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Priscilla: I Corinthians 15:20-34
The Resurrection of the Dead – Part 2

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I offer You praise and gratitude. You are the Almighty God, and Your love and mercy last forever! I thank You for giving me another new day. And now, please be with me and teach me as I read and meditate on Your Word.

Father, today I would like to present my meditation on I Corinthians 15:20-34 about the resurrection of mankind.

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Verse 20: I understand that the Lord Jesus Christ died to redeem mankind, and He was the first to be supernaturally resurrected, gloriously, among the dead. Therefore, those who die in Christ, when the time appointed by You comes, will also have their fleshly bodies transformed and resurrected mysteriously, like Christ, by the power of God.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Verses 21 and 22: I understand that through the sin of Adam, the first ancestor of mankind, death entered the world, causing everyone to die because everyone was infected with the sinful nature of Adam, causing them to sin. But through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious resurrection of the fleshly body is given to those who believe in Him.

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Verse 23: I understand that Christ was the first to be supernaturally resurrected, and He has power over death. Next is the resurrection for those who belong to the Church of God. They will be resurrected on the day Christ comes to take the Church out of the world. Then, at the end of the End Times, the saints who were killed by the Antichrist and the saints before the New Testament will be resurrected to enter the Thousand-Year Kingdom.

24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

Verse 24: I understand that the end will come is the end of the old heaven and earth and the final judgment after the Thousand-Year Kingdom period. It is the time of the final resurrection for all those who do not have salvation because they did not repent of their sins and did not believe in the atoning death of Christ. They will be judged for every sin they have committed and punished, suffering forever in hell with the fallen angels.

25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Verses 25 and 26: I understand that Christ is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” who reigns over the Thousand-Year Kingdom until He ends the final battle and executes the final judgment. Then death will be no more, for the fleshly body of each person will be resurrected.

27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Verses 27 and 28: I understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is God in the person of the Word. He created all things in the universe, so all things must serve Him. But when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns as king over the Kingdom of God in His human body, He must be given the authority to rule by God the Father.

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

Verse 29: I understand that being baptized for the dead was a practice applied in the first 300 years of Church history. At that time, local Churches allowed a person to be baptized on behalf of a family member or friend who had recently believed in Christ but had died before being baptized, hoping that the new believer would share in the resurrection according to the meaning of baptism as dying with Christ and being raised with Christ. Today, in the Church, being baptized for the dead is unnecessary because it is not taught in Scripture, and salvation does not come through being baptized. A typical example is the thief who was crucified next to the Lord Jesus on the cross and who had no opportunity to be baptized but was still saved because he sincerely repented and had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul argues that if there is no resurrection of the dead, especially the blessed resurrection of those who believe in the Gospel of Salvation, then their baptism is just a futile act. It was because of faith in the resurrection of the dead that God’s people at that time were baptized for those who had died before being baptized.

30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

Verse 30: I understand that the Apostle Paul is referring to the dangers that come from those who oppose his preaching of the Gospel and from the uncertainties on his journeys, as well as the danger of being attacked by demons and persecuted to hinder his service to God.

31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Verse 31: I understand that the Apostle Paul had to suffer daily like a good soldier for the Lord’s name. Every day he faced dangers like a soldier on the battlefield in his ministry of preaching the Gospel to lead many to God’s salvation. Paul was glorified in Christ when he led many to God’s salvation. Each person who believed in his preaching was saved and clothed with the glory of Christ, and this was also the glory that Christ would reward him with.

32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

Verse 32: I understand that the Apostle Paul had to go through many difficulties and dangers to be able to preach the Gospel, often having to fight against all enemies. Paul hypothesizes that if there is no resurrection of the dead, if death is the end, then life only has value and can only be enjoyed in the present. So the wisest way to live is to enjoy what one likes in this life before dying.

33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Verse 33: I understand that the Apostle Paul reminds God’s people in Corinth not to be friends or associates with those who claim to be disciples of the Lord but do not live according to His Word, to avoid being infected with their bad habits. God’s people must also stay away from false teachers and false prophets who preach heresy, reject the teachings of the Apostle Paul, and teach that there is no resurrection of the dead.

34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Verse 34: I understand that the Apostle Paul calls on God’s people in Corinth to always be vigilant about everything and to live holy and righteous according to the truth of God’s Word. They should avoid sinning and not do anything that goes against the commandments and laws of God. In fact, there are those who bear the name of God’s people but do not have the wisdom to understand the good will that God has predestined for them, so they still sin. This is a shame for God’s people in the Church in Corinth. Additionally, there are still those who do not believe in the Apostle Paul’s teaching about the resurrection of the dead, especially the resurrection in glory and eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven for God’s people.

Father, I thank You for Christ’s death and resurrection to redeem those who believe in His Gospel. I thank You for giving each of our fleshly bodies the opportunity to be transformed or resurrected on the day Christ comes to take the Church out of the world. I long for that day to come quickly. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Priscilla Christian Huynh
06/02/2023