John Calvin Commentary 1 Thessalonians 4:13

"But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope." — 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ASV)

But I would not have you ignorant. It is not likely that the hope of a resurrection had been torn up among the Thessalonians by profane men, as had taken place at Corinth. For we see how he chastises the Corinthians with severity, but here he speaks of it as a thing that was not doubtful.

It is possible, however, that this conviction was not sufficiently fixed in their minds, and that they accordingly, in mourning the dead, retained something of the old superstition. For the sum of the whole is this—that we must not mourn the dead beyond proper limits, since we are all to be raised up again.

For why is it that the mourning of unbelievers has no end or measure, if not because they have no hope of a resurrection? It is not fitting for us, therefore, who have been instructed about a resurrection, to mourn in any way other than in moderation. He is to discourse afterwards about the manner of the resurrection; and he is also for this reason to say something about times; but in this passage he meant simply to restrain excessive grief, which would never have had such an influence among them if they had seriously considered the resurrection and remembered it.

He does not, however, forbid us altogether to mourn, but requires moderation in our mourning, for he says, that you may not sorrow, as others who have no hope. He forbids them to grieve in the manner of unbelievers, who give free rein to their grief because they look upon death as final destruction and imagine that everything that is taken out of the world perishes.

On the other hand, believers know that they leave the world so that they may at last be gathered into the kingdom of God; therefore, they do not have the same reason for grief. Hence, the knowledge of a resurrection is the means of moderating grief.

He speaks of the dead as asleep, in accordance with the common practice of Scripture—a term by which the bitterness of death is mitigated, for there is a great difference between sleep and destruction. It refers, however, not to the soul, but to the body, for the dead body lies in the tomb, as in a couch, until God raises the person. Those, therefore, act foolishly who infer from this that souls sleep.

We now understand Paul’s meaning—that he lifts up the minds of believers to consider the resurrection, lest they should indulge excessive grief at the death of their relatives; for it would be unseemly that there should be no difference between them and unbelievers, who put no end or measure to their grief for this reason: that in death they recognize nothing but destruction.

Those who abuse this testimony to establish among Christians Stoical indifference, that is, an iron hardness, will find nothing of this nature in Paul’s words. Regarding their objection that we must not indulge grief at the death of our relatives, lest we should resist God, this would apply in all adversities. But it is one thing to bridle our grief so that it may be subject to God, and quite another thing to harden oneself so as to be like stones by casting away human feelings.

Let, therefore, the grief of the pious be mixed with consolation, which may train them to patience. The hope of a blessed resurrection, which is the mother of patience, will accomplish this.