Believers do not need to mourn as those without hope because faith in Jesus' death and resurrection guarantees resurrection and reunion.
Paul grounds this hope in the Gospel itself: those who believe that Jesus died and rose again can be certain that God will bring with Jesus those who have died in Him (1 Thess 4:14). Les Feldick explains that while tears and grief are still real, the believer's sorrow is never hopeless because death is not final for the believer.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 — This is the exact verse Paul uses to command believers not to sorrow as others who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 — This supplies the reason: faith in Jesus' death and resurrection means God will bring those who sleep in Jesus with Him.
Scripture does not tell believers to suppress grief; it tells them not to grieve "even as others which have no hope." In 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul says believers should not be ignorant about those who are asleep. The reason is given in the next verse: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Paul goes on to describe the event: the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then, as 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 states, the dead will be raised incorruptible and the living will be changed, because this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.
Les Feldick takes Paul's words as a direct command for believers to learn and be comforted. He says "ignorant" doesn't mean stupid; it means untaught, and believers should not go through life without understanding these things (Clip 3, Clip 7). The qualification for this hope is simple: believing that Jesus died and rose again according to Paul's gospel—not joining a church, being baptized, or doing works (Clip 2, Clip 3, Clip 7). Les teaches that when a believer dies, his spirit and soul immediately go to be with Christ in heaven, waiting for resurrection day to be reunited with the body (Clip 4). At the resurrection of the church, only church-age believers are in view; the dead will be raised first and living believers changed, with corruptible putting on incorruption (Clip 0). Because of that certainty, believers who have lost loved ones don't have to weep and wail as the heathen do—they will see them again someday (Clip 2). At the same time, Les is careful not to make Christians pretend grief doesn't hurt. Even the best believers have a natural fear of death because we don't want to be separated body from soul and spirit, and that is normal (Clip 5). Yet the believer's outlook is one of hope: death is not the end but the beginning of the best that is yet to come, as the believer longs for the Lord's return (Clip 1, Clip 6).
No. Paul says "sorrow not even as others which have no hope." That phrase allows sorrow, but not the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe in resurrection. Les Feldick says believers don't have to weep and wail and carry on like the heathen because we are going to see our loved ones again someday. The hope changes the character of grief, not the reality of loss.
The hope is resurrection and a transformed body. Les explains from 1 Corinthians 15 that the dead in Christ will be raised first and then living believers will be changed: the corruptible body puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality. He also notes that at death the believer's spirit and soul go immediately into Christ's presence, waiting to be reunited with a resurrected body. That is why death is not the final loss for believers.
The qualification is faith in the Gospel—specifically that Jesus died and rose again. Les emphasizes that Paul doesn't say "if you've joined the church, been baptized, or done this and done that"—it is simply "if we believe." He repeats this in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 and calls it the qualification for being in the rapture. Those who have not believed have no such hope, and that is why they have no basis for mourning like believers do.
Les says even the best believers, ready to meet the Lord, can have an awesome fear of death because we don't want to be separated—body from soul and spirit. He calls that normal and the way God made us. So the Christian hope does not remove the natural apprehension of dying; it removes the hopelessness of death.
The resurrection of the church age believer
In Les's teaching, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 applies to church-age believers: the dead in Christ are raised first, then living believers are changed, because the corruptible must put on incorruption and the mortal must put on immortality.
The believer's perspective on death
Les describes the believer's confidence that death is not the end—'the best is yet to come'—while admitting we naturally don't like leaving our loved ones.
Do not sorrow as those without hope
Les directly applies 1 Thessalonians 4:13: believers sorrow, but not as those without hope, because we will see our loved ones again.
Ignorant means untaught
Les says 'ignorant' means untaught, and the only qualification for this resurrection hope is believing that Jesus died and rose again—not church membership, baptism, or extra works.
With Christ until resurrection
Les explains that at death the believer's spirit and soul go to be with Christ, awaiting reunion with the resurrected body at the Lord's return.
Normal fear of death
Les teaches that even mature believers can have a normal, God-given aversion to death because it separates body from soul and spirit.
Longing for the Lord's coming
Les confirms that the believer knows the body that goes back to corruption will be raised a new body fashioned like Christ's, which is why believers long for His coming.
Qualification for the rapture
Les repeats the 'don't be ignorant' plea and says the qualification for the rapture is simply believing from the heart that Jesus died and rose again.
1 Thessalonians 4:13: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
The verse that directly answers the question: believers are told not to sorrow as those without hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
The reason for hope: the death and resurrection of Jesus guarantees God will bring sleeping believers with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Paul describes how the Lord's descent will result in the dead in Christ rising first.
1 Corinthians 15:52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Les uses this to show the resurrection of believers and the transformation of living believers.
1 Corinthians 15:53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Explains why a new body is necessary: the corruptible and mortal must become incorruptible and immortal.
2 Corinthians 5:1: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Les references this in teaching that a believer's body is temporary and will be replaced by an eternal, heavenly body.
In context it refers to believers who have died. Les explains that the believer's spirit and soul are immediately present with Christ, while the body sleeps and waits for resurrection. Paul uses 'asleep' because death for the believer is not final.
No. Scripture says 'sorrow not even as others which have no hope,' not 'don't sorrow.' Les says believers don't have to weep and wail as those without hope because we will see them again. Christian tears are real, but they are mixed with hope.
Believe the Gospel—that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again. Les is emphatic that this is the only qualification Paul gives; it is not church membership, baptism, or good works.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens at the Rapture? 1 Corinthians 15 Explained