What is the day of Jesus Christ?

Explanation:

What does Paul mean by the day of Jesus Christ? Old Testament authors sometimes refer to the day of the Lord, and New Testament authors such as Paul take this to mean the day of Christ’s second coming.^3,4 On the day of Christ’s second coming, he will judge the world, and the world will be destroyed by fire, while the believers will be taken up to be with Christ forever. So does Paul have all of this in mind when he refers to the day of Jesus Christ in Philippians 1:6? Given the context of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, it is likely that he has an aspect of the day of Jesus Christ in mind. That is, it is likely that Paul has in mind not the judgment of Christ but the fact that believers will be taken up to him in glory. We can deduce this because we know that Paul is in prison and suffering for the gospel as he writes to the Philippians (Philippians 1:7). Still, he has hope in the day of the Lord when his suffering would be relieved, and he would finally be fully with Christ.⁵

Counterargument:

While it might be that Paul is suffering for the gospel when he writes this letter, we want to understand what he means by the day of Jesus Christ based on where he uses this statement. Here he says that he is confident that God will bring the good work to completion on the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). He goes on to say that it is his prayer that the Philippians will be found pure and blameless on the day of Christ (Philippians 1:10). Further, in Philippians 2:12 he reminds the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. These verses indicate that we should think not of Paul’s situation when trying to understand what he means by the day of Jesus Christ but of the message he wants to send to the Philippians. That message is that they are to be ready for the day of Christ, for that will be a day not only of glorification but also of judgment and destruction. Thus, the day of Jesus Christ is not only about being united with Christ, but being judged by him if one were not to be found in him.

Response to counterargument:  

Even if it is the case that we ought to consider Paul’s meaning aside from the fact that he is suffering for the gospel, this does not mean he has Christ’s judgment in mind. For it is characteristic of Paul to encourage the recipients of his letters in his introductory remarks. Given that Philippians 1:6 as found in his introductory remarks, it is likely that these remarks are meant to encourage, not exhort, the Philippians.

Explanation:

To understand what Paul means by the day of Jesus Christ we need to consider this phrase in the immediate context. The immediate context has to do with Paul’s assurance that God will complete the good work in the Philippians on the day of Jesus Christ. In other words, the day of Jesus Christ has to do with the good work of God coming to completion. We know that the day of Jesus Christ refers to Jesus’ second coming, and this coming entails both judgment and glorification. Given that Paul is speaking about the good work God began being brought to completion, it is more likely that Paul highlights the glorification that will happen on the day of Jesus Christ. Of course, Paul is not saying that there will be no judgment, but there is more than one aspect to Christ’s second coming, and Paul highlights the aspect of glorification in these verses.

Counterargument:

The focus of Paul’s statement here is not on the fact that when Christ returns, God’s work of salvation will be complete in believers. Rather, his intention is to encourage and motivate the Philippians. This is why he opens Philippians 1:6 by saying he is persuaded that God will bring the good work to completion. He does not say, As you know, God will bring the good work to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. Rather, by saying he is persuaded this will happen, he implies there is a chance the good work started in the Philippians would not be brought to completion on the day of Jesus Christ so that they would face judgment. Still, after considering the matter deeply and prayerfully, Paul is persuaded that in fact the good work God began in them will be complete on that day. Thus, Paul’s language leaves open the fact that the day of Jesus Christ involves both judgment and glorification, but Paul is persuaded that glorification awaits the Philippians.

Response to counterargument:

When we consider the grammatical construction of the verb to persuade, we find that Paul is not using the verb to imply that there is a chance the good work in the Philippians will not be complete. Rather, the construction implies that Paul is certain that it will be complete. We can deduce this because Paul puts the verb in the perfect active participle form. The perfect active is used to express certainty. So Paul is saying that he has come to be persuaded with certainty that God will complete the good work on the day of Jesus Christ.⁶ Given that Paul is persuaded with certainty, there is no room for the notion that the day of Jesus Christ might be a day of judgment for the Philippians.

If there is a weakness to this interpretation, it is the fact that we know the day of Jesus Christ will be a multi-faceted event. That is, Christ will judge the world, the stars will melt, the world will perish in fire, the saints will see the Lord, the dead will be raised, and more. Given the multi-faceted nature of the day of Jesus Christ, it is hard to limit the connotations of Paul’s statement to the notion of Christ’s glorification. The fact is, there is a sense of fear, awe, and anticipation when believers reflect on the day of Jesus Christ.

Explanation:

Paul refers to the day of Jesus Christ in several passages. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:8 he says to the Corinthians that God will sustain them on the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:5 he refers to handing someone over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that they may be saved on the day of Christ. In these instances, Paul seems to have in mind that on the day of the Lord, believers will be saved. Of course, he also refers to the day of the Lord as a time of judgment. For example, in Romans 2:16 the day of the Lord has to do with the day that God will judge the secrets of men. Also, in 1 Corinthians 3:13 the day of the Lord is the day when each person’s work will be disclosed as it will be tested with fire. Relatedly, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2–9, Paul describes that the day of the Lord will bring destruction for some but salvation for others. Thus, the day of Jesus Christ might have to do with salvation or judgment.

When it comes to Paul’s use in Philippians 1:6, he likely has in mind the broad notion that when Christ returns, he will both establish God’s kingdom and bring judgment.⁷ We can deduce this because Paul encourages the Philippians to be found pure on the day of Christ (Philippians 1:10). Further, in Philippians 2:16, he encourages the Philippians to hold fast to the word of life so that in the day of Christ, he may be proud that he did not labour in vain. In other words, Paul is saying that the Philippians must continue in their faith so that on the day of Christ, they will be met with embrace, not judgment. Thus, Paul uses the day of Jesus Christ to encourage the Philippians in hope, but also to warn them in judgment.

Counterargument:

As this view points out, it is important to consider the context when understanding Paul’s use of the day of Jesus Christ. For on some occasions the phrase is used as a means of exhortation, as Paul warns against judgment. On other occasions it is a means of encouragement and hope to persevere in times of distress. When it comes to Philippians 1:6, it seems that Paul intends to encourage the Philippians. We can deduce this because Philippians 1:6 is part of Paul’s introductory remarks where he expresses his joy and thanks to God for the Philippians. Also, Paul not only surmises but is persuaded that God will complete the good work in them at the day of Jesus Christ. Thus, anticipating the day of Jesus Christ is a means to encourage the Philippians.

Explanation:

When Paul uses the phrase the day of Jesus Christ, this is based on the Old Testament phrase the day of the Lord. Old Testament prophets such as Joel refer to the day of the Lord as the time when God will bring his judgment on the earth. Joel warns that the day of the Lord is coming, a day of darkness and gloom (Joel 2:2), when the earth will quake, and the sun and moon be darkened (Joel 2:11). Likewise, in Amos 5:1–27 the prophet says, Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!... It is darkness, and not light (Amos 5:18).⁸ That is because the day of the Lord will be a day of judgment for the wicked. Thus, when Paul refers to the day of Jesus Christ, given that he equates this day with the day of the Lord, it is likely that the day of Jesus Christ is a day of judgment.

Counterargument:

No one denies that the day of Jesus Christ is equated with the day of the Lord, and that this day will be a terrifying day of judgment for the wicked. Still, it will be a day of jubilation and exaltation for those in Christ as they will finally be united with him forever. Thus, in the context of the Old Testament prophets warning Israel for their disobedience, the day of the Lord is something to fear. But in the context of the believers who repent and put their faith in Christ, the day of Jesus Christ is a day of celebration. As Paul explains in Philippians 3:20–21, our citizenship is in heaven, and we wait for our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly bodies. In other words, believers eagerly anticipate the day of Jesus Christ.

That this view tries to capture the multi-faceted nuance of the phrase the day of Jesus Christ is commendable. Still, our goal is to understand the author’s meaning, so when a phrase has a multi-faceted meaning, we want to pinpoint, based on the context, whether the author emphasizes one particular aspect. This view does not establish that in fact, based on the context, Paul intends to capture the multi-faceted nature of the day of Jesus Christ.