"with" or "together" is never found in combination with either of these Greek words;

another word, bearing a slightly different meaning is employed, and it is the imperative

duty of all who teach to recognize the Spirit's choice, and refrain from building upon

inadequate translations.  The word translated "raise together" or "to raise with" is

sunegeiro, a compound of sun "with" and egeiro "to rouse". This word occur in eight

different forms in the N.T. and an examination of them must be undertaken before we can

safely proceed.

Egeiro. There are three occasions where the A.V. translates the word in its primary

In the passage quoted from Eph. 5: 14 we shall discover that the word anistemi is

used in correspondence. Let us set the verse out fully:

It will be observed that the awakening is from sleep, and that sleep is not the sleep of

death, but of drowsiness, insobriety, unwatchfulness (I Thess. 5: 6, 7, 10) in contrast with

the sleep of death, which is koimaomai (I Thess. 4: 14) and those subsequently referred

to as "the dead in Christ" (I Thess. 4: 16).

The distinction between katheudo and koimaiomai may be observed in the two

following passages.

Even in this passage which speaks of death, under the figure of sleep, the Saviour

avoids the use of egeiro and employs instead exhypnizo. In some of the places where

egeiro is translated "arise" it could well be render "awake" as in Matt. 2: 13, for it was

spoken to Joseph while he slept. In the majority of cases the word is associated with

resurrection and is translated rightly "to raise" (Acts 3: 15; Rom. 4: 24), because of

the recognized figure of Scripture whereby death was spoken of as sleep and resurrection

of necessity spoken of as being awakened.