1 Thessalonians 4:14. For if we believe. Paul goes on to explain the reason of the hope which should be entertained regarding departed Christians. It is founded on the universal and fundamental Christian belief that Jesus died but rose again. The argument is more fully drawn out in 1 Corinthians 15, in which passage, as here, Paul proceeds upon the fact of Christ's resurrection, and from it infers the certainty of that of His people. In this argument is involved the important principle that Jesus Christ is the Head and Representative of His people, in such a sense that in His human history we see the history and experience of each Christian acted out in all its essential parts. The members cannot be separated from the Head in any important part of His destiny. In His triumphant return they must share.

Who sleep through Jesus, i.e. they who by the intervention of Christ are now peacefully awaiting resurrection. It will be observed that while Paul uses the consolatory word ‘sleep' when he speaks of believers, he uses the word ‘died' when speaking of Christ. He does so because between the death of Christ and that of His people there was an essential difference; the one being an endurance of the curse, the other being exempt from this sting. Christ ‘tasted death for every man' and by the infallible chemistry of His love drew out of each man's cup the poison, so that it became a sleeping draught.

Will God bring with him, i.e. with Jesus.

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Old Testament