FRIDAY
Today I want to turn our attention to 1 Corinthians 15—the resurrection chapter. In this chapter the Apostle Paul famously argues that without the resurrection our faith is futile and we are still dead in our sins (v. 17). He says that if Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead then we, Christians, are to be pitied above all people (v. 19). So the resurrection is pretty important!
Paul is arguing against some teachers in Corinth who were teaching that there is no bodily resurrection from the dead. Paul will have none of it, as he strongly argues that our resurrection will not just be spiritual, but physical as well. As he is making his case he emphasizes how Christ has won the victory for us over death by rising from the dead. He has fought for us by rising for us.
1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV) 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
The firstfruits is an idea pulled from the Old Testament. “Firstborn child or animal or first parts of any crop which, in Hebrew thought, were considered as holy and belonging to the Lord. The first fruits, as a foretaste of more to come, were offered to God in thanksgiving for his goodness in providing them.” So this idea carries the connotation of more to come. All of us who believe in Jesus are following the same path as our firstfruit. Our destiny is tied to his. Our future resurrection is a later part of his resurrection. This is the point of the metaphor. He has gone before us and we will follow in his same path. Paul will make this point explicitly clear in v. 23.
1 Corinthians 15:21–23 (NIV) 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Paul here makes the link between the two figurate heads and representatives of humanity—Adam and Jesus. Adam’s sin led to all humanity living under the curse of death. Jesus’ resurrection led to God’s people being blessed with life. So as not to be confused as implying universalism (that all without exception will be saved) with his statement that “all will be made alive” in verse 22, Paul quickly says that only “those who belong to [Jesus]” will receive this resurrection life.
The phrase “when he comes” makes it clear that Paul is talking about the second advent of Christ that we are still awaiting today. The future tense of “will be made alive” also makes this point clear that this resurrection has not happened in full yet.
1 Corinthians 15:24–26 (NIV) 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When Jesus returns he will usher in the Millennial reign or the first era of the new creation millennial reign (see Rev. 20 and my discussion of this in our Exalted Christ Campaign). When he returns he will complete his mission to redeem all of creation and restore it to its original intended state in the garden. However, this new creation will be better in that there will be no more potential of sin as their was in the garden. Sin and death will have been soundly defeated once and for all.
The enemies Jesus destroys are “all dominion, authority, and power.” In Paul’s usage and the biblical framework, these terms refer primarily to the evil spiritual forces animating evil amongst humans. This evil strongly represents itself in human power structures, like governments, that seek to defy God’s good plan. They sow chaos, division, animosity, injustice, death, and destruction among humans. So Jesus will defeat, not only the physical power structures that defy God’s goodness in creation, but the spiritual powers animating those structures. This is the true enemy that must be defeated. Without this defeat we end up with a “Crusades” type victory that is no victory at all. In fact, it is more of the same evil at work behind those power structures who claim to be Christian.
In any sense, Jesus will defeat evil fully and finally when he returns, thus completing God’s plan of redemption and fulfilling his mission.
Skipping ahead a few verses we come to the part of his argument where he is addressing a possible counter-argument. What type of body will we have? What’s the point of a resurrected body if we will just die again? His argument is essentially that our resurrected bodies will be of a different nature. Remember the timeline here is when Jesus returns in the future.
1 Corinthians 15:54–57 (NIV) 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory” is a quotation from Isaiah 25:8. Then in v. 55 he pulls from Hosea 13:14.
When Jesus returns and clothes his people with their imperishable, immortal bodies death will be “swallowed up in victory”. This is a vivid image of a more powerful predator eating a less powerful one. Humanity, from the beginning, has been under the curse of death. Death has now met its match in the author of life. When Jesus returns he will defeat death once and for all. He will swallow up death. He will clothe his people with immortal bodies that can never die.
In that day the people of God will taunt death with the words of Hosea 13:14—“Where, O death, is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” One commentator says, “The rhetorical questions now sneer defiantly at death’s impotence in the face of God’s powerful act of mercy and forgiveness in Christ.”2 The sting of death is sin in that “sin is the power behind death’s throne”.3 Death entered creation because of humanity’s sin. When Jesus returns he will finally and fully complete the victory that he has begun in his resurrection on the first Easter morning. He has defeated the power of sin in his death, and he has overpowered death in his resurrection.
The power of sin is the law in that the law reveals to us what sin is (Rom. 7). The law is not evil but it is a burden that is impossible for us to live up to its righteous standards without God’s forgiveness and the atonement of Christ.
Then in v. 57 we come to the theme verse for this week—”But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We began this topic on Wednesday talking about humanity’s obsession with life after death and our constant search for eternal life. When we are united to Jesus through faith, God gives it to us! We need only to receive it. Oh how I wish Bryan Johnson and all those who are putting so much money and effort into the search for eternal life would know this most glorious truth. We can cease the striving. We can be still and know that the God of life has given us his eternal life as a free gift that we need only to receive through faith.
Remember, this is a future reality at the return of Jesus. So although we still die, we do not fear death because Jesus resurrection has assured us of our future victory in him. Although we still feel the presence and the effects of sin we do not lose heart because his death has freed us from our enslavement.
The resurrection proves that Jesus is victorious over sin and death. In our union with him, we will experience the same victory that he has experienced. He has fought the battle for us; we need only to be still and trust in him.
In closing for this week I want to read similar words from Paul in the book of Ephesians. His prayer is my prayer for all of us.
Ephesians 1:18–23 (NIV) 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Additional Content
- Wesley L. Gerig, “First Fruits,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 791.
- Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 835-836.
- Ibid. 835.