What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:51? Listen • Paul begins, “Listen,” signaling that what follows is urgent and worth our full attention. The word echoes Jesus’ repeated call, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9; see also Revelation 2:7). • Scripture often introduces pivotal truth with an appeal to hear (Isaiah 55:3). Paul wants believers to lean in, confident that God’s Word is reliable and intended for our good. I tell you a mystery • “Mystery” in Scripture is not a puzzle humans solve but truth God now unveils (Romans 16:25–26; Ephesians 3:3–6). • Paul is about to disclose something previously hidden: the exact way God will complete His redemption of our bodies (1 Corinthians 2:7; Colossians 1:26). • Because the revelation comes from God, we receive it with assurance, knowing “every word of God is flawless” (Proverbs 30:5). We will not all sleep • In the New Testament “sleep” is a gentle metaphor for a believer’s physical death (Acts 7:60). Paul declares that at Christ’s return some Christians will still be alive—“we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). • Jesus promised, “Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:26). Physical death may still occur for many, yet the generation alive when He appears will bypass it entirely. • This shows death’s defeat: “Where, O death, is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). but we will all be changed— • Whether dead or alive, every believer will receive a transformed, glorified body. “In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye… the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). • Philippians 3:20–21 promises that Christ “will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.” No believer is left out—“all” are included. • This change fulfills Romans 8:23, the “redemption of our bodies,” and 1 John 3:2, “When He appears, we will be like Him.” • The certainty of transformation fuels present hope (2 Corinthians 4:16–18) and motivates holy living (Colossians 3:4–5). summary Paul reveals a divine secret: at the Lord’s return, not every believer will experience physical death, yet every believer will experience instant, radical transformation. The verse points to God’s final victory over the grave, the trustworthiness of His promises, and the shared destiny of all who belong to Christ—eternal life in glorified bodies, forever with the Lord. |
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