1. The Dead in Christ (4:13-15)

Paul does not want the Thessalonians to be anxious about the fate of the dead in Christ. Nor does he want them to grieve as those who do not know God, and are therefore without hope (see Eph 2:12).

In fact, Christians, like all persons, do grieve over death. Grief is a normal and essential part of coping with death. But Christian grief is tempered by hope. For Christians, death is not the end.

Without doubt, the Thessalonians knew and believed that the dead in Christ would rise. The question seems to be whether they would share in his coming. Paul emphatically states that they shall suffer no disadvantage.