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The Coming of the Lord.
#17. The N.T. fulfillment.
The revelation of the Lord (I Corinthians).
pp. 23 - 27
We saw that to the Thessalonians the apostle opened up his teaching on faith, love
and hope, and we found them "waiting for God's Son from heaven". I Corinthians
defers the glorious development of the theme of faith, love and hope until chapter 13:,
but gives a place in the opening chapter to another aspect of this writing:--
"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by
Jesus Christ. That in everything ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all
knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that ye come
behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 1: 3-7).
The word that is used for the second coming in I and II Thessalonians is parousia, a
word which is used in Matt. 24: 3, 27, 37 and 39. The occurrences of the word in both
epistles to the Thessalonians are six in number: I Thess. 2: 19, 3: 13, 4: 15, 5: 23 and
II Thess. 2: 1 & 8. Omitting those passages that use the word of an individual "coming"
(as in Titus), the remaining references to the parousia are I Cor. 15: 23; James 5: 7, 8;
II Peter 1: 16, 3: 4, 12 and I John 2: 28. These passages provide a complete revelation
of the character, time and accompaniments of the second coming and, on examination,
they will be found to associate this coming entirely with the hope of Israel. The
observant reader will have noticed that there are no references to the parousia of the Lord
in the epistles of the mystery. This we must consider at some later time.
The Apocalypse.
The word used in I Cor. 1: 7 is not parousia but apokalupsis, and should be rendered
revelation. The word usually refers to a mode of inspiration (as in Gal. 2: 2--"I went up
by revelation"), but in several passages it is used of the second coming of the Lord (see
II Thess. 1: 7; I Pet. 1: 7, 13; 4: 13; Rev. 1: 1 and I Cor. 1: 7). To the churches at
Corinth and Thessalonica, therefore, the apostle uses both words to express the hope
before them: parousia--the personal presence, and apokalupsis--the unveiling of that
Person. II Thess. 1: 7 associates the unveiling with "flaming fire" and "vengeance", and
this statement is but a summary of the great book of the unveiling--"The Book of the
Revelation."
It was this that occupied the hearts of the church at Corinth and at this revelation the
Corinthians were warned that there would be another unveiling--that of their own works:
"For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire" (I Cor. 3: 13). The
close association of the sins of fornication and the eating of things sacrifice to idols found
in I Cor. 7: and 8: becomes more intense when we read these chapters in the light of
Rev. 2: 14 & 20, and of the covenants, old and new. The Corinthians were encouraged