We are continuing to work our way through 1 Corinthians after having been interrupted by a couple of surgeries and a much needed vacation.
(1Co 7:29-31 ESV) 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
Some commentators take these words to mean that Paul anticipates a Second Coming within his lifetime. That’s very unlikely. After all, a reading of the Apostolic Fathers (First and Second Century materials written by uninspired Christians) reveals no surprise or disappointment that Jesus had not yet already come.
Paul’s point is that “the present crisis” (the famine) is like that of the End, which is approaching; in other words, the present woes of vv. 25-28 are in some senses typical of the parousia woes alluded to in vv. 29-31. Both types of troubles give those Corinthians considering marriage cause for “concern,” to use the language of v. 32. But they are not the same thing. The new idea is that since believers know where the world is headed, they are not to allow the world to dictate their existence. The primary purpose of vv.29-31 is to set the question of whether to marry or not in proper proportion and perspective. The prospect of a new heaven and new earth takes the edge off prevailing troubles on this earth and may even enable a believer to endure a marital or social status they consider unsatisfying or undesirable and glorify God within it. According to Paul, being married or not is not central to the Corinthians’ (or our) identity, but rather being “in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:30).
Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians (Pillar NTC; Accordance electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), 343.
I think the truth runs even a little deeper. Whether Jesus comes tomorrow or a thousands years from tomorrow, he is coming and he is coming to complete his mission to redeem the Creation and all humanity. Therefore, we need to busy about our Master’s business — which is our highest priority. The Second Coming is always at the forefront of our thinking, no matter how long Jesus waits.
Our marriages, celebrations, mournings, and possessions cannot drive what we do today because these things will always be here. If they stand between us and Jesus today, they’ll stand between us and Jesus tomorrow and for the next thousand years. The time to put Jesus first is now.
Paul is speaking in parallel with —
(Luk 9:57-62 ESV) 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Paul continues —
(1Co 7:32-35 ESV) 32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
Paul next explains why he prefers that his readers be unmarried. Marriage is no sin, but being single can eliminate divided concerns — especially in a city where famine would threaten their very lives and persecution was not far in the future.
Even today, it would seem far easier to send single men and women into Islamic and other dangerous lands. It’s hard to imagine a married man traveling to Liberia in the midst of an Ebola outbreak.
Scroll Publishing explains the nature of the early church this way —
When a devastating plague swept across the ancient world in the third century, Christians were the only ones who cared for the sick, which they did at the risk of contracting the plague themselves. Meanwhile, pagans were throwing infected members of their own families into the streets even before they died, in order to protect themselves from the disease.
There are, of course, countless examples of married Christians taking great risks and suffering great loss for the sake of Jesus. Being married is no disqualifier. But there are circumstances where being single can be to the advantage of the kingdom and Jesus’ mission.
If the “present distress” was a famine that impacted the Corinthians, how did they have the resources to send aid to the famine victims in Judea (1 Cor 16:1-4)?
Jay said that he doesn’t think Paul, and taking it that Jay doesn’t think any of the apostles thought Jesus would return in their lifetime.
I would like to see how Jay and others here from the CofC camp exegete these Scriptures written by the apostles.
Philippians 4:5 Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon.
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
1 John 2:18 Children, it’s the end of time. You’ve heard that an antichrist is coming. Certainly, many antichrists are already here. That’s how we know it’s the end of time.
How does Jay and the others here from the CofC camp explain what Jesus told the disciples to expect in these Scriptures?
Jesus said, speaking to the disciples, that He will come again before they finish going to the cities in Israel.
Matthew 10:23 When you are treated badly in one city, go to another city. I promise you that you will not finish going to all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes again.
Jesus said, speaking to the disciples, that some of them standing there will not see death till they see His second coming with the angels.
Matthew 16:27-28 The Son of Man will come again with His Father’s glory and with His angels. And He will reward everyone for what they have done. Believe Me when I say that there are some people standing here who will see the Son of Man coming with His kingdom before they die.
Grace,
There is no standard Church of Christ position on these passages, except a uniform respect for the inspiration of the scriptures. What the authors said is true. It’s not just true that they said what they said. What they said is true.
And yet the Second Coming has not yet happened. I mean, I’m pretty sure I’m not in heaven right now. So what do these passages (and many like them) point to?
First, there is no rule that says must all mean the same thing. And I doubt that they do. Each must be interpreted in light of its own context. For example, Phil 4:5 is translated variously as —
(Phi 4:5 ESV) 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
(Phi 4:5 NET) Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near!
(Phi 4:5 NIV) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Tyndale commentary explains,
Ralph P. Martin, Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale NTC 11; IVP/Accordance electronic ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 174-175.
On the other hand, I take Matt 16:27-28 to be a reference to the glorification of Jesus.
R. T. France, Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale NTC 1; IVP/Accordance electronic ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 264-265.
Daniel’s prophecies are a key theme coursing through the NT. It’s hardly surprising that Jesus would sometime speak in such terms. Our mistake is to read and interpret without taking into account the OT background.
(Dan 7:13–14 ESV) 13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.”
This happened likely immediately following Jesus’ ascension and then at Pentecost. The use of “kingdom” by Jesus must be taken in prophetic terms — and it’s not the 1000-year reign but the events leading to the founding of the church, the outpoured Spirit, etc.
In other cases, the language of the end coming soon is not predictive. Jesus plainly said that he did not know when the Second Coming would be and that we’d be surprised. Hence, neither did the apostles know. Therefore, passages about the end being “near” are not intended to express an opinion as to just when Jesus would return. Rather, the events that must happen first according to prophecy have all happened. Jesus therefore could come — as a thief in the night — at any time. And we will all die soon enough and find ourselves transported to the end. Judgment is not far away for any of us — and so we must live as though the times are short. We are in the final age before Judgment, and no one has been promised time to repent.
The thought is expressed by Paul at greater length in this passage —
Grace you seem to have a malicious intent on assinging a particular belief to coC and catching them in it. This belef that you seem to think that only the coC believe in is most likely shared by baptist, etc and all those who don’t believe that Jesus came in 70 AD. The time of “the time is at hand” is relative as either Jesus came recently after this was said or Jesus coming was being looked forward to in the future without a definite time set.
In regards to Matt.10 and Matt.16 Jesus did come back again after he died from the grave to visit the apostles and then he ascended to the throne of His kingdom.The verses that you give from Philippians, I Peter and I John came after Matt and Mark statements and Paul had even spent personal time with Jesus after His conversion. There is a difference between being here and being here to judge all of humanity in the fulness of time.
Jesus is the King, thus the kingdom of Jesus is established and we are his servants and His children and His slaves as He is our master. Jesus is prophet, preist and King. He rules!
Jay said speaking of Daniel 7:13-14, “This happened likely immediately following Jesus’ ascension and then at Pentecost.”
Jesus didn’t come in the clouds to the disciples after His resurrection, He came to them on land and was already with them.
Luke 24:13-15 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.
John 20:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
John 21:1-8 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing.” They said to him, We are going with you also. They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, Children, have you any food? They answered Him, No. And He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord! Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.
Acts 1:3-4 For forty days after Jesus had suffered and died, he proved in many ways that he had been raised from death. He appeared to his apostles and spoke to them about God’s kingdom. While he was still with them, he said: Don’t leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has promised to do.
After Jesus had been with them He ascended to heaven. As Jesus ascends to heaven two angels declared the prophecy of Jesus’ Second Coming as Daniel’s describes it.
Acts 1:9-11 It was not long afterwards that he rose into the sky and disappeared into a cloud, leaving them staring after him. As they were straining their eyes for another glimpse, suddenly two white-robed men were standing there among them, and said, Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as he went, he will return!
Jay said, “Daniel’s prophecies are a key theme coursing through the NT. It’s hardly surprising that Jesus would sometime speak in such terms. Our mistake is to read and interpret without taking into account the OT background.”
I absolutely agree.
Matthew 26:29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.
Daniel 2:44 At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever.
Daniel 7:13-14 is not speaking about Jesus coming to the disciples after His resurrection.
Matthew 24 and Mark pictures the Second Coming of Christ from Daniel 7:13-14 following His judgment upon the beast.
Daniel 7:11-12 I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
Matthew 24:15 Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place”…
vs 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
vs 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
vs 30-31Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mark 13:14 So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not…
vs 19 For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.
vs 26-27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
Since there is no intermediate state, the Second Coming was as eminent then as it is now. One moment your breathing your last, the next your resuscitated with immortality, wandering around the graveyard before getting snatched away with the living to welcome King Jesus! So we must live each day as if it’s the last.
Unless the OT prophecy is directly quoted in the NT it is really impossible to tell when and where the prophecy falls exactly. Most of the prophecies were fulfilled before or during the time of Christ, but still some may yet to be fulfilled because time is really irrelevant to God. Because only God knows the point at which a prophecy is fulfilled we are often in the dark unless it is spelled out for us in the scriptures or we have very, very good clues left for us.
This means that to live our lives under the burdern of prophecy is filled with a certain uncertainty. All we really have to know is that God is not slack regarding his promises and if he says it will happen then it will happen.
R.J. makes a good point. We must act now and live like there is no tomorrow, because the final day is said to “come as a theif in the night”, but our final day on this earth might be even sooner if we die before the judgment day comes.
Grace,
Is it really necessary to proof text the fact that Jesus was on earth while he was on earth? It’s obvious to everyone.
The question is what did Daniel mean when spoke of Jesus’ coming on clouds of glory?
Joyce G. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale OTC 23; IVP/Accordance electronic ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 158.
Pentecost took place on top of mountain on the anniversary of the giving of the Law of Moses. The tongues of fire and sound of wind are reminiscent of Sinai. Just as God appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai, Jesus appeared to the apostles, first, in Jerusalem (atop Mt. Sinai) and, second, at his Ascension — which triggered the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost — the very presence of God (God the Spirit). Jesus came by the Spirit.
Moreover, Daniel 7:13-14 plainly refers to Jesus “coming” before the Ancient of Days (God the Father), and this happened at the Ascension.
And so, Matt 16:27 refers to same event.
“Coming” doesn’t necessarily mean “returning.” In Dan 7, it means to appear in God’s presence. The Greek work can even mean “go” per BDAG.
Thus, “clouds of heaven” therefore quite naturally refers to the glory (Shekinah) of God that surrounds him in heaven (at on top of Mt. Sinai). It’s clouds of heaven — not earth.
But this doesn’t mean that every reference to Jesus “coming” was fulfilled at the Ascension and Jesus’ exaltation in heaven. I think similar language is also used of the destruction of Jerusalem as well as the end of time. You can’t be too mechanical in reading the prophets. Similar language is often used of differing events, to show their correspondence.
Many would have us believe that Jesus has not come into his kingdom, they contend that will be in the future. If that was true then this message from Christ has been not fulfilled.
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Doing a search on the word kingdom and and how and where it shows up should be enough to convince anyone that this statement is true when Jesus said in Matt.13 “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.” and when He was provoked by Pontus in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Jesus was the future King so there was a kingdom established, but he had not recieved in yet from God.
There is a spiritual kingdom, which is God’s rule, in the heart of every believer. This is an invisible spiritual kingdom. In this way, we are in the kingdom. However, there is a literal kingdom, a Messianic rule by Jesus that will commence after His Second Coming when He will be physically present to rule from Israel for 1000 years and the saints with Him. This is the true kingdom on earth that we are to be patiently waiting for.
The Kingdom is not the church.
Daniel 7:9-10 As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
The Ancient of Days enters the throne room (Daniel 7:9-10). God the Father taking the seat of judgment. The beast with the boastful horn is tossed into the lake of fire (Daniel 7:11-12).
Daniel 7:21-22 While I was looking, this horn attacked God’s chosen ones and was winning the battle. Then God Most High, the Eternal God, came and judged in favor of His chosen ones, because the time had arrived for them to be given the kingdom.
Daniel 7:26-27 But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
Matthew 13:41-43 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Matthew 24:30 Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man. All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Daniel 2:44 At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever.
In Revelation 5 we see the moment the Lamb takes the scroll and the end of times is loosed upon the earth. He receives all dominion that was held by the beasts and His reign will be permanent.
Dan 7:13-14 parallels the events of Revelation 4-5 which describes a heavenly scene between Jesus and the Father as He takes the scroll to unleash the wrath of the Lamb upon the entire earth (Revelation 6-19).
Daniel 7 does not refer to His first coming, but His second. It is about Jesus’ Second Coming to establish His kingdom and rule over the nations.
I guess the Christ that we read about in The Bible, is really not The Lord of Lords, King of Kings yet, sounds like that is not possible until the second coming.
But, then I must ask is this not Christ giving us this explanation in Matt. 13? Notice carefully, I do not believe that Christ will steer us wrong.
(Mat 13:10 KJV) And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
(mysteries of the kingdom of heaven), He is going to tell the Disciples and they tell us.
(Mat 13:18 KJV) Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
The (kingdom has words which can be understood), if you can’t understand it the wicked one has got ya.
(Mat 13:38 KJV) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
There are (children in the kingdom) it has to exist, there are (children of the wicked one) they are both in the (field) which is the (world) both are living together in the world.
(Mat 13:39 KJV) The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
(the harvest is the end of the world) the following verse also states that will be an event at the end of the world.
(Mat 13:40 KJV) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Christ gives us the details of how that will be conducted. Notice he tells us that there will be things in (his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity).
(Mat 13:41 KJV) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
He has stated that this will be at the end of the world, many are teaching that the world will become a kingdom where Christ will reign as Lord and King where there will be no sin (all will be perfected into a perfect world just like it would have been prior to the entry of sin into the world), where will Christ find those which will be cast out of the perfect world?