Day of Christ
The return of Jesus will be the “Day of the Lord” when the dead are raised, the wicked are judged, and death will cease.
Day of Jesus Christ. Paul began by thanking God for His grace to the Corinthians, who had enriched
them in discourse, knowledge, and spiritual gifts. And he put the proper
perspective on the gifts of the Spirit by referring to the expectation of
Christ’s return in glory.
- (1 Corinthians 1:4-9) - “I give thanks unto my God at all times concerning you… That you come short in no gift of grace, ardently awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who will also confirm you unto the end, unimpeachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is God through whom you have been called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Rather than overvalue spiritual gifts, believers must remember that they
are still waiting for the much fuller and final glories that will be dispensed at
the “revelation” of Jesus.
Here, the term “revelation” translates the Greek noun apokalupsis,
which means “revelation, disclosure, unveiling” - (2
Thessalonians 1:7-10, Luke 17:30, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 4:13).
“Unimpeachable”
translates a legal term applied to someone against whom legal charges can no
longer be leveled (anegklétos, Strong’s - #G410). On the “Day of Christ,”
no one will bring charges against Christians in God’s court because He has “confirmed”
them.
In Paul’s
writings, the “Day of our Lord Jesus Christ” is synonymous with the
“Day of the Lord” from the Hebrew Bible, the day when Yahweh delivers
his people, judges His enemies, and brings the existing age to its conclusion.
By adding “Jesus Christ” to the phrase, Paul focuses this ancient hope
on him - (Amos
5:18-20, Joel 2:31, Philippians 1:6, 2:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10).
Until the Lord Comes. In his letter, Paul
dealt with inappropriate attitudes in the Corinthian church. Some members began
to reject his teachings and apostolic authority. He responded by employing the
image of household servants or stewards. As a faithful “steward,” he was
entrusted with the “mysteries” of God.
- (1 Corinthians 4:3-5) - “With me, however, it counts for the very smallest thing that by you I should be examined, or by a human day. Nay! I am not even examining myself, for of nothing to myself am I conscious. Nevertheless, not hereby am I declared righteous, but he that does examine me is the Lord. So then, not before the fitting time be judging anything until the Lord shall come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then the praise shall come to each one from God.”
Paul was a servant of Christ and belonged to the Corinthians. But he was
accountable only to the Master of the household, therefore, their evaluation of
him was of no real consequence. Only the judgment of Jesus mattered, and his valuation
would become evident when he arrived. Christians ought not to judge anyone
before the proper time - “when the Lord comes.”
A few verses earlier, Paul spoke of the coming day of evaluation when
each Christian’s work would be examined to see whether it was built on the
proper foundation. Again, that would occur when Jesus came on the “Day of
the Lord” - (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
The Day of the Lord. Paul dealt with a shameful incident that brought
the church into disrepute. A member was having sexual relations with his
stepmother. While fornication was common enough in Greco-Roman society, to have
sexual relations with one’s stepmother was beyond the pale even for pagans.
Rather than boast of their spirituality, he exhorted the Corinthians to “mourn”
that such an egregious sinner was in their midst.
- (1 Corinthians 5:4-5) - “In the name of our Lord Jesus, you being gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus, to deliver such a one as this to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.”
The Apostle exhorted
the church to expel this man so that his “spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.” The “destruction of the flesh” would become part of his
remedial process. By this, he meant the
destruction of what was carnal in the man as he was buffeted by the satanic
forces that operated outside the believing community. The result hoped
for would be this man’s repentance and salvation on the “Day of the Lord.”
Once again, Paul associated the “Day of the Lord” with judgment, including that of believers. Final salvation will only be realized on that day, an idea found elsewhere in the New Testament.
“Until He Comes.” Paul next mentioned the “coming” of Jesus in his discussion on
proper behavior during the Lord’s Supper, especially in consideration of his
impending arrival in glory.
- (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) - “And giving thanks, he broke it and said: This is my body, which is for you. This do in remembrance of me. In the same manner, the cup also, after they had taken supper, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, this do as often as you may be drinking it in remembrance of me. For as often as you may be eating this loaf, and the cup may be drinking, the death of the Lord do you announce until he comes.”
In his explanation, Paul combined the commemoration of Christ’s death with
the promise of his return. By eating the bread and drinking the wine, the
church proclaimed his death “until he comes,” linking the two events,
both of which were essential to his gospel message.
At His Coming. In the letter, Paul responds
to those who deny there will be a future resurrection, arguing for it from the
past resurrection of Jesus. If there will
be no future resurrection, then “not even Christ has been raised, and if
Christ has not been raised, void is our proclamation, void also our faith.”
- (1 Corinthians 15:22-28) “For just as in the Adam all die, so also, in the Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own rank. Christ, a first-fruit, after that they who are Christ’s at his arrival. Afterward, the end, whensoever he delivers up the kingdom to his God and Father, whensoever he brings to nothing all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. And the last enemy, death, is to be destroyed, for he put all things in subjection under his feet. But whensoever it shall be said, all things are in subjection, it is evident that it means except him who did put into subjection to him all things. But whensoever have been put into subjection to him all things, then the Son himself also shall be put in subjection to him who put in subjection to him all things, that God may be all things in all.”
Thus, Paul lays out the general order of events on the day
when Jesus “arrives” from heaven. He was the “first-fruit of those
who have fallen asleep” – the first participant in the larger resurrection process.
And therefore, his past resurrection is inextricably linked to the future
resurrection of believers.
Since death came into existence through a man, Adam, so “through
a man,” Christ, will come the raising of the dead. Just as “in Adam, all
die,” so in Christ, all will be made alive. His followers are waiting to be
raised at his arrival on the “Day of Christ” - (1
Thessalonians 1: 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23, 2
Thessalonians 2:1, 2:8).
Paul provided the clear key for when the resurrection will
occur. First, he correlated it with the “arrival” or parousia of
Jesus; and second, he specified that it will mean nothing less than “the end”
of death. All this will occur after Jesus “delivers up the kingdom to his
God and Father, whenever he brings to nothing all rule and all authority and
power,” including the “last enemy” – Death. His purpose was not to
describe the coming of Jesus in all its details but to substantiate his
argument for the future resurrection.
Boasting on the Day
of our Lord Jesus. Paul referred to
the “Day of our Lord Jesus” in his first letter, the day when all
believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ - (1 Corinthians 5:4-5).
- (2 Corinthians 1:13-14) - “For no other things are we writing to you than what you are reading or even acknowledging. I hope, moreover, that throughout you will acknowledge, according as you have also acknowledged us in part, that your theme of boasting is us, even as you also will be ours in the day of our Lord Jesus.”
On that day, Paul
expected the faith of the Corinthians would become his “boast,” and vice
versa, the mutual evidence of his and their faithfulness, and the grounds for their
vindication before Christ’s tribunal. Paul expressed a similar sentiment to the
church at Thessalonica - (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20).
In his Corinthian
correspondence, Paul referred frequently to the “Day of the Lord Jesus,”
where the Old Testament spoke of the “Day of Yahweh,” the time of
deliverance for the people of God, and the day of destruction for His enemies –
(1 Corinthians 1:8, 5:5,
Philippians 1:6, 1:10, 2:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:1).
Summary. While the
coming of Jesus was not a major topic in either letter to the Corinthians, Paul
affirmed key aspects of that event. First, he expected only one future coming
of Jesus. Second, his “arrival” will occur on the “Day of our Lord
Jesus Christ,” the “Day of the Lord.” Third, it will include the examination
and judgment of the righteous. Fourth, he will “arrive” after he had subjugated
all God’s enemies. And fifth, his coming will include the bodily resurrection
of the dead and the cessation of death itself, the “last enemy.”
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