When Jesus rebuked an unclean spirit in a man (Mark 1:25), the people who witnessed it believed it to be a new doctrine, because he simply commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, and it was done (Mark 1:27). The thing was obvious to the folks who looked on (Mark 1:26), so they wondered about the power Jesus displayed. At another time, while Paul was in Athens, some onlookers heard him speak about Jesus, and wanted to hear more (Acts 17:16-19), but, when they listened and discovered Paul spoke of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, they mocked and basically told him don’t call us; we’ll call you (Acts 17:32). So, on the one hand a new doctrine that comes through apparent physical power is believed, but that which comes through a power not so obvious, is believed only by a few (cp. Acts 17:34).
What’s my point as that pertains to our current study of 1Thessalonians chapter four?
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:15; emphasis mine)
Some folks try to tell us that Paul is offering the Thessalonians a new doctrine in chapter four of this epistle, probably because they have no real context for a doctrine that would put Paul’s prophecy far into the future, even to our own day. Therefore, they **need** a new doctrine in order to support what has become the orthodox end of time, earth-burning eschatology. However, why would Paul try to put forth a new doctrine in an attempt to prove his case? How could he demonstrate in a letter that any new doctrine is true. He certainly doesn’t offer any evidence that would help explain any new doctrine that might be put forth.
We need to keep in mind that, when he was with them in Thessalonica, he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures (Acts 17:2). The Scriptures and their clarity and application to his claims were the proof of his words. On the other hand, his enemies apparently argued from something other than the Scriptures, because we are told that the Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonian authorities, in that they proved Paul by searching the Scriptures in an effort to discover the truth of his claims (Acts 17:11). So, unless Paul could cite the Scriptures to prove his new doctrine (Isaiah 8:20), it would have been more prudent of the child of God to reject his claims. Therefore, Paul could not have been offering the believers at Thessalonica a new doctrine, which they couldn’t verify. He **must** have been pointing to Scripture in the Old Covenant text that pointed to the coming of the Lord, or he was referring to something Jesus had promised, and which he conveyed to them, while preaching the Gospel there.
They already believed Jesus would return, according to his promise, but they were ‘ignorant’ of all of what Jesus promised (1Thessalonians 1:13), due to the fact that Paul was expelled from Thessalonica by the governors there (Acts 17:9-10), before he could adequately disciple those who believed the Gospel. Therefore, Paul explained or reiterated what he told them when he was with them, that the Lord promised to return and gather the elect to himself in a covenant relationship (cp. Matthew 23:37), in that very generation (Matthew 24:34, cp. 16:27-28; 23:36), and all these things were fulfilled in 70 AD.
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