Catholic Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Living to Please God

Paul instructs the Thessalonians to live in order to please God, as indeed they are living, and to do so more and more. The will of God is their sanctification: to avoid sexual immorality, to control their own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the pagans who do not know God. This is not merely ethical instruction but theological: the body belongs to God and is to be used in a way consistent with that ownership. They are to love one another, working with their hands, living quietly, so that their daily life may win the respect of outsiders and they will not be dependent on anybody. The combination of interior holiness and exterior industry, of contemplative love and practical labour, is Paul's portrait of the mature Christian.

The Lord's Coming

The Thessalonians have been troubled about those who have died before the Lord's return. Paul addresses this with the oldest eschatological teaching in the New Testament. He does not want them to grieve like those who have no hope. 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. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, those who are still alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Catechism presents the resurrection of the dead as the article of faith that transforms the Christian understanding of death: those who have died in Christ have not simply ceased to exist but are held in the hands of the God who raises the dead, awaiting the full resurrection at the end (CCC 989).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, encourage one another with these words. The resurrection is not a private consolation for the dying. It is the word Paul gives the community for use with one another. Someone near you today is grieving. Someone has lost hope. Give them 1 Thessalonians 4. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. Therefore we believe in those who have fallen asleep in him. We will be with the Lord forever. Encourage one another with these words.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you died and rose again, and so we trust that those who have fallen asleep in you are held in God's hands. Comfort those who grieve without hope. Strengthen our own hope in the resurrection. We will be with you forever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

4
Living to Please God
1 Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more. 2 For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
 
3 For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; 4 each of you must know how to control his own body * 4:4 Literally know how to possess his own vessel in holiness and honor, 5 not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard,† 4:6 Or no one should ever harm or cheat his brother in this matter because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness. 8 Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
 
9 Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. 10 And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more 11 and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. 12 Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.
The Return of the Lord
 
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death,‡ 4:13 Literally those who have fallen asleep, as in verses 14 and 15 so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.
 
15 By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
 
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

*4:4 4:4 Literally know how to possess his own vessel

†4:6 4:6 Or no one should ever harm or cheat his brother in this matter

‡4:13 4:13 Literally those who have fallen asleep, as in verses 14 and 15

Public Domain