Dwelling Richly-Always Prepared-Thinking Biblically
Understanding 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 2 Corinthians 5:8
I read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 that “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” but in 2 Corinthians 5:8 Paul said that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” How can the dead in Christ rise first? I thought they’d already be present with the Lord?
So Glad You Asked.
This is a question about the seeming contradiction between 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where Paul says, “the dead in Christ will rise first,” and 2 Corinthians 5:8, where he states that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
So, which is it? Are believers who die immediately with the Lord, or do they have to wait until the resurrection? It’s a great question, and I’m so glad you asked!
In 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Paul is encouraging believers, reminding us that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. But when we are away from the body—when we die—we are at home with the Lord. This passage is often paraphrased as “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” but that’s not an exact quote. Still, it captures the essence of Paul’s message: once we die, we are immediately with Jesus.
But what about 1 Thessalonians 4:16? Paul writes that “the dead in Christ will rise first.” This passage refers to the resurrection of our bodies when Christ returns. When we die, our souls are with Jesus, but our bodies await the resurrection. At His second coming, those who have died in Christ will be the first to be reunited with their glorified bodies, followed by those who are still alive.
So, how do we reconcile these two passages? It all comes down to understanding that while our souls go to be with the Lord immediately upon death, our bodies will be resurrected and glorified when Jesus returns. It’s a beautiful reminder that our hope is not just in an ethereal existence, but in the resurrection of our bodies and the full redemption that Christ promises.
I hope this gives you clarity and maybe even sparks more questions. If so, please reach out—I’d love to hear from you! And if you haven’t already, I encourage you to listen to the full episode of the podcast where I delve deeper into this topic.
As always, you are loved, you are prayed for, and I’m so glad you asked.
Listen to the full episode here.
Questions about the Bible? I’m so glad you asked!
You can submit questions about the Bible, living the Christian life, dealing with difficult situations/people/life issues – really anything on your mind, and I’ll share my thoughts and responses. I’d love to hear from you. No question is off-limits – Submit questions about this or any topic to DwellingRichly@gmail.com or https://www.jennifergrichmond.com/podcast/#question
Here are some online resources you can explore to deepen your understanding of the passages and topics discussed in this episode:
- https://www.biblegateway.com/ – A comprehensive resource for reading and comparing multiple Bible translations, which can help clarify challenging passages. It also includes commentaries and study tools.
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/ – This site offers verse-by-verse study tools, including original language lexicons, concordances, and commentaries. It’s a great resource for digging deeper into the text.
- https://www.gotquestions.org/ – An extensive database of answers to common biblical questions. It provides clear, biblically sound explanations on a wide range of topics, including the afterlife and resurrection.
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