What does "each in his own turn" mean in 1 Corinthians 15:23? Canonical Setting 1 Corinthians was penned c. A.D. 55 during Paul’s third missionary journey. Chapter 15 addresses denial of bodily resurrection in Corinth. Verse 23 lies in Paul’s orderly proof that the resurrection is historical (vv. 1-11), theological (vv. 12-19), and eschatological (vv. 20-28). “But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him ” (1 Colossians 15:23). Agricultural Typology: Firstfruits Paul couples τάγμα with “firstfruits” (ἀπαρχή). Under Leviticus 23:9-14 Israel offered the sheaf of first barley as pledge of the entire harvest. Christ’s bodily resurrection on “the first day of the week” (Mark 16:9) fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits that occurred the Sunday after Passover (Leviticus 23:11); His empty tomb by A.D. 30 is attested in the early creed of 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, written within five years of the event (cf. Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 1996, 152-157). Order of Resurrection Program 1. Christ – “the firstfruits” (πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, Colossians 1:18). Singular, irreversible, already accomplished. 2. “Those who belong to Him” (οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ) – all redeemed from Pentecost to the Parousia (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). 3. “Then the end” (v. 24) – implied later τάγματα: tribulation martyrs (Revelation 20:4), millennial believers (Revelation 20:5-6), and finally unbelievers to judgment (John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:11-15). The plural flow honors the same sequential language in Daniel 12:2: “many who sleep… some to everlasting life, others to shame.” Military Imagery Reinforced Paul, Roman citizen, imports the picture of legionaries marching by cohorts. Christ the Commander has already broken enemy lines (Colossians 2:15). Believers rise “according to rank,” erasing fear of missing the resurrection (cf. 2 Timothy 2:17-18). Harmonization with the Whole Canon Genesis 3 recounts physical death entering through Adam; Romans 5:12 ties Christ’s bodily resurrection to reversing Edenic curse. A young-earth chronology (~4000 B.C.) situates Adam as literal progenitor; genealogies (Genesis 5; 11) read as historical, not mythic, preserving Romans 5-6’s parallelism. Post-Resurrection Evidence • Multiple independent attestations—Paul, Gospels, Acts—meet the criteria of early, eyewitness, and enemy attestation (Josephus, Antiquities 18.63-64; the Jerusalem Talmud Sanh. 43a). • Archaeological corroboration of first-century ossuaries around Jerusalem reveals no body of Jesus; Nazareth Inscription (1st c.) forbids removal of corpses, consistent with resurrection proclamation. • Over 3000 conversions in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41) within weeks argue experiential verification. Practical Implications Because τάγμα guarantees personal resurrection, ethics receive eschatological weight: “be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord” (1 Colossians 15:58). Grief is tempered by hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13); bodily stewardship matters (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Answering Common Objections Q 1: “Why staggered resurrections?” A: God’s redemptive plan unfolds in history as creation, fall, redemption, restoration. Staged resurrection highlights covenant epochs and maximizes witness (Revelation 7:14). Q 2: “Are the dead unconscious until their τάγμα?” A: Scripture differentiates between disembodied presence with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23) and future bodily glorification (Romans 8:23). “Sleep” (1 Colossians 15:20) is metaphorical; consciousness persists (Luke 16:22-23). Q 3: “Does τάγμα imply inequality?” A: Order, not merit, is in view; all share identical resurrection quality (Philippians 3:21). Observable parallels—firstfruits, harvest, gleanings—depict temporal sequence, not value disparity. Pastoral Application Assurance replaces anxiety. Just as spring’s first sheaf guaranteed a full harvest, Christ’s empty tomb guarantees yours. Live missionally; your body’s destiny dignifies present vocation, relationships, and worship. Summary “Each in his own turn” establishes a divinely ordered, multi-phase resurrection: Christ already raised, believers at His return, remaining groups thereafter. The phrase fuses agrarian, military, and prophetic motifs, harmonizes Genesis to Revelation, and grounds confident, holy living rooted in the historic, bodily resurrection of Jesus. |
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