1 Corinthians 15

David Lipscomb Commentary On 1st Corinthians 15 THE OF THE DEAD 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 GROUND OF THE 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 1 Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you,—Paul now states the fundamentals of the gospel which he preached as a basis of the argument contained in this chapter. In the gospel the chief fact was the resurrection of Christ from the dead. On it Christ’ s claim to be the Son of God turns, and on it the resurrection of man and his eternal hopes rest. It was proper that he should state what he had taught them at first of the great elementary truths on which the church had been established, but from which their minds had been diverted. which also ye received,— [They had embraced it as true— that Christ rose from the dead, and that the saints would rise.] wherein also ye stand,—[On this truth the church was founded, and on it their hope rested. This doctrine was vital and fundamental.]

2 by which also ye are saved,-—By it they were brought into a saved state. if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you,—If they held fast or were steadfast to the end. except ye believed in vain.—To believe in vain is to believe and not act on the faith. Faith is intended to lead to obedience to God; and when it fails to do this, it is vain faith. Every one who claims to believe God, and does not continue faithful to the end, makes faith vain. When a man adds the inventions of men to the appointments of God, he makes faith vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all—First in importance, not in time; the doctrine of the resurrection is primary and cardinal, central and indispensable. that which also I received:—He received that which he had preached to them by direct revelation. (1 Corinthians 11:23; Galatians 1:11-12 Galatians 2:6.) He could therefore speak with infallible confidence, both as to what the gospel is and as to its truth. that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;— [Christ’ s death was a propitiatory sacrifice for sin; and the occurrence of such a statement in this place proves that Christ’ s death constituted an essential part of the gospel.] Man was under sentence of death, an outlaw in the court of heaven; but Jesus Christ purchased him “ with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28.) “ The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28.) “ Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14.) “ Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24.) “ He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2.) “ For ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:20.) The idea of Jesus redeeming, purchasing man from under the sentence of condemnation is so interwoven with the whole of the Scriptures that it cannot be rejected without rejecting the truth of the Bible. He is the Redeemer and Savior of man.

4 and that he was buried;—[The inclusion of this detail in so brief a statement of facts is remarkable. But the burial is carefully recorded in all four Gospels, and was evidently regarded of great importance. The importance here and there is that the burial was the evidence of a bodily resurrection. The death of Jesus having been certified by the centurion (Mark 15:44-45), his body was committed to Joseph of Arimathea, who took it down from the cross, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn in stone (Luke 23:53), and rolled a great stone before the door of the tomb, and departed (Matthew 27:60). Then the chief priests and the Pharisees came before Pilate, saying; “ Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last error will be worse than the first.

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a guard; go, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them.” (Matthew 27:63-66.) ] and that he hath been raised on the third day—[Since the death and burial of Christ are historic facts, the effect of the resurrection is abiding. It is not said that Christ arose, but that he was raised. His resurrection is the work of God (1 Corinthians 15:15), the divine seal upon the work of Christ.] according to the scriptures;— These prophecies and their fulfillment are given to prove that the death and resurrection of Jesus were in accord with them. [The double appeal to Scripture in so brief a statement is deliberate and important; and the divine prediction of what would take place is appropriately placed before the apostolic testimony as to what did take place. The agreement of what did take place with what was foretold in Scripture is pointed out with special frequency in the New Testament. (Luke 22:37 Luke 24:25-27 Luke 24:44-46; Acts 2:25-32; Acts 3:24-26 Acts 17:3 Acts 18:28 Acts 26:22-23.) ]

5 and that he appeared to Cephas;—Having presented the prophecies, he introduces as witnesses those to whom he appeared after his resurrection. [The resurrection of Christ was a fact to be proved, like other facts, by competent witnesses. Paul, therefore, appeals to the witnesses who attested the truth of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and shows that it was not possible that so many witnesses should have been deceived. The appearance to Peter is nowhere directly mentioned in the Gospels, but is implied in the exclamation of the apostles on the return of the disciples from Emmaus, “ Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” (Luke 24:34.)] then to the twelve;—[The apostles were called “ The Twelve” by a figure of speech common to all languages, where any body of persons who act as colleagues are called by the number of which the body is properly composed though it may not be completed. It is most likely that Paul refers to the appearance mentioned by Luke (Luke 24:36-43), and John (John 20:19 John 20:24), when Thomas was absent.]

6 then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, — [The place of this appearance is not designated, but there are two circumstances mentioned which throw light on the subject. Just before his death he told his disciples: “ After I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee” (Matthew 26:32) ; and after his resurrection, the angel said to the women who had gone to the sepulchre: “ Go quickly, and tell his disci-ples, He is risen from the dead; and lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. And behold, Jesus met them, saying, . . . Fear not: go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me,” and “ the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.” (Matthew 28:7-16.) Jesus had spent most of his public life in Galilee, and made most of his disciples there. It was proper, therefore, that those disciples, who would hear of his death, should have some public confirmation of the fact that he had risen.] of whom the greater part remain until now,—[The strength of this witness lies in the fact that the majority of them were still living when Paul wrote this epistle, making it possible still to get full evidence at first hand. What more conclusive argument for the truth of his resurrection could there be than that five hundred had seen him, who had been intimately acquainted with him in his life, and who had become his followers.] but some are fallen asleep;—This is the usual expression employed in the Scripture to describe the death of the saints.

7 then he appeared to James;—Of this appearance we have no other mention. [There can be little doubt that this James was “ the Lord’ s brother” (Galatians 1:19), who became so prominent in the church in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9), and is placed here among the chief witnesses because of his prominent position. He was not a believer during the Lord’ s personal ministry (John 7:5); but he was united with the apostles, and with “ the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus” in “ the upper chamber,” immediately after the ascension (Acts 1:14.)] then to all the apostles;—This appearance was on the day of the ascension. (Acts 1:4-11; Luke 24:44-51.) [From the expressions—“ being assembled together with them,” and “ they therefore, when they were come together”— it is evident that this gathering was the result of a convocation on the part of Jesus. It was to be his final appearance to the apostles. They must all be present, and Jesus had provided that none of them should be wanting.]

8 and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.—This last appearance was after his ascension as Paul was on his way to Damascus. (Acts 9:5 Acts 22:14 Acts 26:16.) Because of his late appearance to him, he was as “ the child untimely born.” [This denotes the violent and unnatu¬ral mode of his call to the apostleship, especially at the moment when he was recalling the appearing of the Lord on the way to Damascus. The other apostles were called when they were already believers; and which the Lord’ s hands gathered without effort, whereas Paul was torn, as by a violent operation. from that Phariseeism to which he was yet clinging with all the fibers of his heart and will.]

9 Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead,—The resurrection of Christ was the vital truth in their faith. It had been preached and believed by all Christians. On it their acceptance of Christ turned. It was the foundation stone of their faith. To deny this was to deny the faith and become an infidel. how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?—Since all admit that Christ was raised from the dead, how can it be that there can be no resurrection ? It was probably held by some that resurrection was impossible. To which Paul answered by demonstrating a fact, and showing that such an event had occurred, and that consequently all the difficulties were met. Facts are unanswerable demonstrations; and when a fact is established, all obstacles and diffi-culties in the way must be admitted to be overcome. He had established the fact that one had been raised, and thus met at once all the objections which could be arrayed against the doctrine.

10 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle,—Paul keenly felt his guilt in persecuting the church, often spoke of it, always confessing his sinfulness, and on account of it he felt that he was the least of all the apostles, and was not worthy to be called an apostle. because I persecuted the church of God.—This sense of wrong done the church of God became a spur to increased sacrifice for Christ.

11 But by the grace of God I am what I am:—While Paul was sinful, God’ s grace opened the way for his forgiveness and made him what he was. The Lord saw his earnestness, zeal, self-sacrificing spirit, fidelity to his convictions, and his fitness to preach the gospel, so appeared unto him, brought him to believe, and started him upon his work of self-sacrificing service. and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all:—The favor bestowed on him was not fruitless, for he labored more abundantly than all the apostles. with unfaltering confidence and the utmost composure. They were not credulous dupes blindly led by “ cunningly devised fables.” ] yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.—God’ s goodness and mercy to him constrained him to labor and suf¬fer as he had done more than all the other apostles.

THE BETWEEN CHRIST’ S AND THE OF THE DEAD IN GENERAL1 Corinthians 15:12-19 12 Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.—He and the other apostles preached the same gos¬pel of the resurrection and the Corinthians became Christians by accepting Christ’ s resurrection as the fundamental truth of the gospel which they received. [The resurrection of Christ was attested by a plurality of occasions, a plurality of witnesses, and a plurality of the senses. Hence the apostles gave their testimony to the world without a shadow of doubt upon their souls as to its truthful¬ness and encountered every form of persecution in its behalf

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:—The two stand or fall together. The resurrection of Christ is only the beginning of the general resurrection. Jesus said to the Jews: “ Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29.) When Jesus died on the cross: “ The earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27:51-53.) That was the beginning of the resurrection, to be completed only when “ the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.)

14 and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain,—The central truth and fundamental fact of their preaching was that Christ was raised from the dead; but if he had not been raised, their preaching was false. your faith also is vain.—Their faith in Christ as the Son of God was based on the belief that God raised him from the dead. When the Jews asked a sign of Jesus he said unto them: “ An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:39-40.) That is, he should be buried and rise again; and Paul says he “ was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4.) His resurrection was the foundation on which their faith rested, and if that was not true their faith was vain. The system could not be true unless Christ had been raised from the dead, as he said he would be; and to believe a falsehood could be of no use to any man.'

15 Yea, and 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.—If there be no resurrection, then Christ was not raised; and if Christ was not raised, the apostles bore false witness when they claimed to have seen him alive after his burial. They told a falsehood when it could bring no present good, but bring much suffer¬ing, and finally death; and if false, there could be no hope of anything but infamy and shame. Yet if Christ was not raised the apostles bore false witness of God. To bear witness of God, or his words and deeds, so as to mislead men in their faith in and duty to God is a more heinous offense than to bear false witness of men. It is a grievous sin to bear false witness of men. It is a terrible sin against God and man to bear false witness of what God does and says, for it misleads men where eternal interests are at stake. Peter said to Ana¬nias : “ Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” (Acts 5 Acts 4), showing that it is a greater crime to lie to and of God than of man.

16 For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised:—[This verse is repetition of verse 13, to emphasize the argument that faith in the resurrection rests on historic fact.] He insists that unless the dead do rise, then Christ did not rise. To raise him when no others would arise would be meaningless. If he did rise, then the dead must rise.

17 and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain;—If Christ had not been raised from the dead, their faith in a risen Lord was false and vain. ye are yet in your sins.— Without the resurrection of Christ, there is no forgiveness of sins. The resurrection is inter¬woven with the whole scheme of redemption. It lies at the foundation of faith and forgiveness of sins, and without it a confession of faith in Christ is meaningless.

18 Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.—Many had suffered and died with a living faith in Christ. Many had yielded up their life in testimony of their faith in Christ Jesus. All these had perished, suffered, and died, and are without hope or reward in the world to come; indeed, there is no world to come if Christ be not raised. His resurrection is the guarantee and hope of the future life.

19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.— -If all we have done is merely having hoped in Christ in this life, if it is there to end, we are of all men most pitiable. We may gain an idea of what Paul suffered for Christ from his own account: “ Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28.)

[It is not the fulfillment of the moral law which is here in question; no natural duty imposed on Paul a life of labors, privations, and sufferings of all kinds such as he accepted, and which should be accepted by all Christians in the service of Christ. The free choice of such a life can only be justified by the hope of the most excellent blessings and these blessings consist by no means of certain external pleasures granted by way of reward, but in the satisfaction of the noblest and most elevated wants of human nature, of the aspiration after holiness and life eternal. To see these blessings escape, where all inferior ones have been sacrificed to gain them—to have renounced earth for heaven, and instead of heaven to find perdition, like sinners— would not this still be a sadder condition than that of worldly men who at least allow themselves on earth a comfortable life and the lawful pleasures which were in their reach? To the sufferings accumulated during this life there would come to be added the most cruel disappoint-ment after this life— no eternal life.]

RESULTS OF CHRIST’ S IN WITH THE OF 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead,—None really denied the resurrection of Christ, but how meaningless and fruitless his resurrection would be without the resurrec¬tion of others. His resurrection is not a solitary occurrence affecting only himself. [It is the resurrection of the head of a new humanity and pledge, therefore, of the resurrection of all the dead.] the firstfruits of them that are asleep.—First fruits denotes the beginning of anything, regarded as a pledge of the rest; and so Christ’ s resurrection is the beginning, and the pledge of all the rest. [There is marked suggestiveness in the term first fruits. It is taken from the ancient ceremony in Israel of waving the sheaf of first fruits of the ripening grain before the Lord. (Leviticus 23:9-11.) The sheaf was at once the pledge and the sample of the entire harvest; it was a part of the harvest to be gathered. Christ is the first fruits of all the sleeping saints in his resurrection. As certainly as he is risen, so certainly shall they rise, for he is the pledge and assured part of their resurrection. Our faith in the resurrection rests on the proved fact of Christ’ s resurrection.]

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the res¬urrection of the dead.—The resurrection of all as naturally follows the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the death of all fol¬lows the sin and death of Adam. By Adam’ s sin death came upon him; so all inherited his mortal, dying body. So as Christ by his obedience triumphed over death and was raised from the dead to die no more, so all the world through Christ will be raised from the dead. The world of mankind will be raised, no more to live a fleshly life or to die a fleshly death— “ they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28.)

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.—What man lost through the disobedience of Adam he gained through the obedience of Jesus Christ. He lost the fleshly or physical life in Adam. That life is restored to all men through Christ.

23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ’ s, at his coming.—They will not all be raised at one time. Christ came forth as the first fruits. When Christ died on the cross, many of the graves were opened, and “ many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27:52.) Those who accept Christ, put him on, live in him, “ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.) The wicked shall afterward be raised: “ Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2.) “ And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15.)

24 Then cometh the end,—The consummation of the gospel dispensation or state of things, which will open the new and eternal period. when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father;— The mission of Jesus Christ on earth was to redeem and rescue the world from the rule of the evil one, to whom it had been surrendered by the first Adam, and deliver it up to God, even the Father. when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.—Everything that is in the world, that exercises rule, authority, or power, save as it comes directly from God, and is used under his direction, to promote his rule and dominion, is an enemy of God and of his Son Jesus Christ, and must be destroyed by the rule and dominion of the Son before the king¬dom and dominion of the world can be delivered up to the Father. Jesus Christ came into the world to rescue it from the evil one, and to destroy everything that exerts power or authority or dominion on the earth, and to establish the kingdom of God on earth. When that work is done every one will render homage and obedience to God. Then, and only then, will peace and harmony and good will dwell among men, and every being in the universe will realize that his happiness will be promoted, by promoting the happiness of every other being, and all guided by one law will work in unison and har¬mony to the promotion of the glory of God and the good of men. Before the consummation can come every plant not planted of God shall be rooted up. (Matthew 15:13.) Every in¬stitution or organization of earth that exerts rule or authority or power must be destroyed. This earth in the material, moral and spiritual world must become again a garden of God’ s own planting.

Not a brier, or thistle, or thorn can grow in the material, moral, or spiritual world. Only those plants planted by the Father’ s hand and nurtured by his love will grow in that redeemed and rescued Eden of God.

25 For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.—Jesus Christ must rule and reign here on earth till he has put down and destroyed all powers and dominions of earth. Everything exercising rule and authority and dominion under the evil one is an enemy of God, and Jesus Christ must reign until all have been destroyed. He reigns in his church ; and his church is his kingdom established by God, which “ shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44.) All the kingdoms, and institutions on earth shall be broken in pieces and destroyed, then shall he deliver up to God his redeemed kingdom, out of which everything built up under the dominion of the devil has been destroyed. Since Christ’ s mission—the mission of his kingdom— is to put down and destroy all these kingdoms, and to destroy everything that exercises rule, authority, or power on earth, how can the servants of Christ and the subjects of his kingdom enter into, strengthen, and build up that which Christ and his kingdom are commissioned to destroy?

26 The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.—Death came as a result of sin and is an enemy of God and man. While resulting from sin, it serves as a boundary line for sin, beyond which no active rebellion can go. So long as man sins he must die; but when all sin and rebellion shall have been destroyed, then death as the last enemy shall be abolished. While Jesus conquered death, he still permits it to reign as a punishment and restrainer of sin. But when sin and rebellion shall have ceased, and all the institutions that have grown up out of the rebellion of man shall have been destroyed, then death itself, the last surviving enemy, will be destroyed, and the kingdom will be delivered up to the Father, with no enemy to oppose his rule and reign.

27 For, He put all things in subjection under his feet.— These words are found in Psalms 8:6, and relate to man in general at the time of his creation (Genesis 1:28-30) ; but as the destiny of man thus declared is not realized, because of his fall, in any one save in the person of the Son of man, it is here applied to him as representative of man in his highest state. (See also Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:5-9.) But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. —God did not place himself under Jesus. He is excepted when he said he put all things under 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.—Jesus came to bring all things under subjection to himself. He established a kingdom and put in operation forces that will break down all rebellion against God and will bring all things into subjection unto himself as ruler. This he is doing through his kingdom. When the work of bringing them into subjection has been completed, he will be subject to God who put all things under his feet, that God may be the only ruler in the universe. All things in all places will honor and obey him.

OF THE BY SHOWING THE CONDUCT OF CHRIST’ S TO BE , IF THERE IS NO 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 29 Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead?—As is apparent to every thoughtful person, this is an earnest argument to prove that Christians will rise from the dead. The purpose, scope, and connection will admit of but one meaning— If the dead rise not, what shall they do who are baptized in the hope of the resurrection? Men are “ baptized into Christ,” that they may live in him, die in him, and finally be justified and saved in him. If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?—In view of their dying they are baptized in order to their well-being after death. If they are not to be raised from the dead, why are they baptized to fit them for the resurrection? [There is no doubt that the allusion is to some act performed in expectation of future benefit to themselves, which would be lost if the dead did not rise. And the view given here suits the argument and agrees with the context. Foreseeing that faith would cost them the loss of all things, perhaps of life itself, not a few persons, in being baptized, did so, virtually saying with the apostle, “ We who live are al¬ways delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:11.) The meaning then is: What is to become of those who on being baptized do so knowing that it may prove their death warrant, if the dead rise not ?]

30 why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?—It was in view of this condition after death that made Paul stand in jeopardy of life every hour. [He had no other object in encountering so many dangers than to make known the gospel which looked forward to the glorious future state; but if there is no resurrection, and therefore no life beyond death, his ex-posure of himself to so great danger in proclaiming it was infinite folly. For he thus risked at the same moment both the present life and the life to come. The best comment on this passage is found in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. ]

31 I protest by that glorying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,—He gloried in them as his children in Christ, and, in spite of their many defects, they were very precious to him. The very joy and gratitude worked by his thought of them recalls the peril he had endured for their salvation. I die daily.—To die daily incurred the danger of death. [This is a vivid picture of his constant danger. Not that each day he actually dies, but that the process of death is ever going on; as though the executioner was already at work putting him to death.]

32 If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus,—[These words describe the deadly enemies encountered by Paul during his long sojourn in Ephesus. They are a terri¬ble picture of the perils which culminated not only in Ephesus but in every place where he proclaimed the gospel. He was surrounded by men thirsty for his blood, men against whose fury he was as powerless to defend himself as were the captives thrown to the wild beasts in the amphitheatre. (Acts 13:50 Acts 14:19 Acts 16:22 Acts 17:5 Acts 18:23; 2 Timothy 4:17.)] what doth it profit me?—If this voluntary exposure to deadly peril be from worldly motives common to men, what is the worldly gain to be derived from it? No such gain can be conceived. Consequently, his self-exposure was because he believed in a life beyond death. If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.—[The conclusion given here is a quotation from Isaiah 22:13, where it is given as the sensualistic cry of the people of Jerusalem under the judgment of Jehovah, which moved them to recklessness instead of repentance. These words are not quoted as having any original reference to the subject of the resurrection, but as language appropriately expressing the idea that, if there is no future state, it is vain and foolish to subject ourselves to trials and privations here. We should the rather make the most of this life; enjoy all the comforts we can; and make pleasure our chief good rather than look for happiness in the future state. This is the language of the great mass of mankind today. They look to no future state; they, therefore, give themselves up to unrestained enjoyment in this life.]

33 Be not deceived:—[Do not be led astray by such spe¬cious maxims. They can only arise from that too great familiarity with the heathen against whom he had already put them on guard.] Evil companionships corrupt good morals.—It is contact, association with evil, that is declared to be corrupting. This is a fact of common experience. [It is only when Christians associate with the wicked with the express desire and purpose to do them good that they can rely on the protection of God to preserve them from contamination.]

34 Awake to soberness righteously,—These words imply that the denial of the resurrection was already producing im¬moral results; and the appeal is to arouse them, as from a state of drunkenness, to prompt action to shake off the delusion under which they were lying as to their security. [The denial of such a doctrine as the resurrection was in Christians not only a matter of opinion but of unrighteousness. Righteousness embraces not only our duty to men but to God ; and since he has revealed to us certain unspeakably great benefits which he intends to confer upon us, it is our duty to meet his loving offers with grateful acknowledgment. If we do not we are ungrateful and unrighteous.] and sin not;—[The awakening to righteousness must be followed up by a continous effort to live a righteous life.] for some have no knowledge of God: I speak this to move you to shame.—[Their culpable ignorance of Paul was at the root of their disbelief of the resurrection; and Paul assigns this as the strongest reason for awakening out of spiritual lethargy which led them to associate with those who denied that God would raise the dead. And the object of all that he was saying was to excite them to shame for having some in their fellowship who denied the resurrection.]

OF BY THE OF THE BODY1 Corinthians 15:35 - 35 But some one will say, How are the dead raised?—Some troubled themselves to know how the dead are raised. [The objection was urged that, though the historical testimony and natural fitness are in favor of believing that Christ rose from the dead as an earnest that we shall be raised, is our bodily resurrection possible, can we conceive such a thing? We cannot be expected to believe what is impossible and inconceiv¬able.] and with what manner of body do they come?—Are they raised up in the same bodies as those in which they lived here, or, if not, what are the properties of the bodies in which they are raised ?

36 Thou foolish one,—The one who involves himself in such needless difficulties he calls a foolish one. that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:—He illustrates the resurrection by the analogy of the grain. As long as the grain remains in the bin, it is a dead thing— there is a germ of life in it, but that is to all appearance as if it did not exist. It can only start into life by being buried in the earth, and the whole body of the seed thus buried decays and becomes food for the life germ which cannot be seen till it has attained some size by having received nourishment from the decayed seed, and by this principle of life gathers the matter in a body as suits its wants; so that here is the great mystery of nature, patent on all sides of us, and the beginning of a new life from a dead seed.

[This, of course, is only an analogy, and an analogy is not a proof; for the proof of the resurrection is historical. It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who during his life displayed supernatural power and wisdom, and whose resurrection was proclaimed by men who lost every worldly advantage and exposed themselves to death daily, because they asserted its truth. This, in the apostle’ s view, was the proof of the resurrection, but when men asked, How are the dead raised up? as if it were an impossible thing, then he used the analogy of the seed and the plant. How the plant is actually developed from the seed is as great a mystery as the resurrection— not, of course, as great a thing— but as great a mystery, as inexplicable, as unsearchable. And the unbeliever who says that it is produced by a law of nature only introduces a still greater mystery— the mystery of laws not imposed by any intelligent being, but acting no one knows how— blindly, unintelligently, though they require the brightest intellects of the human family to describe or measure their action.]

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;—The naked grain is sown, not the body that shall be.

38 but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.—Neither the seed itself, nor the sower, provides the new body; but it is God who gives it a body as it pleases him. He does not deal with each case separately, just as he pleases at the moment, but according to fixed laws, just as it pleased him when the world was created and regulated. (Genesis 1 Genesis 11, 12.) [The development of any plant from a seed is a deep mystery, and still more mysterious is that uniform action of God, by which each seed develops not into any plant, but into the plant which God has appointed from the first; so that, as far as we can see, not only is there an infinite variety of seeds, but an infinite variety of prin-ciples of life. There is a particular character of life in the grain of wheat, and a different one in the grain of barley, and they never interchange. This is introduced because he meant not merely life out of the dead seed, but a particular form of life from each seed. Therefore to every human being God will give a proper resurrection body. There shall be a fitness or appropriateness of the new body of the character of him who is raised.]

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.—All flesh is no more the same flesh than all grains are the same grain. Man, beasts, birds, and fish are all different kinds of flesh. [The beast has a body which fits it for life on the earth, the bird for life in the air, and the fish for life in the water. If God from animal tissue can produce such a variety of forms of life, he certainly can, with his wisdom and inexhaustible resources, raise a body for the saints, perfectly adapted to the faculties of their minds, and to the new world in which they are to live.]

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial:— [The principle is now further extended to the heavenly bodies, and another argument is thus drawn from the close analogy which subsists between the kingdom of nature and kingdom of grace.] but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.—Earthly and heavenly bodies have dif¬ferent glories. [The words “ one” and “ another” here denote difference, as well as distinction. This statement carries the thought farther in the analogy and completes it, showing that there is a difference, not only in character, but in glory between bodies on earth and bodies in heaven.]

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.—There is no reference here to the different degrees of glory among the saints in heaven, ft is the amazing variety observable in the heavens above us, suggesting the reasonableness of expecting that the resurrection body will differ greatly from the mortal body, consistent with essential identity.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead.—He applies the truths illustrated in verses 36-38, where the seed is sown to die, and is laid in the earth, in order that it may spring up a plant wholly different in form and beauty from the seed sown, to the resurrection. It is sown in corruption;—It is now a corruptible body, con¬stantly tending to decay, subject to disease and death, and destined to entire dissolution. “ Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19.) it is raised in incorruption:—The resurrection body will not be subjected to earthly conditions; it will be imperishable, free from all impurity, and incapable of decay.

43 it is sown in dishonor;—The body here is dishonored with sin, with weakness, with suffering; it goes down to the grave because of its weak, perishing, and sinful state. [A dead body becomes so repulsive that one would say, with Abraham, of the dearest object of this life, “ that I should bury my dead out of my sight.” (Genesis 23:8.) ] it is raised in glory:—The Lord said that those who attain to this glory “ are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:36.) Paul said: “ For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory.” (Philippians 3:20-21.) And Daniel said: “ They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3.) it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:—Weakness is the characteristic of the lifeless body, which is relaxed and powerless. [The resurrection body is ever fresh and fair and strong. Not only can it never be subject to the same weak¬ness again, but it will be endowed with new facilities superior to the former body.]

44 it is sown a natural body;—A natural body is a body of which animal life is the animating principle. It consists of flesh and blood; is susceptible of pain and decay; and needs air, food, and rest. It is adapted to the conditions of an earthly existence. it is raised a spiritual body.—[What a spiritual body is, we know from Paul’ s description, and from the manifestation of Christ in his glorified body. It is incorruptible, glorious, and powerful, adapted to the high state of existence in heaven, and therefore not adapted to an earthly condition.] If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.— [If it is right to speak of a body adapted to the principle of animal life, it is right to speak of a body adapted to the spirit. Just as certainly as we have a body adapted to our lower na¬ture, we shall have one adapted to our higher nature.]

45 So also it is written,—[It is only the first part of the verse (Genesis 2:7) that is quoted. The words “ First” and “ Adam” are added by Paul as an inspired comment to give prominence to the fact that Adam was the beginning of the human race.] The first man Adam became a living soul.—[The Scriptures teach that Adam was created with an animal nature, and that therefore he had an animal body. The proof with regard to the nature of Adam does not rest exclusively on the words quoted, but on the whole account of his creation, of which these words form a part. It is evident from the entire history that Adam was formed for an existence on this earth, and therefore with a body adapted to the present state of being; in its essential attributes not differing from those which we have inherited from him. But God personally inbreathing the principle of life into a lifeless, but organized body, the man, who before was only a lifeless body, became a living soul. The soul was the result of the entrance of the life principle into a mortal body.] The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.—The second Adam gives spiritual and immortal life to those who are his. [Christ is called the last Adam in reference to the first Adam, whose antitype he is as the head of the new humanity, justi¬fied and redeemed through him. Hence it is said: “ Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17.) But at the same time in reference also to the fact that after him no other is to follow as the head of the new race.]

46 Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.—Adam, as an inhabitant of earth, came before Jesus; so the earthly body comes to all before the spiritual body. [This does not mean perfection in general, but one kind only of perfection, that which has been revealed in Christ as the second head of hu¬manity.]

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy:—Our first body, or the man in his first body, is of the earth; like Adam, earthly. the second man is of heaven.—The second, or resurrection body, will be spiritual like the body of Christ after his resurrection.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy:—All bodies in the mortal state are like Adam subject to corruption and decay. and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.— -All the spiritual bodies of Christians are like the second Adam, Jesus Christ, in his ascended state. (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Philippians 3:20-21.)

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.—All men born into the world bear the image, the nature of Adam’ s body, so all counted worthy of the resurrection of the just shall bear the image of the heavenly, of Jesus Christ in his heavenly state. The apostle says: “ Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is.” (1 John 3:2.)

FURTHER OF FUTURE BY THE CHANGE TO BE IN THE BODIES OF THE LIVING SAINTS AT THE END OF TIME 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot in¬herit the kingdom of God;—Our fleshly, mortal bodies cannot inherit the immortal kingdom; neither doth the fleshly body, subject to decay and corruption, inherit the incorruptible state in heaven. neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.— The natural body must undergo a change and become incorruptible before it can enter the immortal state.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery;—The mystery is how this change is to take place, for it had not hitherto been made known. The disclosure to which reference was made, and the corresponding one in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, was made through Paul. We all shall not sleep,—[This refers to the death of the body, but only of such as are Christ’ s; yet never of Christ himself, though he is said to be “ the firstfruits of them that are asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20.) It is used of saints who departed before Christ came (Matthew 27:52; Acts 13:26); of Lazarus while Christ was yet upon the earth (John 11:11) ; and of believers since the ascension (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15; Acts 7:60; 2 Peter 3:4.)] but we shall all be changed,—Those who die before the coming of the Lord will not fail of the blessings of Christ’ s eternal kingdom, and those who are alive when he comes again will not be left in their corruptible bodies. Both shall be changed, and thus prepared for the heavenly state.

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:—This change will be instantaneous and at that sol¬emn final moment when the last trump shall sound and the dead Christians shall be raised incorruptible and those who are alive shall be changed. for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised in¬corruptible, and we shall be changed.—[These words were likely added to give the order in which the three great acts of the last day will follow one another. The first will be the sud¬den signal of the Lord’ s presence. Then the dead in Christ will rise in immortal bodies. Last of all, the living will be changed. He declares: “ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.)]

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.— The fleshly, mortal, must be immortalized. [This confirms the preceding statement in regard to the raising of the dead, and the change of the living by showing the necessity of putting off the mortality common to them both. If the present bodies are to become incorrupt¬ible and immortal they must indeed be changed, so that that decay which is inherent in all nature must be done away, and they will then become as incapable of dying as they are now incapable of living beyond their alloted time.]

54 But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, —When this is done death loses its power. [The striking parallelism of the two propositions marks the ascending movement of the thought as well as the growing exultation of feeling. Perhaps this applies to the resurrection of the bodies which have already passed through the dissolution of death.] and this mortal shall have put on immortality,—The immor¬tal will be no longer subject to death. Death will be swallowed up and destroyed. [This refers most likely to the transformation of bodies constantly threatened with death during their earthly life.] then shall come to pass the saying that is written,— This is added to denote the certainty of the fulfillment. God cannot lie. Death is swallowed up in victory.—[The state of perfect in¬ward vigor which excludes all possibility of outward decay. Such a life is victory gained forever over death its enemy. The deathless change is called a swallowing up, an absorption, of the mortal by the principle of life in Christ.]

55 O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?—These are the different forms of expressing the fact that death has been completely conquered.

56 The sting of death is sin;— Sin inflicts on the sinner a wound that is mortal, “ For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23.) and the power of sin is the law:— Sin exerts its power to bring about death through the law when it is violated. [The best comment on this expression is found in Romans 5:12-15 Romans 7:7-12. Paul was confronted with the horror of a broken law, which reminds him of a being infinitely holy, and of his own self-condemnation. ]

57 but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.—For this blessed consummation of victory over sin and death, he breaks out into thanksgiving to God who has so wonderfully provided the great salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immovable,—In view of these riches and glories, he admonishes his brethren to be firm, steadfast, unmovable in the faith of the gospel. always abounding in the work of the Lord,—The work of the Lord is the work in which God has ordained that his chil¬dren shall walk. Their labor, doing his work in Christ’ s name, as his servants, ransomed and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, is not in vain. God watches over, guards, and preserves that work as the work of his own Son whose redeemed servants we are. “ It is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2 :13.) God’ s servants do the work of God. All work not in the Lord is vain and fruitless and must perish. If not in the Lord, it will go down to ruin. forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.—This applies to the whole sentence and its several clauses. They knew by this time, from the apostle’ s argument, that the living and the dead will appear before Christ, and that faithfulness will be rewarded with participation in Christ’s glory; for every man’ s work will be tested. (1 Corinthians 3:13 1 Corinthians 4:5.) Paul began the discussion by declaring that, if there is no resurrection of the dead, his preaching and their faith are equally vain. He closes this argument with an appeal to their conviction that, because there will be a resurrection, their humble toil (1 Corinthians 3:8), from day to day in the work of the Lord, will be no more in vain than their faith in Christ, no more in vain than the ministry of the apostles, no more vain than Christ’ s death and resurrection.

[Thus, with beautiful calmness and ease, does the apostle come down, in this closing verse, from the height to which he had risen in the verses immediately preceding, to the everyday work and warfare of life. Nor is this wonderful; for the spring of all Christian activity, energy, and progress lies in such soul-stirring themes as are handled in this chapter, whose practical outcome is expressed in this closing verse.]

Verse 1 1 Corinthians 15When darkness falls upon the day of life, when death has come, and when people gather around a grave, then it is that they turn to this immortal chapter, where are recorded the title deeds of man’s highest hope, the Christian gospel’s promise of eternal life. Light from this chapter dispels the darkness surrounding the grave; its message reassures the sorrowful, redefines the meaning of life itself and writes upon the tomb the blessed words, “Asleep in Jesus.” It speaks at every funeral. Apostolic power and inspiration charge every word of this chapter with everlasting significance, which has been neither dimmed nor eroded by the passing of nineteen centuries. Even the mysteries of it, which people may not fully understand, have power to quicken the human spirit and rekindle the fires of faith. The dimensions of this heavenly message are so vast that finite man may neither completely comprehend nor intelligently deny it; thus leaving every man the moral option of trusting the Father’s promise or turning to the blackness of total despair. It is the voice of God the Father of mankind that speaks to people here; and, for all who listen, it promises that nothing can harm the Father’s child, that there is no need to fear, and that even life’s sorrows, infirmities and sufferings are not without purpose, and that none of life’s labors are in vain “in the Lord.” THE ; BOTH CHRIST’S AND OURSPractically all of this chapter is devoted to teaching concerning the resurrection, Barnes giving the following outline of it:[1]I. The dead will be raised (1 Corinthians 15:1-34). A. The resurrection of Christ proves it (1 Corinthians 15:1-11).

1. The Scriptures foretold it (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
2. Eyewitnesses attested it (1 Corinthians 15:5-11). B. To deny the resurrection is absurd (1 Corinthians 15:12-34).
3. If the dead rise not, it would mean Christ did not (1 Corinthians 15:13).
4. It would follow that preaching was useless (1 Corinthians 15:14).
5. It would mean faith was worthless (1 Corinthians 15:14).
6. It would mean that the apostles were liars (1 Corinthians 15:15).
7. It would deny all possibility of salvation from sin (1 Corinthians 15:16-17).
8. It would mean that the righteous dead were lost (1 Corinthians 15:18).
9. It would mean all believers in Christ were to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19).
10. It would mean that even the rite of baptism for the dead, as practiced by the heathen, was absurd (1 Corinthians 15:29).
11. It would mean that sufferings and privations of the apostles were vain and useless (1 Corinthians 15:31-34). C. An illustration of the reasonableness of the doctrine of the resurrection (introduced parenthetically, as often in Paul’s writings) (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).
12. But now hath Christ been raised up (1 Corinthians 15:20). Paul could not wait until the conclusion of his argument, but dogmatically declared the truth of the resurrection.
13. As death came to all through one person (Adam), it is fitting that the resurrection should come through one (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
14. The order of the resurrection is given (1 Corinthians 15:23-28). II. Regarding the nature of the bodies that shall be raised up (1 Corinthians 15:35-41). A. It is like grain that is planted (1 Corinthians 15:36-38). B. It is like different kinds of flesh (1 Corinthians 15:39). C. It is like different kinds of celestial bodies (1 Corinthians 15:40-31). D. It is described as:
15. Incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:42).
16. Glorious (1 Corinthians 15:43).
17. Powerful (1 Corinthians 15:43).
18. A spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44).
19. It is like the risen body of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45-50). III. What shall become of those who remain alive at the Second Advent? (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). A. The answer is that they shall be changed in an instant, and thus participate in the resurrection just like others. IV. The practical application of the doctrine of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:55-58). A. It places the Christian in a position of strength, the great victory already having been won (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). B. All of the Christian’s energies should be devoted fully to the service of God, being assured that his labor is not in vain “in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).LINES> While it may be questioned that “This chapter is more important than any other part of this epistle,"[2] it is nevertheless true that the sacred Scriptures have attained some kind of a climax in the verses of this chapter. [1] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1949), p. 280. Numerous changes were made in this outline. [2] Ibid. Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand. (1 Corinthians 15:1) It is rather tragic that the Corinthians required that someone remind them of the fundamental facts of the Christian gospel, at a time so soon after they had heard it, obeyed it, and were enjoying the blessings of salvation derived from it. As Hodge declared, “Certain false teachers at Corinth had denied the resurrection."[3] There is no profit in trying to identify these false teachers. Satan always has an advocate in every community; and those of Jewish background could have been contaminated by the Sadducees, while those of Greek origin could have cited a hundred of their philosophers who despised any such doctrine as the resurrection of the dead (Acts 17:32). ENDNOTE: [3] Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 308. Verse 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.Two clauses in this verse reiterate the principle that even for those already saved, it is yet required of them that they “hold fast the word,” and that otherwise even their glorious beginning is a total loss. Many commentators move quickly to soften the meaning here, saying that “Believed in vain” does not indicate loss of salvation as a possibility”;[4] but it is clear enough that the passage cannot possibly mean anything else but the loss of salvation for those who hold not fast the word. ENDNOTE: [4] S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 639. Verse 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.First of all … This means “First in importance, not in time, the doctrine of the resurrection being primary, cardinal, central and indispensable."[5]That which I also received … Wesley was no doubt correct in the conviction that this meant “I received from Christ himself; it was not a fiction of my own."[6] To be sure, Paul had contact with other apostles whose testimony corroborated his own; but there can be no meaning here to the effect that Paul was merely repeating what he had heard from others. Christ died for our sins … Volumes of truth are embedded in this. Christ’s death was not a mere murder, designed and carried out by his enemies; but it was a conscious laying down of his life for the sins of mankind. The great atonement is in view here. According to the Scriptures … “The double appeal to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) in so brief a statement is deliberate and important."[7] The magnificent prophecies of the Old Testament which so accurately foretold the death of the Son of God are so important that they deserved and received mention even ahead of the apostolic testimony about to be cited. As to what Scriptures were meant, Psalms 16:10;Isaiah 53:10; Hosea 6:2; Jonah 2:10 (see Matthew 12:40), Zechariah 12:10 Zechariah 13:7 are among them, besides all of the typical things such as the sin offering and the Passover sacrifices. [5] David Lipscomb, Commentary on First Corinthians (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1935), p. 221. [6] John Wesley, One Volume New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1972), in loco. [7] David Lipscomb, op. cit., p. 222. Verse 4 And that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.This dogmatic declaration of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ was written while the majority of that generation in which it occurred were still alive (1 Corinthians 15:6); and the presence of many enemies who denied it but who were powerless to produce any evidence against it, makes this an argument of eternal power and dependability. In fact all of the evidence in this chapter shows that even the enemies who were denying the resurrection (as a general thing) were compelled to admit the resurrection of Christ, because Paul adduced the latter as proof of the former! Farrar extolled the apostolic witness of the resurrection in this passage by observing that: It is a complete summary. It includes material which is not in the Gospels. It appeals to ancient prophecies. It shows the force of the evidence which convinced the apostles. It appeals to many eyewitnesses still living. It was written within 25 years of the events themselves.[8]And that he was buried … This is one of three New Testament references to the burial of Christ, except in the Gospels, the other two being Acts 2:29 and Acts 13:29. “It blasts the swoon theory; he really died; and it leads naturally to the empty tomb, a witness for the resurrection which has never been effectively denied."[9]Hath been raised the third day … The Scripture which affirmed Jesus would rise on the third day is Jonah 1:17 (Matthew 12:40). For discussion of the day Jesus was crucified and the related question of “the third day,” see my Commentary on Mark, pp. 341-348. According to the Scriptures … See under the preceding verse. [8] F. W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 19, p. 484. [9] S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., op. cit., p. 639. Verse 5 And that he appeared to Cephas; then to the Twelve.Cephas … is the name for Peter; and one significant thing is that the Lord made a special appearance to the apostle who had denied him, giving hope to all who fall, and showing that the Lord is tender and merciful to forgive our sins (see Luke 24:34). Some have criticized Paul for omitting the appearances to the women (John 20:14); but those do not belong here, since they were “evidential to the apostles, rather than to the world,"[10] and came at a time when the apostles themselves were in a state of shock and unbelief. Then to the Twelve … This is a reference to the office of the Twelve, and the fact of Jesus’ appearances being to ten on one occasion and eleven on another is a mere quibble of no importance at all. ENDNOTE: [10] F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 484. Verse 6 Then he appeared to about five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep.No infidel can get rid of this testimony. The generation that witnessed this wonder could not deny it; and the subsequent objections of unbelievers are refuted by the simple fact of their total ignorance of what took place, except as attested by the eyewitnesses. Many scholars, as Dummelow, identify this appearance to over five hundred as identical with “the mountain appearance in Galilee (Matthew 28:16 ff)."[11] It could, however, have been another not reported in the Gospels, just as the appearance to James, given a moment later, is also not given in the Gospels. The greater part remain … This “is of the highest evidential value,"[12] because it was written by one who would rather have died than to tell a lie, and who could not possibly have been guilty of making a statement that could have been refuted by any enemy of the truth. Some are fallen asleep … Reference to death as a sleep originated with Jesus himself and was quickly adopted by Christians when speaking of the beloved dead. See my Commentary on John, p. 275. [11] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 917. [12] F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 484. Verse 7 Then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.James … This appearance is nowhere else mentioned in the New Testament. Macknight identified this James as “James the less, author of the New Testament book of James and a brother of our Lord."[13] As the apostle James was already dead at the time of Paul’s writings, it seems probable that Paul would have been referring to the other James, who was also called an apostle in a secondary sense. He presided over the church in Jerusalem, as recorded in Acts. Jerome recorded a curious legend to the effect that James had made a vow that he would neither eat nor drink until he had seen Jesus risen from the dead, and that Jesus, appearing to him, said, “My brother, eat thy bread, for the Son of man is risen from the dead."[14] Jesus’ brothers did not, at first, believe in him (John 7:3). Last of all … does not mean that Jesus appeared to no other afterward, because he also appeared to John at a much later time (Revelation 1:16 ff). It has the meaning of “last in this list which I am giving.” Untimely born … The word here is used of an abortion and “denotes the violent and unnatural mode of Paul’s call to the apostleship."[15] Although himself one of the witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, Paul here dissociated himself from the Twelve as being conscious of his own unworthiness from having persecuted the church. [13] James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles and Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House. 1969), p. 256. [14] Jerome as quoted by Farrar, op. cit., p. 484. [15] David Lipscomb, op. cit., p. 224. Verse 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.As Kelcy said, “This verse is explanatory of 1 Corinthians 15:8."[16] The extent of Paul’s persecutions were probably much more extensive than the glimpses of them which appear in the New Testament might indicate. ENDNOTE: [16] Raymond C. Kelcy, First Corinthians (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Co., 1967), p. 70. Verse 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.Despite the deep humility expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:9, Paul nevertheless did not depreciate the glory and dignity of his calling. “The whole verse is a maintenance of official dignity as an apostle."[17]More abundantly than they all … Paul’s labors were the most extensive of any of the apostles, and the most fruitful. Such rewards of his efforts Paul ascribed not to himself but to the grace of God. ENDNOTE: [17] T. Teignmouth Shore, Ellicott’s Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 346. Verse 11 Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.The gospel Paul preached was one and the same as that preached by all the others, the point here being that it made no difference whether from himself or others the message had been received. It was one message only, with the same result of salvation no matter who preached it. We preach … There are two words in the New Testament for preaching. This one means “We proclaim, or herald."[18] The other is “prophesy” and refers to spiritual teaching and instruction. ENDNOTE: [18] F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 485. Verse 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?The certainty of Christ’s resurrection was so solidly embedded in the convictions of the apostolic church that Paul made it to be here an argument proving the resurrection generally of all the dead, a hope stubbornly denied by the Greek philosophers (Acts 17:32). As Hodge declared, this verse proves that some of the Corinthians were denying the general resurrection for all Christians (and all people), while admitting through necessity the resurrection of Christ. Paul affirmed the resurrection of Christ as proof of the resurrection of all. This is the first in a series of arguments proving the validity of the Christian hope of the resurrection. The philosophical conceit which Paul laid to rest by these arguments was: “The Greek idea of the immortality of the soul … that after death the soul escaped from the body to be absorbed into the divine or continue a shadowy existence in the underworld."[19]ENDNOTE: [19] Donald Guthrie, The New Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 1071. Verse 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised.If there is no resurrection for all, then the resurrection of Christ itself is meaningless. Verse 14 And if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.The absolutely fundamental nature of the resurrection of Christ and the legitimate corollaries derived from it are affirmed here. So-called “modernists” who pretend to be Christians while denying the resurrection are not Christian at all in any New Testament sense. Verse 15 Yea, and 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.As McGarvey said, “It was not an issue of truth or mistake, but of truth or falsehood."[20] There can be no middle ground in judging the words of that group of people who bore witness to Christ’s resurrection and then went up and down the ancient empire sealing the testimony with their life’s blood. It was either truth, or it was a bold calculated lie which perpetrated upon mankind the greatest hoax of all time; and the known character and behavior of the blessed apostles makes it impossible to believe the second alternative. He raised up Christ … Christ’s resurrection is viewed in the New Testament as having been accomplished by the Son himself (John 10:18), and by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11). The whole godhead was active in it. ENDNOTE: [20] J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on First Corinthians (Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Company, 1916), p. 149. Verse 16 For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised.Of course, the denial of any such thing as the resurrection included the resurrection of Christ with that which was denied; but there is more to this than that. The whole purpose of Christ’s entry into our earth life with its sufferings and death, consummated by his glorious resurrection, was the purpose of conquering death upon behalf of all humankind; and, if such a thing as the resurrection of people was impossible, Christ would never have undertaken the mission at the outset. As Shore expressed it: In other words, if there be no resurrection, the only alternative is atheism, for otherwise one would have to believe that, though there is a God who is wise and just, yet the purest and greatest life that was ever lived is no better in the end than the life of a dog.[21]ENDNOTE: [21] T. Teignmouth Shore, op. cit., p. 347. Verse 17 And if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.Believing in the resurrection of Christ is absolutely mandatory for all who hope for salvation; and this applies equally to all individuals, institutions and even churches which deny it. There is no redemption apart from the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, inclusive of the doctrine of the resurrection and many other necessary deductions from the prime fact of our Lord’s divinity. Verse 18 Then they also that have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.The otherworldliness of Christianity shines in this. The great proposition that undergirds Christianity is that the saved shall be forever with the Lord in that upper and better world where all the problems of earth shall be solved in the light and bliss of heaven. Christianity is not to be advocated merely upon the premise that it is good psychology, or that it leads to a better life in the present world, however true these tangential benefits might be. As Barnes said, “This does not mean that Christians are unhappy, or that their religion does not produce comfort."[22] Despite the present benefits of serving Jesus Christ, including the undeniably superior virtues that are inculcated in it, and the personal joy of believing, the proposition Paul lays down here is that nobody can be truly better off from believing and advocating a lie. In the midst of all this reasoning on the resurrection, Paul discarded his line of argument for a moment, and thundered once more the apostolic oracle of Christ’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). ENDNOTE: [22] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 291. Verse 20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.The only historical fact that could have produced the phenomenon known as Christianity was that cited here, the resurrection of Christ. There are no intelligent explanations aside from this. The very existence of Christianity is proof enough that Christ actually arose from the dead. Only the spiritually blind or willfully evil mind may deny it. The firstfruits of them that are asleep … It is this connection of Christ’s resurrection with all that is implied and prophesied by it that should be noted. See under 1 Corinthians 15:16, above. One of the great Jewish festivals was just approaching, in which the firstfruits of the harvest were waved before the Lord; and, as surely as the first sheaves of the harvest carried a pledge of that harvest, so the resurrection of Christ carried a pledge of the resurrection of all people. Verse 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.One great truth evident in the Bible is that people would never have been subject to death, if it had not been for the sin of Adam. By that one man’s sin, death has fallen upon all people. The analogy pointed out in this verse is that, in view of death’s having resulted from one man’s sin, it is not unreasonable that the resurrection of all people should come about through one man’s resurrection, that of Christ himself. Verse 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.This spells out the analogy stated in the previous verse. All who ever lived on earth shall rise from the dead, the wicked and the righteous alike, and all of this as a consequence of Christ’s resurrection. Some would limit the “all” to them that are in Christ, leaving the wicked without any prospect of resurrection; but the total teaching of both Old Testament and New Testament is against such a view. Daniel 12:2 and John 5:28-29 teach the resurrection of all people, both the wicked and the righteous; and this, of course, is the obvious sense of “all” here which means the same in both clauses. As Barnes said, other interpretations are contrived “through reasoning and theology."[23]ENDNOTE: [23] Ibid., p. 295. Verse 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming.Each in his own order … The word rendered order is a military word, “denoting a company."[24] Christ outranks his followers, who in turn outrank the unbelieving. At his coming … The Second Advent will be the occasion of the general resurrection of both wicked and righteous, despite the affirmation that the “dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Both shall occur on the same occasion (Matthew 25:31 ff); and the separation of the wicked from the righteous will take place then. ENDNOTE: [24] W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1940), in loco. Verse 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.The end … means the end of the world, an event mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, as in Matthew 28:20; 2 Peter 3:10, etc. See my Commentary on Matthew, p. 527. He shall have delivered up the kingdom … The Second Advent will not be the beginning of the reign of Christ but the end of it. Millennial expectations predicated upon the supposition that Christ will reign on earth with his saints after the Second Advent cannot be harmonized with this. Shall have abolished all rule, authority, power … The word “abolished” here does not in any manner suggest that all inimical powers opposed to Christ will submit to his will and obey the gospel at some time prior to the end, but that they will be abolished! Speculations by religious teachers on “how” this will be accomplished are certain to be wrong. Verse 25 For he must reign, until he hath put all enemies under his feet.This has the weight of saying that “Christ must keep on reigning until he hath put down all enemies,” with the necessary deduction that he is now reigning over his kingdom which is the church. Verse 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.The general resurrection will thus occur at a time after the full and total authority of Christ has been demonstrated. Verse 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.For, He … refers to God. The quotation is from Psalms 8:6 (LXX). “The words, spoken of man in general, are here transferred to the federal Head of humanity, the ideal and perfect God-man, Jesus Christ."[25] See my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 45-49. He is excepted … “All things subjected to Christ” did not mean, of course, that God was subject to the Saviour, all beings of the godhead constituting a sacred unity. ENDNOTE: [25] F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 487. Verse 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.It is a gross error to see this passage as reducing in any manner the status of Jesus Christ and his “equality with God” (Philippians 2:6), the thing in view here being the end of Christ’s mediatorial office. At the time of his kingdom being united with godhead in heaven, the need of those special devices which were necessary in human redemption shall have disappeared. This verse marks the end of the digression which Paul began back in 1 Corinthians 15:20. He at once resumed his argument to show the absurdity of unbelief in the resurrection of the dead. Verse 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?This is branded by many as a very difficult verse; but the proper regard of the third person plural pronouns in this verse makes it easy. Paul here used an “argumentum ad hominem”, that is, an argument based upon what people were doing, indicating clearly enough that some persons known to the Corinthians were practicing a baptism for the benefit of the dead; but the one thing that makes it impossible to suppose that Paul approved of such a thing is the use of the third person pronouns. There are no examples in the New Testament of the practice of Christians being designated as what “they” do. Concerning Christian baptism, for example, it is always “we” or “you” who were baptized and addressed in the first or second persons, never in the third person. It is still “they” not “we” who baptize for the dead! With reference to the practice itself, nothing is known of Christians ever doing such a thing until far later in the Christian era; and, even then, it is most likely that a misinterpretation of Paul’s words here was a contributing factor. Hodge flatly declared that nothing was ever known of Christians doing such a thing “before the second century."[26] Invariably throughout history, the Christian community has condemned this practice as heretical, there not being a word in the whole New Testament that countenances such a thing. Only the revival of the practice by the Mormons in our own times has appeared as an exception. The whole concept of proxy baptism is contradictory to Biblical teaching. The objection that Paul would not have referred to such a practice without indicating his disapproval is not well founded. In this same epistle (1 Corinthians 8:10), Paul mentioned “sitting at an idol’s temple” without condemning it. Besides that, the use of any practice (for argument’s sake) may be, even today, referred to without the speaker’s approval of it. This writer once heard a pioneer preacher discoursing on the resurrection, and he said, “The Indians bury a dog and a spear with the fallen warrior; and why should they do that, if there is no resurrection?” That was exactly the “argumentum ad hominem” that Paul used here. Furthermore, Paul had already promised that he would correct certain unspecified disorders at Corinth when he returned personally to visit them (1 Corinthians 11:34); and it may be taken as certain that baptism for the dead was one of them. There are all kinds of fanciful “explanations” of the baptism mentioned here; but with reference to any of them which denies that somebody at Corinth was doing it, the plain meaning of the apostle’s language here (as attested by dozens of scholars) refutes them. ENDNOTE: [26] Charles Hodge, op. cit., p. 337. Verse 30 Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?If the apostles had not been extremely sure of the resurrection, why would any of them have endured such hardship and sufferings, even unto death? This argument is unanswerable. Verse 31 I protest by that glorying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.Such a life as St. Paul’s, both as regards the spiritual battles in his own soul, and the ceaseless conflict with enemies around him, was indeed a daily dying.[27]That glorying in you … Farrar affirmed that the real meaning of this is, “by my glorying in you."[28] Paul’s one reason for earthly glorying was the conversion of people to Christ. His “hope, and joy and crown of rejoicing” was the conversion of people and the establishment of churches (Romans 15:16). [27] T. Teignmouth Shore, op. cit., p. 349. [28] F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 488. Verse 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.Fought with beasts at Ephesus … Scholars are divided on whether to construe this metaphorically as a reference to great persecutions and dangers Paul endured at Ephesus, or as mention of an event in which the apostle actually did so. There is no way to know, for plausible and weighty arguments may be deployed on either side of the question. The feeling here is that this refers to actual conflict; and Luke’s not mentioning it does not deny it. There were several shipwrecks that Luke did not mention, along with many other hardships of the grand apostle.

Besides that, there is a glimpse of some mortal danger to Paul from which he was saved by Priscilla and Aquila (Romans 16:4), for which the Gentile churches throughout the Roman Empire gave thanks to God; and that mystery could be related to this. In any case, the point should not be forgotten: what was the profit of such danger and suffering endured for the sake of Christianity, if there is no resurrection of the dead? Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die … This was Epicureanism; and Paul’s words here may be construed as saying that paganism is as good as Christianity if the doctrine of the resurrection is denied. Verse 33 Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.Scholars identify this statement with the works of Menander, a heathen poet; but some believe the expression had passed into the Greek language as proverb. Paul’s use of it here was to warn the Corinthians against any toleration of the evil teachers who were denying the resurrection; for the toleration of them was certain to have corrupted some of the church. The truth spoken is timeless and applicable to all who ever lived in any generation. Verse 34 Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak this to move you to shame.Barnes said this means, “Arouse from your stupidity on this subject!"[29] The toleration of the skeptical teachers was a public disgrace to the church. ENDNOTE: [29] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 309. Verse 35 But some will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?This is more than a diatribe which frequently marked Paul’s style; it is a conscious answer directed to allegations and questions actually being pressed at Corinth. Of course, it is no objection to the hope of a resurrection that people are not able to explain it; and in conscience it must be admitted that Paul did not explain it in this great passage. He did, however, prove that it is no more marvelous than many other things, some known and some unknown to people. See discussion of “How Can These Things Be?” in my Commentary on John, pp. 89-90. Verse 36 Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die.The continual miracle of seedtime and harvest is not less glorious than the miracle of the ultimate resurrection, only different. Paul’s reference to planting seeds that produce something far different from the seeds, yet identified with the seeds, is similar to Christ’s use of the same analogy in John 12:24, where he applied it to his own death and resurrection. Can anyone understand the principle of seeds dying, growing, and producing a crop? Certainly not. Jesus himself said, “Thou knowest not how!” (Mark 4:26-29). Thus, what Paul means by this is simply that the existence of the common miracle of seeds should enable the believer to receive as truth Christ’s promise of the resurrection. Thou foolish one … It is worth noting that the word MORE, meaning “fool,” is a different word from “the one that was forbidden by the Lord."[30]ENDNOTE: [30] T. Teignmouth Shore, op. cit., p. 350. Verse 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; but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.The Greek word for “body” in these verses, and in 1 Corinthians 15:40-41, is [soma],[31] which is the same word used for a man’s body. One may take a handful of various seeds which are superficially very much alike; but when they are planted an amazing difference appears. This is God’s doing, “as it pleased him”; and Paul’s argument must be allowed as valid, that the God who does such a thing as that also has the power to provide man with a resurrection body. The Greeks despised the body; but it is everywhere respected in the New Testament. The mocking Greeks at Corinth denied the possibility of a resurrection, pointing out the impossibility of reassembling all the atoms of the body destroyed by fire, lost at sea, or disintegrated into dust; but the Christian holds that it is no more difficult for God to give one another body than it was to give him the one he now enjoys. ENDNOTE: [31] W. E. Vine, op. cit., in loco. Verse 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.It is the infinite power and diversity of God’s creative ability which is stressed by these words. There is hardly any environment upon the face of the earth, sky, land or sea, which is not inhabited by creatures that God has made and sustained through the ages. Some creatures live in the depth of the sea under pressure and temperature conditions which would be fatal to a man in an instant; and so it is throughout the whole creation. As Barnes observed, “It is not necessary therefore to suppose that the body which shall be raised shall be precisely like that which we have here."[32]ENDNOTE: [32] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 312. Verse 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. 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.The same meaning is apparent in these lines as in those above. “Can it be thought strange if there should be a difference between our bodies when on earth and when in heaven?"[33] God who has wrought all of the wonders of the sidereal creation, as well as all the wonders on earth, is most certainly able to perform what has been promised with regard to the resurrection. How filled with conceit and unbelief must be that mortal man, who is himself the creature made by an infinite God, and who must soon stumble into a grave, but who has the arrogance and pride to busy himself formulating postulates about what may be possible or not for Almighty God! By such a sin Satan himself fell into condemnation. ENDNOTE: [33] Ibid., p. 313. Verse 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.Incorruptible, glorious, powerful and spiritual shall be the new body given in the resurrection; and these qualities of it are contrasted with the corruption, dishonor and weakness of the natural body at the moment of its being “sown’, in death. Paul does not say here that there is any “maybe” connected with this teaching; this reveals what is to be; and the certainty of the spiritual body’s arrival at the due time in the unfolding of the Father’s will is attested and prophesied by the very existence of the natural physical body itself. “If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body!” People may disbelieve it if they please, but that unbelief will neither prevent nor delay the fulfillment of God’s will, having no consequence at all, except in the effect it shall have upon the destiny of them that disbelieve. Verse 45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.For an extended discussion of the similarities and contrasts between Adam I and Adam II, see my Commentary on Romans, pp. 205-212. Of course, there were far more contrasts than similarities between Adam and Christ; but the position that each holds as head of the natural creation (of man) on the one hand, and head of the spiritual creation on the other is similar. The passage Paul quoted here is Genesis 2:17. “Living soul” is what Adam BECAME; God had breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; but through disobedience Adam became this lower thing, the merely natural man. Through Christ, however, man may enjoy that higher existence which God intended from the first. Verse 46 Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.The time sequence here applies to people now, their first existence being merely physical, the natural life derived from the great progenitor Adam in whose “image” (Genesis 5:3) all people are born. God made Adam in God’s image; but after the fall, it appears that people were not born in God’s image (except in a limited sense), but in the image of the fallen ancestor. Hereditary depravity is not in this, but there is certainly some kind of limitation, or tendency. First … that which is natural … “This is a general law; seed-time precedes harvest; and the physical is preparatory for the spiritual."[34]The last Adam … Johnson correctly viewed this expression as having been coined by Paul, “to indicate that there can be no third representative man, sinless, and without human father, as were both Christ and Adam.[35] G. Campbell Morgan loved to preach on “Christ, God’s Last Word to Man."[36][34] Paul W. Marsh, A New Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 412. [35] S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., op. cit., p. 644. [36] G. Campbell Morgan, God’s Last Word to Man (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1936). Verse 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.The second man is of heaven … This epic declaration is meaningless unless it teaches the pre-existence of Christ, his unity with God the Father, and the virgin birth by which he identified himself with the earthy. God created Adam, but he was still earthy, having been made of the dust of the earth; but Christ had ever been with the Father. As Jesus expressed it, “I came forth and am from God” (John 8:42).

And again, “I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). One can only marvel at the type of Scriptural illiteracy which cannot find the virgin birth in Paul, John and other portions of the New Testament. The earthy … All people bear the likeness of Adam (Genesis 5:3). THE NATURE OF THE BODYWe shall also bear the image of the heavenly … As certainly as people are like Adam and have the same physical nature that Adam possessed, that certain are they to bear the image of Jesus Christ and to possess, ultimately, exactly the same kind of spiritual body that Jesus displayed after the resurrection. A little is known of Jesus’ body after the resurrection, despite the fact that it is but LITTLE: (1) He had flesh and bones. (2) He could appear and disappear at will through closed or locked doors. (3) He could ascend or descend. (4) He could vanish out of sight. (5) He could even change his appearance (Mark 16:12). (6) He could be recognized or not, at will. (7) He was not merely a spirit (Luke 24:39). By the words of this clause, Paul clearly stated that just as our physical bodies are like that of Adam, our spiritual bodies shall be like that of Christ. Significant also is the fact that Christ was the same person after the resurrection as he was before, indicating that there shall be no loss of personality in the resurrection state. Verse 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.Flesh and blood … has reference to man’s present state; and this is no comment at all upon the composition of the resurrection body. Jesus had flesh and bones (Luke 24:49). This merely says that in man’s mortal state, it is impossible for him to enjoy eternal life. Verse 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.We shall not all sleep … There is nothing in this passage to support the notion that Paul believed the end to be in his own lifetime. Some of the Thessalonians got that impression from Paul’s teaching; but he at once wrote them another letter to dispel such a foolish notion and to point out that great epochs of time were to unfold before the final day. By this word, Paul merely meant those living at the time of the Second Advent would undergo an instantaneous change. We shall all be changed … Johnson and many others find grounds here for what they call “a partial rapture of the church”;[37] but the meaning of “all” appears to be far too comprehensive to support such a view. In a moment … Bruce approved the rendition “moment” in this place, calling it “perfectly correct."[38] He further said: The Greek word [@atomos] (whence our word “atom”) means “incapable of being cut”; and Paul used it here to indicate a division of time so brief that it cannot be subdivided farther, a “split second” if you like.[39]The trumpet shall sound … No man may say exactly what this is; but it is clear enough that God would have no need of any literal trumpet. Zechariah said, “The Lord God shall blow the trumpet” (Zechariah 9:14); and the symbolism would appear to be the same as when one might say, “Well, the boss blew the whistle on that practice,” meaning, of course, that he stopped it. Something like that is meant here. Jesus mentioned the final day in these words: “And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the elect, etc.” (Matthew 24:31). Note that it was not a trumpet, but “the great sound of a trumpet.” See also 1 Thessalonians 4:16. There will come the time when God will blow the trumpet on this world of ours and summon all people to the judgment of the great day. I tell you a mystery … This term in the New Testament ordinarily refers to some secret hitherto unknown, but now revealed through the word of God. For a discussion of New Testament mysteries, see my Commentary on Matthew, p. 189, also an entire book on “The Mystery of Redemption."[40][37] S. L. Johnson, Jr., op. cit., p. 645. [38] F. F. Bruce, Answers a Questions (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), p. 100. [39] Ibid. [40] See CMY in list of abbreviations. Verse 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.The certainty of the change to spiritual bodies in the resurrection is here affirmed by the use of the imperative “must” which has such significant usage in the New Testament. See my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 275-276. Verse 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. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?This passage recalls the words from Hosea: I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction (Hosea 13:14, KJV). I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death: O death, where are thy plagues? O grave, where is thy destruction? (English Revised Version (1885)). Nearly two thousand years have passed since this apostolic lightning split the midnight darkness surrounding the tomb; and even yet there is never a day passes in any city anywhere which fails to shout this message over the dead. In Houston, where these lines are being written, it is certain that a hundred times this very week these words have echoed in the chapels and cemeteries where people gather to bury the dead; and so it is all over the world when Christ is known. Victory in the presence of death! If people wonder why the holy faith in Jesus Christ continues from age to age, let them find at least a part of the answer in these immortal words before us. Verse 56 The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law.Sting of death is sin … Sin brought death into the world as a consequence. However enticing and beautiful sin may appear to be, there is a stinger in it, as discovered by Adam and Eve, and all of their posterity. The strength of sin is the law … As Dummelow said: This is true because the law reveals sin and, indeed, intensifies its power, without giving power to overcome it (Romans 7:7-13 Romans 8:2-3).[41]See my Commentary on Romans, pp. 265-264, for discussion of the law and its relation to sin. Paul here briefly mentioned the subject that he treated at length in Romans 7. ENDNOTE: [41] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 920. Verse 57 But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Oh sing unto Jehovah a new song; For he hath done marvelous things: His right hand, and his holy arm, hath wrought salvation! (Psalms 98:1). Through our Lord Jesus Christ … In the New Testament this always has reference to being “in Christ” as in the next verse where Paul said “in the Lord.” God’s way of saving people is by their being transferred “into Christ,” identified with Christ, and thus saved “as Christ.” As Farrar summarized it, “Paul’s hope of the resurrection rests, like all his theology, on the thought that the life of the Christian is life `in Christ.’"[42] See my Commentary on Romans, pp. 318ff. ENDNOTE: [42] F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 493. Verse 58 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.Beloved brethren … It is remarkable how frequently Paul used this term of endearment and affection. Not even the gross sins and mistakes of the sensual and carnal Corinthians could diminish his love for them nor his loving persuasion helping them to conform more perfectly to the will of Christ. Be ye stedfast … Paul expected Christians to be able to “take it.” He wrote the Ephesians, “Stand therefore” (Ephesians 6:14); and the admonition is the same here. Through the ages, there has been no more necessary virtue than the ability to be steadfast amidst changing scenes and times, despite temptations and sorrows, and without regard to every “wind of doctrine” that creates some little stir among people. Unmovable … The Christian is to be unmovable not in prejudice, but in faith. Abounding in the work of the Lord … Far from advocating an easy way of salvation by merely believing, Paul demanded and encouraged that the redeemed should abound continually in the Lord’s work. He commanded the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 1:12). He established a pillar of truth, both at the beginning of Romans (Romans 1:5) and at the end of it (Romans 16:26), stressing the “obedience of faith.” He, like every true Christian, would have been outraged by any notion to the effect that people are “saved by faith alone.” Your labor is not in vain … What is done for Christ and his kingdom is work for God; all else is idleness. “Why stand ye here idle all day?” was the question Jesus burned into people’s consciences (Matthew 20:6). They were not idle in the sense of doing nothing, but in the sense of not doing the only thing that mattered; and, alas, it must be feared that the same is true of many today. In the Lord … This expression, or its equivalent, appears 169 times in the writings of the apostle Paul; and by that fact, it may be claimed that this is the most important phrase Paul ever wrote, because he repeated it more than any other. Salvation is “in the Lord” and nowhere else. Every man should ask himself the question, “Am I in the Lord?” As to how this relation is established, the sacred Scriptures leave no doubt whatever. People are baptized “into Christ” at a time subsequent to their having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and having repented and confessed his name (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). There is no other way to be “in the Lord.” The conclusion of this chapter reveals it as a prime motivation of Christian service. It is unfortunate, in a sense, that its marvelous teachings are stressed almost exclusively at funerals. “THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE "

Chapter Fifteen IN THIS CHAPTER

1. To see how the resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our faith

2. To determine why we believe that Jesus was indeed raised from the dead

3. To notice the sequence of events which will occur at the end of time as presented in this chapter

4. To understand what is revealed about our own future resurrection from the dead

SUMMARY In this chapter Paul deals with problems the Corinthians were having concerning the resurrection of the dead. Evidently there were teachers at Corinth claiming there would be no resurrection. Paul answers this false doctrine by reminding them of the gospel which they received and which proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). He then proceeds to verify the resurrection with several different lines of argumentation (1 Corinthians 15:12-34). The last half of the chapter is devoted to answering anticipated questions concerning how the dead will be raised and with what body will they come (1 Corinthians 15:35-58).

OUTLINE I. THE : IN THE GOSPEL (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) A. THE GOSPEL IN TO THE (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)1. Paul proclaimed it and they received it (1 Corinthians 15:1) 2. By it they are saved, if they hold fast to it (1 Corinthians 15:2)

B. OF THE GOSPEL (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)1. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3) 2. He was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4) 3. He was seen by many eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:5-7) 4. He was seen by Paul himself, who by the grace of God was able to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:8-10) 5. Such was the gospel preached, and the Corinthians had believed it (1 Corinthians 15:11)

II. THE : BY THE APOSTLE PAUL (1 Corinthians 15:12-34) A. IF THERE IS NO (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)1. Christ is not risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-13) 2. The apostles’ preaching and the Corinthians’ faith is vain (1 Corinthians 15:14) 3. The apostles are false witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:15-16) 4. They are still in their sins (1 Corinthians 15:17) 5. Those who have died in Christ have perished (1 Corinthians 15:18) 6. Those who hope in Christ are the most pitiable of all men (1 Corinthians 15:19)

B. CHRIST’S AND OUR (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)1. Christ is the “firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:20) 2. As in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:21-22) 3. A brief description as to when this will occur (1 Corinthians 15:23-28) a. At the coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:23) b. This will be the end, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)

1. When He has put an end to all rule, authority and power (1 Corinthians 15:24)
2. For Christ must reign till God has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25)
3. The last enemy being death itself (1 Corinthians 15:26)
4. When all is made subject to Christ, the Son will also be subject to Him Who put all things under Him (1 Corinthians 15:27-28)

C. FOR THE , WITH A WARNING (1 Corinthians 15:29-34)1. Why are some being baptized for the dead if there is no resurrection? (1 Corinthians 15:29) 2. Why do the apostles and others suffer harsh persecution if there is no resurrection? (1 Corinthians 15:30-32) 3. Beware of evil influence and those who do not have the knowledge of God (1 Corinthians 15:33-34)

III. THE : BY PAUL (1 Corinthians 15:35-58) A. IN ANSWER TO THE : “WITH WHAT BODY DO THEY COME?” (1 Corinthians 15:35-49)1. It will be different from the one sown, just as the plant is different from the seed (1 Corinthians 15:35-38) 2. Illustrations of the different types of bodies in the physical world (1 Corinthians 15:39-41) 3. Thus the resurrected body will be different from the physical body, though it is the same as the one sown (1 Corinthians 15:42-49) a. The weak, dishonorable, corruptible body will be raised in incorruption, glory and power (1 Corinthians 15:42-43) b. The natural body, patterned after the first Adam, will be raised a spiritual body patterned after the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:44-46) c. Those who have borne the image of the man of dust from the earth, will one day bear the image of the Man of heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47-49)

B. IN ANSWER TO THE : “HOW ARE THE DEAD RAISED UP” (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)1. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:50) 2. The mystery of the resurrection as revealed by Paul (1 Corinthians 15:51-57) a. All shall be changed, whether dead or alive (1 Corinthians 15:51) b. It will occur in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52) c. The corruptible, mortal man will put on incorruption and immortality, and we will be victorious over death through Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:53-57) 3. A final exhortation to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58)

REVIEW FOR THE CHAPTER

1. List the main points of this chapter- The Resurrection: Proclaimed In The Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

• The Resurrection: Verified By Paul (1 Corinthians 15:12-34)
• The Resurrection: Described By Paul (1 Corinthians 15:35-58)

2. What are some of the key elements of the gospel? (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)- Christ died for our sins

• Christ was buried and raised the third day
• Christ was seen by eyewitnesses

3. What type of proof is offered for the resurrection of Jesus? (1 Corinthians 15:5-8)- Eyewitness testimony by numerous witnesses

4. If Christ was not raised from the dead, what would it mean? (1 Corinthians 15:14-19)- The preaching of the apostles and our faith is vain

• The apostles are false witnesses
• We are still in our sins
• Those who died in Christ have perished
• We who hope in Christ are to be pitied

5. What will happen when Christ comes again? (1 Corinthians 15:23-26 1 Corinthians 15:51-53)- The resurrection from the dead

• The kingdom delivered to God the Father

6. What does Paul refer to when he speaks of “baptism for the dead”? (1 Corinthians 15:29)- Of the many different explanations that have been offered, the one making most sense to me is that Paul is speaking of the inconsistency of those who deny the resurrection while at the same time practicing a form of “vicarious baptism”. Notice that Paul refers to “they” who were doing this, not “we” (i.e., the apostles). Paul in this passage is neither openly condemning or justifying the practice. He simply uses the practice of others to demonstrate the inconsistency of such practice when denying the resurrection of the dead. Whether we should practice such a rite as “baptism for the dead” today must be determined from passages elsewhere. All we find elsewhere concerning baptism is that it requires faith and repentance of the one being baptized. This would preclude the practice of “vicarious baptism.”

Questions by E.M. Zerr For 1st Corinthians 151. State general subject of this chapter. 2. What is the theme of Paul’ s declaration? 3. Had this been preached to them before? 4. What had Paul preached to them previously? 5. How had they reacted toward the preaching? 6. State what it was to do for them. 7. On what condition ? 8. This remembering would save unless— what ? 9. From where did Paul receive what he delivered ? 10. Why did Christ die ? 11. This was according to what? 12. On what day did he arise? 13. What scripture did this fact fulfill? 14. By whom was he seen first ? 15. Who saw him next? 16. How many saw him at one time ? 17. Were these all dead when Paul wrote? 18. What is said of James? 19. What does all this signify as to Christ? 20. Who was the last man to see Christ ? 21. Describe the figure he uses here. 22. How does he compare himself with other apostles? 23. On what does he base his comparison? 24. To what does he credit his present standing ? 25. Was this bestowal fruitless in him? 26. In what did the results consist? 27. What does he say about the actual laborer? 28. Did Paul believe the things he preached? 29. Had any others believed them? 30. What could have made their belief in vain? 31. What was being said by some among them? 32. Did this agree with resurrection of Christ? 33. If man is not to rise, what about Christ ? 34. How would this affect the apostles’ preaching? 35. How would it affect their faith? 36. How would it reflect against the apostles ? 37. For if the dead rise not— then what? 38. Would this injure their faith? 39. How would it affect their state of sin ? 40. What about the dead in Christ? 41. Who are the most miserable of men? 42. In rising what did Christ become ? 43. Was he the first ever to rise from the dead ? 44. How was death introduced ? 45. By whom comes the resurrection? 46. What do all undergo in Adam? 47. State the opposite happening. 48. Who is first in the order? 49. At what event will the dead be raised ? 50. When will the end come ? 51. What will Christ do with the Kingdom ? 52. What will he put down at this time? 53. Since when had he had this power ? 54. How long is he to reign? 55. State the last enemy to be put down. 56. How much is put under his feet? 57. State the only exception. 58. Who is the last one to be subject to God? 59. For whom were some baptized? 60. Did Paul endorse this practise? 61. Point out the argument he draws from it. 62. What is meant by “jeopardy” 30th verse? 63. How could Paul die daily? 64. On what basis would he fight with beasts ? 65. What effect does communications have on manners? 66. What foolish question did Paul head off? 67. What must happen before a quickening? 68. Is the bare grain what is sown, or reaped ? 69. How many kinds of flesh? 70. Sown in corruption but how raised? 71. Is the natural body sown or raised? 72. Designate the two Adams. 73. Do all these promises apply to those dying in sin? 74. State the origin of the first man. 75. Who will bear the image of the heavenly ? 76. What cannot inherit the kingdom? 77. What must take place with the flesh first? 78. Why will not all sleep ? 79. What will occur with the ones who do not sleep? 80. At what moment will this take place? 81. How will the dead be raised ? 82. Can one be raised who has not gone down ? 83. How will this mortal body be made? 84. With all this what victory will be gained? 85. Through whom is the whole victory attained ? 86. In view of this prospect how should we be? 87. What do in the work of the Lord ? 88. Of what are we assured of our work in the Lord 89. Can we abound by occasional working? 90. On what foundation is all our work resting ?

1 Corinthians 15:1

1 Corinthians 15:1 General remarks. This chapter offers a complete change of subject matter from that of the preceding three chapters, and takes up a question involving some of the philosophy of the Greeks. Corinth was one of the chief cities of Greece, and the church in that city was somewhat tinctured with the philosophy of that nation; that accounts for much of the teaching in chapter 2. The Greeks would not have very much interest in any proposition that did not measure up to their ideas of reasonable philosophy. This fact was displayed in Acts 17:31-32, where Paul introduced the doctrine of the resurrection, which seemed to the people of Athens as a foolish notion. That same attitude toward the resurrection had crept into the church at Corinth, which called forth the matter contained in this chapter.

The false teachers who were agitating that, professed to be believers in Christ, yet denied the resurrection of the body. Paul shows in this chapter that it is inconsistent to profess faith in Christ as the risen Lord, yet deny the truth of the rising of His disciples from the dead. He shows that if one has been raised, we must believe that the other will be also.

1 Corinthians 15:1. Moreover is from the little Greek word DE, and in the King James Version it has been rendered by and, but, even, for, further, howbeit, nevertheless, now, then, therefore and others. A part of Robinson’s explana tion of the word is that “it marks a transition [change] to something else.” Thayer’s description of the word is virtually the same. Paul uses it because he is passing from the subject of spiritual gifts to that of the resurrection. I declare is from GNORIZO, which Thayer defines, “to make known,” and at our verse he explains it to mean, “to recall to one’s mind, as though what is made known had escaped him.” Robinson’s explanation is, “by way of putting again in mind.” These definitions are appropriate, because the apostle had previously preached the Gospel to the Corinthians (Acts 18:1-11). It was hence not a new subject, for they had received it and professed to stand upon it as the foundation of their faith. But some of them seemed to have forgotten it through the effect of the philosophy described in the “general remarks” above.

1 Corinthians 15:2

1 Corinthians 15:2. The mere believing of the Gospel will not save a person, but he must also keep in memory the truths concerning it. The phrase is from KATECHO, which Thayer defines, “to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of.” But all of these considerations would be in vain, according to the teaching of some persons at Corinth. (See verses 13, 14.) It is the purpose of the apostle to show them the logical conclusion that must follow if such a proposition is established, namely, that there is no resurrection of the dead (verse 12). By this they meant there would be no future resurrection of the body. They tried to teach some vague kind of theory that would make the word “resurrection” mean only a spiritual event, and that all of the facts concerning a raising of the body had already occurred–that it was “past already” (2 Timothy 2:18). In that passage Paul declares that such a doctrine was overthrowing the faith of some, which is equivalent to the phrase in our present verse, namely, believed in vain. Having advanced the serious conclusion necessarily following their false teaching, Paul repeats the facts of the Gospel to which he referred in verse 1.

1 Corinthians 15:3

1 Corinthians 15:3. Paul did not originate the story of the Gospel; in Galatians 1:12 he says he was taught it by the revelation of Jesus Christ. The mere death of Christ was not sufficient, for other men had died and even been resurrected. But Jesus is the only man who ever died for our sins. Accord, ing to the scriptures means the Old Testament. One outstanding portion is Isaiah 53, particularly verses 4, 5, 8 and 10.

1 Corinthians 15:4

1 Corinthians 15:4. The burial of Christ was not directly connected with our salvation, for had He not revived, whether in a grave or outside, no one would have been saved. But Jesus had predicted that he would spend three days and there nights in the heart of the earth, and his burial made that prediction true. Third day according to the scriptures. Psalms 16:10 is quoted by Peter in Acts 2:27 Acts 2:31, and Paul quotes it in Acts 13:35. This is the only passage in the Old Testament that directly predicts the resurrection of Christ, and yet it says nothing of the “third day,” although Paul so applies it.

The conclusion is to be seen by considering John 11:39 which shows that by the fourth day a body would begin to “see corruption.” Jesus must not remain dead that long for his body was not to undergo that change. And yet it must remain the three days in order to fulfill the prediction in comparison with the three days and three nights that Jonah was in the body of a whale.

1 Corinthians 15:5

1 Corinthians 15:5. A few verses are given to cite the evidences of the bodily resurrection of Christ. Cephas was another name for Peter (John 1:40-42). He was one of the twelve, but is mentioned separately because he saw Jesus at a time when he was not with the rest of the apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:6

1 Corinthians 15:6. There is no other direct mention of these five hundred brethren, but Matthew 26:32 Matthew 28:7 Matthew 28:10 Matthew 28:16 indicates that Jesus saw many of his disciples in Galilee after his resurrection. For additional comments on this subject, see those at Acts 1:15 in volume 1 of the New Testament Commentary.

1 Corinthians 15:7

1 Corinthians 15:7. This James was not one of the twelve apostles, but was the one named in Acts 15:13 and Galatians 2:9, and is the author of the epistle of James. All the apostles means the eleven (Judas having killed himself), and Luke 24:33-36 gives the account of their seeing Him.

1 Corinthians 15:8

1 Corinthians 15:8. Last of all. From the time of Paul’s journey to Damascus (Acts 9:3-5 Acts 26:16), no human being has seen Jesus that we know of. One born out of due time is from the Greek word EKTROMA, and Thayer defines It, “an abortion, abortive birth; an untimely birth.” Paul uses the term to illustrate his feeling of unworthi ness to be called an apostle. Thayer’s explanation of the word as the apostle uses it at this place is as follows: “Paul likens himself to an EKTROMA, and in verse 9 explains in what sense: that he is as inferior to the rest of the apostles as an immature birth comes short of a mature one, and is no more worthy of the name of an apostle than an abortion is of the name of a child.”

1 Corinthians 15:9

1 Corinthians 15:9. This verse explains the feeling of inferiority that Paul expresses in the preceding verse. He specifices it to mean his record as a persecutor of the church of God. The extent of his persecution is indicated by the relief that his conversion brought to the churches throughout Palestine (Acts 9:31).

1 Corinthians 15:10

1 Corinthians 15:10. The grace of God is his unmerited favor, and Paul attributed all of his good lot to that source. To show his appreciation for the favor, he labored more than any of the other apostles. But even then he considered the labor as the work of God, using the apostle as an instrument for the work.

1 Corinthians 15:11-12

1 Corinthians 15:11-12. Having given proper credit for the work done under God, the apostle settles down upon the argument that is indicated in the beginning of the chapter. He will proceed to show the inconsistency between the professed faith of the Corinthians in the bodily resurrection of Christ, and their denial of a like event for those who die in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:13

1 Corinthians 15:13. This short verse states the major premise for the great argument that Paul intends to present. But the mere assertion of a basis for argument is not sufficient for the support of it, because that would be assuming the very point under discussion. The statement must be either self-evident, or be supported by vital facts or truths. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Paul makes virtually the same statement as the one in this verse. The death and rising again of Jesus is there coupled with the assurance of the bringing of the dead in Christ “with him” from their state of death.

Since the body of Jesus (as to its material) was like that of all other men, it follows that it would be as impossible or unreasonable to believe in the resurrection of His body as to expect the same thing of the bodies of other men. Such a proposition is self-evident and needs no further evidence. Reasoning the other direction, therefore, if philosophy denies the bodily resurrection of men in general, then it must deny that of Christ, and hence the professed basis of the faith of the Corinthians, namely, the bodily resurrection of Christ, is disproved, and the major premise of Paul’s great argument is established.

1 Corinthians 15:14

1 Corinthians 15:14. Having presented an unquestionable basis regarding the question in dispute, Paul will devote a number of verses showing some of the logical conclusions that must follow, thereby proving to the brethren that their whole program of religious activities and hope is fundamentally wrong. One conclusion is that the preaching of the apostles was in vain or of no avail. That necessarily would mean that their faith was vain, since it was based on the facts that had been preached to them. Reference is made to this “vain” belief in verse 2.

1 Corinthians 15:15

1 Corinthians 15:15. The Corinthian brethren would not intend to accuse the apostles of fraud, yet their theory about the resurrection implied that the preachers were guilty of it. They had preached that Christ was raised from the dead, but Paul has shown that it was false according to the teaching held at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 15:16-17

1 Corinthians 15:16-17. This paragraph is covered by comments over verses 2, 3, 13, 14.

1 Corinthians 15:18

1 Corinthians 15:18. The Corinthians had never been taught that eternal salvation was to be actually possessed before the end of the world. But if the dead were never to be raised, then their bodies would be destroyed along with that of the earth. That is why Paul says that those who had died in the Lord were perished, which means they had come to their end.

1 Corinthians 15:19

1 Corinthians 15:19. Another conclusion following this false theory advocated by some people at Corinth, is that all benefits to be had from being in Christ must be had in this life–nothing to be received after death. In that case Christians are the most miserable of all men, because they must be denied the pleasures of the world and also undergo many persecutions in behalf of their faith, with no prospect of any joys beyond the grave. While this was true especially of the apostles because of their direct contact with the enemy, it was and is still true of all faithful disciples of Christ. It is true that Christians should be the happiest people on earth, but that is because of their hope of endless bliss in the life to come.

1 Corinthians 15:20

1 Corinthians 15:20. Taking for granted he has proved his point, Paul reaffirms the third fact of the Gospel, namely, that Christ arose from the dead. The italicized words are significant in that they specify from what Jesus arose. He previously arose to the cross (John 12:32-33), and arose from earth to Heaven, but those facts were not in dispute; that from the dead was. The body is the only part of Christ or any other man that dies, hence if the body is not to be raised from the grave, then there will be no resurrection at. all. Paul has shown the awful conclusions made necessary by the theory that there is to be no resurrection of the dead.

He will next show the glorious conclusions made possible by the truth of the resurrection. The first one is that Christ has become the firstfruits of them that slept; that is, he was the first person to rise from the dead to die no more. For detailed comments on this subject, see those on Romans 8:29, in volume 1 of the New Testament Commentary.

1 Corinthians 15:21

1 Corinthians 15:21. Adam was the first man, and after joining with his wife in eating of the forbidden fruit, they were both driven out of the garden and permanently prevented from reentering it. That cut them and all of their descendants off from the tree of life, so that all had to die whenever their bodies failed through disease or other causes. But none of Adam’s descendants were to blame for that condition, hence God arranged it so that through another man’s resurrection they could all be raised from the dead without any conditions on their part.

1 Corinthians 15:22

1 Corinthians 15:22. This verse specifices the two men of the preceding verse to be Adam and Christ. The lattter is called a man because he was given a body (Hebrews 10:5) that was like that of other men, in that It was fleshly and was subject to death. That made it possible for Him to die and be raised again, thereby opening the gates of death to all men to come therefrom.

1 Corinthians 15:23

1 Corinthians 15:23. The literal resurrection from the grave will come to all men whether they are good or bad, since they are not responsible for their bodily death. However, that experience is all that mankind in general will receive unconditionally from the resurrection of Christ. What will come to them after the resurrection depends on how they lived on earth (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29). This is why Paul makes the assertion of the words every man in his own order; that is, every man means of those who are the Lord’s own. Some of them were raised immediately after the resurrection of Chirst among whom he was the firstfruits, then at His coming the others who are dead in Him will also be raised. While all mankind will be raised whether good or bad (verses 21, 22), yet from now on through the chapter the apostle will be writing only of those who are His and who have been “asleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

1 Corinthians 15:24

1 Corinthians 15:24. Then is an adverb of time, and refers to the words “at his coming” in the preceding verse. This verse gives the information as to what is to come to end at the coming of Christ, namely, the kingdom or rule of Christ. Paul directly says that the kingdom with Christ as its head will end when He comes, and he will deliver it up to his Father. From this inspired prediction come two other important truths, namely, that the kingdom of Christ will have been in existence before His second coming, and also that he will not be a king after that coming. Therefore, the doctrine that the kingdom is still a thing of the future, and that He will set up a thousand year reign when he comes is false.

1 Corinthians 15:25-26

1 Corinthians 15:25-26. When Jesus came from the dead to die no more, he annulled death or gave it the “death stroke” (2 Timothy 1:10). However, not until every human being has been brought back to life, will it be a fact that death is destroyed; Jesus must, be king until the great event is accomplished. This does not contradict the statement that He will give up his kingdom “at his coming,” for all of the mentioned events, the coming of Jesus. the resurrection of the dead and the transfer of the kingdom to his Father, will take place “in a moment” (verse 52). After the dead have all been raised to die no more (as to bodily death), the triumph will be complete, and Jesus will then be qualified to relinquish the kingdom to God who shall continue to reign endlessly, thus putting the final fulfillment to the prediction that the kingdom of “the God of Heaven” shall “stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).

1 Corinthians 15:27

1 Corinthians 15:27. The pronouns stand for God and his Son. God has put all things under the feet of Christ except himself. Jesus declared this fact in Matthew 28:18, and it was on that basis that He gave to his apostles the Great Commission.

1 Corinthians 15:28

1 Corinthians 15:28. Eliminating the pronouns, this verse means that after the Son has brought all things under subjection, then that Son will become subject unto God the Father. The grand motive for this consumation is that God may be all in all.

1 Corinthians 15:29

1 Corinthians 15:29. What shall they do. The pronoun is in the third person, while Paul is writing to the church in general as in the second person. This shows that not all persons in the Corinthian church were practicing this baptism, even as not all were denying the resurrection, as is indicated by the words “how say some among you” (verse 12). This item must not be overlooked in considering this verse, for any professed explanation of it that would apply to all Christians in general would necessarily be wrong. The word for is from HUPER and Thayer defines it at this place, “in the place of, instead of.” I shall quote Moffatt’s translation of this verse: “Otherwise, if there is no such thing as a resurrection, what is the meaning of people getting baptized on behalf of their dead?

If dead men do not rise at all, why do people get baptized on their behalf?” Not all of the brethren in Corinth were practicing this inconsistency of being baptized on behalf of their dead, neither were all of them denying the resurrection (verse 12). But Paul considered it necessary to notice them in his epistle to the whole church, even as he deemed it worth while to notice the group that was practicing this “proxy” baptism. The apostle does not endorse the foolish practice, but brings it up to expose their inconsistency.

1 Corinthians 15:30

1 Corinthians 15:30. Stand in jeopardy means to be in danger of death from the enemies of Christ. All Christians and especially the apostles were constantly being persecuted (verse 19), some of them even unto death. How foolish, then, to cling to a profession that threatens one with death if there is to be no resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:31

1 Corinthians 15:31. I die daily is figurative, meaning that Paul was daily exposed to the danger of death because of his service to Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:32

1 Corinthians 15:32. I have fought with beasts. These words are all from the one Greek word , and Thaver defines it, “to fight with wild beasts.” I believe this was a literal experience of Paul and shall state my reasons. We know it was an action that endangered the physical life of the participant, else Paul would not have connected it with the resurrection in his reasoning. It is certain that he has the same event in mind in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, where he relates that he had “despaired even of life.” He did not know whether the Lord was ready to release his faithful apostle from his labors through this event, hence he was willing to do his part in the combat with the beasts, trusting in God to help him overcome the beasts if He so willed. Or, if that was not the case, he would meet his fate with his trust in God “which raiseth the dead.” Furthermore, had it been vicious men who attacked him, he would not have “resisted the evil” (Matthew 5:39), but would have submitted to his fate as he did when he was subjected to other threatening brutalities. Let us eat and drink is said as representing all the fleshly pleasures of this life. If there is no life beyond the grave, there would be no reason for denying ourselves any of the fleshly pleasures of this world.

1 Corinthians 15:33

1 Corinthians 15:33. The original for evil communications is translated “bad company” by James Macknight, and Thayer’s lexicon agrees with it. Thayer defines the original of manners, “custom, usage, morals, character.” We have seen that not all of the brethren at Corinth were advocating this evil doctrine concerning the resurrection. This verse is a warning against others having company with such bad teachers, lest they also be drawn into the heresy. If a man does not believe that he will live again, it is logical that he would be tempted to engage in that which would give him fleshly pleasure, and hence his otherwise good practices would become corrupted.

1 Corinthians 15:34

1 Corinthians 15:34. This is a further warning against being led into the sin of these false teachers. Paul attributes their evil doctrine to ignorance of God, Just as Christ charged the Sadducees on the same subject, that of the resurrection (Matthew 22:23-29). The apostle considers it a shame that some of the Corinthians were so ignorant of the wisdom and power of God.

1 Corinthians 15:35

1 Corinthians 15:35. When advocates of error cannot offer a just defense of their own position, nor show an honest objection to that of their opponent, it is often a trick of theirs to pose a quibbling question which they think will puzzle him. As if a man is required logically to account for all the apparent difficulties that his position may suggest. Nothing could be farther from the truth, nor from the universal practice of reasonable men in accepting a conclusion that has been shown to be fundamentally sound, notwithstanding any incidental items that cannot be explained. Such a subterfuge as herein described was resorted to by the promoters of the heresy that Paul was exposing, when they asked with what body do they [the dead] comet Even if Paul could not have answered such a question, that would not have proved that the dead could not come to life again.

1 Corinthians 15:36

1 Corinthians 15:36. Fool is from APHEON, and Thayer defines it, “senseless, foolish, stupid; without reflection or intelligence, acting rashly.” It does not mean that the person does not have natural mental ability, for then he could not justly be censured. But he is one so devoted to his notion that he will not use his mind to consider other matters with which he is familiar, and which would meet his own quibble in the question at hand. Such a matter is the well known truth that a vegetable grain will never reproduce its kind unless it dies and mingles with the earth in which it was placed.

1 Corinthians 15:37

1 Corinthians 15:37. Bare is from GUMNOS, which literally means “naked.” The Englishman’s Greek New Testament uses the indefinite article “a” in connection with it, making the phrase read, “a bare grain.” The verse means that a man puts a mere grain of any kind in the ground from which he expects a crop; not the grain just as he placed it in the soil. And when it dies and decomposes, it partakes of the materials around it and from them a new body Is formed with added parts. And while it is another body in one sense, in another it is the same, for the new growth is produced out of the old seed or body. Paul uses this circumstance to illustrate the death and resurrection of the body of a faithful servant of Christ. According to the theory of the ones in Corinth whose heresy Paul was exposing, and of all others today who say that our bodies will never come from the grave at the last day–accord-ing to them, the grain should just all remain in the ground, and in another spot of the earth the farmer would dig up some other grain and consider it as his new crop. No, the bodies of the saints will all come forth, but they will be in another form which will be like that of Christ at his coming (Philippians 3:21). It may chance of wheat, etc. Paul uses the wheat for his illustration, but the same reasoning would be true of any other grain.

1 Corinthians 15:38

1 Corinthians 15:38. The stock with its roots, leaves and fruit, is the new body that God is pleased to give to the original grain. Likewise, He will give to the body of the dead in Christ another form, that will be like the immortal body of his Son, possessed with the new harvest of eternal glory.

1 Corinthians 15:39

1 Corinthians 15:39. To show that it is in keeping with the works of God to have the body of a saint take on another form (although it Is the same body), Paul refers his readers to other conditions in the creation, such as the different kinds of flesh.

1 Corinthians 15:40

1 Corinthians 15:40. He uses this as still another illustration of God’s wisdom and power. Celestial means of the air or sky, terrestrial means pertaining to the earth.

1 Corinthians 15:41

1 Corinthians 15:41. The sun and other bodies in the universe all have their own peculiar form and glory, showing that the Creator is not limited in the number and kinds of bodies that He may create.

1 Corinthians 15:42

1 Corinthians 15:42. God’s ability to create and change and otherwise manage all of His works has been shown by the preceding verses. The apostle now comes directly to the subject under discussion, the possibility and character of the resurrection. The dead is the antecedent of the pronoun it, which certainly proves beyond all question that it is the body that is to be resurrected, since it is the only part of man that ever dies literally. Corruption means to be subject to decay, and incorruption means the opposite.

1 Corinthians 15:43

1 Corinthians 15:43. Dishonor is not used in any moral sense, for the same kind of body was possessed by Jesus that Paul is writing about here. It means the state that would be subject to decomposition, which the body of Jesus had which was the reason he must not have remained dead more than three days and nights. Raised in glory means more than an existence that is never to end (the wicked will have that; Mark 9:44 Mark 9:46 Mark 9:48). but a state in which the body will be given the same glorious form as that of Jesus in his present condition (Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). Weakness and power are used for the same purpose as the preceding terms because they are opposites.

1 Corinthians 15:44

1 Corinthians 15:44. Natural and spiritual bodies are applied to the same thing, namely, the human body. But the first applies to it when it is sawn (is placed in the grave), the second applies to it when it will be resurrected. The false teachers in Corinth, and all others today who deny the resurrection of the body, are disposed to ignore this verse. They say it is impossible for a material thing to be changed into an immaterial one, thus limiting the power of the Creator. Yet in the realm of nature as they must recognize it, there is an indisputable proof of changes virtually as great.

For instance; the universe is divided into three distinct classes, namely, the mineral, the vegetable and the animal. The first is inorganic and the others are organic. Notwithstanding these independent and different existences, the inorganic mineral is absorbed into the vegetable, the vegetable is next absorbed and converted into the animal. If there is a Creator who can establish such laws of change within our own knowledge, why doubt His power to lift the animal to one more stage and convert it into a spiritual state? With God all things are possible that are right (Genesis 18:14).

1 Corinthians 15:45

1 Corinthians 15:45. This statement is written In Genesis 2:7, and Paul calls Adam the first man. This refutes a theory of some visionary followers of a visionary false teacher, that a prior creation of man occurred to that recorded in Genesis. The last Adam is Christ according to Romans 5:14, considered in connection with verse 22 here.

1 Corinthians 15:46

1 Corinthians 15:46. The first Adam did not give us a spiritual body, but instead it is one that was made subject to death and decay by being separated from the tree of life. After that came Christ who has the power to give a spiritual body to all His faithful followers.

1 Corinthians 15:47

1 Corinthians 15:47. This is virtually the same as the preceding verse.

1 Corinthians 15:48

1 Corinthians 15:48. This offers the same thought as that in verse 45.

1 Corinthians 15:49

1 Corinthians 15:49. All men whether good or bad receive their fleshly bodies from Adam. Likewise, all will be brought from the dead through the second Adam, whether good or bad as taught in verse 23. But in addition to this, those who die in Christ will come from the dead with a heavenly body. To avoid a misunderstanding, let it be said that every human being regardless of conduct will be raised from the dead, and will continue to exist consciously without end. But only the righteous have been promised a body like that of Jesus.

This should not confuse any person, for God is able to preserve the bodies of men continuously in whatever form He sees fit. Hence we read that the bodies of the unsaved will be cast into the lake of unquenchable fire, where their worm dieth not (Mark 9:44 Mark 9:46 Mark 9:48). Those who say that the wicked will have immortal bodies are making an assertion without showing any proof. 1 Corinthians 15:50

1 Corinthians 15:50

Inherit is from KLERONO-MEO, and Thayer defines it at this passage, “to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom.” That is why those to be admitted into the eternal home in the next life must be changed from a body of flesh and blood, to one that is spiritual and like that of the Saviour. But such a change of body is not necessary with the unsaved, for there is no restriction as to what kind of beings can enter into the lake of fire and brimstone, since God is able to preserve all creatures cast therein in whatever state He sees fit.

1 Corinthians 15:51

1 Corinthians 15:51. Mystery is from MU-STERION, and Thayer’s second definition is, “a hidden purpose or counsel; secret will.” It does not necessarily mean something that is complicated or technical in its nature, but only that it has not been hitherto made known. Sleep is a figurative term that is defined in the lexicon, “to die.” The same truth is stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15. In each of these passages the connection shows Paul is sneaking only of faithful disciples of Christ. We thus have the precious information that as long as the earth exists there will be those who are true to the Lord, and hence that saving faith “shall not perish from the earth.” But though Christians living at the coming of Christ will not die, they will have to be changed, as the preceding verse states that a fleshly body cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Here Is another point against the heresy that our bodies will not rise nor go to Heaven.

These Christians will not die, hence their soul and body will never separate. Yet they are to be taken to be ever with the Lord as Paul asserts in the pas sage cited in 1 Thessalonians. And if God can and will convert the flesh and blood bodies of these living Christians into a spiritual form that will be fit to “ever be with the Lord,” it is foolish to deny His power to effect the same change in the bodies of those who are “dead in Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:52

1 Corinthians 15:52. This verse is virtually the same as the preceding one, except that it adds the information that the resurrection of these saints and the changing of the living ones, will all take place at one instant.

1 Corinthians 15:53

1 Corinthians 15:53. The body is the only part of man that is corruptible and mortal, hence it is the body that is to be changed into an incorruptible and immortal form. This applies necessarily to both dead and living in Christ when he comes.

1 Corinthians 15:54

1 Corinthians 15:54. When the change just mentioned has occurred, a prediction in Isaiah 25:8 will be fulfilled, namely, death is swallowed up in victory.

1 Corinthians 15:55

1 Corinthians 15:55. Where is thy sting?, etc., is a shout of triumph by the saints, as they rejoice in their victory over death.

1 Corinthians 15:56

1 Corinthians 15:56. Sting of death means that because of sin death threatened the human race with the sting of God’s eternal wrath. The strength or effect of sin in bringing about this sting, is through the law against sin, which makes mankind responsible for their conduct.

1 Corinthians 15:57

1 Corinthians 15:57. The victory does not mean only the rising from the dead, for all mankind will have that regardless of conduct. But Paul has been writing about the faithful in Christ only from verse 23. Hence this victory means that one over the eternal results of individual sin, which is to be accomplished by faithful service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58

1 Corinthians 15:58. The grand conclusion to the argument of the chapter is stated in this verse. Since death does not “end it all,” but the faithful shall enjoy endless bliss in the world to come, even though death from whatever cause may intervene, they have great reason to press on in their service to Him. There is not much difference between stedfast and unmoveable. The first means to have a fixed purpose in life. the second means to be determined not to be moved from that purpose. Abounding is from , which Thayer defines, “to be pre-eminent, to excel.” Of course it means for each Christian to excel himself-never to be satisfied with present attainments in the Lord’s work, but ever striving to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).