1 Thessalonians 4:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"The firstborn," he says, "from the dead" (Col 1:18), that is, the firstfruits. Therefore there must also be others. Notice also that here he offers no proof from reason, because they were simple people.

When he wrote to the Corinthians, however, he first offered many proofs from reason, and only then added, "Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies" (1 Cor 15:36).

What is said here has greater force when the conversation is with a believer. But what force can it have for an unbeliever? "So God," he says, "will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus."

Again, those who have fallen asleep; nowhere does he say, "the dead." But of Christ he said, "He died," because he added, "and rose again."

Here he says, "those who have fallen asleep in Jesus," meaning either those who have fallen asleep in the faith of Jesus, or that through Jesus God will bring those who have fallen asleep, that is, the faithful.

Heretics say that here he means the baptized. But why did he use the expression "so"? For Jesus did not fall asleep through baptism.

Why, then, does he say "those who have fallen asleep"? Because he is speaking not about the universal resurrection, but about a particular resurrection. "He will bring those who have fallen asleep in Jesus," he says, and he speaks this way in many places.

The words "He will bring with Him" indicate that they will be gathered from many places.

Either He will bring them through Jesus, that is, the Son will be the mediator of their resurrection and will present them before the face of the Father. Or it means those who have died in Jesus, that is, the faithful.

For those who have Christ in themselves also die, koimontai, in Jesus. Thus the Apostle speaks here of a particular resurrection, namely the glorious one, which belongs to the faithful and will be with the Lord.

"He will bring with Him" means that He will catch them up from everywhere on the clouds with the Lord. Although the Thessalonians knew about the universal resurrection, the Apostle now wishes to comfort them.

He does this by indicating that the resurrection of the faithful will be in glory and honor, so that they may not grieve. All will rise, but not all in glory.

Only the faithful will rise in glory, that is, those who unite deeds with teaching. Pay attention to all that follows.

At the same time, the life of the age to come and the recompense joined to it had to restrain them from the vices and crimes against which the Apostle warned them so earnestly.

Some even find in this the Apostle's chief motive for inserting, among his moral lessons, this lever of self-government for progress in the virtues.

The Apostle also had a more direct motive for communicating the teaching on the Lord's second coming and the resurrection of the dead. The Thessalonians grieved greatly over their deceased relatives, wondering how they could become partakers of eternal blessedness in Christ.

St John Chrysostom says, "No ignorance or unbelief concerning the resurrection is visible among the Thessalonians. The Apostle speaks with them in this way not because they did not believe in the resurrection, but because, despite this, they bewailed the dead."

"To grieve over the dead is proper to those who have no hope. Truly, a soul that knows nothing at all of the resurrection and considers this life to end in death, that is, annihilation, naturally grieves over the dead as over the lost.

"It laments and weeps without consolation. But you, who await resurrection, why do you weep? Christians, who await a better manner of being after death, should not grieve, but rejoice over those who depart.

"They have finished the course and go to receive the prepared crown (2 Tim 4:8)" (Bishop Theophan).

Blessed Theodoret writes, "The Apostle does not forbid sorrow altogether, but rejects excess of grief and comforts them with the hope of resurrection. For those who do not have this hope may be excused for giving themselves excessively to sorrow.

"Therefore he did not say, 'concerning the dead,' but 'concerning those who have fallen asleep,' including consolation in the very name, for awakening follows sleep.

"If Christ's resurrection seems worthy of faith to us, we cannot but believe that we too shall obtain resurrection, because the mystery of the Incarnation is ordered for our sake."

To this Bishop Theophan adds, "But Christ's resurrection is not only the foundation of faith in the resurrection of all, but also the cause of the resurrection itself.

"For Christ and those who believe in Him constitute one body. Where the head is, there are the members. The Head has risen; He will also draw the members to Himself (1 Cor 15:23; Col 1:8).

"The Apostle did not mention the Lord's death in vain. He died for our sins. This adorns faith in the future life with good hopes."

"The words, 'He will bring with Him,' indicate that they will be gathered from many places. The Apostle speaks here not only of resurrection, but of resurrection and the honor with which believers will be surrounded in the state of glorification.

"In the resurrection, he says, all will take part, but not all in glory. Only those who have fallen asleep in Christ will take part in glory.

"Since he wants to comfort them, he comforts them not only by speaking of the resurrection, for they already knew about it, but also of the great honor and speed with which the resurrection will follow" (John Chrysostom).

He clarifies and vivifies this truth in their consciousness by placing it in connection with the Lord’s resurrection. In a brief saying, as with lightning, he illumines the whole realm of life and death.

Saint Paul sets the resurrection of the dead in dependence on the resurrection of Jesus Christ not only here, but everywhere (Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:12-23; 1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14).

The risen Christ is the firstfruits (1 Cor 15:20). His resurrection is the pledge of the resurrection of all. Those held by the fear of death rise through faith in the risen Lord to the hope of resurrection and eternal life.

“If the resurrection of Christ seems worthy of belief to us, then we cannot fail to believe that we too shall obtain resurrection. For the mystery of the Incarnation is carried out for us” (Theodoret).

But Christ’s resurrection is not only the foundation of faith in the resurrection of all. It is also the cause of the resurrection itself. For Christ the Lord and all who believe in Him form one body, joined together in life.

Where the head is, there also are the members. The Head has risen, and He will draw the members to Himself. Yet each in his own order: “Christ the firstfruits, then those who believed in Christ at His coming” (1 Cor 15:23).

“He raised all men by His flesh,” that is, He laid the foundation for this resurrection. “Therefore He is called the firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18) (Damascene).

Saint Paul did not mention the Lord’s death in vain. His death is part of the structure of hope. He died for our sins, which are cleansed by faith in His death on the Cross.

This adorns faith in the future life with good hopes. Fear of punishment for sins darkens this life, but the Lord’s death drives away that fear. The Lord’s death is not accidental, but necessary, as is His resurrection.

By both, the spirit is attuned to hope and stands in it.

After the words “if we believe,” one might expect: we must believe that God also, and so forth. But Saint Paul says directly: “so also God will bring with Him those who have died in Jesus.”

Because of his undoubting assurance in this, he does not say that we must believe or hope. He sets forth the very reality hoped for and believed. He needed to derive not faith from faith, but fact from fact.

The Lord Jesus died and rose. Those who have believed in Him have died, and they will rise. But of the Lord he says that He died and rose Himself. He died by His own will and rose by His own power.

Believers, however, will be raised by the power of God. Therefore he says: “so also God will bring them.”

“He will bring” either means He will bring them into the circle of the living. They are not here now; they have departed from us. Then God will bring them back to us again, and we shall see one another.

“The words ‘He will bring with Him’ give us to understand that they will be gathered from many places” (Chrysostom).

Or it means He will bring them into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, so that they may be with Him where He is. There they will be partakers of the blessings He acquired for believers in Him by His death and resurrection.

When this word is compared with what precedes, one cannot fail to see that it stands in place of “He will raise.” He will bring them through resurrection, or after first raising them.

“He will bring them either before His face or to the resurrection” (Oecumenius).

The words of our translation, “those who have died in Jesus,” stand in Greek as dia Iesou, “through Jesus.” Explaining this expression, our ancient interpreters, following Chrysostom, connect dia Iesou either with “those who died,” in the sense of “those who died in Jesus.”

That means those who died in faith in Jesus Christ. Or they connect it with “will bring,” with the thought that God will bring the dead to bodily life through Jesus Christ.

For “the Son is the cause of the resurrection and of our seeing the Father” (Oecumenius). “He will be the mediator of the resurrection of the departed and will present them before the face of the Father” (Theophylact).

Chrysostom, after offering this twofold explanation, seems to prefer the first. Passing over the latter, he fixes his attention only on the first, saying: “How then do the faithful die in Jesus? Obviously, by having Christ in themselves.”

This agrees more closely with the structure of the speech in this text. A similar expression appears below, in verse 16: “the dead in Christ.”

The Apostle’s words that God will bring those who have died in Christ give occasion for a question. What will happen to those who have not died in Jesus, or to unbelievers?

Oecumenius answers it thus: “What then, someone will say, will the resurrection not be universal, as though unbelievers will not rise? No, that is not the meaning. Rather, not all will be brought.

“For to be brought signifies being caught up in the clouds and brought before the face of the Judge. The faithful, who do not bear this name falsely, will be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ.

“But unbelievers will wait below for His arrival, since they are not worthy to meet Him.”

He borrowed this thought from Chrysostom, who writes: “The Apostle speaks here not only of resurrection, but of resurrection and the honor with which believers will be surrounded in the state of glorification.

“All will share in the resurrection, he says, but not all in the glory. Only those who have fallen asleep in Christ will share in it. Since he wishes to console them, he consoles them not only by speaking of resurrection, which they already knew.

“He also speaks of the great honor and the swiftness with which the resurrection will follow.”