What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:20? But Christ has indeed been raised • Paul opens with confident certainty—no “if,” only “indeed” (see Acts 2:24 “God raised Him up, releasing Him from the agony of death”). • The resurrection is the bedrock of the gospel Paul preached earlier in this chapter (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). • Because Christ lives, every promise He made stands firm (John 11:25-26 “I am the resurrection and the life … whoever lives and believes in Me will never die”). from the dead • Jesus did not merely revive; He rose out of death’s domain, never to die again (Romans 6:9 “death no longer has dominion over Him”). • His victory fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 16:10 “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol”). • This triumph assures believers of their own future resurrection (1 Peter 1:3 “He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”). the firstfruits • “Firstfruits” recalls the offering in Leviticus 23:10-11 where the initial sheaf guaranteed the full harvest to follow. • By calling Christ “firstfruits,” Paul underscores that His resurrection is both the sample and the pledge of ours (James 1:18 “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures”). • As surely as the first sheaf was accepted, the entire harvest was secured; so the living Christ guarantees every believer’s bodily resurrection (Romans 8:23 “we ourselves … groan as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies”). of those who have fallen asleep • Scripture often describes death for believers as sleep—restful, temporary, and followed by awakening (John 11:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). • Paul is not denying the reality of death; he is declaring its impermanence for the redeemed (Daniel 12:2 “many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake”). • Because Jesus awakened first, all who are “in Christ” will likewise awaken at His return (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). summary Jesus’ literal, bodily resurrection is the undeniable proof that death is defeated. As the “firstfruits,” His rising guarantees the future resurrection of every believer who now “sleeps” in Him. Christ’s victory ensures that our graves are not final destinations but temporary resting places awaiting the harvest of life everlasting. |
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