Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

The word “change” is the translation of a Greek word which speaks of an expression which is
assumed from the outside, which act brings about a change of outward expression. It is the change
which occurs in our physical bodies at the Rapture of the Church. These moral bodies become
immortal. These bodies which are now dominated by the soul and adjusted to its control, will be
changed so as to be dominated by the human spirit, and adjusted to its control. The individual is not
himself changed at glorification, only his body ... As such, our present bodies are imperfect mediums
through which the regenerated Spirit-filled inner life of the believer seeks unsuccessfully to express
itself in the fullest measure. The Greek work speaks of the unfitness of our present bodies to fulfill
the claims of the spiritual life. But what a transformation there will be when these bodies of our
humiliation are changed so as to be fashioned like unto the body of His glory. This transformation of
our bodies at the Rapture of the Church results in our bodies being made like our Lord’s body of His
glory, but not only made like it in substance and nature, but made so that they will become a perfect
medium through which our inner spiritual lives can express themselves. He enswathement of glory
will return. Our minds will again function perfectly. Our bodies will be immortal, perfect, free from
all the effects of sin that have accumulated in 6000 years of human history. (K. Wuest)
Justification is a down-payment on the believer’s ultimate sanctification in heaven where – minus
his sin nature, minus human good and evil – he will possess a resurrection body exactly like that of
the Lord Jesus Christ. (R.B. Thieme, Jr.) This is one of three undisputed passages in the Bible on the
rapture, along with 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. The bride of Christ who will
reign with Him will be constituted of translated and resurrected saints, the two companies then
joined forever. (C. Feinberg) At the rapture of the church, Christ will transform our lowly bodies so
that they will be like His glorious body. Then every child of God will be made like the Son of God,
that is, all Christians will receive glorified bodies like His. Their resurrected bodies will be like
Christ’s and their sanctification will be completed. (R. Lightner) The next prophetic event will be the
Rapture or the removal of the Church from the earth (1 Cor. 15:51-55; 1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10;
Phil. 3:21). The Rapture includes the resurrection of all believers who have died during the Church
Age. Then those believers who are alive at that time will be caught up with the newly resurrected
believers to meet Christ in the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18). The Rapture terminates the Church Age and
initiates the Tribulation. (R.B. Thieme, Jr.)
Unlike all other dispensations, the postcanon Church Age is the only era in which no biblical
prophecy will be fulfilled. The only prophetic events concerning the Church Age are its beginning,
which was prophesied by Christ, and its termination at the resurrection, or Rapture. And the only
prophesies fulfilled in the precanon Church Age deal not with the Church but with Israel, whose
national discipline culminated in A.D. 70. Jesus Christ is the key to the divine interpretation of
history, including past, present, and future history. In His timeless deity He knows the future as
clearly as the past or present. The Bible, as the mind of Christ, is not a complete “history book” of
the future. The relatively few future events it describes are selected to reveal Christ, for “the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (R.B. Thieme, Jr.) Perhaps the compound of “morphe”
is used to remind them of the completeness of their future assimilation to Christ ... “Doxa” is always
the outward expression of the spiritual life. It is, if I may so speak, the semblance of the Divine life
in heaven. (W.R. Nicoll)