Correspondence: 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Mat. 24:34; Luke 21:32; 1 Cor. 9:27; Gal. 4:6

From: Young Christian: Volume 8, 1918

Narrator: Chris Genthree

1 Thessalonians 4:13‑17; Matthew 24:34; Luke 21:32; 1 Corinthians 9:27; Galatians 4:6 • 2 min. read • grade level: 6

Question: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑17). Here the coming is for the church, is it not? Will all the Old Testament saints, before and after the flood be raised at this time, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air? G. E. F. P.

Answer: Yes, 1 Corinthians 15:23²³But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (1 Corinthians 15:23) is quite clear. “They that are Christ’s at His coming.” All the saints who have died and are at that time in their graves will be raised and caught up together with the changed living ones to meet the Lord. The Old Testament saints are dear to Him, though they are not in the church.

Verse 14 is Christ’s coming with His saints to reign.

Verses 15-18 explain that He comes for them before that. These verses are a parenthesis.

The twenty-four elders in Revelation, include all the heavenly saints, of both Old and New Testaments.

Question: What does “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” mean? (Matt. 24:34³⁴Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (Matthew 24:34); Luke 21:32³²Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (Luke 21:32)). H. G. C.

Answer: It means that the Jews will have the same unbelieving character when the Lord comes to fulfill His Word as they had when He was on earth.

Question: What is the meaning of the word “Castaway”? (1 Cor. 9:27²⁷But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1 Corinthians 9:27)).

What connection has “keeping the body under and bringing it unto subjection” with “salvation”? C. M.

Answer: Castaway, means: utterly rejected, reprobate, totally bad. “The word castaway troubles some. People have tried to make out that a castaway is not a castaway Paul was perfectly well assured as to himself; but he says if he had been merely preaching, he would have been falsely assured; but if not merely beating the air, he was rightly assured.” (J. N. D. notes on 1 Cor).

To keep the body under and bring it into subjection is to apply the truth of the death of Christ to myself, and this no unconverted person could do, only living Christians. Many preachers are not converted and will perish. (Compare Rom. 6:6, 11, 12; 8:10⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)
¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (Romans 6:11‑12)
¹⁰And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10); 2 Cor. 4:10; 1¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:10) Peter 4:1, 2).

Question On Galatians 4:6⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6), by C.

Answer: The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of His Son in the passage, to assure our hearts of our relationship as children to the Father, and that He, loves us with the same love wherewith He “loves His Son. (John 17:26²⁶And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26)).

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