Introduction

Adventists have preached the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for more than 150 years. For some this may be embarrassing. They would question how long we can say “soon” with a straight face. Others within our church may find the eschatological focus of our mission too fixated on the hereafter. For them, a renewal of Adventist mission should address the concerns of the here and now, the need for care of the poor, social justice for the weak, and equality for women and others marginalized by common power structures.

We argue that both of these concerns, embarrassment over delay and disappointment with a heavenly focus, are rooted in a misunderstanding of the New Testament’s emphasis on the eschatological. In particular, we note that the Apostle Paul highlights the importance of eschatology for our everyday Christian life in his repeated use of the resurrection of Jesus as the theological engine driving his teaching on such varied topics as justification, baptism, ethical behavior, mission and death. In what follows it is our goal to briefly map Paul’s use of the resurrection of Jesus in his theological argumentation to illustrate the broad way in which eschatology is integral to the apostle’s teachings. Our thesis is that eschatology as expressed through the resurrection of Jesus is integral to every aspect of our mission and brings balance to our perspective on the present and the future.

The Beginning of Christian Life – Baptism and Justification

Baptism

Paul’s classic theology of baptism describing entry into Christian life is found in Romans 6:1-11. In the follow-up to his discussion of how salvation comes to sinners in 3:21-31 and the demonstration that Abraham was saved by grace through faith in 4:1-25, Paul turns to the role of three great powers in life that challenge the doctrine of salvation – death, sin and law. He deals with death in Romans 5, sin in Romans 6, and law in Romans 7-8.

At the end of Romans 5 Paul argues that where sin abounded, grace “super-abounded” (5:20). This assertion, however, could easily fall prey to the argument of the apostle’s opponents that Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith leads to the justification of a life of sin. Paul counters this argumentation in 6:1-11, outlining the way that baptism incorporates the new believer into the very history and life experience of Jesus. Arguing that the Christian cannot live a lifestyle of sin, Paul insists in 6:3-4,

3Or do you not know that as many of us were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We were buried therefore with Him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised form the dead through the glory of the Father, even so we might walk in newness of life.¹

In chapter 5 the apostle had argued that our heritage from Adam was a heritage of transgression and death, but that the gracious gift of God in Jesus Christ brought in life and righteousness. Chapter 6 extends the argument to counter the false impression that the grace brought in through Christ could somehow allow for the continuation of sinful behavior. On the contrary, the apostle argues, incorporation into Christ’s story through baptism does not merely mean the forgiveness of the past, the wiping away of the connection to Adam’s failure. It also means the transformation of the present and future.

It is striking to note the way Paul describes this incorporation into Christ’s experience. He portrays in 6:3-4 our linkage to Christ in death and burial, particularly emphasizing the union with Christ’s death. But when Paul shifts to describe the resurrection of Jesus in the second half of verse 4, he seems reticent to describe our resurrection, using instead, as we translated above, the phrase “even so we might walk in newness of life.” He maintains this reticence as in 6:5 and 6:8 he uses future tenses to describe our resurrection.² The reason for this reticence is clarified in the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection explained in 6:9-10,

9Knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead no longer dies, death no longer rules over Him. 10For what He died, He died to sin once for all, and what He lives, He lives to God.

That is to say, in His death and resurrection Christ conquered both death and sin. His resurrection life left behind the influence of both these powers.³ In the same way, argues Paul, the Christian must count the new life of faith as “dead to sin but alive to God through Christ Jesus” (6:11).

The challenge Paul was facing from opponents helps explain his hesitance to speak of our resurrection as already past. Some people were evidently using resurrection theology as a license for sin – already raised suggesting that one need not fight sin any longer, the victory being already won.⁴ Instead, Paul insists that we must fight sin as an enemy (6:12-23). The shift to imperatives in the last half of Romans 6 is no accident. Based on the indicatives of 6:1-11, Paul insists that the struggle against sin as an enemy must continue in the Christian’s life, looking forward to the consummation at our Lord’s return.

Our resurrection being future, at the Eschaton, has two effects on our daily Christian walk – it warns us that we cannot relax as though no further progress in growth is needed, and it guides us toward that goal of moral perfection found in our Lord. Consequently, the resurrection of Jesus with its eschatological implications, speaks to the beginning of Christian life and guides and guards it against false assurances of accomplished Christian morality. Eschatology, it turns out, is very important for understanding the beginning of Christian experience.

Justification

In one passage only, Paul links resurrection and justification (though one can argue that passages that link resurrection and baptism imply such a link). The passage is Romans 4:25 where the apostle, speaking of Jesus, says, “Who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.” To fully understand this simple sentence, we must place it within its context and analyze its wording.

In Romans 4, Paul presents the story of Abraham as an illustration of righteousness by faith (not by works). Avoiding discussion of the times Abraham failed to live by faith, Paul concentrates on the patriarch’s trust in God to provide him with progeny. Even though 100 years old and having a wife who could evidently no longer bear children, Paul indicates that Abraham was fully confident that what God had promised He was able to fulfill (4:21). At this point Paul quotes the famous words of Genesis 15:6, “It was reckoned to him for righteousness.” The apostle indicates that it was because of Abraham’s firm faith in God that righteousness was credited to him.

At this point (4:23), Paul argues that what was written long ago about Abraham has relevance and application to our situation. In our setting, the apostle speaks of those who believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Two truths are united in this statement – first, that God raised Jesus from the dead, the reality of His resurrection, and second, that Jesus is our Lord, the confession of faith of the church. Throughout this entire section of Romans, Paul returns again and again to this confession of Jesus as Lord (5:21; 6:23; 7:25; 8:39) to illustrate that always, in all the experiences of Christian life, at its center is the relationship to Jesus as our Master and our relationship to one another as the community that confesses faith in Him.

Having described Jesus our risen Lord as the focus on faith in 4:24, in verse 25 Paul links together atonement and justification with one looking back toward the cross and the other looking forward toward resulting Christian reconciliation with God. In the first half of the verse Paul indicates that Christ was handed over for our trespasses. “Handed over” is from παραδίδωμι, the term used in the Gospels to refer to Judas betraying Jesus. The same term, however, is also used in 1 Peter 2:23 to refer to Jesus entrusting Himself to the One who judges justly. That handing over was to the Father in Gethsemane when Christ said, “Not my will but Yours be done.” When Christ prayed for the cup to be removed from Him (Mark 14:36), the Father’s answer was “No,” not because of any lack of love for His Son, but because the handing over of Jesus to death was the means of salvation being brought to humanity. Consequently, “handed over” in Romans 4:25 was something that God did (divine passive) to bring about salvation. It looks back to the cross, back to the removal of sin by substitutionary atonement.

But the last phrase of Romans 4:25, “He was raised for our justification,” looks in the opposite direction, away from the removal of sin, to now the acquittal of the one who believes in Him who raised Christ from the dead. The term “justification” here is not Paul’s typical term δικαιοσύνη, but instead, δικαίωσις, used only here and in Romans 5:18 in the New Testament. The difference between the two terms is that δικαιοσύνη expresses more the state of being of one who has been justified, and δικαίωσις conveys more the concept of the process of justification.

But why does Paul connect this process of justification with Christ’s resurrection? The resurrection of Jesus was God’s stamp of approval on our Lord’s atoning death on the cross. If He had remained in the grave, we would not be certain that God approved of His sacrifice. But the resurrection assures us that what happened on the cross was a reality that created our salvation. Thus, He was raised for our justification. Since resurrection is an eschatological idea and has ties to our future resurrection (see on 1 Thess 4 below), we posit that in Romans 4:25 Paul looks back to the cross and forward to the Parousia, providing a grand sweep of history in describing our salvation.

The Daily Christian Life – Ethics and Mission

Ethics

Paul is not satisfied to speak of the impact of the resurrection of Jesus simply at the beginning of Christian life. As the above argumentation on Romans 6 suggests, the initiation of Christian life includes a forward look in Christian growth in grace. Numerous risks await the Christian in a world of sin. One of the greatest challenges, both back in Paul’s day, but especially in ours, is maintaining sexual purity in a world bent on exploiting sex for all manner of purposes – selling any and all products, entertainment in music and movies, pornography, aberrant sexual behavior, etc.

Paul masterfully addresses this issue in 1 Corinthians 6. He makes it eminently clear in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that sexual purity is a requisite for entry into the Kingdom of God.

9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor covetous people, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God.⁵

That the problem of sexual purity was a major problem in Corinth is illustrated by the amount of space Paul takes to respond to the problem in both 1 Corinthians 6 and chapter 7, and in the amazing argumentation he presents to counter the problem.

Our goal here is not to review all of Paul’s impressive argumentation in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 concerning sexual purity, but rather to illustrate how the apostle makes use of the doctrine of the resurrection to bolster his argument.⁶ The resurrection, it seems, is a bulwark against sexually immoral behavior. Whenever I have presented this in the classroom or before audiences, it always comes to them as a surprise. It appears that Paul’s teaching has not been widely understood. Thus, it is valuable to lay out his argumentation. The key verses that involve the doctrine of the resurrection are in 1 Corinthians 6:12-14 which read as follows:

12“All things are lawful to me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful to me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 13“Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, and God will destroy both this and these.” But the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body, 14and God raised the Lord and will also raise us through His power.⁷

Even a cursory analysis of these verses illustrates that certain poetic characteristics are present.

Two chiastic structures appear:

It is obvious that these chiastic structures stand in contrast with one another. The first suggests a teleological argument for a body part (the stomach) corresponding with foods to fill it, whereas the second chiastic structure breaks the mold and indicates something that the body is not made for (sexual immorality), but then goes on to complete the chiastic structure by indicating what it is made for (the Lord).

Once we notice this set of contrasting structures, we start to notice other parallels and contrasts as well. The beginning of the passage starts with a pithy statement about all being lawful for me, but then is followed by a seeming limitation that not all is beneficial. The limitation is expanded in the repetition sentence where the apostle insists he will not be mastered by anything. Finally, we notice that the concept of God destroying “this and these” (referring to the stomach [singular] and the foods [plural]), stands in contrast with Paul’s assertion that God raised the Lord (Jesus) and will raise us as well by His power.

The majority of scholars pondering these details have come to the conclusion that Paul is responding to Corinthian slogans in this passage.⁸ While there are differences of opinion regarding exactly which words are Corinthian slogans and which are Paul’s words, we argue that the two Corinthian slogans in verses 13 and 14 are as follows:⁹

All things are lawful for me
Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods
And God will destroy both this and these.

Paul counters the first slogan by arguing, reasonably enough it seems, that even if we allow that all things are lawful, but surely not all things are beneficial. That is, if one takes a libertine position of all being acceptable to the Christian, this would not warrant drinking poison since such “liberty” would be disastrous in its results. The apostle takes this a step further by countering the repetition of the sing-songy slogan with the phrase that he will not be mastered by anything. That is to say, if one takes the Corinthian libertine slogan to its logical conclusion, one could easily enter an experience of abject slavery to some master addiction (witness the terrible scourges of alcoholism, drug addiction and pornography addiction). Such slavery would hardly seem like liberty. Thus, Paul has deconstructed the Corinthian argument with just a few simple statements.

The same holds true with the other slogan. The first part of the Corinthian slogan is a teleological, arguing that function follows design. That the Corinthians were not talking about food or the stomach with this slogan is clearly displayed by Paul’s argumentation that follows, all centering on sexual behavior. The Corinthians were using a design argument to contend that the sexual organs are designed for pleasure, therefore it must be God’s will to use them for that purpose, and consequently, it would be acceptable for a Corinthian Christian to visit the temple prostitutes. They cap their argument with the second line of their slogan indicating that God will destroy both the “foods” and the “stomach,” an eschatological argument suggesting a dualistic anthropology (the body might be destroyed but the real you would live on as the soul) and an eschatology of destruction of that which is material.

Paul will have none of this. He contends that the body is not made for sexual immorality. But he does not stop there. He argues for a counter teleology where the body is designed for the Lord and the Lord for the body. This harks back to his argument in Romans 6 that baptism involves incorporation into Christ and implies ethical responsibilities arising from linkage with the Lord Jesus (cf. his oft used phrase of being “in Christ”).

Countering the eschatology of destruction, Paul teaches an eschatology of resurrection. Rooted again in the experience of Jesus Christ, Paul notes that God raised Him from death. In the same breath the apostle then argues that this resurrection of our Lord has eschatological implications for us as well – God will also raise us by His power. There is really no other way to explain why Paul would bring up the resurrection of Jesus and of believers in the Last Day, except as a counter argument to what the Corinthians are saying. Within Paul’s argument are two important theological principles – an eschatology that embodies the affirmation of material creation, and a wholistic anthropology that insists on the importance and integrity between human life today and in the world made new. Paul asserts that what we do with the body today has implications for our future. We misuse the body at our peril in light of its design for linkage with Christ and in light of the coming resurrection.¹⁰ Thus, eschatology teaches the fulfillment of ethical responsibilities in the here and now.

Mission

Mission life and ministry have always been stressful. Some in these fields of endeavor experience more strain and anxiety than others. Such was the case with the apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 1 he describes his missionary work in the Roman province of Asia (present day western Turkey) in the following words (2 Cor 1:8-11):

8For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about our affliction which took place in Asia. For we were weighed down beyond our ability, so that we despaired of life itself. 9Indeed, we felt like we had received a death sentence. The purpose of this experience was so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in the God who raises the dead. 10He is the One who has rescued us from so great a death, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will yet rescue us, 11while you help us by prayer, so that based on the prayers of many people, thanks may be given to God on our behalf for the blessing bestowed through the supplication of many.

It is a touching passage, particularly for anyone who has gone through a similar experience. Missionary work and ministry changes our outlook, leading either to bitterness at ill treatment or a deeper sense of dependence on God. Paul’s experience led him to the latter perspective and it is striking what he credits this to. It is the resurrection. The pressures were so great that he despaired of life. At this point, many people give up and look for some livelihood less stressful. Not Paul. He discovered that reaching the point of despairing of life was the place where one came into intimate contact with the God who raises the dead.

The theology this implies is one of life at the breaking point infused with a power completely outside of human ability. It is a theology of human weakness and dependence where pride cannot exist and where rescue is obviously the doing of God. It is beyond human capacity to create and unforgettable and indelible in its effect.

There is a dark side to this theology before the light dawns. It is the truth that sometimes in working for God, one reaches a breaking point where despair sets in. Prayer becomes desperate and one looks with longing for the least indication of help on the way. God allows this to happen, says Paul, so that we see that only He can resolve the issue – the God who raises the dead. “Dead” is the description of the experience of darkness and despair that He allows so that all human answers fall away and the only possible solution is His intervention. Such despair is never pleasant but the rescue is unforgettable and transforming.

The End of Life – Death

Two Texts – 2 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1

It is a common belief in Western culture that at death a person goes to either heaven or hell. Most people feel they are headed to a heavenly abode and find comfort in the idea of loved ones watching over them. That this common belief is counter to the New Testament teaching on both death and eschatological resurrection is presented in clear detail by N. T. Wright in his work titled Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. Wright catalogues the rather confused perspectives in Western culture concerning what happens when we die. He goes on to lay out clearly what the New Testament does teach on the subject.¹¹

Adventists have always been clear about the connection between eschatology and the state of the dead. The dead are not conscious (Eccl 9:5-6). They do not ascend to the glories of heaven nor descend to a fiery hell at death (Ps 146:3-4; Ps 115:17). They await the return of Jesus to be raised to life for either the resurrection of salvation or the resurrection of damnation (John 5:21-29).

Paul’s teaching on the subjects of death, resurrection and the return of Christ is complex. We cannot review in detail here his multiple discussions of the subject but will focus attention on 1 Thessalonians 4. However, before discussing that key passage we must lay the groundwork for it by discussing two other passages that can at times seem incompatible with the clear expression on the state of the dead noted above. Second Corinthians 5:1-10 and Philippians 1:21-26 are often interpreted as teaching both a conscious state in death and an immediate transfer to heavenly existence at the end of earthly life. That such a view is incompatible with the clear teaching of 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 is often overlooked. Nevertheless, it is important to address the key issues found in these passages. Tellingly, neither 2 Corinthians 5 nor Philippians 1 mentions the resurrection explicitly.¹² The key verses in these passages that seem to contradict the rest of Paul’s teaching on the resurrection are 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Philippians 1:21-24, presented below in that order:

6Therefore, we are always of good courage and know that being at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8And we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and be at home with the Lord.

21For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22But if my lot is to live in the flesh, this is fruitful labor for me, and what I shall choose I do not know. 23I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is much better. 24But to remain in the flesh is necessary for your sake.

What do these verses mean that seem to describe a departure at death from the body to go and be with Christ, presumably in heaven?¹³ The passage in 2 Corinthians 5 has an earlier section that helps to explain the language in verses 6-8 that is so often taken to describe immediate departure to heaven at death. Paul begins the chapter by describing our earthly life as a “tent” and sets it in contrast to what he calls “a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor 5:1).¹⁴ As is typical of Paul’s style of argumentation, this first verse presents the apostle’s thesis which he then explains and elaborates on in the coming verses.

In 2 Corinthians 5:1 the apostle does two things. First, he contrasts earthly and heavenly existence, depicting the one as a moveable, temporary tent and the other as an eternal building. The one is on earth, the other in heaven. Second, he speaks of the destruction (καταλύω, “to throw down, destroy, demolish,” used of a demolition process) of the earthly tent and insists that if this event occurs, we have an eternal building in heaven. Paul’s thesis statement does not contain any indication of time or space between the two modes of existence, nor does he describe in this verse the means of transition from one to the other.

Paul continues in verse 2 to describe the sorrow of living in the present world. He starts to shift his metaphor from one of buildings to that of clothing, a bit incongruously speaking of desiring to be “fully clothed” with the heavenly house.

Verses 3-4 are key in Paul’s discourse and are worth translating in whole:
3If indeed also being clothed upon we shall not be found naked.¹⁵ 4For also while we are in the tent we groan, being weighed down, since we do not wish to be unclothed but to be fully clothed, in order that the mortal may be drowned by life.

The words are striking. Paul describes three states in this passage. The first is the state of “living in a tent” which he first described in verse 1. However, in verse 3 he introduces a new state he calls being “naked.” This state he describes as undesirable, not something he wishes for. But what he does wish for is to be “fully clothed” (v. 4), describing this last state with the arresting picture of the mortal being drowned by life.

These words all suggest that there are three possible states for a human being – mortal life in this world, eternal life in heaven, and an intermediate state in between of being “naked.” We take this to mean the state of death before a person arises in the resurrection. In support of our contention we note that the apostle uses in verse 4 one of his key terms found in 1 Corinthians 15, “mortal” (θνητός, 1 Cor 15:53-54). In fact, the usage in 1 Corinthians 15 is so parallel to 2 Corinthians 5 that the two are obviously describing the same situation. First Corinthians 15:53-54 reads:

53For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this mortal puts on immortality, then the word written will come to pass which says, “Death is drowned by victory.”¹⁶

It is clear in 1 Corinthians 15 that this change takes place at the resurrection of the dead. Thus, it seems consistent that in 2 Corinthians 5 the same outcome is in view. Such a perspective on 2 Corinthians 5 is seconded by the words of 2 Corinthians 5:10 which indicate that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, clearly an end time eschatological perspective (cf. Rom 2:1-16; 14:10). Consequently, when Paul speaks of being absent from the body and being present with the Lord in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, he is not describing what happens at death, but rather what happens at the resurrection. Taken in isolation 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 may appear to favor the idea of immediate transfer to heaven at death, but on closer inspection it fits within Paul’s consistent teaching of the resurrection from the dead as found in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4.

But what of Philippians 1:21-24? In verse 21 the apostle places two ideas in opposition to each other – to live is Christ versus to die is gain. Obviously “to live” stands opposite to “to die.” But how do the other terms in the opposition (“Christ” and “gain”) fit together or, better, stand in contrast to one another? The apostle explains in verses 22-24. He describes living in the flesh in verse 22 and uses “to depart” in verse 23. These seem to parallel well verse 21 with the “to live is Christ” meaning Paul’s life of ministry in the present world and “to depart” referring to death.¹⁷ The concept of ministry being Paul’s life is further expressed in verse 22 where Paul speaks of “fruit of work,” likely a reference to his missionary work.

We are thus faced with the challenge of explaining verse 23 where it appears that Paul is describing the experience of death as a departure “to be with Christ.” To many this sounds like the apostle at death going to heaven and being with the Lord.¹⁸ However, Paul uses “with Christ” in a variety of contexts such as the following:¹⁹

Rom 6:4 We were buried with Him through baptism into death.
Rom 6:8 If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.
Rom 8:17 Fellow heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him, in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
Phil 3:10 Being conformed with His death.
Phil 3:21 Who will transform the body of our humility to be conformed with the body of His glory.
1 Thess 4:14 Those who have fallen asleep through Jesus, God will bring with Him.
1 Thess 4:17 We will always be with the Lord.
2 Cor 4:14 The One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and will present us with you.

What we notice from these texts is the repeated way in which Paul links us with Christ in both life, death and resurrection. We suggest, then, that in Philippians 1:23 Paul is not describing a conscious state in death for himself or anyone else, but rather he is describing a continued connection with Jesus Christ even in death. It is a position consistent with what we will notice below as we look at 1 Thessalonians 4, and further consistent with Paul’s teaching on the resurrection of the body in 1 Corinthians 15. Otherwise, we are faced with stark inconsistency in Paul’s writings if he is teaching that at death a Christian goes to be consciously with Christ. If that were the case, what would be the need of the resurrection which he teaches repeatedly in his letters, including in Philippians 3?²⁰ Rather, Paul’s teaching, we argue, is consistent throughout his writings and both 2 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1 fit within this wider emphasis on resurrection.

1 Thessalonians 4

First Thessalonians 4:13-18 is a classic passage describing Paul’s teaching the resurrection of the dead. It reads as follows:

13Now we do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, in order that you may not grieve as also the rest who do not have hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and arose, so also those who have fallen asleep through Jesus God will bring with Him. 15For this we say by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain to the coming of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16Because the Lord Himself with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive who remain together with them will be caught up in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air. And thus, we will always be with the Lord. 18So, comfort one another with these words.

Paul begins by describing the dead as those who are asleep. The term “asleep” (κοιμάω “to sleep, to calm” used here as a substantival participle) was a euphemism for death in the ancient world, much like our use of “pass away” or “to go to his/her final rest.”21 However, in the New Testament we have clear evidence that this euphemism was modified by none other than Jesus Himself in light of His power to raise the dead.

In Mark 5:39 Jesus speaks of Jairus’ dead daughter saying, “Why are you making a commotion and crying? The child has not died but is sleeping.” Our Lord’s statement would make no sense if He were using “sleeping” euphemistically to refer to death (“she has not died but has passed away”). Instead, He is commandeering the euphemism to illustrate His power to raise the dead. The same occurs in John 11:11 where He says, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I make wake him.” The disciples misunderstand (v. 12) and Jesus plainly describes Lazarus’ state in verse 14, “Lazarus has died.” It may well be that Paul is using “asleep” in this same manner in 1 Thessalonians 4 since he is about to describe the resurrection of the dead, and in light of the fact that elsewhere he shows no qualms about describing death and suffering.

Verse 14 is key for understanding Paul’s teaching on resurrection and indeed, regarding his view of the state of the dead. In keeping with the apostle’s typical method of presenting a topic, he presents his thesis first in a brief statement (4:14), and then unfolds and explains it in subsequent verses (4:15-18). As we have seen before in both the beginning of Christian life regarding baptism (see on Romans 6 above) and in the warp and woof of daily Christian life (see on 1 Corinthians 6 and 2 Corinthians 1 above), so here Paul ties the Christian to the experience of Jesus. In the first half of verse 14 he affirms the death and resurrection of Jesus as central to our belief as Christians.²² The conclusion he draws from these facts in the second half of the verse deals with the death and resurrection of Christians. He ties the Christians to the experience of their Lord via two phrases using two different prepositions – “those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” and “He [God] will bring with Him [Jesus].”

In the first phrase Paul uses διά “through, by, via” as an expression of personal agency, linking the death of Christians to Jesus. They have fallen asleep through or by means of Jesus. It is not the case that Christ has caused their death, but rather that He is present with them not only when they die but throughout the time period that they are dead.

This is a deep truth that the apostle emphasizes elsewhere in his writings as well. In Colossians 1:15-20 Paul notes both that Jesus is the Firstborn of all Creation and the Firstborn from the Dead. In each case “Firstborn” (πρωτότοκος) does not mean “first one born” since in the case of Creation Christ is the Creator of all (1:16) and so He could not be created.²³ And in the case of the dead He was not the first person ever raised to life.²⁴ Instead, Firstborn here refers to preeminence and primacy of position, a concept of leadership, rule, and origin.²⁵ Jesus is the origin of all created things but He is also king or leader of all the dead. This last concept may seem strange to us since the dead are unconscious. Nevertheless, they have a connection with Jesus Christ. Paul indicates in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that they are the dead “in Christ” – the typical terminology that he uses to describe Christian life. And in Romans 14:7-9 he affirms

7For none of us lives to himself and none of dies to himself. 8For also if we live, we life to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9For it was for this reason that Christ died and came to life, in order that He might reign over the dead and the living.

I am afraid that we Adventists have made the grave too dark and cold a place. At times we almost seem to delight in tearing down the misconception that people go to heaven when they die, insisting that, no, they are unconscious, resting in the grave. Little do we realize how cold and heartless this comes across to those who take comfort in their loved ones watching over them from above.²⁶ In contrast, the Scriptures present dead Christians not only as unconscious, but also as firmly and most certainly still “in Christ,” with a continuing connection with Him. They sleep through Jesus and He is the Firstborn of the dead.²⁷

The last phrase of 1 Thessalonians 4:14 expresses in capsule form what will be the result of the resurrection of the saints when the Lord returns. God, says the apostle, will bring them with Jesus. That this phrase does not somehow describe people going to heaven when they die is made clear both by the overall structure of verse 14 and by the subsequent explanation in verses 15-18 that explicates its content. The overall structure of the verse is best shown by a literal translation of its two halves:

In the first phrase, “Jesus died” corresponds to “those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” in the second phrase. And “arose” in the first phrase, corresponds to “bring with Him” in the second phrase. Consequently, “bring with Him” is not speaking about going to heaven at death but rather describes the resurrection of the dead at Christ’s return.²⁸

This understanding is affirmed by the rest of the verses in the passage where Paul gives various indicators to affirm that the dead are not in heaven today but are awaiting the Lord’s return to be raised to life. In verse 15 he states that the living saints “will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” Paul is not suggesting that they have already gone to heaven, for in verse 16 he clearly states, “the dead in Christ will rise first.” Then in verse 17 he states that we who remain to the coming of the Lord will be “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we will always be with the Lord.”

The way this teaching impacts our everyday life now is seen every time we repeat these words at a funeral. As Paul states in verse 18, “So then, comfort one another with these words.” Not only do these words comfort us that our departed friends are still “in Christ,” still connected intimately with Him, but they also speak to our own knowledge and sense of mortality. As we age we can become discouraged at the breakdown and loss of physical abilities. The teaching of 1 Thessalonians 4 buoys our spirits as we realize that what we experience here is not the end. Our Lord will soon return and bring to an end all of the present sorrow. But even should we die before His return, we are not left alone, cold and sleeping in the grave. We sleep through Jesus and are most certainly yet “in Christ.”

Conclusion

The thesis we began with is that eschatology as expressed through the resurrection of Jesus is integral to every aspect of our mission and brings balance to our perspective on the present and the future. We saw this thesis worked out in a study of key passages from Paul’s writings. Starting with the beginning of Christian life in baptism and justification, the resurrection of Jesus was there. Coming to everyday experiences of ethics and mission, we saw that the resurrection of Jesus was also there. And finally, looking at the issue of death, we again found clearly that Jesus’ resurrection was front and center.

What we notice is that Paul always talks about the resurrection of Jesus. It is not some philosophical or theological discourse separated from our Lord. He is always at the heart of the discussion and indeed, the theology. This is not surprising when talking about the person we might call the first Christian theologian. But it bears emphasizing because we may be tempted in talking about eschatology and related topics to speak of them in the abstract and quietly, even subtly, to separate them from Christ. Such would be a grand mistake.²⁹

Perhaps this missing of Jesus is some of what has happened, at least in some minds, when we talk about Adventist mission. The early Adventists were both on fire for the soon return of Jesus and were just as involved in helping those around them in practical Christian ministry. They were in the thick of the temperance movement, health reform and the abolition of slavery. We can learn balance from what they lived and from what we have seen above of Paul’s teaching – the resurrection of Jesus at the center of all we do and teach. That is where the balance is found.