The Dead in Christ

Foundational to our future hope is bodily resurrection when Jesus arrives in glory to gather and meet his saints.

Paul’s description of the “arrival” or ‘Parousia’ of Jesus in his first letter to the Thessalonians was written to comfort believers over the fate of their compatriots who die before Christ’s return. We need not sorrow “like the others” since the righteous dead will be resurrected when the Lord “arrives” from Heaven. This hope is based on the sure foundation of Christ’s past Death and Resurrection.

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the Earth, both living and newly resurrected saints will “meet him” together as one people as he descends from Heaven - (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

[Photo by Ben Vaughn on Unsplash]

For us, the answer to grief over the loss of fellow believers is the coming resurrection, an event that will occur when Jesus “arrives,” his ‘Parousia’ (παρουσια). As his followers, we grieve in this life over the loss of loved ones, but we must not succumb to the depths of despair that often overwhelm nonbelievers who do not have this hope.

Paul addresses the issue of dead Christians in the fourth chapter of 1 Thessalonians. Some members of the congregation were concerned that dead believers might not participate in the glories of that final day:

• “But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also who are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain to the arrival of the Lord will certainly not precede those who are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who remain, will together with them be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so will we ever be with the Lord forever. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” – (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The Apostle reassures us concerning dead believers. Not only will they participate in the glories of that day, but they also will rise from the dead “first” and be reunited with those of us who remain alive. Then, the entire congregation will “meet” Jesus as he descends to the Earth. We are “to comfort one another” with these words.

What Paul links to the ‘Parousia’ of Jesus is the collective bodily resurrection of believers. Dead saints will be raised and those still living will be transformed. As he does elsewhere, Paul bases the resurrection of the saints on the past Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Not only so, but if God did not resurrect Jesus in the past, then we also will not be raised from the dead on the Last Day:

• “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, those also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

• “For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had to you; and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who is delivering us from the wrath to come” – (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).

• “Now I make known to you brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, except you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he has been raised on the third day according to the scriptures” – (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

• “Now, if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised Christ: whom he raised not if so be that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins.  Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. But now has Christ been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who sleep” – (1 Corinthians 15:12-20).

OUR SALVATION

The Apostle continues discussing Christ’s return in the Letter’s fifth chapter. We are not in darkness, therefore, the “Day of the Lord” will not “overtake us as a thief.” This is so, not because we know all the appropriate “signs” and prophetic timetables, but because we “are all sons of light, and sons of the day” – (1 Thessalonians 5:1-12).

Christ’s disciples live in the light of the Gospel. We prepare for the end by “putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.” Righteous living matters far more than accurate knowledge of the “signs of the times.”

Moreover, God did not appoint us to “wrath.” We are destined for the “acquisition of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

Implicit in Paul’s declaration is that salvation is received through our future Resurrection. He concludes this section of the Letter by encouraging us. Indeed, God will sanctify us wholly in preparation for that day’s arrival:

• “May your spirit and soul and body be preserved whole and without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.”

The point of Paul’s last statement is not the tripartite nature of man, but that the whole person will be saved on the day when Jesus “arrives from heaven,” including his or her physical body.

Bodily resurrection is foundational to Paul’s understanding of salvation and the future, and he links the timing of our resurrection to the “arrival of Jesus.” All dead saints will be raised at that time, and together with those who remain alive, the entire Body of Christ will “meet” Jesus as he arrives from heaven. These words are of great comfort to every true disciple of Jesus. Whether alive or dead, we are the Lord’s.

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SEE ALSO:

• Sound Teaching - (Paul discusses the future resurrection of believers as he responds to denials of this “sound teaching” by deceivers who were disrupting the Assembly)

• The End of Death - (The arrival of Jesus at the end of the age will mean the end of the Last Enemy, namely, Death - 1 Corinthians 15:24-28)

• Defeating Death - (Paul reminds Timothy of Christ’s resurrection and victory over death since false teachers are denying the resurrection of believers)

• Raised from the Dead - (Paul anchored all that God has done in the resurrection of Jesus, which also inaugurated the Messianic Age - Galatians 1:1-5)