Fragmenta in epistulam i ad Thessalonicenses

The Christians in Thessalonica who believed from among the Gentiles endured many persecutions at the hands of those who were still Greeks, and on account of these he comforts them. He also mentions the resurrection of the dead, comforting them in the loss of their own people. The thanksgiving to God placed at the beginning of the preface is a testimony to the piety of the Thessalonians. Faith rouses one to the work of the good, love makes one persevere in labors, and hope makes the struggling endure with patience. And faith rouses one to toils, love makes one persist in pains. "Knowing," he says, "beloved brothers, that the gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power." Not only, he says, did we proclaim the word to you, but we also displayed powers and miracles to you. Instead of "is spread and is renowned." The evils in Philippi, he says, did not take away from us our boldness toward Christ, but coming to you we fearlessly proclaimed the word. The gospel through which we comfort those who are afflicted, that is, the resurrection and the reward in it, is proclaimed not according to error but according to truth. Instead of "burdensome and oppressive because of demanding the honors which must be paid to apostles of Christ." He did not say "that no one should falter," lest he seem to accuse, but he placed a word that could not be reproachful of weakness, saying "that no one should be astonished.

He says, "He himself was not going to be left behind, but rather 'we' or 'so few and easily counted will be left behind, they will not overtake the sleeping saints at the meeting of Christ'; for even if all are raised, not all will meet Christ, but only the righteous. It is clear, then, that at the coming of Christ some who are living are overtaken. Or this is also what he means: if it happened that Christ came now, we who are left behind today would not overtake the sleeping at the coming of Christ. A stop should be placed after 'those who are left behind for the day of the Lord will not overtake the sleeping.' In the voice of an archangel. The Lord says the same thing: at midnight a voice came: 'Behold, the bridegroom comes.' And the dead in Christ will rise first. The Lord himself says this again in the Gospels, whence both the Lord and the apostle hint that the coming of the Lord will be at night. Then 'we the living who are left behind' means 'the righteous around us.' He intends that some who are still living are overtaken at the coming of Christ, and this is made clear from 'we who are left behind at the coming of the Lord.' And this is what the Savior says: for just as in the days of Noah there were those marrying and being given in marriage, and suddenly the flood came and took everyone, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Therefore, he says, some are overtaken living. At a command and in the voice of an archangel, and the dead in Christ will rise. The Lord himself says this in the Gospel.

It was midnight, he says, and a voice came: "The bridegroom is coming." That the living are overtaken, who are also taken up together with those who have fallen asleep, the Lord makes clear in the Gospel, saying: "Two will be in a bed; one will be taken, and one will be left. And two will be grinding grain; one will be taken, and one will be left." And both the Lord and Paul hint that the coming will be at night. He calls his coming "the day of the Lord." But he likened it to a thief, because it comes unnoticed and unexpectedly. And at night, because the day, when it arrives, exposes the evil deeds of the night. But the bride—the soul adorned with the ornament of virtues—sleeping the sleep of the day, the sleep that has no share in the night, the sleep yoked with wakefulness, very fittingly said: "I sleep, but my heart is awake." And so, sleeping thus, the voice of the bridegroom did not escape her; for she perceived him knocking at the door and said: "The voice of my beloved knocks at the door." That it is not among the condemned, but among the saved. For this reason he says: "Christ died for us, so that whether we are awake"—that is, living—"or whether we sleep"—that is, whether we die—for here he takes "sleeping" differently, not as above—"we might live together with him." For those who have acquired the aforementioned weapons will live together with Christ and reign together with him. The spirit is extinguished when the conduct is unworthy of the faith. Do not despise prophecy. Test everything. He says: neither lie in ambush for the hidden things of the spirit, nor accept every announcement without testing.

Nowhere has he placed the three—spirit, soul, body—in relation to an unbeliever, but only in relation to believers, whose soul and body belong to nature, while the spirit belongs to benefaction, that is, the gift of believers. And he did not say "kept blameless," lest you think that he is praying for the gifts, but "blamelessly," that is, that we, living blamelessly and preserving ourselves through piety.