Paul’s visitors from Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:17) had evidently informed him of a number of health problems and deaths in the church community. Paul, as an apostle and prophet, knows that this is God’s judgment
(1 Corinthians 11:29) over the Corinthians.
Because of the serious sin in the church, God has chosen to shorten the lives of many church members. This does not mean, however, that these church members have lost their salvation. God’s judgment is not the same as his condemnation (see 1 Corinthians 11:32).
Literally, our verse says that some have fallen asleep.
This supports the idea that these church members have escaped condemnation. In the New Testament, only the death of a believer is described as sleep (1 Corinthians 15:18, 1 Corinthians 15:20; see also Matthew 27:52; John 11:11; Acts 7:60).
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.