In II Thessalonians, second chapter, the King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek 'parousia' as 'coming'--see II Thess 2:1, 8 and 9. So, in verses 1 - 3, Paul writes:
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us...let no man deceive you by any means..."
Writing in the April 1976 edition of The Christian Science Journal about Paul's letters to the Thessalonians, Bible scholar Thomas L. Leishman notes the "vexed question of the Parousia" which he says underlies Paul's second epistle to the newish church in the Macedonian capital: "It appears that part of the trouble was caused by a misinterpretation either of Christian tradition or of prophecy, or by an unauthorized letter circulated in Paul's name, so one of his first objects was to clear up this difficulty, showing why, in his view, the second advent would not be so immediate after all." Thus, Paul counsels his friends to: "...stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (II Thess 2: 15).
PRESENCE
A recent Bible Lens in the Christian Science Sentinel of May 20-26, 2019 referred to I Thessalonians 5:23: "'Coming' (Greek, parousia) simply means presence, and describes a state rather than an event. From early times, however, parousia was interpreted as an arrival—often, as in this verse, the reappearing of Christ Jesus as a human being. This expected appearance is called the Parousia today."
In the December 1981 issue of The Christian Science Journal, Beulah Roegge affirms that "Christ Jesus' Messianic mission does not need to be repeated. His lessons embrace eternity and enable his followers to recognize the timeless, impersonal nature of the parousia. This Greek word, meaning both "presence" and "coming," may signify to us what Mrs. Eddy states to be the spiritual sense of a portion of the Lord's Prayer:
"Thy kingdom come. / Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present."
Paul concludes his letter with a blessing: "the Lord be with you all" (II Thess 3: 16).
Julie Swannell
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