Paul And The Parousia

Surprisingly, there has never been a comprehensive exegetical study in English of Saint Paul's view of the second coming, or Parousia, of Christ. In this methodical analysis, Joseph Plevnik brings nearly three decades of research to bear on the question of Paul's understanding of this most central tenet of the whole Christ event. With careful attention to the concepts and terms underlying the notion of the Lord's coming, Plevnik examines the key Pauline texts, such as 1 Thess 5:1-11 and 1 Cor 15:23-28. Plevnik then constructs a viable theological interpretation of the great Christian hope, including the language of hope, Christ's parousia and judgment, conflict at Christ's return, the place of the church, and Paul's apocalyptic theology. This volume will be indispensable for any study of Pauline theology, the Parousia, the theology of hope, and apocalypticism. "It is my hope that the book will be not only a scholarly contribution on the topic but also of some personal value to the reader and to the preacher. It may provide a timely reading at the close of the second millennium. The times and seasons, however, are not for us to determine, but a proper preparedness for the Lord's coming is the message of the New Testament, and of Paul in particular. If the Lord's coming may no longer be said to be near, it can still be desired. Marana tha." --Preface

Surprisingly, there has never been a comprehensive exegetical study in English of Saint Paul's view of the second coming, or Parousia, of Christ. In this methodical analysis, Joseph Plevnik brings nearly three decades of research to bear on the question of Paul's understanding of this most central tenet of the whole Christ event. With careful attention to the concepts and terms underlying the notion of the Lord's coming, Plevnik examines the key Pauline texts, such as 1 Thess 5:1-11 and 1 Cor 15:23-28. Plevnik then constructs a viable theological interpretation of the great Christian hope, including the language of hope, Christ's parousia and judgment, conflict at Christ's return, the place of the church, and Paul's apocalyptic theology. This volume will be indispensable for any study of Pauline theology, the Parousia, the theology of hope, and apocalypticism. "It is my hope that the book will be not only a scholarly contribution on the topic but also of some personal value to the reader and to the preacher. It may provide a timely reading at the close of the second millennium. The times and seasons, however, are not for us to determine, but a proper preparedness for the Lord's coming is the message of the New Testament, and of Paul in particular. If the Lord's coming may no longer be said to be near, it can still be desired. Marana tha." --Preface

This is a traditio-historical study of three ideas concerning the eschatological resurrection which Paul brings forward in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23: (a) Jesus' resurrection forms the beginning of the eschatological resurrection; (b) the eschatological resurrection will take place through participation in Jesus' resurrection; (c) the eschatological resurrection will take place at the time of Jesus' parousia. The three ideas are investigated in the following way. Firstly, their occurrence and function in Paul is set out, subsequently their origin is reconstructed, and, finally, analogous Jewish concepts are compared. A critical review of earlier research on these ideas and a literary and historical exegesis of the relevant sections of 1 Corinthians 15 precede the investigations.

Participant Workbook Revised and reformatted! Genesis to Jesus opens the door to deeper understanding of Scripture for all Catholics, especially those who find reading the Bible a daunting task. The book leads the reader on an overview of salvation history in order to give the "big picture," the single plot that runs through the books of the Bible. What is that overarching story? God's plan to bring all humanity into his covenant family. This overview of key covenants from creation to the New Covenant established by Jesus not only helps the reader see how various biblical stories fit together in God's plan, it also provides a foundation for ongoing Bible study. Genesis to Jesus is the first in a series of study guides produced by The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, based in Steubenville, Ohio. The Center, founded in 2000, develops materials to help Catholics deepen their faith through Scripture study. KIMBERLY HAHN is the author of Life-Giving Love: Embracing God's Beautiful Design for Marriage, the Life-Nurturing Love series published by Servant Books, and coauthor, with her husband Scott Hahn, of Rome, Sweet Rome: Our Journey to Catholicism. DR. SCOTT HAHN teaches theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. He is the author of A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture and many other books. They are the parents of six children.

Ben Witherington III offers a comparison and a critical assessment of the end times teachings of Jesus and Paul.