What Will the Unveiling of Jesus Christ Do for Us?
(Comments on 1 Cor. 1:8-9)
By Jonathan Mitchell

1 Cor. 1:7 ended with Paul speaking about:

"being ones habitually receiving and taking away into your hands from out of our Lord's [= Yahweh's, or Christ's] unveiling: Jesus Christ (or: from the midst of the uncovering and revelation of our Lord, Jesus [the] Anointed; or: forth from the disclosure from our Lord, which is Jesus Anointed),"

So what does Paul go on to say that He will do? Let us investigate his next words:

8. Who will continue making you folks stable, certain and established on good footing until maturity (attainment of the purposed goal; accomplishment of the intended and destined results; finished): people not [being] open to accusation (or: those not in the midst of a [legal] charge, not being called into account, or considered in some category; unimpeachable ones), within the midst of and in union with this Day of our Lord - Jesus Christ! (or: in the, or this, Day which is our Lord, Jesus Christ; or: in the day of [Yahweh], which is our Master, Jesus [the] Anointed.).

Now he tells them that Jesus

"will continue making you folks stable, certain and established on good footing until maturity..."

We just read, in 6b, above, that the witness and testimony (which was a "disclosure" to them that made them a called-out community) "was made certain, stable and established on good footing (or: validated and confirmed) within, and among" them. Cf a similar statement in 2 Cor. 1:21. So now we read that He will continue to establish them, until they reach maturity. This calls to mind Eph. 4:13,

"until we - the whole of mankind (all people) - can (or: would) come down to the goal (or: attain; arrive at; meet accordingly; meet down face-to-face): into the state of oneness from, and which is, The Faithfulness, and which is the full, experiential and intimate knowledge (or: and from recognition; and of discovery; as well as pertaining to insight) which is (or: of; from; in reference to) the Son of God, [growing] into [the] purposed and destined adult man (complete, finished, full-grown, perfect, goal-attained, mature manhood) - into (or: unto) [the] measure of [the] stature (full age; prime of life) of the entire content which comprises the Anointed One."

Take note, in vs. 8 above, of the parenthetical expansion of "maturity." It means

"attainment of the purposed goal; accomplishment of the intended and destined results; finished."

But further, they would be

"people [that are] not open to accusation (etc.)."

How would this be accomplished? By being

"within the midst of and in union with this Day of our Lord..."

We find in 2 Cor. 6:2 that this Day is now! In 1 Thes. 5:5 we read that,

"for you see, you all are sons of (from; associated with and having the qualities of; or: which are) Light and sons of (from; associated with and having qualities of; or: which are [the]) Day!"

And in Rom. 13:13 Paul tells us,

"As within [the] Day, we should (may; can) walk about (= live our lives) respectably."

It is for these reasons that I chose the demonstrative use of the definite article, "this," in the bold rendering. The parenthetical expansion of the last compound phrase of vs. 8, above, offers the terms

"our Lord Jesus Christ"

as a genitive of apposition:

"in the Day which is our Lord, Jesus Christ."

Christ IS the Day of the Lord. This phrase was used by the OT prophets to signify God's influence and activity upon a people. Associating those prophecies with the Age of the Messiah (in which Paul was, and we are, living), on offer is,

"in the day of [Yahweh], which is our Master, Jesus [the] Anointed."

2 Pet. 1:19 put it this way:

"And so, we continue having (or: constantly hold) the Idea which was spoken ahead of time in and as Light (or: the prior-enlightened Thought and Reason; or: the Prophetic Word) more confirmed (validated; established; certain), by which (or: in which) you folks continue doing beautifully (performing ideally; producing finely), while continuously holding toward (= playing close attention to) [it] as to a lamp continually shining within a parched place - until which [time or occasion] the Day may shine through and a light bearer [= a morning star] may rise within your hearts (or: constantly heeding, as to a lamp progressively making things appear in a dark, dingy or dirty place, until that the Day can dawn, and a light-bringer can arise in union with your core and innermost being)."

The Day is within us (in the core of our being), and we are in the Day (Christ). But Paul concludes this affirmation describing the present state of being of his Corinthian listeners in the next verse:

9. God [is] full of faith, trustworthy, loyal and faithful - through Whom you folks were called (summoned) into a common being of and existence from (or: partnership, participation, fellowship, sharing and communion with) His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord (Owner; Master).

Take note of the supplied copula "[is]" in this common Greek construction, as we found in vs. 3, above. This statement is a description of God: "full of faith, trustworthy, loyal and faithful." These adjectives describe God. When He forms us to be in His image (as seen in Jesus), then we too become full of faith, trustworthy, loyal and faithful. We find this statement repeated in 10:13, below:

"Now God [is] faithful, loyal, trustworthy, and full of faith and trust - One who will not permit (let, allow; or: let go; leave alone) you folks to be tested, tried, tempted or made to undergo an ordeal above (or: over; = beyond) that which you people continue having ability and power [to handle or endure], but to the contrary, together with the trial (or: ordeal), He will also continually make the way out (the egress; or: He also will habitually do the stepping forth from out of the midst; or: He will even progressively construct the out-come) to continually enable and repeatedly empower you folks to undergo [it] (to bear up under [it]; to carry on under [it], sustain [it], and lead on)."

We find another witness of this in 1 Thes. 5:21,

"The One continuously calling you is faithful (trustworthy; loyal; full of faith and trust), Who will also perform (do, make, form, construct, create, produce) [it; this]!"

This is echoed in Heb. 10:23b,

"the One promising [is] Faithful, Trustworthy and Loyal!"

It is through Him that we were called (see vs. 2, above) and invited to participate in Him. This experience, and this new existence is described as coming "into a common being of, and existence from, His Son." Put this way it seems hard to understand or accept, but the Greek word means exactly this. Koinònia has as its root -òn-, which is a present participle of the verb "to be; to exist." The prefix koin- means "common." We have been invited into a "common being" with His Son. A "common existence, from His Son." This is HOW we become His body, with Him as our Head. It happens through means of His call and invitation to us. This is the work of God (as seen in the passive voice); we do not choose to be involved in this common being (of God and us). It is a call to discipleship and to be His representatives to the world about us. Jesus put this plainly in Jn. 15:16,

"You yourselves did not choose Me, but to the contrary I, Myself, selected and picked out (or: chose) you folks and placed (or: set) you, to the end that you would (or: can; may) progressively lead and bring [situations] under control (or: humbly go your way) and would (or: can; should) be constantly bearing (bringing forth) fruit..."

The fruit is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25), and its purpose is to feed the aggregate of humanity.

Now the extended meanings of the term, koinònia, signify "partnership, participation, fellowship, sharing and communion with," but they are all watered-down meanings of the central meaning of the word. A partnership is a "common existence" in a business venture. Participation expresses personal involvement. Fellowship expresses association and interaction. Sharing is an incarnation of Love. And communion expresses intimacy.

But none of these hit the core meaning of a "common existence" or a "common being" - both of which are ontological and existential expressions. What the primary message conveys is that WE have been called, and invited, into a COMMON EXISTENCE, or a common BEING, with Christ. If we render the genitive phrase as apposition we can get a picture of what theologians have called "the mystical body of Christ," i.e.: "a common existence WHICH IS His Son," i.e., the corporate body of the last Adam, or, the Second Humanity. This is what Israel was made to become (Ex. 4:22). This is what UNION brings. Participation in His Son - being "in Christ." We recall here Gal. 4:4,

"Yet when the effect of the filling of the time came (or: that which was filled up by time reached full term), forth from out of a mission (or: from out of the midst of [Himself]), God sent-off His Son..."

This speaks to us of Jn. 3:16,

"For thus God loves (or: You see God, in this manner, fully gives Himself to and urges toward reunion with) the aggregate of humanity so that He gives His..."

And we should not forget Rom. 8:29,

"because those whom He foreknew He also marked out beforehand (defined and designed in advance) [as] copies of the image (material likeness; mirrored image) of His Son into the [situation for] Him to be the Firstborn among, within the center of, and in union with many brothers."

These verses help us complete the picture of our being called, or summoned, into a common existence with His Son.

Jonathan

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