ISB ~ 1 Thessalonians 4 v15

we who are alive:In contrast to “those who are asleep” (4:13). The distinction is between living and deceased Christians and the order in which they will ascend to meet Christ at his coming. Some infer from Paul’s use of “we” that the apostle believed Christ would come again soon, perhaps within his own lifetime. If Paul cherished such a hope, the text does not assert this explicitly. Paul professes to know nothing precise about the timing of the Lord’s return beyond its suddenness (5:1-2). Other passages indicate that Paul envisioned death as a real possibility for himself (Phil 3:10-11; 2 Tim 4:6) and numbered himself among those who would be raised from the dead (1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14). See note on 1 Cor 15:51.