What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:28? And when all things have been subjected to Him – Paul looks ahead to the moment when Christ’s redemptive mission reaches its climax. At His return, every power—earthly and spiritual—will willingly or unwillingly bow (Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 11:15). – “All things” echoes Psalm 8:6, which Hebrews 2:8 applies to Jesus: “You placed everything under His feet.” The subjection is comprehensive—no rogue rebel remains. – The scene affirms Jesus’ kingship granted by the Father (Ephesians 1:20-22), yet keeps clear that the authority He wields is bestowed, not seized. then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him – After Christ has put down every enemy (1 Corinthians 15:25-26), He hands the finished kingdom back to the Father. His willing submission underscores perfect unity within the Godhead, never inferiority (John 10:30; 17:4-5). – Jesus has modeled this pattern all along: “The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing” (John 5:19). Philippians 2:6-8 shows Him, though equal with God, embracing obedience for our sake. – 1 Corinthians 11:3 reminds believers of this divine order: “the head of Christ is God.” Paul now points to its culmination. so that God may be all in all – The goal is not the lessening of the Son but the universal display of God’s glory. When sin, death, and rebellion are gone, nothing will obstruct God’s manifest presence (Revelation 21:3-4). – “All in all” echoes Ephesians 4:6: “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Creation will again mirror its Creator without distortion (Habakkuk 2:14). – Zechariah 14:9 foresaw this day: “The LORD will be King over all the earth; on that day the LORD will be the only one, and His Name the only one.” summary Paul’s sentence traces the grand finale of redemption: Christ subdues every rival, voluntarily returns the perfected kingdom to the Father, and the triune God openly reigns everywhere and in everything. The verse reassures believers that history is moving toward a glorious, God-saturated conclusion where His sovereign love and righteousness fill the universe without opposition. |
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