Lately, I have been reviewing what it means to be raptured and how that plays into my doctrinal beliefs. I have often wondered if by focusing so much attention on the idea of a "rapture" that we have overlooked the hope of resurrection. I recently wrote a paper for a class on Paul, that dealt with that issue. Here it is, as I am still working through several of the thoughts and ideas in it, any comments or ideas are appreciated.
Paul’s writing is a plethora of wealth when it comes to theology. He deals with not only what it means to be saved but also acts like God’s modern prophet declaring what God wills when it comes to social justice, righteous living, and just about any other major topic one can think of. Besides the major doctrinal teachings of justification, sanctification, and salvation Paul spends a lot of time writing about the Spirit and the return of Christ. When reading Paul’s letters in chronological order one of the biggest themes that emerge is eschatology. In just about every letter that Paul writes one can find his view of what to expect in relation to Christ’s return. One can also trace the evolution of Paul’s theology of eschatology through his letters. By tracing this thought pattern it is evident that Paul originally seemed to show his Jewish thoughts and as time progressed he proclaimed one that hope for the Gentiles as well.
Part One: Jewish Ties
In Paul’s earliest letters he seems to deal mostly with the return of Christ in regard to a Jewish perspective. The focus seems to be more in line with 2nd temple beliefs of kingdom and day of the Lord than rapture or resurrection. This very well could have come from Paul the Pharisee who was writing with the traditions that he was brought up in. However, these views also crop up in his later material as well. Because of how Paul disperses his views on these subjects one has to try to piece together Paul’s beliefs based on a very small amount of material.
The immanence of the kingdom can bee seen in how Paul refers to reaping what is being sown. In Galatians 6:6-10 Paul uses the words “sow” and “reap” seven times. Paul argues that if one sows evil than he will reap corruption but sowing spirit reaps eternal life (v8). While admittedly this is not one of the more developed thoughts on Paul’s view, there is clearly a thought that Paul viewed an eternal life. It is in this eternal life that Paul is encouraging the believers and trying to motivate them to grow in their faith. Also by using these farming terms that an agricultural society would understand it adds a temporal element to the passage. It does not seem likely that Paul would have used these words to indicate a distance return of Christ or eternal life. The reason for this assertion is that sowing and reaping are specific times and the idea that you reap what you sow would keep that idea even in metaphoric language.
Moving away from the book of Galatians Paul seems to drop the metaphor of sowing and reaping to use language that was more in line with an Old Testament view of the Day of The Lord. Based on the assumption that Paul would have had not problem substituting the title Christ for Lord while writing Philippians. In this context the day of Christ (Phil 2:16) would be a time of judgment upon non-believers or non-faithful and restoration for those who are believers. Paul being a Pharisee would have known the Scriptures that described the day of the Lord. In Zephaniah 1:7 the prophet paints a portrait that God is going to consecrate his people. In contrast Zephaniah uses the phrase to show judgment in verse 1:14. Malachi also writes that the day of the Lord is the time where he brings the people back to him (4:1-6). Paul continues to work this theme in Philippians when he writes that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Christ (2:10-11).
In Romans it seems that Paul believed the idea that God had a special plan set aside for Israel, which was a separate plan than for the body of Christ. Paul writes that the “Christ who is God over all” belongs to the Israelites since they received the Promise (Romans 9:4-5). This is important to this kingdom or day of the Lord eschatology that Paul has been weaving throughout his books since the idea of “Messiah” or “Anointed” usually comes in the form of a king or leader. In the Old Testament God anointed Gideon, and he became like the king. God also anointed kings Saul, David, and Solomon showing his blessing on their rule. So it would make sense that if there is an anointed ruler or Messiah, then there must a kingdom for them rule. Paul shows how that happens in Romans as well. Paul explains that Israel has been partially put aside for now “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25). Paul then says that this is how all of Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). For those who would critic this and say what about the promises, Paul also addresses this by saying it is because of the promises that God made with the Israelites forefathers they will be saved (Romans 28).
Part Two: Resurrection
Before moving directly into resurrection one must deal with another debated issue and that is the rapture. The reason for having to deal with this first is that it sets up how does 1 Corinthians 15 relate to resurrection versus the ideas of rapture. This is a hot button issue between covenant and dispensational theologians, but focusing on the Jewishness of Paul, it seems that it is more likely the church reading a theology back into Paul than Paul writing the theology. The biblical support for rapture comes from two passages; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Pastors often use 2 Corinthians 5 to substantiate the claim that to be absent from the body is to be present with the lord. However that does not seem to be the argument that Paul is making in this section. He seems to be comparing our bodies to tents and is making the case that our heavenly tents will come after our earthly tent is destroyed (5:1). Paul continues this argument by discussing how we groan in the earthly body waiting for the heavenly body (5:2). Paul reasons that it is because are heavenly body is so much better than the earthly one (5:3-5). Now in verses 6-8 which is where the absent from the body part comes in, Paul is still talking about an earthly body and future body. This is resurrection. Paul’s argument is that while we are still in our earthly body, we are away from the Lord, which is true. Paul also comments that we would rather be away from the body and with the Lord (5:3-6). The argument becomes then that while we have a sinful body, which Paul argues in Romans extensively, we are apart from the Lord, yet one day we will have a heavenly body which is perfect. Now it is important to understand this argument understand the next passage
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is the rapture passage. The rapture belief is that Jesus and fellow dead believers are going to come halfway down and catch up the believers on Earth to them. Now there are several problems with this. The first is that Paul is arguing in this passage about what happens to believers who die while waiting for the coming of the Lord. Paul states that because Christ rose, so to can we trust that the dead will raise (4:14). In verse 15, Paul states that those who are left will not rise before the dead. People have used this verse to help support the absent from the body claim referred to above. The second problem in dealing with the rapture is that the language is like the coming of a king, announced with cry of command and the sound of a trumpet (4:16). This sounds very much like the coming of the Lord which would make this a resurrection passage. In 4:17 talks about believers who are alive will be caught up in the air with the dead to meet the Lord. While many hold this to be rapture it makes just as much sense if it resurrection. Suppose we read the passage as this, Paul is making a statement of trust, since Christ rose again, believers can trust he will bring the dead with him. To answer the question of how, Paul says, Christ will comeback like a king and the dead in Christ will rise. Okay so now Christ has come back, the dead have been resurrected, so what happens to those alive at this time? Paul answers that as well, by saying then those who are alive will be caught up to Christ. Therefore, as mentioned this passage does not have to refer to a rapture of believers as normally taught but can and most likely refer to resurrection.
Also this view of resurrection seems to interact nicely with Paul’s major discourse in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul has a three-fold argument in this passage, first that Christ’s resurrection can be verified by witness, that because Christ has been resurrected Christians can have hope, and how are the dead raised. If one is inclined they can also read Romans, Colossians, and Ephesians to find these same tones through out them. To begin with Paul seems to be dealing with the question of could the early believers trust that Christ rose again. Paul tells those in Corinth that first we have what was done according to the scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4). Next Paul argues that Christ appeared to Peter and the apostles (15:5). If that still was not enough proof, Paul points that there were over 500 witnesses to his ascension and that many of those witnesses were alive (15:6). This is an important inclusion for Paul to make as it let the hearers or readers of the letter know that they could find people who saw and question them directly. Paul concludes the list of witnesses of the resurrected Christ with his own account (15:8ff). This gave Paul credibility in this account because of the nature of that claim.
The second issue that Paul deals with seems to be answering the charge that even though Christ rose from the dead believers would not. Paul logically answers, idiot (okay he may have only thought it), if there is no resurrection then Christ cannot be resurrected (15:13). Paul then argues that if Christ is not raised from the dead than everything that has been happening is pointless, the preaching is in vain, their faith is in vain, believers are still stuck in sin, there is no hope for the dead, and believers are to be pitied (15:14-19). As mentioned earlier this seems to be crux of hope for Paul and without there is nothing. Paul defends his belief saying that it will happen like this, First Christ, then his followers, then the end, where he sits in Judgment destroying the authorities and powers of the fallen world. (15:23-24). Paul then argues that it is because of this promise of resurrection that we are baptized on behalf of the dead. The dead in this instance is most likely Christ which is a baptism that Paul names in Romans 6. In that passage Paul writes we are baptized into Christ death, therefore we will rise with him and we are united in that baptism which gives hope for the resurrection (6:3-5).
The third part of Paul’s discourse on resurrection is how the dead are raised. It appears from the text that Paul has been asked this question or what will the new body look like (15:35). Paul answers the second question first saying that the body will be an imperishable, heavenly body, which has already been discussed earlier, and that the first man (body) came from earth, therefore the second man (body) has to come from heaven (15:42-49). Next Paul answers the how, saying “we shall not all sleep but we shall be all changed” (15:51). Paul goes on to describe that the event will happen “in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable…” (15:52). Notice the language here, it is almost exactly like the language that is used in 1 Thessalonians, and here Paul specifically refers back to the resurrection. Paul seems to cement this argument by bring it right back to the idea if the perishable being made imperishable and the mortal made immortal (15:53).
In conclusion one can see that Paul’s view of the return of Christ did not stray far from his second temple upbringing. He viewed it as a literal kingdom with a day of judgment. Paul also focused on future hope, which is resurrection from the dead, which seems to also be connected with the Old Testament prophets. This also seems to differ from what seems to be so commonly taught by way of the rapture and millennial kingdom verses eternal kingdom. It seems that Paul was mainly interested only in the eternal kingdom, since that is the hope of believers, resurrection for eternity with Christ and God.
