Christ’s Resurrection
1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand,
Paul taught the Corinthians about their carnalities, their spiritualties, and about love. Now, Paul will address the most important doctrine of the Bible. The Christian hangs his hat on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Paul wants to make to gospel of Jesus clear to the Corinthians.
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.
The message of the cross was foolishness to those who were perishing. When Paul taught the resurrection of the dead to the Greek philosophers in Athens, the greatest intellectual center of the satanic world system at that time, they scoffed at him. The Corinthian believers came out of this Greco-Roman culture, so they had some concerns about the resurrection of the dead. Paul made it clear that their sanctification and their growing to maturity was founded on this vital doctrine.
3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
Paul passed on the good news of the resurrection to the Corinthians. Paul received this information directly from Jesus on the Damascus Road, and later he served as a tutor under Jesus for three years in the Arabian Desert. Paul identified the gospel that he mentioned in verse one. Christ was the atonement for the sins of the believer. The Scriptures were the Old Testament, because the New Testament was not yet completed.
4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,
The Greek word for “raised” is ἐγείρω (egeiró), meaning to awake and raise up. This verb is perfect passive indicative, meaning that Jesus was awoken and he arose in the past and he will remain in this condition forever. The indicative mood means that it is a 100% statement of fact. Isaiah 25 and 53, Psalm 16 and 22, and many other Old Testament Scriptures predicted the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Peter denied Jesus, but Jesus appeared to Peter first. Then he appeared to the 12, which would include Matthias.
6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
The 500 may have been the audience who received the commission in Matthew 28. Twenty-five years after the resurrection, most of these witnesses were still alive.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
James was the half-brother of Jesus. This appearance most likely resulted in his conversion. Notice that there were other apostles, beside the twelve mentioned in verse 5.
8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
Jesus appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul felt he was the least important of the apostles. God took the biggest opponent of Christianity in that day and turned him into the most influential apostle.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
Paul worked harder than any of the other apostles, as he traveled more than any of them. He walked over 1500 miles to delver the gospel to Gentiles who did not possess the truth. He suffered more opposition. He wrote more New Testament epistles, almost half of the New Testament. He founded more churches. The only reason that Paul could do great works for Christ is because God blessed him and gave him the means to do it.
11 Whether then it was I or they, this is the way we preach and this is the way you believed.
The apostles preached the gospel. The Corinthians believed it. This resulted in salvation.
No Resurrection?
12 Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
Some of the Corinthians were deceived by the Greco-Roman culture. Neither the Stoics, Epicureans, nor Platonists believed in a physical resurrection of the body. They believed in the eternity of the soul, but to them, the body was evil. They believed that the soul would migrate out of the dead evil human body.
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
This is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. This kind of supernaturalism flew in the face of Greek and Roman culture. This is why the Athenians had such a hard time with Paul's message.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty.
If one goes to a liberal church that does not teach that Jesus rose from the dead, then they are wasting their time. If Jesus was a dead man, then the Christian faith is a lie.
15 Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised.
If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then the apostles were liars. All of the apostles were a bunch of cowards. They all ran away when Jesus was arrested. However, something happened in 30 A.D. that caused these men to turn from cowards to martyrs. Men will often die for the truth, but they will seldom or never die for a lie. The apostles were willing to die a horrible death for what they witnessed.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised.
If Christ has not been raised, then his followers will not be raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins.
If Christ has not been raised, then believers are not forgiven of their sins.
18 Furthermore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished.
Millions have died, many by martyrdom, believing in the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then all of these men died in vain. This is not soul-sleep. It is a euphemism for literal death.
19 For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.
If there is no resurrection, then Christians have no hope. They should be pitied, because they have lived and died an empty life. They may as well have lived like the epicureans. They should eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow they die.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
In the Old Testament, the First Fruits was the third feast of Israel. On this day, the first fruits of the crops were offered to God. After the first fruits were gathered and offered to God, there were many other fruits to follow. Jesus was crucified on Passover, buried on Feast of Unleavened Bread, and resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits. The saints will be the first fruits of the resurrection.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man.
Just as eternal death was a result of the sin of one man, so eternal life was the result of one man as well.
22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
All of Adam’s seed died when he sinned. When Christ died, then His seed will live forever.
23 But each in his own order: Christ, the first fruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him.
The order of resurrections are (1) Christ, (2) then the dead and alive in Christ from Pentecost to the Rapture, and (3) finally the believers of the Great Tribulation and the Old Testament saints at the final resurrection at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.
24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.
The Greek word for "end" is τέλος (telos), meaning the completed goal of God. When a debt was paid, the document was stamped with τέλος (telos), meaning that the debt was paid-in-full. When Jesus finished his atonement on the cross, he shouted tetelestai, meaning that the debt was completed and paid-in-full. God's plan of salvation had now been completed and fulfilled.
After the literal 1000 year Millennial Kingdom, Christ will rule with a rod of iron, He will put down all of his enemies. He will then turn over the kingdom to God the Father. The Triune Godhead will establish the eternal order. When Jesus turns the kingdom over to God the Father, this does not mean that Jesus is less than deity or an inferior creature. He is still the Second Person of the Trinity, who is fulfilling the divine counsel of the Triune Godhead.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
An ancient victorious king would force his conquered enemies to bow down at his feet. The king would then place his foot upon their neck, meaning that the king had conquered his enemy and the king was now taking control of the conquered territory. King Jesus will defeat his enemy Satan, place his foot on Satan's neck, and take over the conquered territory.
26 The last enemy to be eliminated is death.
Death is a monster that takes away the breath of loved ones. Satan held the power of death, until Christ broke it at the cross (Hebrews 2:14). However, the power of death will not be taken from Satan completely until the end of the Millennial Kingdom. There will be death in the Millennial Kingdom. Those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ by the age of 100 years will be executed.
27 For he has put everything in subjection under his feet. But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him.
Christ will place everything under his subjection, except for God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, who are both equal to him.
28 And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will rule face-to-face upon the earth. After the literal 1000 years of the Millennial Kingdom have ended, eternity begins, meaning that Jesus steps back into his position as the second person of the Godhead.
29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them?
What does this verse really mean? Many of the Corinthians were seeped deep into mystery religions of the Greco-Roman culture. They believed that the body was evil, so after death, the soul migrated out of the body to live forever. From the teachings of the Stoics, the Epicureans, and the Platonists, the Corinthians believed that the body died, never to be raised again. However, they believed that the soul lived forever without a resurrection of the body.
The mystery religions of Homer and Cicero taught that individuals should purify their bodies for the next life by baptizing their bodies in the sea. These cults also allowed the vicarious washings of their bodies for their dead loved ones. Many of the Corinthians were pagans without much biblical maturity. Therefore, they brought many of their pagan rituals, such as speaking in tongues and baptisms for the dead, into the Corinthians church. It is important to note that the mystery religions of Greece and Rome originated from the Tower of Babel.
Notice that Paul said "those", not "we", who are baptized for the dead. To Paul, this was a pagan practice brought into the church via the mystery religions.
Mormons use this verse to perform baptism for the dead rituals. They have created a large genealogy computer base in order to aid them in this unbiblical ritual. For a fee, Mormons can research the genealogical records of their dead ancestors. Then, the Mormons will vicariously baptize themselves for their dead ancestors. This is heresy. The Mormons gain a lot of wealth from this pagan practice.
30 Why too are we in danger every hour?
Paul was saying that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then they were foolish to put their lives in danger. If there was no resurrection, then why should Christians live in an era of persecution? Why not live like the Epicureans? "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die."
31 Every day I am in danger of death! This is as sure as my boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul continually risked his life for the belief in the resurrection. Paul was not a foolish man. He may have been one of the greatest intellectuals of all time. Why should Paul live his godly life if there was no resurrection?
32 If from a human point of view I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what did it benefit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
This was not only an Epicurean quote, but it was also quoted in Isaiah 22:13 of back-sliding Israelites. Paul faced wild beasts at Ephesus, because of his divine viewpoint of the resurrection. If there was no resurrection, then Paul should live as an Epicurean. He should live as a back-sliding Israelite.
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
This verse was a Greek proverb, first appearing in a play by Menander. The Corinthians were seeped into Greco-Roman theatre, so they would have known this verse well. The Corinthians were being deceived by those who did not believe in the resurrection. Believers are commanded not to fellowship with false teachers. According to the apostle John, we are not even to allow a false teacher into the comforts of our house.
34 Sober up as you should, and stop sinning! For some have no knowledge of God – I say this to your shame.
Those who taught against the resurrection have no knowledge of the one true God. The Corinthians were drunk on this false teaching. The Corinthians needed to be filled with Bible doctrine, not this sinful Epicurean philosophy. The Corinthians need to stop sinning and stop listening to these false teachers. The Corinthians heard the truth of the resurrection from the apostle Paul himself, but they did not believe it.
The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”
Those who asked these kinds of questions were not really interested in learning about the resurrection. They were taunts thrown out to discredit the resurrection doctrine. However, Paul is going to answer the questions of these skeptics. He is going to back them into a corner and show them their ignorance. These are the same kinds of of questions that the Gnostics of the first century would ask. They, like the Stoics, did not believe in the physical resurrection of the body. Gnosticism will become the first cult of the Christian church. John wrote the book of John to dispel this teaching. The Jehovah Witnesses today are the modern Gnostics.
36 Fool! What you sow will not come to life unless it dies.
Paul did not tickle the ears of his congregation. He did not give much respect to taunting questions by skeptics who did not believe in the resurrection. Paul went straight to the point. If a person asked Paul a taunting question in order to ridicule Bible doctrine, then Paul called him a fool. Now, Paul is going to back the skeptic into a corner and show him his ignorance.
Paul gave an illustration not from the Bible, but from science, which skeptics seem to glorify. All science was created by God to glorify Him. His point is that the resurrection is like the seed that is sowed. The seed must die before it comes to life. The believer must also die before he is resurrected.
37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare seed – perhaps of wheat or something else.
Belief in the resurrection was like belief in the seed time and harvest. Neither can be completely understood, but it is a reality.
38 But God gives it a body just as he planned, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
According to this verse, there was no evolution from one transitional form to another. This verse confirms the Genesis revelation that each kind of plant was only to reproduce “after its own kind” (Genesis 1:11-12). God implanted a unique genetic code in each DNA molecule that controls the reproduction process. This divine genetic code assures that each kind will reproduce only after no other kind.
39 All flesh is not the same: People have one flesh, animals have another, birds and fish another.
Science confirms that people, animals, birds, and fish all have different types of flesh, making it impossible for all life to evolve from a single life form, as evolutionists falsely teach.
40 And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly body is one sort and the earthly another.
The chemical and physical structures of the stars, sun, planets, earth, moon, and various satellites are vastly different from each other, making it impossible that they could all have evolved out of the same dust cloud about five billion years ago, as evolutionists falsely teach.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.
All stars look alike to the naked eye, even seen through a telescope, but they are vastly different. Each star has different variations of light and temperature. If the Big Bang were true, then all of the stars would have similar light and heat, but disintegrating progressively from the original source.
42 It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.
The Greek word for “incorruption” is ἀφθαρσία (aphtharsia), meaning incorruptible. The Greek word for "resurrection" is ἀνάστασις (anastasis), meaning a dead corpse standing up. Many of the stoics believed in the immortality of the soul, or reincarnation. This heresy is also taught among modern new agers.
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
When a seed is buried in the ground, it dies. Eventually, it grows into a beautiful flower or plant. Jesus made this same analogy: “Unless a corn of wheat fall into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit” (John 12:24).
44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Our spiritual bodies will be like that of the resurrected body of Christ. He could walk through walls, eat, appear, disappear, and move at tremendous speeds between the throne of God and earth. These bodies will not be in bondage to the gravitational and electromagnetic forces of our present world.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee gave an important illustration on this point of doctrine:
Many years ago in the City of New York (in fact, it was way back in the day when liberalism was called modernism, back in the 1920s) they had an argument about whether resurrection was spiritual. The liberal even today claims it’s spiritual. He doesn't believe in bodily resurrection at all. A very famous Greek scholar from the University of Chicago read a paper on the passage from this verse. His paper put the emphasis on the word spiritual. He concluded by saying, “Now, brethren, you can see that resurrection is spiritual because it says it’s spiritual.” The liberals all applauded, and somebody made a motion that they print that manuscript and circulate it. Well, a very fine Greek scholar was there, and he stood up. And when he stood up all the liberals were a little uneasy. He could ask very embarrassing questions. He said, “I’d like to ask the author of the paper a question.” Very reluctantly, the good doctor stood up. “Now, doctor, which is stronger, a noun or an adjective? A very simple question, but I’d like for you to answer it.” He could see the direction he was going and didn't want to answer it, but he had to. “Well,” he said, “a noun is stronger, of course.” “Now doctor, I’m amazed that you presented the paper that you did today. You put the emphasis upon an adjective, and the strong word is the noun. Now let’s look at that again. ‘It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.’” He said, “The only thing that is carried over in resurrection is the body. It’s one kind of body when it dies, a natural body. It’s raised a body, but a spiritual body, dominated now by the spirit—but it’s still a body.” And, you know, they never did publish that paper. They decided it would be better not to publish it. May I say to you, just a simple little exercise in grammar answered this great professor’s whole manuscript and his entire argument which he presented at that time.
45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Paul quoted Genesis 2:7, affirming by apostolic authority that men did not evolve from monkeys, but they came from one man of special creation. Both Adam and Jesus were true men, being formed directly by God. Adam was created from the dust of the ground, while Jesus was eternal and uncreated, but his physical seed was born from the seed of the woman via the virgin birth. Adam was the federal head of the human race. Jesus was the first person resurrected from the dead. Adam brought sin and death into the world. Christ brought everlasting righteousness and eternal life into the world.
46 However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.
Adam was created with a perfect natural body, but it had the choice to sin or not to sin. All men inherited this kind of body from their federal father, one that could and would choose to sin. Jesus was born of a virgin with a perfect physical and spiritual body that could not sin. All believers in Christ will eventually inherit this type of body. Therefore, the natural body came first, and then the spiritual body will come next, at the Rapture.
47 The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.
Adam was the first man of special creation, as he was created directly by God from dust. The body of Jesus was also directly formed by God, in Mary’s womb (Genesis 2:7; Jeremiah 31:22; Romans 1:3; Galatians 4:4 and Hebrews 10:5). Therefore, Jesus was the second and last man of whom this was true.
48 Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust, and like the one from heaven, so too those who are heavenly.
Those born of Adam are made of dust and will return to dust. Those born of Christ are reborn with the spirit of Christ, so they will return to heaven.
49 And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven.
This is a fantastic promise. All of those who have been born of dust and of Christ will one day receive the same body of the resurrected Christ. (Romans 8:29; Philippians 3:21; I John 3:2)
50 Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
What happens to those who are alive when Christ returns? If flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God, then what happens to all of those who are alive at Christ’s Second Coming?
Many atheists cremate their bodies and have their ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean. They do not think that God can gather all of their atoms and bring them to the Great White Throne Judgment and then to the Lake of Fire. It does not matter if a Christian or an atheist chooses to be buried or cremated. God will join all of the atoms together of everyone who ever died. This will not help the atheist avoid eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire.
In conclusion, Paul answered, in this chapter alone, the three major Greco-Roman philosophies of the day. Stoics claimed that the soul merged into deity at death and the personality of the individual was lost. Paul said that the physical bodies of believers will rise. The Epicureans said to eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. They believed there was no existence after death. Paul taught that there was an eternity after death, but the locations were different. Platonism agreed with the eternity of the soul, but not the body. Paul taught that both body and soul would be resurrected.
51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed –
If "flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God", then what happens to those who are still alive when Christ returns? Paul will now answer this question.
The Greek word for "listen" is ἰδοὺ (idou), meaning to see with your spiritual mind. The verb is aorist active imperative, meaning that it is an immediate command and it is a 100% statement of fact. The Corinthians were commanded to immediately see with their spiritual mind the information that Paul was about to give them.
The Greek word for "mystery" is μυστήριον (mustarion), meaning new revelation that was not revealed in the Old Testament. The pagan mystery religions loved new revelation, but they were actually receiving information from demonic forces. Paul was about to reveal to the Corinthians some new revelation that is not from demonic forces, but from God Himself.
The Greek word for "sleep" is κοιμάομαι (koimaomai), meaning to fall asleep, or the sleep of death. The Greek word for "changed" is ἀλλάσσω (allasso), meaning to transform into a different form of a different kind.
Since flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, then Paul asked the Corinthians to understand with their spiritual minds that the new revelation from God is that those who are alive at the Second Coming of Christ will not die, but rather, their bodies will be transformed into a different form.
52 in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
The Greek word for "in a moment" is ἐν ἀτόμῳ (en atom), meaning an atom so small that it cannot be cut or divided. This bodily transformation, called the Rapture, will happen in an atom of time, or very, very quickly.
The Greek word for "in the blinking of an eye" is ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ (en pichae opthalomou), meaning a glance, twinkle or flash of the eye; a rush of wind or flame; any rapid movement. In this verse, it means in a flash of recognition. It is like seeing a person and instantly recognizing his identity.
The Greek word for "last trumpet" is ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι (eschatae salpingi), meaning the last trumpet. Midtribulationists and Posttribulationalists falsely teach that this is the last trumpet of the Book of Revelation, meaning that the transformation of living believers takes place at the end of the Great Tribulation. However, this is false teaching, because the Book of Revelation had not yet been written. The Corinthians would not have any knowledge of the seven trumpet judgments of Revelation.
The Corinthians would have known about the Feasts of Trumpets. The last trumpet of this feast was called the tekiah gedolah, meaning “the great trumpet blast.” This trumpet blast says nothing concerning the timing of the Rapture; only that the Rapture will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets. This is the same trumpet which is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. It is not the last trumpet of Revelation.
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
Those who are alive at the second coming of Christ will receive transformed bodies. These transformed bodies will not perish like present bodies. They will not be able to experience death. They will be immortal. Present eyes and ears cannot see or hear the things of the spiritual world. Present flesh cannot travel throughout the entire spiritual world. When one receives new bodies at the Rapture, then they may be able to do all of these things and more. Beleievers may have the same or similar attributes as Christ.
54 Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
Paul quoted from Isaiah 25:8 and supplemented this quote with Hosea 13:14. Death is a horrible monster that takes away friends and family members. Christ's victory at the cross swallowed up this consuming monster.
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
Paul used a metaphor to show that death was a bumblebee which delivered a powerful sting. However, the death bee is mocked, because with the resurrection of Christ, it no longer has any more sting. It is a bumblebee flying around without a stinger.
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
The stinger of the bumblebee was sin, but sin has been removed. The stinger received its power from the Mosaic Law, but the Law is now null and void.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Believers do not gain the victory on their own accord. God obtained the victory for all believers. He then shared the spoils with all believers. Even the tribulation saints overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb.
58 So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.