Phillipians 3:20&21

[Guest]

Hey Steve, it is Glenn from the GCS in Thunder Bay.

I am teaching Philippians next Monday and have a question about 3:20&21

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

The focus of the book is strongly on the unity of the Philippian fellowship, and in other places Paul speaks of the church as a body. I also recognize that mention of heavenly citizenship does not force the context to be after death.

Is this verse talking about:
1) Individual trasformation after death?
2) Corporate transformation after death?
3) Individual transformation before death?
4) Corporate transformation before death?

You don't have to turn over every stone for me twice, short answers will be fine.

Kendra and I are looking forward to seeing you next week.

Glenn

[Guest]

Glenn,

It is hard to be dogmatic about the meaning of "our lowly body" in Philippians 3:21.

The first impression is of an individual transformation and glorification at the time of Christ's coming. Other scriptures, of course, speak of such a transformation in such a way as to suggest the change that will come to the individual bodies of believers (e.g., 1 Cor.15:42-49).

On the other hand, the mixing of the plural possessive pronoun ("our") with the singular noun ("body") sounds as if it may be speaking of the corporate "body of Christ" being glorified. There are other instances of this mixing of plural pronouns with the singular "body" (Rom.8:23/ Rev.11:8 [Gr]), which may be suggestive of the same idea. That a corporate maturing of the body of Christ into the image of Christ is to be anticipated is unmistakable in other passages (e.g., Eph.4:13).

As for whether this transformation occurs before or after death, if it is individual, I think it applies to the resurrection (after death, for some) and the rapture (before death, for some)--1 Thess.4:16-18.

If the transformation referred to is corporate, it is possible that it is describing a development in the end of the age, but prior to death and the resurrection...that is, during the lifetime of some future generation of believers. It could, alternatively, be corporate and post-resurrection.

In other words, I don't know for sure. All of the above options have scriptural warrant, but which is referred to by Paul in this passage is perhaps impossible to determine.