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Koimaomai which occurs in the fourth chapter means to fall asleep involuntarily in
death, whereas in the fifth chapter katheudo means to compose oneself to sleep, to be
drowsy instead of watchful. A rather free summary of I Thess. 5: 1-10 might help here:
"Speaking of the times and seasons, let me remind you that the day of the Lord comes
as a thief in the night. Now we belong to the day, not to the night or darkness. Therefore
let us not go to sleep as do some; but let us be watchful and sober, for sleepers sleep by
night and drunkards are drunk by night, but let us who are of the day be sober . . . . . Our
Lord Jesus Christ died for us that whether we are watchful or drowsy, we should live
together with Him",
but while this is so, unwatchfulness my cause you to miss the added crown.
"Therefore I endure all things for the elects' sakes, that they may also obtain that
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying:
For if we have died with Him, we shall also LIVE with Him.
If we suffer, we shall also REIGN with Him.
If we deny Him, He also will DENY us.
If we are faithless, He abideth faithful, He cannot deny Himself" (II Tim. 2: 10-13).
We must not allow ourselves to be carried away by this great theme, but leave
the difference between "living" and "reigning", between falling asleep involuntarily as in
I Thess. 4:, and being unwatchful and drowsy in I Thess. 5: to speak for themselves.
As an extension of the words "we which are alive and remain" of I Thess. 4: 15, the
Apostle writes:
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
(I Thess. 5: 23).
There is no direct reference to the resurrection in II Thessalonians, but the insistence
upon the Lord's Second Coming necessarily assumes that the resurrection is a fact, and
so is an added testimony.
The testimony of
I Corinthians.
Without any disrespect for the teaching of all Scripture, there are some passages
which stand out most prominently as "classics" in some one great doctrine. Exod. 12:,
Isa. 53:, Psa. 23:, Rom. 8: and Rev. 20: come to mind. There is one chapter,
namely I Cor. 15: that stands out most prominently as the chapter on Resurrection.
I Corinthians 15:
This chapter of 58 verses deals with the subject of Resurrection under three headings:
1-11.
EVIDENCE and EVANGELISTIC importance of resurrection.
12-34.
FACT of the resurrection established.
35-58.
MANNER of the resurrection discussed.
The opening section 1-11 begins and ends with the word "preach":