40 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Cd. IV.
Who have no hope. Only believers have hope of life after death. The speculations and surmisings of pagan philosophy do not amount to a hope.
14. Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him («al o eds Todvs KotunGevras Sia Tod “Incod d&e ovv auT@).
(1) Which sleep should be, which have been laid asleep or have fallen asleep, giving the force of the passive.
(2) Ava rod "Incod can by no possibility be rendered in Jesus, which would be év ’Incov: see 1 Cor. xv. 18; 1 Th. iv. 16. It must mean through or by means of Jesus.
(8) The attempt to construe 6a rod "Inood with ods Kot- pnbévras those who have fallen asleep by means of Jesus, gives an awkward and forced interpretation. It has been explained by supposing a reference to martyrs who have died by Jesus ; because of their faith in him. In that case we should expect the accusative, dua rév "Inocody on account of or for the sake of Jesus. Moreover Paul is not accentuating that idea. Ko- pnOévras would be universally understood by the church as referring to the death of Christians, so that by Jesus would be superfluous.
(4) Ava rod ’Inood should be construed with d&e will bring. Rend. the whole: them also that are fallen asleep will God through Jesus bring with him. Jesus is thus represented as the agent of the resurrection. See 1 Cor. xv. 21; J. v. 28; vi. 39, 44, 54. Bring (afe) is used instead of éyerpe? shall raise up, because the thought of separation was prominent in the minds of the Thessalonians.
15. By the word of the Lord (év Ady xupiov). Orin the word. <Adryos of a concrete saying, Rom. ix. 9; xiii. 9. We do not say this on our own authority. Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 10, 12, 25. No recorded saying of the Lord answers to this reference. It may refer to a saying transmitted orally, or to a direct revelation to Paul. Comp. Gal. i. 12; ii. 2; Eph. iii. 8; 2 Cor. xii. 1, 9.
Cx. IV.) THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 41
Remain (cepiAevmdpuevor). P°. and only in this Epistle. The plural we indicates that Paul himself expected to be alive at the parousia.*
Shall not prevent (0d 7) POdowpev). The A. V. misses the force of the double negative — shall in no wise prevent. Prevent in the older sense of anticipate, be beforehand with. See on Matt. xvii. 25, and 1 Th. ii. 16. The living shall not share the blessings of the advent sooner than the dead in Christ.
16. The word of the Lord, ver. 15, is apparently not in- tended to include the specific details which follow. In that word the revelation was to the effect that all believers simul- taneously should share the blessings of the advent. The following description of the Lord’s descent from heaven is intended to emphasise the fact that the reunion of dead and living believers will be accomplished by the Lord in person (aires). “Ore does not indicate the contents of the word of the Lord (that, as A. V.), but means for or because ; and the details are meant to strengthen the more general declaration of ver. 15. In the details themselves there are traces of certain O. T. theophanies, as Exod. xix. 11-18; Mic. i. 3.
Shall descend from heaven. Used nowhere else of Christ’s second coming. Frequently in the Fourth Gospel, of Christ’s descent to earth as man. See iii. 13; vi. 33, 38,41, etc. In Eph. iy. 9, of his descent by the Spirit in order to endow the church.
* The explanation that Paul uses the participle strictly in its present sense, and means we who are now being left, merely distinguishing himself and his readers from those who have died, is strained in the interest of a particular theory of inspiration. See Ellicott.