[Salvation]

1 Thes. talks about the people who have already died. And the end of the world. Nothing about any rapturing here. The earth will be destroyed by fire on the last day.

1 THESSALONIANS, CHAPTER 4

Hope for the Christian Dead.
13We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.e
15Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,* will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.f
16For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.g
17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together* with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18Therefore, console one another with these words.

[editor-surveyor]

It’s helpful to read the entire epistle at once, if understanding is your goal.

You skipped much of the discussion with your post.

Verse clipping is the heart of cultism.
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[boatbums]

Yes, I Thess. 4:17 uses the Greek word "harpazo" for the English words "caught up". The word "rapture" comes from the Latin "rapio" for that same phrase. It is used in several other Scripture passages in the NT speaking of being "caught away" like Philip was in Acts 8:39; Paul was in II Cor. 12:2,4; and speaking of Jesus' ascension in Revelation 12:5.

I Thessalonians 4 is definitely speaking of the Rapture, where Jesus descends from heaven with the souls of those believers who have died and catches up the believers in Christ still alive and together our bodies are changed into our glorified resurrected bodies to meet the Lord in the air. We are taken to heaven as the Bride of Christ and so shall we ever be with the Lord. That is consolation indeed!

[redleghunter]

1 Thes. talks about the people who have already died. And the end of the world. Nothing about any rapturing here.

17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together* with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Apparently, from the very scriptures you quoted, there are clearly those who are alive and remain at this event which leads to meeting Christ in the clouds.

[Elsie]

Nothing about any rapturing here.

Well; when a church TEACHES that many folks are already up in Heaven NOW (Saints, Mary...); then rapture would tend to be downplayed quite a lot!