This is the final installment on this topic.

In 1 Corinthians 15:51, Paul tells us that we shall not all be put to repose. The problem at hand (1 Corinthians 15:50) is that flesh and blood cannot enjoy an allotment in the kingdom of God. Why is this a problem? Because when Christ comes, there will be flesh and blood saints living upon the earth. (The dead in Christ are no longer flesh and blood.) How will these living saints be made incorruptible? Will they have to die first so that they will no longer be flesh and blood?

No! The great revelation of this passage is that a handful of saint will not be put to repose, but will be made incorruptible while they yet walk upon the earth. How does God do it? He doesn’t say. And who cares? He just does it. Whammo! Just like that. That’s God for you.

Our brother Clyde Pilkington does not believe that “we shall not all be put to repose” applies to anyone at the return of Christ. Where does he apply it? First of all: are you sitting down? Fine. Are you sipping an adult beverage? Even better. Clyde tells us in his Bible Student’s Notebook, Volume 34, Issue 837, that these words apply...(are you sure you’re sitting down?)...AT THE CONSUMMATION.

That’s right. At the time when all will have been made alive, when death will have been abolished, and when no one will be able to die anymore...THIS is when Paul walks in and says, “Hey. Psst. We shall not all be put to repose.”

Remember that Paul is addressing the saints: “WE shall not all be put to repose.” Also note that if we shall not ALL be put to repose, then some WILL be put to repose. And so Mr. Pilkington has Paul walking up to members of the body of Christ...AT THE CONSUMMATION...and saying, “Some of you will be put to repose.”

After performing this amazing feat of misappropriation, Mr. Pilkington has the nerve to tell US that WE are forcing 1 Corinthians 15 into 1 Thessalonians 4. Hm. Seems like a natural fit to me. In both passages Paul is contrasting living and dead saints, and we have a trumpet rousing the dead. Doesn’t sound like much of a force job to me.

What IS a force job? Wrenching a passage promising incorruption to a handful of corruptible, flesh and blood saints, and forcing it into a passage where everyone is already incorruptible and there is no flesh and blood on the premises. A force job is taking a secret that some will not die, and telling it to immortal people for whom it is impossible to die.

How can someone who does this to the Word of God be trusted to rightly interpret it?