Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons


1 Corinthians

Christ's rule. 15:20-28

[Seed logo] Introduction
      In our passage for study, Paul draws out the human implication of Christ's resurrection from the dead, namely, if Christ is risen then those who believe in him will also rise. It is in making this point that Paul lets us into a mystery concerning the age to come. We are taken into the secrets of the coming age, of Christ's reign over all things and his ultimate subjection to God the Father.

The passage
      v20. If Jesus were still in a tomb in Palestine, then those who live the Christian faith would have to be a mob of raving idiots. Yet the fact is that Jesus has risen from the dead. He is the first to do so out of all who have died. Therefore, he is the firstfruits of all believers who have died and who will rise to new life in the last day.
      v21-22. Death came to the human race through one man, and life came to the human race through one man. The disobedience of Adam brought death to all his seed. "In" him, that is, in our community of association with him, we face the consequence he faced. The obedience of Christ brought life to his seed, that is, all those who are in community with Christ will live.
      v23. Paul now details the order of the resurrection of the dead. At the return of Christ, the first to rise are those who have already "fallen asleep", immediately followed by those who are alive and in a relationship with him.
      v24-27a. "Then", after the resurrection of the dead, the final goal ("end") will be realized. The word "then" does not imply that the "end" follows immediately after the resurrection of the dead and living at Jesus' return. An interval may be rightly understood here where: i] there is the destruction of all that opposes, and ii] the handing over of sovereignty. The "when" this happens is an uncertain time interval, typical of a mysterious prophetic revelation. Christ was given rule by the Father and when he brings this rule to a triumphant conclusion, he will then hand back the sovereign rule to its source. This handing over of authority will follow on "after" (again with emphases on no time definition) he has destroyed all evil powers, "everything", including "death" itself.
      v27b-28. Christ's authority, of course, is not over the Father. When everything has finally been subjected to the authority of Christ, then shall the Son himself be subject to the Father. The Father himself had originally given the Son authority over all. The purpose of this final subjection of Christ to the Father is that God might be everything in everything, that is, that everything might be complete in the living and eternal God.

Risen to reign
      It is extremely difficult to detail the events of the end time. The following is a rough summary:
      Prior to Jesus' return, there will occur the incoming of the Gentiles. We Gentiles are already part of this process, a process which has been going on now for two thousand years.
      Then comes the conversion of Israel. It will be very difficult to observe this, for in a sense, it is already occurring. There is always a constant stream of Jews becoming believers. Indeed, this is a wonderful demonstration of God's faithfulness toward the historic people of Israel.
      Then comes the great tribulation and the revelation of the Antichrist. This will be a terrible time of darkness, with the forces of evil seemingly on top of human society. Political power, social institutions, the major forms of human association, all representing a conglomerate Antichrist (rather than an individual Antichrist), will reign supreme in human affairs. The church will be subsumed under the weight of this godlessness, but not destroyed. Many believers will be sucked into the glory of the new secular age - "led astray", as it were. It will be an age heralding the return of the Tower of Babel - a glorying in the secular city, the claiming of divinity. All very familiar, even today.
      Following the coming of Christ, the dead will rise and be transformed (the putting on of the new resurrection body) and be gathered with Christ.
      Then comes the destruction and judgement of the powers of this age, and the "restoration of all things." We have little information about this confrontation with the powers of this age. Clearly this confrontation will begin here on earth with Christ's victory over sin and death. Yet, it seems that the battle will rage into the eternal realms. Resurrected believers will follow their Lord into battle against spiritual powers and authorities in the heavenly realms, a confrontation with those powers who have usurped the authority of God. It is this battle for which life prepares us. It is a battle of massive proportions which we can only but imagine. Yet, we are destined to reign with Christ until all God's enemies have been put under his feet and he becomes "all in all". It is then we shall know complete peace. Christ's authority to reign, having reached its climax with the subduing of evil powers, is then handed again to the Father such that "God may be all in all."

Discussion
      1. If Jesus is the first to rise from the dead, what do you make of Matthew 27:51-53?
      2. Is it true that every person who has ever lived will rise in the last day? Refer to Daniel.12:2, Isaiah.67:24. Who then are the "all will be made alive" in v22?
      3. When we die we go to heaven, or do we? What does happen when we die? v.23.
      4. When did Christ begin his sovereign reign on earth and when will his reign end? How do we share in this reign?
      5. Does verse 26 support the theory of the ultimate annihilation of the wicked?


Notes

Textual notes   Abbreviations,   Bibliography
 
      In Chapter 15:12-34, Paul deals with the issue of the resurrection of the dead. His argument is simple enough. If Christ is risen, then the dead in Christ will rise also. In v.12-19 he outlines the consequences of denying the resurrection of Jesus. In v.20-28 he outlines the consequences of accepting the resurrection of Jesus. Then in v.29-34, he argues for a belief in the resurrection from his own experience.
      It seems that the Corinthian church had some problems concerning the resurrection of the dead, and so Paul writes to dispel their doubts. The central problem is most likely the question of a bodily, individual, resurrection of a person. The Corinthians were most likely influenced by Platonic thought (Eastern) and so accepted the existence of the soul beyond death, but were very sceptical of something that looked like "resuscitation".
      In interpreting this passage it is possible to argue that Paul intends us to see an ongoing reign of Christ post the resurrection of the dead, an eternal battle in the heavenlies against those evil "powers and authorities." During this period, Christ leads resurrected believers in an assault against the powers of darkness. In this sense, we rise to reign with Christ. Presumably, it is when the evil powers are subdued that Christ then hands over all authority to the Father. The sample sermon takes this line, although the reader will understand that such a view is anything but proved.
      A more conservative interpretation is possible. The "enemy" may well be sin and death and once this enemy is put away, Satan's power is destroyed. The resurrection of the dead heralds the end of sin and death and thus, the end of Satan and his minions, and also the end of Christ's reign.
      There is of course, a widely held dispensationalist interpretation of this and other similar passages in the scriptures. This view was popularized some years ago in Hal Lindsay's, "The Late Great Planet Earth". In this view there is an immanent "coming [of Christ] for his saints" when believers are raptured. Jesus comes secretly and raises the dead and transfigures the living to himself in the air. This is the resurrection at the first coming of Christ. Then follows seven years when the world is evangelized, Israel converted, the great tribulation occurs and the Antichrist is revealed. After this, Jesus returns with his saints to judge the world and then usher in his millennial kingdom. For some, this kingdom is an eternal one, reigning over new heavens and new earth. For others it lasts for a thousand years. Those who believe in the millennial kingdom lasting a literal thousand years, fall into two groups:
        i] Premillennialism. This view maintains the sequence of events above with the millennial kingdom centered in Jerusalem and a new temple, a kingdom ruled by Christ and his saints with great power and glory. The reign of the earthly kingdom ends when Satan is loosed for a time. He attacks the holy city, but is ultimately defeated and judged. This ushers in the new heavens and new earth.
        ii] Postmillennialism. This view sometimes holds to a literal thousand years. "A period in the later days of the church militant, when, under the special influence of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of the martyrs shall appear again, true religion is greatly quickened and revived, and the members of Christ's churches become so conscious of their strength in Christ that they shall, to an extent unknown before, triumph over the power of evil both within and without". So says Strong. The return of Christ comes at the conclusion of this millennial kingdom.
      The dispensational approach tends to proof-text scripture and so is more imposed than derived.

v20
      nuni de "but ..... indeed" - now but. Arndt and Gingrich "indeed". The NRSV has "but in fact." A temporal sense is carried in this construction, explaining the way things are at the moment, namely, Christ has risen and therefore, we have life now.
      aparch (h) "firstfruits" - Used in an illustrative sense, the first of a great number. The first grains of the harvest represent the first of a great number and Jesus' bodily/individual/personal resurrection represents the first rising to life of the resurrection of all believers. Jesus is "the first cab off the rank" as it were.
      twn kekoimhmenwn (koimaw) pas. part. "those who have fallen asleep" - the ones having fallen asleep. A Pauline description of the state of believers who have died. Those who have died "in" Christ are asleep in his arms and will awake in the last day, although, in eternal terms, we are already awake and sitting with Christ at the heavenly banquet. The idea of "sleeping in Jesus" counters our rather platonic view of the soul leaving the body and going to be with Jesus when we die. The scriptures clearly state that the dead in Christ rise on the day of his return, so sleeping in Jesus serves as a comforting descriptive of our waiting for the coming day, although like the thief on the cross, the wait is not something we will experience - "this evening ......"

v21
      gar "for" - Introducing an explanation as to why Christ's resurrection is a firstfruit.

v22
      panteV "all" - all those who believe, all those who are in an association with Christ. All those associated with Adam die = the whole human race. All those associated with Christ live = believers.
      zw/opoihqhsontai (zwopoiew) fut. pas. "will be made alive" - Paul has chosen this word to emphasize the quality of life found in Christ's resurrection as opposed to the resuscitation of a dead corps.

v23
      tagmati (a, atoV) "turn" - proper order, orderly. Each has its place.
      epeita "then" - afterward. Although the passage doesn't rule out a time interval between the rising of the dead and the gathering up of the living, it does seem to imply the two events are related. This is confirmed in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, 4:13-18. The ordering of the rising serves to underline the fact that those who have already died do not miss out, or end up last in line.
      oiJ tou Cristou "those who belong to him" - the ones of Christ. The non genitive article followed by the articular genitive "Christ" indicates relationship, belonging to.
      en th/ parousia/ autou "when he comes" - in the coming of him. At the parousia. Possibly a causal sense, ie. the parousia is the instrument by which the dead in Christ rise, although more likely temporal indicating when the dead in Christ rise, namely, at his coming.

v24
      teloV (ouV to) "end will come" - end, conclusion, goal. Here likely the end goal, not the actual end of the world.
      oJtan + subj. "when" - when, whenever. This construction expresses a future reality of indeterminate time. As pointed out in the notes, it is possible to argue that this indeterminate time is referring to the end of Christ's reign in the heavenlies where he and resurrected believers have subdued eternal powers and authorities over many eons. The more conservative position is to see it as referring to the return of Christ. A heavenly struggle post resurrection remains speculative.
      paradidw/ (paradidwmi) subj. "he hands over" - he gives over.
      katarghsh (katargew) subj. "he has destroyed" - he may nullify, make of no effect, abolish. It is possible that the destruction of the evil powers of the universe is not just referring to the power structures of this world. These powers primarily reside in "heavenly places" and thus, the battle will be in the cosmos. As noted above, timing is a matter of conjecture.

v25
      dei "must" - it is necessary. Bound by God's divine will. God's will is that our enemies be destroyed and thus, Christ must reign until they are destroyed.

v26
      katargeitai (katargew) pass. "to be destroyed" - being abolished. The duration of Christ's sovereign reign began at the point of time when the Father handed over the authority of the universe to his Son and concludes when all that is opposed to the living God is no more. The final enemy is death itself, ie. when the enemies of God are no more, there will be no more death, Rev.20:14. The quote from Psalm 8:4-7, makes the point that Adam was given authority over the world, but lost this authority in rebellion. In Christ this authority is restored to mankind.

v27
      gar "for" - Psalm 8:6 serves to explain that "he", namely God, is the one who has determined the end of all that opposes, and has done this in Christ.
      panta "everything" - all things. Paul qualifies the "everything" to not include God.

v28
      oJtan de uJpatagh autw/ ta panta "when he has done this" - but when all things are subjected to him. The "all things" now subjected to Christ are the powers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Once subjected, Christ hands over his authority to the Father. As noted above, the more conservative interpretation would have the "all things" as sin and death.


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