Page 237 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

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THE RAPTURE IN 1 CORINTHIANS

One of the two main passages on the doctrine of the
Rapture in the New Testament is found in 1 Corinthians
15:51-58. In many respects, this passage complements the
other major passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. In 1 Thes­
salonians 4. the question was whether those who had died in
Christ would have the same benefits and experience as those
who were translated. In 1 Corinthians 15, the question is
whether those who are translated will have the same experi­
ence and benefits as those who have died and who are resur­
rected. The two passages together give a complete answer to
the basic questions concerning the Rapture as an important
prophetic event.
While all are agreed that 1 Corinthians 15 is a major
passage in the doctrine of the Rapture, there is a strange
reluctance on the part of posttribulationists to deal with this
passage. Robert Gundry, for instance, who frequently goes on
for many pages discussing a conjectural minor point, devotes
only four or five pages on this passage in connection with the
general discussion of resurrection. A study of 1 Corinthians 15
will reveal the reason for this neglect on the part of post­
tribulationists. The passage, as it is given, contributes practi-
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