But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the  first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  (21) For since by man came death, by Man also the resurrection of the dead.  (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.  (23) But each one in his own order:  Christ the first fruits; afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.  (24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdon to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and authority and power.  (25) For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.  (26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.  (28) Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.  

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. There were many problems at Corinth which Paul deals with in this letter but our verses today concern death and bodily resurrection. Apparently at the church in Corinth the resurrection of Christ was accepted but there was denial of the bodily resurrection of men.

Pauls method of preaching the gospel was to fIrst teach in the synagogue and after he was expelled from the synagogue he would find another venue.  He would proclaim the truths of the gospel and then depend on the Holy Spirit to transform men and women in faith. Many at the synagogue were Jewish Sadducees who didn’t believe in resurrection after death.  The Greeks believed in the immortality of the spirit but not the body.  The Jewish Pharisees did believe in the resurrection of the body but this was probably not the literal resurrection of the body – and some believed that the resurrection had already taken place. So Paul writes this letter and addresses this theological error of the faithful in Corinth

Scripture teaches literal bodily resurrection which is necessary for the last divine judgment. And Paul writes that those who do not believe there is bodily resurrection are denying the resurrection of Christ.  It follows that if this is true then all the apostles are deceived and all who are faithful are to be pitied as their faith is futile. Christ is the first fruits in His resurrection meaning the rest of the dead will follow. The resurrection of Christ is the pledge of our bodily resurrection.  Just as Adam, the first man, didn’t die for himself alone but we died in him, Christ restored to us what was lost in Adam.  Our life and death is hidden in Him and when He appears we will be resurrected.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  (2) For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  (3) For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then suddenly destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.  And they shall not escape. (4) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.  (5) You are all sons of light and sons of the day.  We are not of the night nor of darkness.  (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

The letter to the Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul and in our verses today Paul is using the Old Testament expression, The Day of the Lord, as he addresses the return of Christ which will Be sudden and unexpected . This day will be the final revelation of the mercy and judgment of God.  There will be a terrific phenomenon of nature; the sun will suddenly be dark and the moon turned into blood – the stars will withdraw their light.  There will be earthquakes, blood, fire and pillars of smoke. There will be a terrible sifting process of those who are of the Lord and those who will perish. God will say on that day that their will be done. It will be the end and the beginning.  For some there will be sudden darkness with no light at all and for the faithful there will be the sudden light of eternal salvation with no darkness at all.

The Thessalonians were taught this by Paul – and we were taught by Jesus that only God knows the hour and the day.  Paul warns them that false security is so easy – it seems that the sun will rise in the east tomorrow after tomorrow and the unbelievers of this world don’t see God as the only reality.  But it is the visible that is not real and the spiritual that abides.  Christians should be on guard and always ready for the Day of the Lord.  In faith nothing can separate us from Christ.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  (15) For this we say to you by the words of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. and the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words. 

The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Thessalonians.  Apparently Paul spent a short time there when founding the church but they believed the gospel he preached.  Somehow the word had spread to the faithful there that they had missed the second coming of Christ – that the day of the Lord had already begun. This led to fears for themselves and questions about what happens to those who die before the Lord returns. So Paul now writes this pastoral letter to comfort and erase doubt of the sure hope of salvation to all who believe in Christ.

The Thessalonians retained something of their old superstition of death but Paul reassured them all the faithful are to be raised again because of the resurrection of Christ. Death is not a final destruction but the practice of Scripture is to describe the dead as sleeping which refers to the body, not the soul. “If we believe“ that Christ died for us and was resurrected we are now partakers in His resurrection and in eternal life with Him. Paul had meant to comfort them in the gospel, not to terrify them – Paul further assures them that not only the living faithful but also those believers who died would partake in salvation. He urges them to wait  in patience and to be prepared at all times for that thief in the night, death.

We have hope in our resurrection provided we are members of the faithful in Christ and Paul commends us not just to this comfort but to comfort others. Our resurrection is linked to the resurrection of Christ.

But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.  (8) So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become so dear to us.  (9) For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.  (13) For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.  

The letter to the Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul. In chapter one of this letter Paul writes praising God for His election of the Thessalonians and the power of the Spirit so evident in their transformation.  Despite hostility toward Paul in that city, the faithful were devoted To the gospel he preached.  For three weeks Paul reasoned, as a visiting rabbi in the synagogue at Thessalonica, from the scriptures explaining that Christ had to suffer and rise fron the dead.  The message of a crucified Messiah was not what the Jews of that day were expecting – but all his reasoning would have been for naught without the convicting power of the Spirit. And the power of the Spirit was much in evidence in Thessalonica as word of their remarkable conversion and faith went out through the known world.

in our verses today Paul writes of their experiences and the evidence that God  had clearly called/elected the faithful at Thessalonica. Paul has been sent to them by God and their consciences tells them that Paul’s gospel is right and true by both word and example. Paul sought neither money nor glory and did not spare himself – he avoided burdening any one individual even though the law of Christ requires every church furnish His ministers with food and other necessities. Paul wanted no hindrance to the reception of the gospel.  He mentions his gentle approach “just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children”: Paul not only gives them the gospel but their very lives.

Pall charges the Thessalonians to recall his example of discharging his apostolic duties.  He made no financial demands (he labored as a tentmaker) and was working as a servant of man and God in his ministry.  His example was to serve with integrity and devoutly before God and upright before men.  Paul was given the power of the Spirit and was all in.