Let's review. There are 24 verses in the NT that have the word parousia. Of those, the following are obviously physical presence or coming, since they refer to people other than Christ being physically in a location: 1 Cor. 16:17, 2 Cor. 17:6&7, 2 Cor. 10:10, Phil 1:26, Phil 2:12.
There is one verse that refers to the Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2:9--"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." Your presuppositions will decide for you whether this is a literal, physical presence.
There are 16 usages of parousia referring to the coming of Christ. Your presupposition about the second coming will decide your interpretation of most of these. However, linguistically that should be driven by the clear usage of the word when referring to those other than Christ, which are in every case literal and physical. Furthermore, there are the following verses referring to Christ which seem to indicate a literal, physical coming:
First of all, lightning is physical and observable in Matt. 24:27: "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
In two verses in Matthew 24 we have the parousia of Christ compared to the physical event of Noah's flood: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (v. 37). And, "And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (v. 39).
In 2 Peter 1:16 we have a verse referring to the parousia of the literal, physical first coming of Christ: "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."
In 1 John 2:28 we have a verse which says we will be there at the coming--parousia-- of Christ, so it is a physical coming: "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."
Therefore, there are no clear cases where parousia in the New Testament means the presence of a disembodied spirit or a spiritual coming. The parousia of Christ must be a physical, observable coming or presence.
There is one verse that refers to the Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2:9--"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." Your presuppositions will decide for you whether this is a literal, physical presence.
There are 16 usages of parousia referring to the coming of Christ. Your presupposition about the second coming will decide your interpretation of most of these. However, linguistically that should be driven by the clear usage of the word when referring to those other than Christ, which are in every case literal and physical. Furthermore, there are the following verses referring to Christ which seem to indicate a literal, physical coming:
First of all, lightning is physical and observable in Matt. 24:27: "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
In two verses in Matthew 24 we have the parousia of Christ compared to the physical event of Noah's flood: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (v. 37). And, "And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (v. 39).
In 2 Peter 1:16 we have a verse referring to the parousia of the literal, physical first coming of Christ: "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."
In 1 John 2:28 we have a verse which says we will be there at the coming--parousia-- of Christ, so it is a physical coming: "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."
Therefore, there are no clear cases where parousia in the New Testament means the presence of a disembodied spirit or a spiritual coming. The parousia of Christ must be a physical, observable coming or presence.
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