1 Corinthians 15:21–23

1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 15

Of the Resurrection of the Dead. 1 Corinthians 15, 1–58.

A victorious line of argument: V. 20. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the First-fruits of them that slept. V. 21. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. V. 22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. V. 23. But every man in his own order: Christ the First-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.

The apostle explains how this result has been brought about: For since through a man is death, also through a man is resurrection of the dead. A man, Adam, was the means, the instrument, by which death entered into the world. He ate of the forbidden fruit and thus caused the curse of God to take effect; he subjected mankind to physical death. On the other hand, through man also is the resurrection of the dead; Jesus, true man, by His resurrection has broken the ban of death, has become the first one of a new mankind over which death has no more power, Romans 6, 9.

For just as in the Adam, in that one man representing the entire world of men, all men die, so also in the Christ, in the promised Messiah, all will be made alive. As death in all cases is grounded in Adam, so life in all cases is grounded in Christ. As in Adam all die that pertain to Adam, that are sinful human beings, so in Christ all will be made alive that are Christ's by faith in Him.

The nature of the resurrection will be the same, but there will be a distinction of order or rank: But each in his own rank, in his proper order — Christ the First-fruits, then those that belong to Christ, at His coming.

This statement is intended to remove an objection which men might make by pointing to the fact that the believers in Christ are lying in their graves by the side of those that were subject to death on account of the curse which came upon the world in Adam. Paul simply says that the Lord is observing a due order according to His plan. Christ, as the First-fruits, has entered into the fullness of life, has in His human nature assumed immortality, an incorruptible body. And those that belong to Christ by faith will enter into that same glorious state when He returns on the last great day.