4:13–18 · In this section the apostles respond to the second inquiry of the Thessalonian believers. They were ignorant about the destiny of believers who had died before the Lord’s advent. Verse 13 implies that between the time Paul left and Timothy’s visit some members of the church had passed away. The believers’ grief prompts Paul to orient them theologically and encourage them to comfort one another (4:18). This section picks up many of the themes found in ancient letters of consolation, such as the call to minimize grief (4:13), the discourse regarding the state of the dead (4:14–17), and the exhortation to comfort one another (4:18). Such ancient letters, however, focus on the way death is inevitable, the common fate of all, so one should not grieve too much in the face of fate’s di…