The literal “we do not want you not to know” is used by Paul in Romans 1.13 and 2 Corinthians 1.8 to introduce a new piece of information. In Romans 11.25; 1 Corinthians 10.1; 12.1, the same expression introduces something which is not part of the basic Christian message as outlined, for example, by Peter in Acts 2.14-39 and by Paul himself in 1 Corinthians 15.3-5, but which is important for a fuller understanding of the scope of Christian truth and life. In Romans 11.25 it is a question of the “mystery” or “secret truth” (Good News Bible) of how God has used the stubbornness of Israel as part of his plan for other nations. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul speaks of the hidden, Christian significance of the rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. And in 1 Corinthians 12, he introduces a much-needed piece of teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The present passage is also a piece of advanced teaching, about the (still obscure) subject of the state of Christians between death and resurrection.
In translating the present passage, the double negative “we do not want you not to know” is transformed in to the positive we want you to know by Moffatt (“we would like you … to understand”) and Knox (“make no mistake”). Jerusalem Bible‘s “we want you to be quite certain” is a little too strong. Barclay has “I do not want you … to get wrong ideas,” and Phillips “we don’t want you … to be in any doubt” (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Bijbel in Gewone Taal). Paul himself uses an equivalent positive expression (which is perhaps slightly stronger) in 1 Corinthians 11.3 and Colossians 2.1 (cf. Philippians 1.12).
Here as elsewhere in this letter, it is very likely that “we” means Paul and his companions, though Barclay disagrees.
The truth is implied, for there is no suggestion in the text that false views about the dead were circulating among the Thessalonians. Paul is fighting fear and anxiety rather than wrong ideas firmly held. The Thessalonians had seen Christians die, just as Paul himself had seen Stephen stoned to death. They needed reassurance that death would not prevent Christians from sharing in whatever God had in store for them.
What Paul wants the Thessalonian Christians to know is what happens to those who have died. In many languages, the truth can best be expressed as “what happens to” or “what really happens to,” for example, “we very much want you to know what really happens to those who have died.”
Those who have died, here and in verse 14 (but not in v. 16), is literally “those who are asleep” (Revised Standard Version cf. King James Version Luther 1984), or, according to a slightly less well-supported reading, “have fallen asleep” (cf. Zürcher Bibel Knox). “Sleep” is used in many passages to mean “die” (e.g. Job 14.12; Daniel 12.2-3; 2 Maccabees 12.43-45; John 11.11-13; 1 Corinthians 15.18, 20). This is certainly the meaning here, as the literal equivalent in verse 16 shows. Many translations (Jerusalem Bible Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale Bible de Jérusalem Traduction œcuménique de la Bible Bible en français courant Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) agree with Good News Translation in removing the figure of speech, sometimes putting it in a footnote. La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée (rather less helpfully for anyone hearing the passage read aloud) does the reverse, putting “those who sleep” in the text and “the dead” in a note. Moffatt (“those who are asleep in death”), Phillips (“those who ‘fall asleep’ in death”), and Barclay (“those who sleep death’s sleep”), cf. New American Bible, keep the metaphor, but explain it in the text. Knox (“those who have gone to their rest”) and Bijbel in Gewone Taal (“those who have crossed over”) use equivalent metaphors. The question for the translator is whether, in his receptor language, it is more usual to speak of death directly, or to use a figure of speech. The answer to this question varies not only between languages, but between temporal periods and between social groups using the same language. In many languages, especially those spoken in face-to-face societies, there is much less of a tendency to use figurative expressions than in most European languages, but the amount of such figurative language, even in English, differs greatly from time to time.
Some persons have wished to make a special point of the literal Greek rendering “those who are asleep” to imply that these are only “resting in death, looking forward to the judgment,” and that therefore they have not gone on to heaven. But it is unwise to read into this kind of an idiom a special doctrine of the future life. (In 1 Kings 22.40 the metaphor of sleep is used in speaking of the death of the bad King Ahab, and it was also used by pagans in the ancient world.) The safest and most accurate way of translating the Greek is to say “those who have died.”
The relation between we want you to know and so that you will not be sad is one of means and purpose. As indicates a comparison, but the nature of the comparison needs to be carefully defined. Those who have no hope is literally “the others” or “the rest, who do not have hope.” These are the same group of people whom Paul has just called “those outside” (v. 12), that is, those who are not members of the Christian community. The contrast is not between kinds or degrees of grief, but between two groups of people; that is, Christians, who have reason to hope, and non-Christians, who do not. Translations should therefore be avoided which suggest that Paul’s concern is simply to say that Christians should not be as sad as non-Christians. Phillips‘ “like men who have no hope” does not bring out sufficiently clearly that Paul is contrasting real groups of people. New English Bible‘s “like the rest of men, who have no hope” (cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal) is better. On hope, see the notes on 1.3.
It is important to avoid a translation which would imply that the clause so that you will not be sad is directly related to the immediately preceding clause those who have died. To avoid this misunderstanding, it may be necessary to repeat the expression “we want you to know,” for example, “we want you to know what happens to those who have died; we want you to know this so that you will not be sad.”
Sadness is often expressed by an idiomatic phrase, for example, “with tears in your eyes,” “with your stomach in pain,” “with your heart throbbing,” or “with your face fallen.” It is better not to use an expression which would imply ritual mourning or weeping, even though this is a natural type of rendering in a context which speak about death.
The comparison introduced in the last clause, as are those who have no hope, may be rather difficult to express in some languages. In fact, a conditional clause may be necessary, for example, “if you do not know about this, you will be like those who have no hope,” or “… you will be sad just like those who do not look forward with confidence.”
In many languages it is not possible to speak of “hope” without indicating what is the goal of the hope. In this context it is hope for life after death, and it may be necessary to say “those who do not hope for life after death.” In some languages it would be more appropriate to speak about “those who have no hope for heaven,” or, even better, “no hope to be with God.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .