This section continues the theme of Paul’s earthly apostolic existence and his heavenly expectation. While this much-discussed passage is crucial for understanding Pauline eschatology, it admits of various interpretations, depending on which religious background is seen here (Jewish apocalyptic, Hellenistic dualism, or Gnosticism). The interpretation of the passage is also beset by the tensions within the text and by the question of its relation to 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15. In particular, there is some question as to when Paul thinks the transformation of the body takes place, whether during a person’s present life, at the time of one’s death, or at the Parousia. If, according to the present passage, the transformation of the body takes place at the time of death, then …