Joseph Plevnik, «1 Thessalonians 4,17: The Bringing in of the Lord or the Bringing in of the Faithful?», Vol. 80 (1999) 537-546

The image of bringing in, which, in dependence on Hellenistic parousia depictions, denotes the bringing in of the Lord at his coming, does not fit the imagery and the theology of Paul in 1 Thess 4,13-18. Hellenistic parousias depict the citizens making the royal visitor welcome in their city, whereas 1 Thess 4,13-18 depicts the effect of the Lord’s coming on them. The faithful are raised; the faithful are taken up. 1 Thess 4,13-18 really depicts the bringing in of the faithful, not of the Lord. The implication is that they do not return to the earth, but stay with the Lord forever.

taken up. That they are taken up is implied in the assertion that "those alive will be taken up with them". This also explains the peculiar presentation of the resurrection here as a restoration of life, which is in tension with 1 Cor 15,50-56.

        The grief in the Thessalonian community, Paul’s insistence that the dead are raised first, the presentation of the "resurrection" as a restoration of life, and the taking up by a cloud can be best explained on the supposition that the apostle had earlier depicted the parousia to the Thessalonians in these terms. It was this presentation that had later on caused the anxiety in the community, when some among them died. In his response, Paul shows how, in that scenario, the deceased faithful will nevertheless share in the taking up: they will first be restored to life.

        This presentation thus differs from that of 1 Cor 15,50-56, where the apostle emphasizes that the deceased and the living will be changed at the Lord’s coming. But the two are not incongruent. In 1 Cor 15,50-56 Paul states: "We will not all die, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet ... the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (vv. 52-53). The emphasis here is on change. It has been customary to read 1 Thess 4,13-18 in the light of 1 Cor 15,50-56 by disregarding the context and the thrust of Paul’s arguments in these places. But in 1 Thess 4,13-18 Paul’s presentation is centered on the parousia that involves the taking up⁴⁹. It addresses the grief in the community at the realization that the deceased faithful cannot participate in the taking up. Having affirmed in v. 14 that the deceased will be taken up by the power of God, Paul then in vv. 16-17 shows how this will happen: they will first be brought to life, then they will be taken up.

        In 1 Cor 15,50-56 Paul indicates that, at the resurrection, they will not retain the present body: the deceased will be raised imperishable, and the living will put on incorruptibility. Those entering the kingdom of God (v. 50) must become like the heavenly man (v. 49), free of corruption and death. Paul insists that the dead will be raised imperishable, and the living will be transformed.

        But this is not irreconcilable with 1 Thess 4,13-18. The taking up, as employed in 1 Thess 4,17, implies that the believers thereby leave the present mode of life on earth and are given the exalted Christ’s mode of existence. This is a permanent change of life, not a mere change of location. It is an exaltation.

        In conclusion, we observe that Peterson’s image of Einholung does not fit the imagery and the theology of 1 Thess 4,13-18. A closer attention to the imagery and structure of 1 Thess 4,13-18 discloses that Paul’s source of inspiration was Jewish rather than Hellenistic. This is also suggested by the expression "day of the Lord", used elsewhere by the apostle for the coming of the Lord. Hellenistic parousias depict the citizens making the royal visitor welcome in their city, whereas 1 Thess 4,13-18 depicts the