Christ’s resurrection gives believers hope for the dead in Christ while they continue to experience sorrow and need care.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”Read the surrounding chapter
Time, place & the words behind the text
- Time
- Paul’s early missionary correspondence, commonly dated around AD 50 to 51.
- Place
- Thessalonica in Macedonia; the letter is generally associated with Paul’s stay at Corinth.
- Setting
- Believers need assurance that fellow Christians who have died will share in Christ’s coming.
This form of koimaō refers to those sleeping, used here as a metaphor for believers who have died.
Paul explains the metaphor through resurrection and Christ’s return. The word alone cannot settle every question about the intermediate state.
Paul addresses sorrow with hope
First Thessalonians 4:13 says that Paul does not want believers to be ignorant about those who have died. He wants their sorrow to be informed by hope. The verse does not require them to have no grief. It distinguishes their situation from sorrow without the hope that follows in his explanation.
Christians may weep, miss someone deeply and need time to adjust. Those responses do not cancel belief in the resurrection. When the passage is used to comfort someone, explain what Paul promises without demanding an immediate emotional response. Hope rests in Christ’s death and resurrection, rather than the bereaved person’s ability to appear composed. 1
The concern of the Thessalonian believers
The congregation expects the Lord’s coming and needs assurance about fellow believers who have died. Paul explains that they will not be excluded from the promised future. He begins with the death and resurrection of Jesus and then describes the dead in Christ and the living sharing in what follows.
The final instruction is to comfort one another with these words. That purpose should guide the study. Questions about the sequence can be considered carefully, but the answer to the community’s concern must remain clear. A believer’s death before the Lord’s return does not prevent that person from sharing in his victory and presence. 1, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20
Sleep as a description of death
The Greek verb koimaō can refer to sleep. In this passage, the context uses it to describe people who have died. The image is related to the coming resurrection, but the word alone does not settle every question about the state of a person between death and resurrection.
Paul explains the hope through Christ’s action and the future he promises. The metaphor should not be used to minimize the reality of loss. Death has occurred, and the community experiences separation. The assurance is that death does not have the final claim over those who belong to Christ. Interpret the word within that whole argument. 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21
Together with the Lord
Paul describes the dead rising and the living being gathered with them. His conclusion is that they will always be with the Lord. This shared relationship gives the promise its content. Those who have died are not forgotten, and the living are not left with a future from which their fellow believers are excluded.
Christian traditions discuss details of the sequence differently. The study should explain its interpretation without allowing speculation to displace the comfort Paul offers. His account directs the congregation toward Christ’s victory and the assurance of being with him. It does not provide a reason to set a date or dismiss the difficulty of present grief. 1, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19
PCG hope and present care
The Pentecostal Church of God expects Christ’s return for his church. That expectation can be taught with attention to Paul’s purpose of comforting believers. It should not lead to predictions about dates or pressure on a bereaved family to accept an explanation for the particular timing of a death.
A church can affirm its hope and remain attentive to present needs. Offer prayer, companionship and practical help. Some people want to speak about the person who died; others need quiet support. Ask rather than assume. Continued care shows that the congregation has understood the responsibility to comfort one another, including after public events surrounding the loss have ended. 1, 2
Supporting a bereaved person
Contact the person considerately and ask whether a visit or practical task would be welcome. Avoid forcing conversation or repeatedly asking them to describe the loss. Be willing to listen to memories, uncertainty and questions without trying to produce an immediate explanation for everything.
Help may involve meals, transport or assistance with a routine responsibility. Agree on what you can reliably provide. Remember that grief can continue after other people have returned to their schedules. A later call or remembered date may be valuable, but ask about preferences. The person should not have to perform recovery in order to receive the church’s ongoing concern. 1
Speaking about hope carefully
When you use 1 Thessalonians 4, keep the promise and your own assumptions separate. Paul gives assurance about those who belong to Christ. He does not explain why every particular death happened or how quickly someone should feel better. Acknowledge those limits when necessary.
Read a short part of the passage if the person welcomes it, and allow time to respond. Do not turn a visit into an argument about prophetic details. Ask what the words mean to them and whether they would like prayer. A considerate manner helps the message be heard. Comfort includes the way truth is communicated as well as the truth itself. 1
Jesus’ tears and the resurrection hope
John 11:32 to 44 records Jesus weeping before calling Lazarus from the tomb. The account displays his power over death and his response to sorrow. It helps Christians understand why grief should not be treated as incompatible with faith. The particular miracle is not a timetable promised to every family.
First Corinthians 15:20 to 28 describes Christ as the firstfruits and the future resurrection of those who belong to him. Death will finally be defeated. This gives the hope in Thessalonians a wider setting.
Christians can await that fulfillment while experiencing loss now. Scripture gives reason for confidence without supplying a complete account of God’s reasons for each event. A congregation should stay with what is promised and allow Christ’s compassion to shape how it accompanies those who grieve. 1
Sources
Numbered references support the claims above. Scripture quotations use the KJV. Sources are considered critically within IndiaPCG’s Pentecostal perspective.
- Holy Bible, King James VersionKing James Bible translators · 1611
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; cross references identified in the article
View the source - Statement of FaithPentecostal Church of God · 2026
Relevant declarations on the Scriptures, the Godhead, salvation, sanctification, spiritual gifts, divine healing and the coming of the Lord; accessed 12 October 2026
- Strong's Exhaustive Concordance: Greek dictionaryJames Strong · 1890
G2837; historical Strong dictionary entry only, excluding the modern topical lexicon on the host page
View the source - Greek English Lexicon of the New TestamentJoseph Henry Thayer · 1889
Thayer's Greek Lexicon entry corresponding to G2837; historical dictionary section only
View the source - Cambridge Bible for Schools and CollegesJ. J. S. Perowne, general editor; book contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New TestamentHeinrich August Wilhelm Meyer and series contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - The Expositor's Greek TestamentW. Robertson Nicoll, editor; book contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - The Greek Testament: Critical and Exegetical CommentaryHenry Alford
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Gnomon of the New TestamentJohann Albrecht Bengel · 1742
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Commentary for English ReadersCharles J. Ellicott, editor; volume contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - The Pulpit CommentaryH. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, editors; volume contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and HomileticalJohann Peter Lange, editor; translated and edited by Philip Schaff and contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - The Expositor's BibleW. Robertson Nicoll, editor; book contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Commentary on the BibleAdam Clarke · 1831
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Notes on the BibleAlbert Barnes and volume contributors
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJoseph Benson
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Exposition of the Entire BibleJohn Gill · 1763
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole BibleRobert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown · 1871
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Annotations upon the Holy BibleMatthew Poole and continuators · 1685
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Commentaries on ScriptureJohn Calvin
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source - Commentary on the Whole Bible: concise digital editionMatthew Henry and posthumous continuators
1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18; primary chapter covered by this linked commentary. Supplementary biblical cross references in the article are supported by source 1. Historical public domain text; an undated displayed edition is not assigned an inferred year.
View the source
Prepared for IndiaPCG using biblical texts, historical commentaries and reference works. The source notes distinguish textual evidence from practical applications.