1Thess 4:15 -two groups & one catch

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 4

First, will just touch on some of the exegesis from last installment in regards to “sleep” or “asleep”. The context will always determine meaning, I always try to take the verses as literally as can be and determine the meaning based on that and supporting verses from elsewhere. Therefore, not that it has to be said, but I feel better saying it, “sleep” doesn’t always mean a believer that has passed away in the Bible. In some cases it will be, in some cases it will be someone physically resting, in other cases spiritual unaware. Context will determine meaning.
FYI: there are more sleeping references in this passage we are now looking at in Chapter 4.

1Thess 4:15
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Here we see the contrast “alive and remain” and them “asleep”. So the exegesis holds up.
Let us look at the word “prevent”. This word has morphed over the years and picked up new meanings – we think it means to hinder or obstruct – which has what it exclusively is used for in current English. In this case, and in the usage during translation work of the King James Bible, it means the following: to go before; to precede. Sort of like “pre” + “event”.
So Paul is saying that those alive will not go before or precede the believers that have died, whose bodies are in the earth.

And notice again, this is about the “coming of the Lord”.

So this is referring to what is referred to as “the rapture” or the “catching up” of the saints to be with the Lord. This is one of the best passages on it (4:13-18) and also couple with it 1 Cor 15:50-58. This doctrine is mocked today and being abandoned by modern Christianity, dubbed as escapism, or a made up fable, or no one believed it until a crazy charismatic tongue speaking Scottish girl came up with it in the 1800’s etc.
The issue I have with all that is – that I read it in the Bible, and it has been there since the first century when Paul penned it. So which reasoning has more weight?
(You can believe what you want, just base your beliefs on what the Bible says.)

I truly do believe in the “catching up” of the body of Christ for the reasons we will speak about in these installments supported by scripture. I want to present the actual case and not get bogged down with the “WHEN” it will happen just yet.

So the Lord is coming for two groups of people – ones that are still alive and ones that are dead. The word “we” is used, so Paul is including himself in this event, and definitely thought it could happen during his lifetime.
So Christ will come, one group will not go before the other group.


Grace and Peace James
Hopefully I can get back on track : )