How do non-soul sleep adherents interpret 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18?
score:8
Accepted answer
Essentially, the passage is simply seen as an euphemism for death — and quite a common one, given that a dead person often looks like they are sleeping: the Greek personification of sleep, Hypnos, was said to the twin brother of Death (Thanatos) by both Homer in the Illiad and Hesiod in the Theogony. The other common metaphor for death is "departing" or "passing on", essentially going on a journey.
We have other passages to argue the opposite position, which is that Soul Sleep does not occur, like the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31), though I'm not sure it is in scope of the question. At any rate, weighing in for and against, we non-mortalists hold that the position that the soul is unconscious before the Resurrection cannot be considered orthodox.
Upvote:0
A euphemism for death would be an accurate way to interpret sleep. Here are two additional points that are worth considering though. Both of these would have profound implications regarding what a deceased person would perceive after death.
- Are individuals that died prior to Crucifixion/Pentacost accounted as the same in the afterlife? If not, it could explain how one experiences "sleep" and another experiences what they perceive as being "present".
- The concept of time as a dimension did not take shape prior to the 1900's. Even more then a century after Relativity was theorized, the theory is not widely disseminated and understood. How is time understood to pass after death?
More post
- 📝 Can Catholics receive sacraments via Skype?
- 📝 How many Gods are in Christianity?
- 📝 Does Paul ever actually quote Jesus anywhere as a primary source?
- 📝 Are there any Trinitarian denominations that do not view belief in the Trinity as a "salvation issue"?
- 📝 In LDS doctrine, why isn't repentance possible without eternal punishment?
- 📝 Did the Catholic Church proscribe private ownership and reading of scripture?
- 📝 Does the Bible indicate when the Ark of the Covenant officially disappeared?
- 📝 Do I get a second chance to believe in Jesus after I die?
- 📝 When did the immutability of God become entrenched in Christian literature?
- 📝 What status does the Roman Cathechism have nowadays?
- 📝 Have Jehovah's Witnesses always been politically neutral?
- 📝 When a person is described as a Davidide, what is being said about that person?
- 📝 What is the origin of closing one's eyes during prayer?
- 📝 How could Christ uphold the universe as a helpless babe?
- 📝 Why would Zachariah doubt Angel Gabriel?
- 📝 Can we know the exact date of Resurrection?
- 📝 Why did Adam claim he was "naked" before God when he and Eve had clothed themselves with fig leaves?
- 📝 How do those who deny Jesus' pre-existence explain the large number of verses suggesting it?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, what is the purpose of praying for the dead?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the belief that some people will live eternally on earth?
- 📝 Does Jesus eat food in heaven?
- 📝 Are there any denominations that teach Adam and Eve did not have the opportunity to be saved?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying that Aquinas accepted the Immaculate Conception?
- 📝 Ark of the Covenant
- 📝 Can a church pastor prohibit sacraments to people for any reason, other than mortal sin?
- 📝 What should the man of God in 1 Kings 13 have done when faced with the old prophet's lie?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, what is to become of a family when the married couple discovers they are brother and sister?
- 📝 Looking for a Copy (Preferably PDF) of ``On the Visible Monarchy'' by Rev. Nicholas Sanders, D.D
- 📝 What does the Catholic church say about its own presence or absence when the tribulation starts?
- 📝 Are there any verses showing God being fooled or deceived?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How do non-soul sleep adherents interpret 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18?
- 📝 How do soul sleep adherents explain Lk 23:43?
- 📝 How do soul sleep adherents explain 1 Peter 3:18-20?
- 📝 How do soul sleep adherents make sense of Jesus' acknowledgement of the existence of disembodied spirits and ghosts?
- 📝 How do Sola Fide adherents interpret 1 Corinthians 13:2?
- 📝 How do adherents to the maxim "clearer passages interpret less clear ones" handle cases where two sets of "clear" passages contradict each other?
- 📝 How do adherents of soul-sleep interpret the parable of Rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31)?
- 📝 How do Cessasionists interpret 1 Thessalonians 5:20?
- 📝 How do Mormons interpret the warning in Revelation about adding to the book?
- 📝 How do Christians in support of gay marriage interpret anti-gay Bible verses?
- 📝 How do Protestants interpret Matthew 16:13–20?
- 📝 Did the early Church Fathers have a complete agreement on how to interpret 1 Peter 3:18-20?
- 📝 How do Protestants interpret "baptized for the dead" in 1 Corinthians 15:29?
- 📝 How do "Sola Fide" adherents reconcile with the three aspects of faith?
- 📝 How do Calvinists interpret 2 Peter 1:10?
- 📝 How is Matthew 18: 8-9 explained in the context of non works-based salvation?
- 📝 How do Modalists interpret John 14:28?
- 📝 How do sola-scriptura adherents reconcile the role of the Holy Spirit as a teacher?
- 📝 How do proponents of the Prosperity Gospel interpret Matthew 6:19-21 and Luke 6:20-26?
- 📝 How do Mormons interpret Isaiah 43:10?
- 📝 How do proponents of the Prosperity Gospel interpret Matthew 19:24?
- 📝 How do cessationists interpret James 5:13-18?
- 📝 If marriage is not a sacrament for reformed churches, how to interpret Ephesians 5:32?
- 📝 How do sola fide adherents explain The Parable of the Ten Virgins?
- 📝 How do Modalist and Oneness Pentecostals interpret Revelation 3:12?
- 📝 How do Christians that do not believe in inerrancy interpret the Bible?
- 📝 How do people who reject transubstantiation interpret these verses?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses interpret verses like Isaiah 9:6 which call the messiah 'God'?
- 📝 How do evangelicals interpret 1 Corinthians 10:16?
- 📝 How do Oneness Pentecostals (and other modalistic denominations) interpret Revelation 3:21?
