Definition
Tagma (Greek: τάγμα) literally means “regiment,” “division,” or “squadron” in a military sense. In 1 Cor. 15:23 Paul uses the word for the order of the resurrection: “But each in his own order [tagma]: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at his coming.” In Jones’ soteriology tagma becomes the technical term for the three eschatological squadrons of salvation, which structure the universal but phased apokatastasis.
Usage in the Corpus
Stephen Jones
Jones develops the tagma structure as the soteriological framework of Creation’s Jubilee. The three squadrons are: (1) the firstfruits (first squadron: barley harvest, first resurrection), (2) the wheat harvest (the broader church at the second resurrection), and (3) the grape harvest (unbelievers judged until all enemies are under Christ’s feet). The crucial point is that all three squadrons are ultimately restored — tagma structures when, not whether. “God may be all in all means the fullness of the Holy Spirit will be in all men.” [Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Ch. 5]
Origin
In Greek military vocabulary τάγμα denotes a regiment or ordered unit of soldiers. The word derives from the verb tassō (to arrange, put in order). The military metaphor in 1 Cor. 15 fits the resurrection theme: death and resurrection unfold as an ordered military campaign.