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1 Thessalonians 4:16

A Gathered of People (δημος)

Demos (δημος) means a gathered people. It is distinct in use from a crowd (ὄχλος) or an assembly (ἐκκλησία). Demos is organized, where a crowd is chaotic.

When the Jews learned of Paul’s success in preaching the Gospel of the risen Christ, they sought out malignantly evil men to cause an uproar in the city. When they came to where they assumed Paul was residing, after not finding him, they grabbed the owner of the house and brought him out to the gathered people, Acts 17:5. Demos (δημος) is not the same concept as an assembly (ἐκκλησία), which describes a group of people brought together for a common reason, such as with the Ephesians gathering because Demetrius and his fellow tradesmen stirred up the city against Paul and the saints in Ephesus because faith in Christ was threatening their profits from selling idols, Acts 19:39.

Peter uses a form of “demos (δημος)”, which means to be a pilgrim – alongside the gathered people. 1 Peter is written to the elect pilgrims of the dispersion of Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter 1:1. Through his letter, Peter encourages us to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul while we are out among the Gentiles, for we are sojourners and pilgrims in the world, 1 Peter 2:11.

Using the concept of a gathered people, Paul describes what happens to Christians when they pass away before the Lord returns.

Indeed, we are confident and well pleased rather to be absent (out from the gathered people) out from the body and at home (in the gathered people) facing the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:8.

Although not all saints of the Church will face death, for when Christ returns, those who are […]

A Gathered of People (δημος)2024-01-17T06:10:34-08:00

Apostle (ἀπόστολος)

An apostle (ἀπόστολος) is a messenger who is sent out on a specific mission; however, unlike a regular messenger who delivers a message, an apostle is sent with a specific task to perform while giving the message.

Christ sent out the 12 apostles to the Jews during His earthly ministry to proclaim the message of the kingdom of the heavens, Matthew 10:5-42. They were not to take any provisions with them for their journey or go into any city of the Gentiles nor to the Samaritans, for they were sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Herod sent forth men with a specific mission to slay all the children in Bethlehem who were two years old or younger after the Magi left the region, having been warned by a messenger, failing to report where they found the King of the Jews, Matthew 2:16.

In a single act of expressing love towards the inhabited world, God the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, 1 John 4:14. He sent Him on a specific mission so that through Him we should have life, 1 John 4:9. In this we know love, for God sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins, 1 John 4:10.

When Christ ascended, He gave gifts to men for the edification of the Church to bring us to a oneness of the faith so that we are no longer tossed around like inarticulate babblers by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men, Ephesians 5:8. Of these gifts were the Apostles, Ephesians 5:11. Twelve of them to the Church. These twelve laid down the foundation of the Church, built upon Christ, giving us the entire revelation concerning the […]

Apostle (ἀπόστολος)2023-12-23T11:45:52-08:00

Our Happy Hope

In the city of Thessalonica, questions arose about what happens when a person dies before Christ returns. To answer this question Paul explains what will happen at the return of Christ for His Church.

And I do not desire that you are ignorant, brethren, concerning the ones having fallen asleep, in order that you are not grieved just as also the grievers, the ones not having hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose, thus also the God will bring with Him the ones having fallen asleep through Jesus Christ. For this we say to you by a word of the Lord, that we, the ones living, the ones remaining unto the coming of the Lord, will never precede the ones having fallen asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15).

We will not precede them because when our Lord comes the dead in Christ will rise first and we who are alive will be caught up together with them to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

In Paul’s next letter to the saints of Thessalonica, he explains the timing of the day of the Lord, which is our gathering together with Him (2 Thessalonians 2:1). It happens before the man of lawlessness is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Since the signing of the peace covenant with Israel and the beast (Man of lawlessness) begins the tribulation period (Daniel 9:27), and the Church will be removed from the earth before the man of lawlessness is revealed, Scripture is clear that we will not go through the Tribulation. In addition, we of the Church are not appointed unto any wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Therefore, we are not to be looking at the tribulation period and allowing it to cause us […]

Our Happy Hope2023-12-14T08:20:45-08:00
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