1 Thessalonians 4 - Is Soul Sleep Biblical?

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Living to Please God

4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Paul congratulates the Thessalonians that they are living in order to please God. Some people have an Achilles' heal of being a "people pleaser". Paul urges them and us to be a "God pleaser". If we can please God that means we can also displease him. A question we might want to continually ask ourselves, "Is my life pleasing to God?" Paul tells them to do it more and more. This means that we grow in our ability and commitment to please the Lord. 

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Like today, sexual immorality was an issue in all of the churches he wrote to some less, some more. Part of being "sanctified" or "set apart" for God is how we use our bodies. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, so what we do with our bodies is a spiritual issue, especially in the area of sexuality. In Holy Marriage the bible talks about sex as a union which is established by God. I.e. The two become one. What God has joined let man not separate.  The sexual act is more than just physical it has spiritual and soulful. 

As they set themselves apart from the pagan culture, Paul urged them to live lives of self control not self indulgence. Like all the physical and bodily pleasures God has given us, they are not wrong in and of themselves.  But God has set boundaries around the expression and enjoyment of these desires. In this case sex is to be enjoyed in the context of marriage. Alcohol should be used in moderation, not in drunkenness. Or in a way that causes sexual temptation or other sinful behavior. Even our appetite for food can result in gluttony, obesity, and other health problems if we don't eat healthy and exercise. 

Paul warns them of God's punishment and also reminds them we are called to a holy life. In addition, Paul mentions the Holy Spirit, which is a gift given to us by God. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, so when we sin against our bodies in affects our peace and joy with God. 

9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 

In the matter of loving one another, the Thessalonians are setting a fine example. Sometimes we just focus on sins that grab more headlines like sexual immorality, but how we treat and love each other is just as important. Paul commends the Thessalonians for not only loving each other in their own community, but also in other Christians in places like Macedonia (Philippi/Corinth) Again, Paul urges them to do so "more and more".  He has said this twice now and it reminds us that there is always room to grow in any area of our Christian life. Paul also tells them to lead lives that don't call unnecessary attention to themselves. We don't need to involved in gossip or getting involved in other's business. 

Sometimes gossip and getting involved in other people's drama are almost acceptable in the church. When we do so, we are acting no different than the world. The way we live out in public can have a huge effect on whether our example draws people to Christ our pushes them away. It is easy to get comfortable in our "holy huddles", but Paul tells them to live their daily lives to "win the respect of outsiders". 

Christians should be great examples of being a boss, an employee, a contractor, a teacher, doctor, or any other job we find ourselves in. We should practice a good work ethic, demonstrate good character, and maintain integrity. There are many fine Christian business people I have met that run ethical businesses and donate large amounts of money to the church and other charitable organizations. 

Believers Who Have Died

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Finally, Paul turns to the matter of the hope we have in the resurrection. Because of the fact that Jesus died and rose again, we have Jesus' promise that when he returns he will take us with him whether we are "asleep", or living on the earth. There are some varied interpretation about what "fallen asleep in him" means. The simple explanation is being "asleep" mean that the person has died. 

Ancient writings are full of this pessimism regarding death: “Of a man once dead there is no resurrection.” (Aeschylus) “Hopes are among the living, the dead are without hope.” (Theocritus) “Suns may set and rise again but we, when once our brief light goes down, must sleep an endless night.” (Catullus)

Though Paul, using idioms common in his day, referred to death as sleep, it does not prove the erroneous idea of soul sleep, that the present dead in Christ are in a state of suspended animation, waiting for a resurrection to consciousness. “Since to depart from this world in death to ‘be with Christ’ is described by Paul as ‘very far better’ (Philippians 1:23) than the present state of blessed communion with the Lord and blessed activity in His service, it is evident that ‘sleep’ as applied to believers cannot be intended to teach that the soul is unconscious.” (Hiebert)

If you are interested in whether the concept of "soul sleep" is biblical you can read this article.

Is Soul Sleep Biblical?