Those Now ‘Asleep’ (not dead) Must be ‘Awakened’ for the Day of the Lord in 1 Thess 5.9–10

Abstract

1 Thess 5.9–10 can be translated: ‘For God has not destined us for wrath but for possession of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, so that whether we may be awake or whether we may be asleep we may together live with him.’ Paul uses the same verb for ‘asleep’ (καθεύδωμεν) in 5.10 as he uses in 5.6–8 with the metaphorical sense of being ethically or spiritually negligent in contrast to being ‘awake’ and ‘sober’, that is, ethically or spiritually vigilant: ‘Let us not be asleep (καθεύδωμεν) like the rest but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep (καθεύδοντες) sleep (καθεύδουσιν) at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night. Since we are of the day, let us be sober . . .’ In 4.13–15 Paul uses a different verb for ‘asleep’ (κοιμάομάι) to refer to those who are physically dead. Nevertheless, most commentators insist upon interpreting καθευδώ in 5.10, not with the meaning it has in 5.6–7, but with the same meaning as καιμαομαι in 4.13–15 – those who have physically died. This also requires that ‘awake’ (γρηγορωμεν) in 5.10 be interpreted as physically ‘alive’ rather than ethically or spiritually ‘vigilant’, the sense it has in 5.6.