dead. The verb Paul uses (phthasōmen) appears in other texts with the meaning of “to arrive” or “to come” (Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20; Rom. 9:31; 2 Cor. 10:14; Phil. 3:16; 1 Thess. 2:16), while only here in the NT does it carry the sense of “precede.” However, this second sense is quite common in Greek literature,138 while the meaning “to have advantage over” is not attested in the sources. The point Paul makes is simply that the dead in Christ will be raised first (v. 16b), and then the living and
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