{By the word of the Lord} (en log(9369) Kuriou). We do not
know to what word of the Lord Jesus Paul refers, probably Paul
meaning only the point in the teaching of Christ rather than a
quotation. He may be claiming a direct revelation on this
important matter as about the Lord's Supper in 1Co 11:23 . Jesus
may have spoken on this subject though it has not been preserved
to us (cf. Mr 9:1 ). {Ye that are alive} (h(886d)eis hoi z(936e)tes).
Paul here includes himself, but this by no means shows that Paul
knew that he would be alive at the Parousia of Christ. He was
alive, not dead, when he wrote. {Shall in no wise precede} (ou
m(8820)phthas(936d)en). Second aorist active subjunctive of phthan(935c),
to come before, to anticipate. This strong negative with ou m(885c)
(double negative) and the subjunctive is the regular idiom
(Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 929). Hence there was no ground for
uneasiness about the dead in Christ.
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