1 Corinthians 15
1Co 15:1 Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand,
In this chapter Paul says that He is explaining the Gospel.
2 by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures;
5 and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve;
6 then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep;
7 then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles;
8 and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
12 Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:
14 and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.
15 Yea, we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised:
17 and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18 Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming.
Keep in mind at this point that the Second Coming mentioned here occurs at conversion when Jesus comes into the person’s heart. People are made alive at Jesus Second Coming. Only those people who look for Him (Jesus) will see his Second Coming.
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Unbelievers do not see Him or His Second Coming.
In Rev 1:7 we are told that every eye will “see” Him. The Greek word translated as “see” in that verse is Strong’s word number 3700 which denotes a voluntary observation.
Unbelievers do not desire to see Jesus through voluntary observation.
The remainder of Rev Chapter 1 verse 7 suggests that all people will “wail”, and this refers to the judgment referred to as the Day of the Lord which is distinct from the Second Coming/Born Again experience. Both believers and unbelievers see or are aware of God’s judgment.
All people see god’s Grace (Titus 2:11) but only believers humble themselves before God (James 4:6) and learn to deny ungodliness (Titus 2:12).
Unbelievers do not know how to deny ungodliness.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
After the Second Coming (which occurs at conversion) we are told that the “end” comes. This Greek word is the Strong’s word number 5056.
5056 telov telos tel’-os
from a primary tello (to set out for a definite point or goal); TDNT-8:49,1161; n n
AV-end 35, custom 3, uttermost 1, finally 1, ending 1, by (one’s) continual + 1519 1; 42
Inserting the word “goal” where the word “end” is found in the verse, and remembering that the Second Coming happens at conversion we see that after an individual’s conversion Jesus delivers the person into the Father’s hands.
The sequence of events seems to be that the Father gives followers to Jesus based on John 6:37.
- Joh 6:37 All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
- God’s grace that Jesus allows us to access through faith allows us to put Satan under our feet, Rm 16:20.
Ro 16:20 (RSV) then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Joh 15:16 Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
When God’s grace teaches (Titus 2:11-12) Jesus’ followers to overcome Satan it can be said that we have put Satan under our feet or that we are conformed to the image of Christ, Rm 8:29 and 2 Cor 3:18.
Ro 8:29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
(KJV)
After Jesus chooses us He cleanses us and then He hands us over to the Father.
We are elected/chosen because we decide not to resist God’s grace which teaches us to deny ungodliness.
Ro 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
We humble ourselves before God and receive the instruction of God’s grace.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world;
Jesus has conquered the “last enemy” at a person’s conversion because He has abolished death (2 Tim 1:10) and the person passes from death to life (1 Jn 3:14).
1Jo 3:14 ¶ We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet
26 The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
27 For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him.
28 And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.
29 Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
Romans 6:3 and 4 show that if a person is baptized into Christ they are baptized into Jesus death.
Ro 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Here is a key – Paul includes Himself in this statement. While He is alive He says He is buried into Jesus death by this baptism and after the burial He walks in newness of life.
The truth of Baptism for/of the dead refers to a Christian’s dying to sin, Rm 6:5-8.
Paul then is saying here that if Jesus does not hand the person over to the Father after their death to sin then why does the person try to stop sinning and attain the resurrection.
Phil 3: Php 3:9 ¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
30 Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?
31 I protest by that glorifying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
This identifies the “resurrection” that Paul is speaking about as the first resurrection mentioned in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 3:1.
32 If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
33 Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.
34 Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak this to move you to shame.
Wake to a sin-free life.
35 But someone will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?
36 Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:
37 and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind;
38 but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
The Spirit inherits the kingdom of God. The outward man is perishing.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
The change here refers to changing from corruption to incorruption. Some will undergo this change, but other Christians will not, 1 Thess 5:10. Whether they overcome corruption (the flesh nature) and put on incorruption during this earthly lifetime or not, they will live with Christ because of their faith in Jesus.
52 in a moment, in the twinkling (casting # 4493) of an eye, at the last trump (the last trump is Jesus): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
In other words, as they look at Jesus they will be changed during this lifetime.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:
57 but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.
(ASV)