In his comforting of the young Thessalonian believers concerning the saints who died before the Lord’s return, I saw the theme of the Apostle Paul’s life.
It is penned in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, “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.”
It is revealed through the word remain.
In classical Greek the word translated remain “meant those who survived and therefore remained or were left behind.”[1] Such a definition is obvious in the context of verses 15 and 17—the only times perileípō is used in the New Testament.
However, perileípō also means “to leave over.”[2] Which, in my mind, morphed into “leftover,” as in “On Monday we eat leftovers from Sunday’s dinner.”
So how do leftovers become a key to theme Paul’s life, in my way of thinking?
In the Thessalonian passage the Apostle writes how the leftovers don’t prevent—arrive at before or already attained, (Strongs)—those who have died in experiencing the coming of the Lord. Those who have died will be raised first, then the leftovers will join them.
Thus, in my unique (subjective, I know) way of thinking, those who have died in the faith were the “main course” of life and those who are alive are leftovers until the coming of the Lord.
You see, Paul said,
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:21-23 KJV).
And,
“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV).
His theme in life was to die in Christ in order to be with Him forever.
That was Paul’s “main course” …and I want it to be mine as well.
For its not so much how we start, but how we finish.
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8 KJV)
