1 Thessalonians 4 14

1 Thessalonians 4:14 kjv

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 nkjv

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 niv

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 esv

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 nlt

For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

1 Thessalonians 4 verses

1 Thessalonians 4 14 Meaning

First Thessalonians 4:14 declares a foundational truth of Christian hope: if believers affirm Jesus' death and resurrection, then they can be certain that God will similarly bring with Jesus those believers who have died. This verse reassures the Thessalonian church about the destiny of deceased Christians, linking their future resurrection and ultimate gathering with Christ directly to the historical reality of Jesus' own triumph over death. It emphasizes that death for a believer is not an end, but a temporary "sleep," from which God will awaken them and unite them with Christ in His coming.

1 Thessalonians 4 14 Context

First Thessalonians chapter 4 primarily addresses issues related to Christian conduct and the hope of Christ's return (Parousia). Verses 1-12 provide exhortations regarding sexual purity, brotherly love, and diligent work, setting a tone for upright living in expectation of the Lord. The specific immediate context for verse 14 begins with verse 13.

The Thessalonian Christians were evidently distressed and uncertain about the fate of fellow believers who had died before Christ's return. They may have feared that these deceased believers would miss out on the Second Coming and its associated blessings, or they grieved with the despair common among non-Christians who had no hope for the afterlife. Paul’s response, spanning verses 13-18, directly aims to dispel this ignorance and anxiety. Verse 14 serves as the theological foundation for the subsequent explanation, affirming that because Jesus conquered death, believers who die are not lost but are secured in His ultimate victory and will be brought with Him at His return. This teaching brings comfort and hope, transforming grief from despair to a grief mixed with joyful expectation.

1 Thessalonians 4 14 Word Analysis

• For (gar): Introduces a causal or explanatory statement. It signals that what follows is the reason or ground for the exhortation in verse 13 to not grieve as those who have no hope.
• if (ei): Introduces a conditional clause, but here it assumes the truth of the premise, functioning more like "since" or "seeing that." It implies that "we believe" is a commonly accepted fact among them.
• we believe (pisteuomen): From pisteuō, meaning to have faith, to trust, to be convinced. This refers to the core confession and theological conviction of Christians regarding Jesus.
• that Jesus (Iēsous): The person, Christ Jesus, the unique Son of God. His identity is central to the hope.
• died (apethanen): From apothnēskō, meaning to die, to expire. This refers to the historical, physical death of Jesus on the cross, a brutal and undeniable reality. It highlights the full extent of His sacrifice and humanity.
• and rose again (kai anestē): Kai (and) links the two pivotal events. Anestē is from anistēmi, meaning to stand up again, to rise from the dead. This refers to His bodily resurrection, the ultimate proof of His divinity and victory over sin and death. These two events – His death and resurrection – form the very core of the Gospel message (kērygma).
• even so (houtōs kai): "In the same way," "thus also." Establishes a direct, unbreakable correspondence. Just as certain as Jesus died and rose, so too will this future event for believers occur.
• God (ho Theos): Refers to God the Father, the ultimate orchestrator of salvation history, who raised Jesus (Rom 6:4, Eph 1:20) and will bring the believers.
• will bring with Him (axei syn autō): Axē is from agō, meaning to lead, bring, take away. Syn (with) and autō (Him, referring to Jesus, or possibly God the Father, given "God will bring," though the flow in v.14-17 points to bringing them with Jesus). This phrase is crucial. It suggests that at His coming, Jesus (with the Father's orchestration) will escort the deceased believers from their current spiritual resting place into union with their resurrected bodies and into the final triumphant procession. It dispels any idea that they are "left behind" or simply gone forever.
• those who have fallen asleep (tous koimēthentas): Koimaō (to fall asleep, to rest). This is a pervasive biblical euphemism for the death of believers. It signifies a temporary state, not an unconscious annihilation, but a rest in the sure hope of future awakening. It contrasts sharply with the despair and hopeless finality of death in ancient pagan cultures, which lacked any concept of bodily resurrection or personal continuity after death, often viewing the dead as shades in the underworld without hope of return. The Christian use implies that, for believers, death's sting has been removed, and it is a peaceful transition until Christ's return.
• in Jesus (dia Iēsou or en Iēsou): This phrase can be understood in two primary ways:
  1. "through Jesus" (instrumental): God will bring them through Jesus. Jesus is the means by which this bringing occurs, the one in whom the dead find their life.
  2. "in Jesus" (union): Those who have fallen asleep in union with Jesus. This emphasizes their living faith relationship with Christ during their earthly lives, which secures their eternal destiny. The Greek dia with the genitive often indicates "by means of" or "through." This reading powerfully underlines that their secure status in death stems from their salvific union with Christ during life. Their identity and hope are rooted "in Him." Both interpretations are sound; the latter often seen as primary.

1 Thessalonians 4 14 Bonus Section

• The Nature of "Sleep": While "sleep" indicates a temporary state for the body awaiting resurrection, it does not imply "soul sleep" where the deceased believer's spirit is unconscious. Biblical passages like Philippians 1:23 ("to depart and be with Christ, which is far better") and 2 Corinthians 5:8 ("to be away from the body and at home with the Lord") affirm the immediate conscious presence of the believer's spirit with Christ upon physical death. The "sleep" refers specifically to the body resting until resurrection.
• Jewish vs. Gentile Understanding of Death: Paul's language deliberately confronts both Jewish (Pharisaic belief in resurrection vs. Sadducee denial) and Gentile (general pagan hopelessness regarding afterlife, fragmented or disembodied existence) views of death. The Christian resurrection hope is distinctly tied to Christ's bodily resurrection, surpassing any philosophical or religious concept of the time.
• Implications for Grief: The central purpose of this passage is pastoral comfort. Believers can grieve, but not "as others do who have no hope" (1 Th 4:13). Christian grief acknowledges the loss but is imbued with the sure and certain hope of future reunion and resurrection in Christ.
• The Sovereignty of God: While often attributed to Jesus, the phrase "God will bring" emphasizes that the resurrection of believers is an act of the Father's power and plan, orchestrated through Christ, ensuring its certainty.

1 Thessalonians 4 14 Commentary

First Thessalonians 4:14 stands as a bedrock of Christian eschatology and comfort. Its core assertion is the indissoluble link between Christ’s resurrection and the resurrection of believers. Paul grounds the hope for deceased Christians not in abstract theology or wishful thinking, but in the most tangible and historically attested event of Christian faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus. "For if we believe" – the phrase highlights that this truth is not for intellectual debate but for faith, serving as the foundational confession of the Church. The "if" functions less as a conditional doubt and more as a logical premise for a sure conclusion.

The promise that "God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus" provides profound reassurance. The euphemism of "sleep" for death among believers is deliberate and powerful. In a world where death was feared as a grim, hopeless finality, the Christian message transformed it into a peaceful rest, awaiting an awakening. This imagery also contrasts with the common pagan practices of mourning, which involved desperate wailing and despair, highlighting the unique hope that the gospel offered.

The phrase "bring with Him" (referring to Christ at His return) signifies that deceased believers are not forgotten or left behind. Their spirits are with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8, Phil 1:23) and will be reunited with glorified bodies when Christ returns. This "bringing" speaks of an active, divine retrieval and presentation. It assures the living that their departed loved ones will participate fully in the future triumph of Christ, not merely as passive recipients but as part of His victorious company. The passage then extends in 1 Th 4:15-17 to describe how these resurrected believers will join the living in Christ to be "caught up together... to meet the Lord in the air," assuring no one will be disadvantaged by having died earlier. This verse transforms human sorrow into hopeful anticipation rooted in the sovereign plan of God, established through the work of Christ.