A -- Is there not a reference to this in the Revelation?

B -- Yes, in chapter 14:

`And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat

like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His

hand a sharp sickle' (Rev. 14:14).

A -- I think I am quite clear over the prophetic usage of this title.

The titles however that are used in the epistles are those that perplex me

B -- Let us come to 1 Corinthians 15:23, `Christ the firstfruits'.  In

verse 20 we read, `But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the

firstfruits of them that slept'.  This seems to give the clue to the title in

verse 23.  In all its other occurrences it pledges a harvest.  Here in 1

Corinthians 15 the context speaks of Adam at the one extreme, and God all in

all at the other.  This scope of course overleaps all barriers and

dispensational distinctions.  The period with which this parousia is

connected is fixed rather by verse 54, `When ... then ... ` while verse 52

associates it with `the last trump'.

A -- Yes, but the title that I am most concerned about is that used in

1 Thessalonians 4, `the Lord'.  This seems to be so related to the church of

the One Body, `one Lord' coming so prominently in Ephesians 4.

B -- I think you will find that the title `Lord' is a title that covers

Gentile as well as Jew.  For example: you remember the woman of Canaan who

first approached Christ with the title `Son of David'?  but when she realized

the dispensational limitation of that title, she used the wider title `Lord'

(Matt. 15:21 -28).  Again, when Peter was sent to Cornelius and perceived

that the purpose of God's grace went outside the confines of Israel, he said:

`The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by

Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all:)' (Acts 10:36).

The use of this title in 1 Thessalonians 4 would not necessarily mean

more than that Gentile believers were included, but could not of itself

decide whether it included the church of the Mystery.  I think you would

discover more of the character of this parousia, and whether it included the

hope of the One Body, by observing the setting of the occurrences as well as

the titles used.

A -- I must confess that when I first noticed the use of the title

`Lord', I felt that I had found a weak place in your argument, but I realize

that none of the titles after all do decide the question I raised.  I will

collect the various settings and perhaps we shall arrive at something more

B -- Yes, do, and see that you pursue the truth for its own sake, and

not for the purpose of finding a flaw in the argument of somebody else.  That

often prejudices the study.