Paul gave the Philippians notice of no other coming of Christ.  The passage has reference to the change the living were to experience, at this coming of our Lord in his kingdom, by being delivered from their persecutions, doubts and fears, perfected in faith, and “established unblamable in holiness before God,” so as to resemble in a moral and exalted sense those immortal beings in heaven who are here called the “glorious body” of Christ.  The body to be changed embraces both Jew and Gentile christians, who were at that time to be raised from their lowly condition into his gospel kingdom and “shine forth like the sun.”  This is evident from the manner in which he commences:  “For our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our lowly body that it maybe fashioned like unto his glorious body.”  He contrasts the low and oppressed condition of the whole christian body with what will be their exalted condition at the coming of Christ, and that exalted condition will assemble that glorified body of beings in heaven who died in his cause, and with whom they had their conversation, and from whence they were expecting the Saviour.  It has reference, I conceive, to the body in which Christ arose.  The church is the body of Christ, and it is to be presented to himself a glorious body, not having spot, wrinkle, or any such thing.  The Greek word tapeinos rendered “vile,” should be rendered lowly or humble.

It will be noticed, by the reader, that the word body is used in the singular number and not in the plural, as some have quoted it in their writings.  But if it refer to individual forms, it ought to be rendered in the plural—­“who shall change our vile bodies." But it means the whole church or body of believers—­a collective body of individuals.  In this sense the Greek word, soma, here rendered body is frequently used in the New Testament.  That the apostle does not refer to all mankind is evident from the fact, that after the vile body is changed according to the working, he adds—­whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself—­That is, able even to subdue all things as well as to change that body.  If the passage refer to an immortal and general resurrection, or rather to the change of all the living into immortal beings, then there would be none to subdue after that period.  But if we apply it to the coming of Christ in that generation, and to the change of the whole christian body, then all is plain and in perfect agreement with the preceding and succeeding context; also with 1 Cor. 15th chapter, and with the whole tenor of revelation, which speaks of but one coming of our Saviour in his kingdom, and which shows that the work of subjection commenced after the change of the living at the last trump, whose sound announced the commencement of his reign.  The word kai, rendered even, should probably have been rendered also.  “Who shall change our lowly body—­according to the working whereby he is able also to subdue all things to himself.”  The whole context, however, justifies the above exposition because the christians were looking for the coming of Christ at the end of that age, and exclaimed, “the Lord is at hand.”