. It is a great and universal truth that God will bring all from their graves who “sleep in Jesus;” or that they shall all rise. The apostle does not, therefore, refer so much to the time when this would occur - meaning that it would happen when the Lord Jesus should return - as to the fact that there was an established connection between him and his people, which made it certain that if they died united with him by faith, they would be as certainly brought from the grave as he was.

If, however, it means, as Prof. Bush (Anastasis, pp. 266, 267) supposes, that they will be brought with him from heaven, or will accompany him down, it does not prove that there must have been a previous resurrection, for the full force of the language would be met by the supposition that their spirits had ascended to heaven, and would be brought with him to be united to their bodies when raised. If this be the correct interpretation, then there is probably an allusion to such passages as the following, representing the coming of the Lord accompanied by his saints. “The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” Zechariah 14:5. “And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh, with thousand of his saints;” Jude 1:14. “Who,” says President Dwight (Serm. 164), “are those whom God will bring with Him at this time? Certainly not the bodies of his saints ... The only answer is, he will bring with him ‘the spirits of just men made perfect.’”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again — ει γαρ. Seeing that we believe; knowing that the resurrection of Christ is as fully authenticated as his death.

Even so them — It necessarily follows that them who sleep-die, in him-in the faith of the Gospel, will God bring with him-he will raise them up as Jesus was raised from the dead, in the same manner, i.e. by his own eternal power and energy; and he will bring them with him-with Christ, for he is the head of the Church, which is his body.