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12 If you live in this way, other people who are not believers will respect you. Also, you will not have to ask anyone else to give you the things that you need.

Jesus' return

13 Our Christian friends, we want you to understand properly about your friends who have died.[a] Then you will not continue to be sad about them. People who do not hope for any life after death are sad when their friends die. But you should not be upset like those other people. 14 We believe that Jesus died and he rose again after death. So we also believe that people who have died as Christians will rise again. When God brings Jesus back, he will take the Christians to go with Jesus.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:13 Timothy may have brought news that the Christians at Thessalonica were confused about Christ's return. They were sad about their Christian friends who had died already. They did not know what would happen to these people. Paul tells them here that they would all live with Christ for ever. It did not matter that some believers had died before Christ returned.

12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders(A) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Believers Who Have Died

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed(B) about those who sleep in death,(C) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.(D) 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,(E) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.(F)

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