KP, are you saying Christ’s second coming has already occurred, or are you distinguishing between a first-century covenantal/judgment coming and a still-future bodily return of Christ?
Galatians 2:20 says, “Christ liveth in me.” The Greek is Χριστὸς ἐν ἐμοί ζῇ. The verb ζῇ, from ζάω, is present active indicative, meaning “lives.” Paul therefore describes Christ as presently living in him, with ἐν ἐμοί meaning “in me.”
Colossians 1:27 likewise speaks of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The Greek is Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Χριστός means Christ and ἐν ὑμῖν means “in you.” Paul is describing a present reality, namely Christ in believers.
Romans 8:10 says, “And if Christ be in you.” The Greek expression is Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Again, the construction explicitly places Christ “in you.” This is part of Paul’s larger discussion of the Spirit dwelling in believers.
Perhaps one of the clearest statements is 2 Corinthians 13:5, where Paul asks, “Do you not recognize concerning yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” The Greek is Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν. The verb ἐστιν, from εἰμί, is present active indicative, “is.” Paul is not describing something believers will experience at some future point. He is asking whether they recognize that Jesus Christ is presently in them.
The New Testament is equally explicit concerning the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 says, “the Spirit of God dwells in you.” The Greek is τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. The verb οἰκεῖ, from οἰκέω, is present active indicative and means “dwells,” “inhabits,” or “resides.” Paul therefore describes the Spirit as presently dwelling in believers. The same verse also says, “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,” using ἔχει, the present active indicative of ἔχω, “has.” The believer therefore has the Spirit and the Spirit dwells in the believer.
Romans 8:11 uses another significant verb. Paul speaks of τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος ἐν ὑμῖν, “the Spirit who dwells in you.” The participle ἐνοικοῦντος comes from ἐνοικέω, meaning “to dwell in” or “to inhabit,” and its present form portrays the Spirit as dwelling in believers.
First Corinthians 3:16 says, “the Spirit of God dwells in you,” again using οἰκεῖ, the present active indicative of οἰκέω. First Corinthians 6:19 similarly describes the believer’s body as “the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you.” Paul then says, “whom you have from God,” using ἔχετε, the present active indicative of ἔχω. The language is therefore consistently present. Believers have the Spirit, and the Spirit dwells in them.
John 14 is particularly important because Jesus Himself distinguishes between the Spirit’s presence with the disciples and His coming indwelling. In John 14:17 Jesus says, “He dwells with you and will be in you.” The Greek is ὅτι παρ’ ὑμῖν μένει καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσται. The verb μένει, from μένω, is present active indicative, “remains” or “dwells,” whereas ἔσται, from εἰμί, is future indicative, “will be.” Jesus therefore speaks of a future transition from the Spirit being with them to the Spirit being in them.
But John then develops this into the present indwelling of Christ Himself. In John 14:18 Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Then in John 14:20 He says, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” The Greek expression is ἐγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν, literally “I in you.” This is explicit indwelling language.
John 14:23 goes even further. Jesus says, “We will come to him and make Our home with him.” The Greek says πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα, “we will come to him,” and μονὴν παρ’ αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα, “we will make our dwelling with him.” The language of God’s presence dwelling with believers is therefore deeply embedded in John’s presentation.
First John 4:13 gives us another important statement: “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” The Greek says ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν, “we abide in Him,” and αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, “He in us.” The verb μένομεν is present active indicative from μένω, “we abide” or “remain.” John therefore describes a present reciprocal relationship in which believers abide in God and God abides in them, evidenced by the Spirit He has given them.
None of this, however, necessarily eliminates a future coming of Christ. The New Testament can simultaneously teach that Christ is presently in believers and that Christ will appear visibly in the future. Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” The verb φανερωθῇ, from φανερόω, means “is manifested” or “appears.” First Thessalonians 4:16 likewise says, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven,” using καταβήσεται, the future middle indicative of καταβαίνω, “will descend.”
Therefore, the biblical picture is not either Christ is present or Christ will return. The New Testament clearly teaches both realities. Christ presently dwells in believers, and the Holy Spirit presently dwells in believers, while the New Testament also speaks of a future manifestation and coming of Christ. The exegetical question is therefore not whether Christ is presently with and in His people, because the New Testament is remarkably explicit about that. The question is how that present indwelling relates to the future coming and appearing that the same New Testament writers also proclaim.
Edit. This is a genuine question.
J.
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