[wagglebee]

Who are the dead/sleep in Christ that Paul mention if not all of the saints who have gone on before, including, I expect Mary?

Nearly all scholars agree that First Thessalonians was on of the earliest portions of the New Testament (probably written around 52 AD). The Blessed Virgin Mary was still in the care of Saint John at that time.

[enat]

“Nearly all scholars agree that First Thessalonians was on of the earliest portions of the New Testament (probably written around 52 AD). The Blessed Virgin Mary was still in the care of Saint John at that time.”

So the “dead/sleep in Christ” mentioned in Thessalonians are only those that have died before the letter was written?

1 Cor. 15:12, “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (vs22-23)”For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming”

Is Paul only writing about those that have died before his letter to the Corinthians?