We have been examining the apostle Paul’s epistle, the Bible book of 1 Corinthians (see Third Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul; Are You Drawn to the Flesh; Meeting People Where They Are At; and Yielding to the Gifts of the Spirit in Church).
The apostle is now finishing his epistle by turning to the post-crucifixion events of Christ:
I passed onto you what was most important and what has also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 followers at one time, most of whom are still alive…Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 1 Cor. 15:3 – 8. NLT
Now, Paul delves into what it all accomplished:
…Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given a new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest, then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
After that the end will come, and when he (Jesus) will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Cor. 15:20 – 26. NLT
Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere. 1 Cor. 15:28 NLT
When Christ was transformed at His resurrection into this new God-Man, He became His Father’s instrument of humankind’s resurrection. Jesus is the first fruit of the ‘resurrection harvest’ of humanity at the end of time.
The Son of God guaranteed the resurrection of God’s children, by wiping out spiritual death (which ultimately results in physical death) that we were previously subject, due to Adam’s original sin.
That cleansing is only available to those who accept Christ’s invitation for salvation, which frees the recipients from the ravages of time and death.
Now that Paul has cleared the air, he tells the Corinthians to get their acts together, to properly prepare for His Second Advent:
…by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self]. What good has it done me if, [merely from a human point of view, I fought with wild animals at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], LET US EAT AND DRINK [enjoying ourselves now], FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor], as you ought, and stop sinning; for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths. I say this to your shame. 1 Cor. 15:31 – 34. AMP
(That ‘fighting with wild animals’ stuff was simply a metaphor saying that if there is no resurrection, then ‘party on’ because this time on earth is all there is – NOT! Also, the quote about ‘Bad company…” is from an Athenian 3rd century writer named Menander).
Ouch! Paul is stepping on some toes here; but he knows he is battling for their souls…
What also happened at the cross, is the Christ-prepared eternal transition / transformation of the Children of God:
The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. They are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam – that is, Christ – is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man.
…our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living also will be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (See Is. 25:8 and Hos 13:14).
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15:41 – 57. NLT
Wow! What happened at the cross prepares us to be resurrected in righteousness – transcendent from the Law. We get a new body, made in Christ’s image, which never wears out! Our physical sufferings are a forgotten memory, and we stand in readiness to enter an eternity of the unimaginable. It’s all about the Love…
Praise God!
Goodnight and God bless.