Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(A) about those who sleep in death,^(B) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^(C)

² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:^(A) some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.^(B)

¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.^(A)

¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(A) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^(B)

¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep^(A) in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.^(B)

¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(A) to the covenants of the promise,^(B) without hope^(C) and without God in the world.

⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(A) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^(B)

⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.^(A)

⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees^(A) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”^(B) When he had said this, he fell asleep.^(C)

¹¹ Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’^(A)