Word Studies¶

parousia - G3952¶

Original: parousia Transliteration: parousía Definition: a being near, i.e. advent; often return; specifically of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked; by implication physically, aspect Part of Speech: Feminine noun Occurrences: 24 total (19 in KJV translations: 18x "coming", 1x "presence")

Key Occurrences¶

Matthew 24:3 -- "what shall be the sign of thy coming" (disciples ask Jesus)
Matthew 24:27 -- "so shall also the coming of the Son of man be"
Matthew 24:37 -- "so shall also the coming of the Son of man be"
Matthew 24:39 -- "so shall also the coming of the Son of man be"
1 Corinthians 15:23 -- "they that are Christ's at his coming"
1 Thessalonians 2:19 -- "in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming"
1 Thessalonians 3:13 -- "at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
1 Thessalonians 4:15 -- "unto the coming of the Lord"
1 Thessalonians 5:23 -- "unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
2 Thessalonians 2:1 -- "by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
2 Thessalonians 2:8 -- "destroy with the brightness of his coming"
James 5:7-8 -- "unto the coming of the Lord... the coming of the Lord draweth nigh"
2 Peter 3:4 -- "Where is the promise of his coming?"
2 Peter 3:12 -- "the coming of the day of God"
1 John 2:28 -- "when he shall appear... at his coming"

Pattern¶

The word parousia is used for the second coming by both Jesus (Matthew 24) and Paul (1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians), as well as James, Peter, and John. This is a SHARED vocabulary item between Jesus and Paul for the same event.

koimao - G2837¶

Original: koimaomai (passive) Transliteration: koimáō Definition: to put to sleep; passively or reflexively, to slumber; figuratively, to decease Part of Speech: Verb Occurrences: 18 total (17 in KJV: "sleep" 3x, "slept" 2x, "sleeping" 2x, "fallen asleep" 2x, "asleep" 2x, etc.)

Key Occurrences¶

1 Thessalonians 4:13 -- "concerning them which are asleep" (kekoimemenon -- perf. pass. ptcp)
1 Thessalonians 4:14 -- "them also which sleep in Jesus" (koimethentes -- aor. pass. ptcp)
1 Thessalonians 4:15 -- "shall not prevent them which are asleep" (koimethentes -- aor. pass. ptcp)
1 Corinthians 15:6 -- "some are fallen asleep" (ekoimethisan)
1 Corinthians 15:18 -- "they also which are fallen asleep in Christ"
1 Corinthians 15:20 -- "firstfruits of them that slept"
1 Corinthians 15:51 -- "We shall not all sleep" (koimethesometha -- fut. pass.)
2 Peter 3:4 -- "since the fathers fell asleep"

Pattern¶

Koimao is used as a euphemism for death throughout the NT. In 1 Corinthians 15:51, "we shall not all sleep" = "we shall not all die." This is not about literal sleeping.

allasso - G236¶

Original: allasso Transliteration: allássō Definition: to make different; to change Part of Speech: Verb Occurrences: 6 total - 1 Corinthians 15:51 -- "we shall all be changed" (allagisometha -- fut. pass.) - 1 Corinthians 15:52 -- "we shall be changed" (allagisometha) - Acts 6:14, Romans 1:23, Galatians 4:20, Hebrews 1:12

apostasia - G646¶

Original: apostasia Transliteration: apostasía Definition: defection from truth (properly, the state); apostasy Part of Speech: Feminine noun Occurrences: 2 NT, 5 LXX - 2 Thessalonians 2:3 -- "except there come a falling away first" - Acts 21:21 -- "thou teachest all the Jews...to forsake Moses" - LXX: Joshua 22:22, 2 Chronicles 29:19, 33:19, Jeremiah 2:19, 29:32

perileipo - G4035¶

Original: perileipomenos (passive participle) Transliteration: perileípō Definition: to leave all around, i.e. (passively) to survive Part of Speech: Verb Occurrences: 2 total -- ONLY in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 17 - 1 Thessalonians 4:15 -- "we which are alive and remain" (hoi perileipomenoi -- pres. pass. ptcp) - 1 Thessalonians 4:17 -- "we which are alive and remain" (hoi perileipomenoi)

Pattern¶

This word occurs only twice in the entire NT, both in the same passage. The present passive participle "the ones being left around/remaining" describes those believers who survive until the parousia. It does not specify WHEN this occurs or WHO specifically will be among them.

enistemi - G1764¶

Original: enistemi Transliteration: enístēmi Definition: to place on hand, i.e. (reflexively) impend, be present Part of Speech: Verb Occurrences: 7 total

Key for 2 Thessalonians 2:2¶

The Greek in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 uses enesteken (perfect active indicative) -- "as that the day of Christ is at hand" (KJV) or more precisely "has arrived/is present." Paul is correcting those who believe the day has ALREADY come or is NOW present. The perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing results -- the Thessalonians feared the day had already arrived.

epiphaneia - G2015¶

Original: epiphaneia Transliteration: epipháneia Definition: a manifestation, i.e. (specially) the advent of Christ (past or future) Part of Speech: Feminine noun Occurrences: 6 total - 2 Thessalonians 2:8 -- "destroy with the brightness of his appearing" - 1 Timothy 6:14 -- "until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" - 2 Timothy 1:10 -- "the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ" (past -- incarnation) - 2 Timothy 4:1 -- "the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing" - 2 Timothy 4:8 -- "unto all them also that love his appearing" - Titus 2:13 -- "the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ"

Pattern¶

Paul uses epiphaneia in later epistles (Pastorals) for Christ's future appearing. In 2 Timothy 4:8, written when Paul expects to die (4:6), he still speaks of "his appearing" and a crown "at that day" -- showing Paul maintained belief in the second coming even while expecting his own death first.

Greek Grammar Notes¶

1 Thessalonians 4:15 -- hemeis hoi zontes hoi perileipomenoi¶

"we the living the remaining" -- two articular present participles in apposition to hemeis (we). - hemeis (we) = first-person plural pronoun - hoi zontes = "the living ones" (present active participle of zao) - hoi perileipomenoi = "the remaining ones" (present passive participle of perileipo)

The construction "we, the living, the remaining" could be: 1. Paul identifying himself among those alive at the parousia (personal claim) 2. Paul identifying with whichever group of believers is alive at that time (corporate/generic)

1 Corinthians 15:51 -- pantes ou koimethesometha, pantes de allagesometha¶

"all not we-shall-sleep, all but we-shall-be-changed" - pantes (all) -- nominative plural - ou koimethesometha -- future passive indicative 1P of koimao ("we shall not sleep") - pantes de allagesometha -- future passive indicative 1P of allasso ("we shall all be changed")

The first person plural covers ALL believers. "Not all will die, but all will be changed" -- this is a statement about the generation alive at the parousia: some will have died, but ALL will be transformed.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 -- hos hoti enesteken he hemera tou Kyriou¶

"as that has-arrived the day of-the Lord" - enesteken -- perfect active indicative of enistemi - The perfect tense means "has come and is now present" -- not "is about to come" - Paul corrects the false belief that the day HAS ALREADY ARRIVED