Book of 1 Thessalonians · Chapter 4 of 5
18 verses · 32 video commentaries from 13 courses · Berean Standard Bible
1Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more.
2For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;
4each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
5not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;
6and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.
7For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.
8Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
9Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
10And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more
11and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.
12Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.
13Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.
14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.
15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.
16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.
17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thess 4:13-18
Paul believed that the end of the age was near and that Jesus would return soon. He even expected to be alive for this event, as indicated in his letters, suggesting a very short timeframe for the church's existence before the eschatological event.
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The language and philosophical concepts in John, particularly the 'logos' and the 'above and below' dichotomy, resonate strongly with terminology used by Paul and figures like Philo. This suggests John might be drawing from a shared intellectual milieu rather than directly correcting the Synoptics, complicating the argument for John's later dating based solely on theological sophistication.
Summarized by AI · Face to Face on the Bible: John · How Historically Reliable is John? Paula Fredriksen and Robyn Walsh · watch the clip
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul addresses the Thessalonians' concern about believers who have died before Christ's return. He assures them that those who died in Christ will rise first, followed by the living, who will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, offering hope and comfort regarding the timing of the resurrection.
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Paul's letters are 'occasional,' meaning they were written in response to specific events, challenges, or disputes within the communities he addressed. They are not systematic theological treatises, which means his ideas on topics like women and gender are often presented in fragmented responses to particular situations.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 1: The Apostle Paul in History and Legend | Apostle to the Gentiles · watch the clip
Both Paul and Jesus believed that a heavenly savior and judge, such as a Son of Man or messianic figure, would soon come from heaven to execute God's judgment. They both felt an urgency to preach the gospel, proclaiming the good news of God's imminent intervention to establish good and eradicate evil, and urging people to prepare for salvation from the coming judgment.
Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 8: Did Paul and Jesus Have the Same Religion? · watch the clip
Apostle Paul, writing later than Jesus, also teaches about Jesus' imminent return from heaven, which will bring destruction upon those who do not believe in him. He emphasizes the need for people to prepare for this event, as salvation is only through faith in Jesus. This reinforces the theme of divine judgment and violence in the New Testament.
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In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul addresses their confusion and distress over community members who had died, as they expected the imminent end of the world. He reassures them that Jesus will raise the dead, offering comfort and hope that their loved ones will be resurrected.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
Paul's writings indicate that only followers of Jesus will receive immortal bodies and be raised to eternal life. Non-believers, according to Paul, will face destruction, not eternal torment, implying an end to their existence rather than perpetual suffering.
Summarized by AI · What the Hell? Jesus' Teachings on the Afterlife · Lecture 2: Who Invented Hell? · watch the clip
Contrary to common Christian belief, Jesus and his early followers did not teach that souls go to heaven or hell immediately after death. Instead, they believed in a bodily afterlife, where people would be resurrected in their bodies at the end of time. Those who do not follow Jesus, in this view, face annihilation rather than eternal torment in hell.
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When read in its full context, 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 indicate that Christ's return is for destruction, not to remove believers from tribulation. Jesus comes like a 'thief in the night' to bring 'sudden destruction' upon those not ready. Believers meet Him in the air to welcome Him as a king, who then descends to destroy His enemies, not to take His followers away to escape destruction.
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Evangelicals often cite 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to support the rapture, where Paul describes the dead in Christ rising first, followed by the living, to meet the Lord in the air. However, this interpretation is based on reading the passage in isolation.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the Rapture Really in the Bible��or Was It Invented Later? · watch the clip
When 1 Thessalonians 4 is read in conjunction with chapter 5, it becomes clear that Jesus' return is not to remove believers to heaven for seven years, but rather to initiate destruction and judgment. Paul likens Jesus' return to an angry king arriving at a city, where his loyal subjects go out to meet him and escort him back into the city to begin his campaign against enemies, not to escape.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the Rapture Really in the Bible��or Was It Invented Later? · watch the clip
In the earliest stages of the Jesus movement, as evidenced by Paul's letters, there was a strong expectation of an imminent return of the Messiah. This apocalyptic worldview meant there was less perceived need for strict institutionalization, hierarchy, or formal rules for the church compared to later developments.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Where Does Papal Authority Come From? · watch the clip
Early in his ministry, Paul expected Jesus' imminent return and the transformation of living believers' bodies, as seen in 1 Thessalonians. However, as time passed and his own death became a possibility, Paul's later letters, like Philippians and 2 Corinthians, suggest a developing idea of an interim state where believers' souls would be with Christ in heaven immediately after death, awaiting the final bodily resurrection. This interim state eventually evolved into the common Christian understanding of permanent afterlife.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Early Christian Controversies About Jesus' Resurrection · watch the clip
Toward the end of his life, Paul, facing the possibility of dying before Christ's return, appears to have begun contemplating a short interim period where he would be with Christ between death and the resurrection. In 2 Corinthians 5, he suggests that if believers die, they have a 'tent built in the heavens' where they will dwell until Christ's return, when they will re-enter their bodies.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Do We Have a Soul? · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:13-17
Paul, in his early writings like 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, clearly articulates a belief in a physical, bodily resurrection where followers of Jesus would meet him on Earth in transformed, immortal bodies. However, as time progressed and the expected return of Jesus did not occur, Paul's view appears to shift, as seen in 2 Corinthians and Philippians, to include an interim spiritual existence with Christ in heaven before the final resurrection.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Believe in Heaven? · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:14-18
The common scholarly view is that 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 describes believers being "snatched away" not into heaven, but to meet Jesus in the clouds to accompany him back to Earth to establish God's kingdom. This raises the question of why believers would go up only to come back down.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the Rapture in the Sky or on Earth? · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:3-5
Paul's gospel was an assault on idolatry, aligning with Jewish traditions that stereotyped pagans as inherently sinful due to their worship of lower gods and images. He argued that idol worship led to all forms of wickedness and sexual perversion, as detailed in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 10.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 4: Beginnings | Paul, the Pagan's Apostle · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:13
Towards the end of his life, Paul refers to his impending death as 'departing' and 'being with Christ,' suggesting a direct presence with Christ immediately after death. This implies a state of unconscious 'sleep' while awaiting the full cosmic activation in the future, rather than an immediate physical resurrection.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Historical Paul: What Scholars Actually Know About Paul's Life, Beliefs, and Personality · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:15-18
Paul's earliest letter, 1 Thessalonians, includes a teaching 'by word of the Lord' about the coming of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead, and being 'caught up' to meet Christ. This eschatological teaching is strikingly similar to material found in Matthew 24, suggesting it was part of the early 'gospel before the gospels.'
Summarized by AI · The Mysteries of the Synoptic Gospels: Discovering Matthew, Mark, and Luke · Lecture 2: Was There a "Gospel" Before the Gospels? · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:15-17
Paul believed that Jesus would return very soon, leading to a day of judgment where his followers would be saved. This belief, expressed in his letters, suggests that early Christians like Paul saw little need to write down extended narratives of Jesus' life for posterity, as they anticipated the end of the world was at hand.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why are the Gospels so Late? · watch the clip
Paul's perspective on the timing of Jesus' return appears to shift in his later letters. While he initially believed he would be alive for the event, in Philippians and 2 Corinthians, he seems to anticipate his own death before Jesus' second coming, suggesting a potential delay in the apocalyptic timeline.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why isn't Christianity a Doomsday Cult? · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:15
1 Thessalonians presents an imminent expectation of Jesus' return, with Paul stating 'we who are alive' will be caught up. In contrast, 2 Thessalonians suggests a process of events, including the revelation of the 'lawless one,' must occur before the Day of the Lord, indicating a potentially more distant future and a shift in eschatological perspective.
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The Apostle Paul also expected to be alive for Jesus' return and the coming judgment. He explicitly includes himself among those who will be alive when Jesus comes back, demonstrating that the belief in an imminent end was shared by Jesus' followers after his death.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Jesus a False Prophet? · watch the clip
The Apostle Paul believed that Jesus would return during his lifetime. In both 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, he indicates that he expected to be alive when Jesus' second coming occurred, reflecting a common belief among early Christians.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How Did Prophets Predict the Future? Daniel Gives It Away. · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:16-17
Paul asserts that Jesus, as the Davidic Messiah, would return as a cosmic warrior to combat and defeat the pagan gods, establishing God's kingdom. This event, described vividly in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians 15, would involve Christ abolishing all cosmic rule and authority, leading to a universal kneeling before him.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 4: Beginnings | Paul, the Pagan's Apostle · watch the clip
Paul believed the resurrection and transformation of believers was imminent, expecting it to occur within his lifetime. In 1 Thessalonians, he comforts believers by stating that those alive at Christ's coming will be caught up in the clouds with the resurrected dead.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 18: Rethinking Paul | New Perspectives on an Ancient Apostle · watch the clip
Both Jesus and Paul shared apocalyptic worldviews, believing that the end of the world and God's judgment were imminent. They both anticipated a coming kingdom. Jesus spoke of this kingdom being brought by a 'Son of Man,' a figure he did not explicitly identify as himself in his own teachings. Paul, however, believed Jesus was the one who would return on the clouds, aligning with the 'Son of Man' description, though he did not use that specific Jewish term for Gentile audiences.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Paul and Jesus at Odds · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:16
Paul, particularly in his earlier letters, anticipated the imminent arrival of the end times. He believed that Jesus, as the Messiah, would soon return with a heavenly army to defeat earthly rulers and establish God's new kingdom. This belief in an impending new world order made practices like circumcision seem less significant in comparison.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Didn��t Paul Require Circumcision? · watch the clip
1 Thess 4:17
The apostle Paul's description of the afterlife, where individuals rise into the air, shares a thematic similarity with some ancient accounts of people returning from the dead who report flying into the air and seeing souls being judged.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Were There Other Resurrection Accounts in Antiquity? · watch the clip
Paul's description in 1 Thessalonians 4 of believers being "seized up into the air to join Christ" aligns with the idea that Christ is waiting in an atmospheric realm between Earth and the moon. This region, where daemons and saviors were thought to reside in Greek and Roman philosophy, is where Christ is marshalling his heavenly army before bringing his kingdom to Earth.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the Rapture in the Sky or on Earth? · watch the clip
Paul anticipates Christ's return, stating that those alive will meet him in the air, and the dead will rise incorruptible. He also believes that Christ will transform believers' 'lowly body' into a 'glorious body' like his own, though the exact nature of this 'soma' (body/entity) remains ethereal and defined by God.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Historical Paul: What Scholars Actually Know About Paul's Life, Beliefs, and Personality · watch the clip