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§47 Christ, the Resurrection, and the End (1 Cor. 15:20–28)

These verses form a remarkably rich section of Paul’s reflections and teachings about resurrection. One encounters quotations of and allusions to several passages from the LXX, and Paul employs other traditional materials in formulating his argument. Despite the seemingly straightforward nature of the lines, they are subtle. In verses 20–22 Christ is presented as the one through whom there is a resurrection of the dead. Verses 23–28 delineate the events of the end, though Paul is probably not concerned here with a strict chronological ordering. Rather, all Paul’s teaching follows from Christ’s having been raised by God from the dead.

15:20 / Paul sets this line in firm juxtaposition to his previous comments with the initial words “But now” (Gk. nyni de). In declaring a fresh starting point, Paul abandons imaginary rhetorical conditions and proclaims his essential conviction, which is to be taken as the foundation of the faith and understanding of the Corinthians: Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. Paul explains this basic conviction and its implicit meaning for Christian life in a biblical metaphor: the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The declaration of Christ’s resurrection required explanation in part because its occurrence defied expectations. In Judaism the resurrection was thought to be future and corporate. All those who would be raised were expected to be raised together at some future time that God would determine. This pattern of expectation was developed in Judaism in a dialogue with the Scriptures. Thus, to claim that Christ was raised from the dead—before all others and before the end—seemed to go against the biblical perspective. Paul’s metaphor of “firstfruits,” however, demonstrates that the reality of Christ’s resurrection is not contrary to the teachings of Scripture, but in keeping with the biblical patterns of thought. In Judaism, the firstfruits were the first portion of the new crop that were taken as a sign and a promise of the remainder of the crop that was to come. By faith the Jewish farmer took the firstfruits and offered them to God in honor of God’s promise, and so the entire crop was consecrated to God.

In referring to Christ as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, Paul indicates that he understood the resurrection of Christ as an anticipatory promise of the general resurrection of the dead and as a consecrating reality that signaled the devotion of the remainder of those who were to be raised to God. This rich biblical metaphor ultimately sets and states Paul’s understanding of the meaning of Christ’s resurrection from the dead in more specific terms than did the complex arguments of verses 12–19.

15:21 / No sooner has Paul made his thinking clear through the employment of a precise biblical image than he moves on to complicate his reflections with additional materials. In vague terms this verse prepares for the overt comparison of Adam and Christ that follows in verse 22. Paul anticipates the comparison in a reasonable way. He writes in the form of a conclusion: For … (Gk. epeidē gar; lit. “For since …”); although he is introducing a new line of thought. The declaration falls into two balanced clauses:

through a man, death

and

through a man, resurrection of the dead.

The statements are general, undefined, and apparently universal in their outlook. One man introduced death, and another man introduced the resurrection of the dead. Fortunately, Paul elaborates and interprets his statement in the next verses.

15:22 / Paul signals that he intends to explain by beginning this verse with the words For as (Gk. hōsper) and continuing in mid-sentence, so (Gk. houtos). Paul specifically names Adam and Christ and refers to them so that one sees clearly that they are the two of whom he wrote in verse 21—in Adam all die … in Christ all will be made alive. Paul’s rhetorical contrast is simple and clear, “For as in Adam … so in Christ.” One should notice, however, that all will be made alive in Christ. Resurrection is reality for Christ, but Paul casts the resurrection of others—dead or living—as a future phenomenon.

Commentators debate who the “all” of verse 22 are. The “all who die in Adam” refers to all humanity; but does “all who will be made alive in Christ” indicate all humans or merely all believers? The matter cannot be settled simply from the words in this verse or even from examining these lines in the context of 1 Corinthians 15. Paul’s remarks in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 5:1–11; Philippians 2:5–11; and Romans 9–11 are critical parallels for interpretation, but even when those passages are taken into account, interpreters still debate the sense of this statement in verse 22. Nevertheless, Paul is addressing the church and is speaking about matters pertaining to their understanding of the life of the congregation, although that area of interest nearly always has broader implications for humanity at large. Paul uses the word “all” a total of twelve times in this discussion, with most references occurring in verses 24–28.

15:23–24 / In rapid succession these lines tell of the dramatic events of the end, or the Day of the Lord as Paul names it elsewhere. In turn, Paul recognizes Christ’s own coming, the larger event of the Parousia (Christ’s so-called second coming along with those who belong to him), the destruction of the forces set in opposition to Christ, Christ’s delivery of the kingdom to God, and Christ’s reign, which is future in its full form but now underway as Christ labors against his enemies. The language of this portrayal is highly traditional, fully informed by the literature and thought of Jewish and early Christian apocalyptic eschatology. Paul means what he writes, but one never knows how literally he intended for the standard apocalyptic images to be taken.

15:25 / The language of Psalm 109:1 LXX (Ps. 110:1 NIV) comes through in this verse. Readers should note that this is the most cited psalm in all the NT. Literally the verse declares, “For it is necessary for him to reign until he may put all the enemies under his feet.” (The italicized words reflect the original text of the psalm.) Despite the simplicity of the language, there are complications for interpretation because of grammatical ambiguities and because of Paul’s alterations to the psalm. To whom “him,” “he,” and “his” refer is not immediately clear. In context all these pronouns seem to refer to Christ, although the ensuing discussion, particularly in verse 27, clouds the matter.

In any case, Paul offers a messianic interpretation of the psalm in order to make his argument concerning the reality of the resurrection of Christ and of the dead. There is a grand scale to the picture presented in this verse, although Paul’s particular argument about the situation in Corinth is still the central concern that is driving his reasoning. When read in relation to Christ, the psalm text implies his resurrection, exaltation, ongoing reign, and ultimate victory. Paul’s real interest, however, despite all the fascinating details of this verse with the cited psalm text, is to authenticate the resurrection of Christ from the dead and the general resurrection of the dead in the future.

15:26–27 / As Paul explicates the psalm and the meaning of the current reign of Christ, he states that death is the last enemy of Christ. The implication of Paul’s scenario is that Christians necessarily face death as an inevitable foe until Christ’s reign achieves the end toward which it is working. Thus, according to Paul, though Christ reigns and defeats his foes, including death, the ongoing work of the reign is not complete, and death is still active, although death’s end is already sealed.

In reading these verses, one should not miss the thoroughly theological cast of Paul’s teaching. There is a powerful, all-encompassing concern with christology in this vision of the end; but as verse 27 makes clear, God and God’s power are active in Christ’s accomplishing the good and final result of which Paul writes. Thus, Paul cites Psalm 8:6 LXX in verse 27a to indicate God’s role in achieving the final victory of Christ over the enemies, including death. The citation again refers ambiguously to “he” who put everything under his feet, although now Paul explains that God put Christ’s enemies under Christ’s feet and is not himself (God’s self) under Christ.

15:28 / Finally, verse 28 clarifies the ultimate purposes of God’s power at work in Christ. Paul elaborates the particulars of the arrangements so that there can be no confusion or misunderstanding. When all is subjected to Christ, Christ will be subjected to God. Paul formulates the final portion of the verse as an unmistakable purpose clause: so that God may be all in all! The statement is clear, unambiguous, and undeveloped, so it generates vigorous interpretive debates and raises irresolvable questions.