What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:27? Setting within the resurrection chapter Paul is arguing for the certainty of bodily resurrection. Just prior to verse 27 he says, “Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:24). The flow shows: • Christ’s resurrection is the firstfruits (15:20). • His current reign is progressive—He “must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (15:25), echoing Psalm 110:1. • The final enemy, death, will be abolished (15:26; cf. Revelation 20:14). Verse 27 therefore sits in a paragraph that outlines the unfolding triumph of Jesus from resurrection morning to the new heavens and earth. God has put everything under His feet “For ‘God has put everything under His feet.’” Paul cites Psalm 8:6, originally about humanity’s intended dominion but perfectly fulfilled in Jesus, the Last Adam (cf. Hebrews 2:6-9). By raising and exalting the Son, the Father: • Grants Him unrivaled authority over every created thing—angels, demons, rulers, natural forces (Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 1:16-18). • Guarantees the complete subjugation of all enemies, culminating in the resurrection of believers and the destruction of death itself (Philippians 3:21; 2 Timothy 1:10). • Affirms messianic prophecy that the Christ would reign not merely spiritually but in concrete, universal lordship (Psalm 2:8-9). The exception: the One who put everything under Him “Now when it says that everything has been put under Him, this clearly does not include the One who put everything under Him.” Paul clarifies the scope of “everything” so no reader thinks the Son replaces or eclipses the Father. Key points: • Functional order, not inferiority: the Son eternally shares the Father’s divine nature (John 1:1; 10:30), yet willingly submits in redemptive history (John 5:19; 1 Corinthians 11:3). • Harmony within the Godhead: the Father glorifies the Son, and the Son glorifies the Father (John 17:1-5). Scripture never pits Them against each other. • Final goal: verse 28 explains that once all things are subdued, “the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.” The Father remains supreme source and ultimate end (Romans 11:36). Why this order matters • Protects monotheism—God remains one (Deuteronomy 6:4). • Shows the beauty of willing submission without loss of dignity, modeling relationships in church and family (Ephesians 5:21-25). • Provides certainty: if the Father ordained Christ’s triumph, nothing can derail it (Romans 8:31-39). Living under the reign of Christ • Worship with confidence: “Every knee should bow” (Philippians 2:10). • Persist in gospel labor: because “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). • Face death unafraid: the foe already stands condemned, awaiting final removal (Hebrews 2:14-15). • Align priorities with His kingdom, knowing all earthly powers are temporary (1 John 2:17). summary 1 Corinthians 15:27 declares that the Father has decisively placed the whole created order under the authority of the risen Jesus, fulfilling Psalm 8 and guaranteeing the ultimate overthrow of every enemy, including death. Yet the verse carefully preserves the Father’s unique position as the One who installs the Son as King, ensuring that at the consummation the perfect harmony of the Godhead shines forth and “God may be all in all.” |
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