Has the transformation of physical bodies already happened?

I assume the question you ask is stand-alone, and the rest of the post is just, by way of description, about the resurrection/transformation you ask about? Because the rest of the post does nothing to support the conjecture, as far as I can see.

AdB said:

Has the transformation of physical bodies as described in 1 Cor 15:50-58 already happened?

This text clearly states that in an instance the physical bodies of the saints will be transformed from perishable (mortal) to imperishable (eternal), and that the saints that until that moment had died will first be resurrected. Those who are alive will thus not be resurrected, but will be transformed. It is also clear this is not talking about some spiritual revival because the transformation is applied both to the living and the dead likewise.
Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

The text also indicates that this transformation entails a complete victory over death, and that knowledge of this coming victory and the fact that our sins are forgiven causes that death will not be able to "sting" us anymore.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O Death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

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We do know that born again Christians have certainly been transformed or regenerated through his Holy Spirit. Whether one is dead or alive they had at some point been tranformed from death into life. Then there is the final resurrection where all who are dead will be resurrected. Some to everlasting life ( imperishable) and some to everlasting condemnation (perishable).
Blessings

AdB said:

But this text clearly speaks of a transformation where the dead will be RESURRECTED and changed BEFORE the living will be (only) changed, so this can't be speaking about the regeneration of our spirit

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No, the text says absolutely nothing about the living bodies of believers being "transformed" without dying. That is merely a common assumption, that contradicts the clear message in Hebrews 9:27 that all mankind is appointed to die once, and once only.

NOTHING in the 1 Cor. 15:50-58 context says anything at all about the living being "transformed" without dying. All it speaks about is the change to the incorruptible for those believers who have DIED.

AdB said:

But this text clearly speaks of a transformation where the dead will be RESURRECTED and changed BEFORE the living will be (only) changed, so this can't be speaking about the regeneration of our spirit.

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Paul is often difficult to understand. So I try to read his writtings as plainly as possible. He clearly starts his thought by stating that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," we also know that all through his writings he deems the flesh as weak and sinful in other words flesh equals sin. Then he adds the metaphors of perishing and not perishing , this is our spiritual condition. Going on, his reference to "sleep" is another way of saying not all will perish in death aka suffering the " second death". Finally the last sentence is describing our immortal existence for eternity.
If you want to add the living you can however His whole thought process starts without them. One last thing, sometimes we should consider Paul's writings as descriptive rather than prescriptive.

AdB said:

It does, it indicates some things that would happen with this event. Have these happened yet or not?

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How does the rest of the post support the conjecture? If all it does is indicate some things that would happen with this event, the question remains only, "have these happened yet or not." It does not show how/where/when any of these things have happened.

I don't mean to be argumentative. I'm just trying to figure out why you would ask the question. To me, what you wrote is only description at best. There is no hint (as far as I see) in what you wrote that there is any reason to even ask the question.

AdB said:

Why then is it written in the future tense? Because Paul and al he is writing to have already been regenerated in the spirit

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Regeneration while in the flesh is purely spiritual. After death, if while in the flesh we were regenerated, we would be raised into immortality, defeating the second death which is what others who were not regenerated while in the flesh would suffer.

AdB said:

Has the transformation of physical bodies as described in 1 Cor 15:50-58 already happened?

This text clearly states that in an instance the physical bodies of the saints will be transformed from perishable (mortal) to imperishable (eternal), and that the saints that until that moment had died will first be resurrected. Those who are alive will thus not be resurrected, but will be transformed. It is also clear this is not talking about some spiritual revival because the transformation is applied both to the living and the dead likewise.
Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

The text also indicates that this transformation entails a complete victory over death, and that knowledge of this coming victory and the fact that our sins are forgiven causes that death will not be able to "sting" us anymore.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O Death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

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One clue is that the text indicates this happens at the last trump. That seems to mean there can't be anymore sounding of trumpets after the last trump.

Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.


For example, here is a mentioning of a sounding of a trumpet. Either this is the same last trump meant in 1 Cor 15:50-58, or that the sounding of this trumpet precedes the sounding of the trumpet recorded in 1 Cor 15:50-58.

Here's another passage that also appears to involve the sounding of a trumpet.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:


This says the trump of God. Does that involve the sounding of a trumpet? If it does, either this is the same last trump meant in 1 Cor 15:50-58, or that the sounding of this trumpet precedes the sounding of the trumpet recorded in 1 Cor 15:50-58.


And we haven't even factored in the trumpets recorded in Revelation yet. The last trumpet recorded in that book is the 7th trumpet. Either this is the same last trump meant in 1 Cor 15:50-58, or that the sounding of this trumpet precedes the sounding of the trumpet recorded in 1 Cor 15:50-58.

AdB said:

Has the transformation of physical bodies as described in 1 Cor 15:50-58 already happened?

This text clearly states that in an instance the physical bodies of the saints will be transformed from perishable (mortal) to imperishable (eternal), and that the saints that until that moment had died will first be resurrected. Those who are alive will thus not be resurrected, but will be transformed. It is also clear this is not talking about some spiritual revival because the transformation is applied both to the living and the dead likewise.
Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

The text also indicates that this transformation entails a complete victory over death, and that knowledge of this coming victory and the fact that our sins are forgiven causes that death will not be able to "sting" us anymore.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O Death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

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AdB said:

Has the transformation of physical bodies as described in 1 Cor 15:50-58 already happened?

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No it hasn't. Death from God's perspective is a dormant sleep in the grave (He has the power of resurrection) all will be resurrected ... some will receive eternal life .... some not.

Those in the 1st resurrection will spend eternity with God (they will be changed) .... those in the 2nd resurrection will not receive eternal life (will not be changed) and will be destroyed.

It is when the 1st resurrection happens that this comes into full reality ....

“Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O Death, is your sting?”

3 Resurrections said:

No, the text says absolutely nothing about the living bodies of believers being "transformed" without dying. That is merely a common assumption, that contradicts the clear message in Hebrews 9:27 that all mankind is appointed to die once, and once only.

NOTHING in the 1 Cor. 15:50-58 context says anything at all about the living being "transformed" without dying. All it speaks about is the change to the incorruptible for those believers who have DIED.

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I don't understand your argument. If the same doesn't apply to those who are still alive and remain when the 2nd coming happens, how do they too put on immortality if it's not the same way those dead in their graves do? Don't the living need to be changed as well? Aren't the living still mortals in the meantime? No mortal can live forever. Doesn't the text in 1 Cor 15:50-58 indicate that this mortal must put on immortality?

AdB said:

Then, if this raising to immortality is only about after death is there a distinction made between "we" (obviously those who read it and are thus alive) and "the dead"?

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Well again Paul is difficult to understand at times. I am affraid too much is made out of the " rapture doctrine " when in fact , as Paul states, happens instantaneously and no flesh can enter the Kingdom. That being said, in order for this puzzle to make sense a " secret rapture" was invented, unfortunately.
We assume on the last day there will be people alive afterall, it will be like the days of Noah where only a few remained alive.
Paul consistantly speaks hyperbolically especially when some just don't get it like the Corinthians, even the Thessalonians when they worried about the dead. Its really the same story.

AdB said:

Heb 9:27 is the rule, but we know of at least two instances, Enoch and Elijah, where this rule was overruled (unless they will still be coming down to earth to die and be resurrected)

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We can eliminate Elijah out of this category of "transformation", because his transport into the skies was not into the "third heaven" with God (since no man would bodily ascend there before the resurrected Christ did this, as John 3:13 tells us). Elijah was only transported by the whirlwind to another location on earth. We know this, because some 10 years later after his whirlwind transport into the skies, Elijah was writing a letter to King Jehoram, letting the king know that his evil actions were going to bring about his death. This letter written by Elijah is found in 2 Chron. 21:12-15. Elijah died just like all the other prophets.

As for Enoch the seventh from Adam, I believe this one man was the single unique exception that would ever take place of a "translation" change of the living, so that he could become the individual called "Melchizedek". This "priest of the most high God" would provide the type for Christ's deathless high priesthood later on. Enoch became Melchizedek, appearing in Genesis after the flood, with apparently "no beginning of life, nor end of days" nor any children born to him by that name (since there is no marriage nor giving in marriage in the immortal state). God only needed one individual to provide a type of Christ's deathless high priesthood - not multiplied billions of examples of a "translation" change of the body.

Melchizedek was still "living" in the days when Hebrews was written (Hebrews 7:8 - "...it is witnessed that he liveth."). I believe this explains why we have excerpts from the book of Enoch in scripture. The still "living" Enoch / Melchizedek was still around to give excerpts of his prophecies to the apostles, who wrote them down and included them in their own works.

All other members of mankind except that lone individual Enoch / Melchizedek either have died, or will die the one appointed time. The myth of the supposed "translation" of the living at Christ's coming is not taught in scripture. It is a false comfort. No one gets off this planet alive without dying the one time.

That "We shall NOT all sleep..." phrase means NONE of the believers shall stay asleep in the grave, but we shall ALL be changed, without a single exception. This is phrased the exact same way that John did when he described the many antichrists that "...they were NOT all of us", because they had ALL gone out from fellowshipping with the church. NONE of those many antichrists belonged among the church. No exceptions. Just as there were no exceptions for the dead believers who were asleep in Christ. NONE would remain in the grave.

DavidPT said:

I don't understand your argument. If the same doesn't apply to those who are still alive and remain when the 2nd coming happens, how do they too put on immortality if it's not the same way those dead in their graves do? Don't the living need to be changed as well? Aren't the living still mortals in the meantime? No mortal can live forever. Doesn't the text in 1 Cor 15:50-58 indicate that this mortal must put on immortality?

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Yes, the mortal bodies of living men MUST put on immortality, in the very same way that the dead believers in the grave do. The only way that can be accomplished is for them to pass through the experience of the death of that mortal body. NO exceptions. ALL are appointed to die ONE time, and one time ONLY. When Christ returns (for the THIRD coming in our future) His very appearance in glory is enough of a "consuming fire" that all men, whether believers or not, will die by the experience. No man can look upon Christ in His fully-revealed glory and live through the experience. Afterward, Christ can instantly raise His dead saints from death on that same occasion. The physical bodies of the wicked do not share that "redemption of the body" process. They "perish" and "they shall not rise", as Isaiah 26:14 once said.