But Paul did warn people though. He warned about the wrath to come. The fire of God’s anger against sin.
So if people hold onto and love their sin they will feel God’s anger. But it shall set them free.
Paul warned believers so that they might not be excluded from the First resurrection and have to wait until the General(second) resurrection after the 1000 year reign when all the unbelievers and disobedient “believers” are raised up….when => ‘he who knew His master’s will and did not prepare himself to do it shall be beaten with many stripes’…
It could be a literal beating or figurative…but there shall be correction for disobedience at the resurrection. Not a burning literal fire forever…but still something to avoid!!
And Paul did warn about that as did our Lord Jesus of course.
The problem many of us have is that we imagine that our reward is to be with Jesus in heaven forever….but the hope of the Christian is the resurrection — the redeemed glorified body–to live as Him on earth and be able to enter the heavens as He does.
Yet Paul tells us in 1Cor 15 that there are different ‘tagmas’ or ranks of people that enter into this experience at different times.
1Cor 15:22-25 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order(G5001): Christ the (1) firstfruits, afterward (2) those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put (3) all enemies under His feet.
G5001 is tagma – Strong’s: τάγμα
- something orderly in arrangement (a troop), i.e. (figuratively) a series or succession
- τάγμα tagma
From G5021; something orderly in arrangement (a troop), that is, (figuratively) a series or succession
Tagma comes from tasso- which means
1a) to place in a certain order, to arrange, to assign a place, to appoint
1a1) to assign (appoint) a thing to one
1b) to appoint, ordain, order
1b1) to appoint on one’s own responsibility or authority
1b2) to appoint mutually, i.e. agree upon
So Paul strove to be in that FIRST RANK OR SQUADRON entering into the glory realm obtaining the inheritance- which is the glorified body.
Paul said he was striving to attain that out-resurrection (upward call of God) and warned the believer to do the same lest they be disqualified from attaining that reward.
Phil 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14I press toward the mark the distant mark looked at, the goal or end one has in view
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.== The UPWARD CALLING OR SUMMONS OF GOD….This is the FIRST RESURRECTION….COMMONLY CALLED THE RAPTURE.
BUT NOT all believers shall be in it….This is what Paul warns about in the rest of this chapter in Philippians.
