What does 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 mean?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (KJV) reads: "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." It sits in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, a piece of pastoral letter on hope and the return of Christ from the New Testament, and is most often read as a verse about memorial & funeral. The meaning sharpens when you read the verses immediately around it and notice how 1 Thessalonians as a whole is arguing its case.

What is the context of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 in 1 Thessalonians?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 belongs to 1 Thessalonians 4, which fits inside 1 Thessalonians's wider message as pastoral letter on hope and the return of Christ. Before applying the verse, read at least the paragraph it appears in so you can see who is speaking, who is being addressed, and what situation prompted the words.

Is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 from the Old or New Testament?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 is from the New Testament — specifically the book of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. That matters because New Testament verses are written after the resurrection and speak directly into the life of the church under the new covenant.

What translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 is used here?

Every verse on Bible Sundays is quoted from the King James Version (KJV), the public-domain English translation first published in 1611. We use the KJV consistently so the wording you memorise on one page matches the wording on every other page of the site.

How can I memorise 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14?

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 aloud three times, write it out by hand once, then try to recite it from memory. Repeat morning and evening for a week. Pair it with the theme of memorial & funeral so your mind has a natural retrieval cue. Reviewing on day 1, day 3, day 7 and day 30 locks it in for the long term.

How should I apply 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 today?

Identify one specific situation in the next 24 hours — a conversation, a decision, a fear, a temptation around memorial & funeral — where 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 should change your response. Pray the verse back to God for that situation, then act on it. Application is what turns reading into obedience.

Memorial & Funeral Card Verse

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 for Memorial & Funeral Cards

A free, printable, share-ready KJV card verse. Pick a theme, download as a high-resolution image, or copy the text for handwritten cards.

For Memorial & Funeral

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

King James Versionbiblesundays.com

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Why 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 works for memorial & funeral cards

Christian grief is different — we sorrow, but with hope of reunion.

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."

Read 1 Thessalonians 4 (KJV) →

How to use this memorial & funeral card

Pick a theme above that matches the recipient's taste — botanical for weddings and showers, midnight for solemn occasions, kraft for rustic.
Download the PNG at 1200×1500 — Pinterest-optimized and high enough resolution for printing on standard 5×7 cardstock.
Send digitally via text, email, or social, or print and pair with a handwritten note inside.
Reference the chapter — readers often want to look up the surrounding context. Tap the link above to read 1 Thessalonians 4 in the KJV.

More Memorial & Funeral card verses

John 14:2-3

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself."

Psalm 23:4

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."

Revelation 21:4

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying."

2 Timothy 4:7

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

John 11:25-26

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life... shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Psalm 116:15

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."

2 Corinthians 5:8

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

See all 12 memorial & funeral card verses →