20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
Commentary
Vs. 20 "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
The Lord Jesus Christ was the first to rise from the dead; specifically He is the firstfruits of all who have fallen sleep (i.e. who die believing in Him). And so it is Jesus' own Resurrection from the dead assures us of our own resurrection from the dead to everlasting life with Himself. And so here the Apostle is making a marked distinction between each and every believers resurrection from the dead to be with Christ, and the resurrection from the dead of the all who throughout the ages rejected God's revelation of Himself for themselves; for those who reject God's salvation through Christ now will only rise from the dead to everlasting condemnation at the finial judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
Vs. 21-22 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Death came through Adam, the first man God created, yet Adam (and all of humanity who is descended from him) was to bear God's likeness and rule over all of God's creation. And so when Adam sinned by disobeying God, sin entered the world and death along with it, because death is the ultimate consequence of sin (Rom 3:23). And so when Adam sinned all of creation along with himself immediately became separated from the life of God. Thus it is stated here that through man, i.e. Adam, death came to us all. For all people everywhere die in Adam, that is we suffer both spiritual death and bodily death because of sin entering the world through him. Even so in Christ all shall be made alive (vs. 22).
And so it is that just as death entered the world through one man, Adam, so too the resurrection from the dead came through One Man, Jesus Christ. So that all who believe in Him will be brought to life with God again, never to die again (John 11:25; 14:6). Therefore Jesus Christ entered the world to take the place of Adam as the Head of all of God's creation, so that He Himself might restore humanity back to life with God Himself. All which began with His own Resurrection from the dead.
Vs. 23 "But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."
The resurrection from the dead then for believers everywhere has it's origins with Christ's own Resurrection from the dead, which He and the Scriptures foretold (Matt 20:19; Luke 24:25-27; Heb. 2:9-10), and which He fulfilled three days after first suffering Crucifixion death for us all. Thus with atonement made for all our sins and transgressions Jesus Christ rose from the dead, thus becoming the firstfruits of all who will rise from dead at His second Coming. Until then His Spirit is being poured into us all who believe as the seal of our redemption as we wait on Christ's return, when He will come and take all believers everywhere in every generation, who have died, or are living at His return, and we shall be taken up in the air to be with Christ forever at His return (1 Thess. 4:15-18). And so it is then we shall forever be with the Lord in our glorified bodies, just as He now is in His.
Vs. 24-25 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
When Christ Returns and we go to be with Him forever then comes the end when the Lord Jesus Christ has gathered all His own to Himself. And so it will be at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign when He has defeated Satan and his forces once and for all and forever that He will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father and put an end to all rule and all authority and power. Thus Christ must reign until God has put all of His enemies under His feet.
Vs. 26 "The last enemy that will be destroyed is death."
The last enemy that God will destroy is death itself. For Christ has already defeated death through His own Resurrection from the dead (Rom 6:9), and thus He has now brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel (2 Tim 1:10). And so it is on the last Day when Jesus' sets up His everlasting Kingdom the finial enemy of God, death will be destroyed forever. Never again will we ourselves suffer it, or see our loved ones go through it (Hosea 13:14; Rev. 21:4).
Vs. 27 "For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted."
And so it is when God has put all things under the Lord Jesus Christ's feet, meaning placed all things into subjection to Himself, He Himself of course will be excepted. God's position as Father in the GodHead is unalterable just as Jesus' position as the Son is.
Vs. 28 "Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all."
And so when all things are made subject to the Son, then the Son Himself will be subject to the Father, so that God may be all in all. Now the functional subordination of the Son of God to God the Father does not deny the equality of the Father, Son, Spirit in the Godhead at any time. It merely is the means of restoring believing humanity back to God, to what has always been, and will always be.
Scripture Quotation
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Vs. 21-22 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Death came through Adam, the first man God created, yet Adam (and all of humanity who is descended from him) was to bear God's likeness and rule over all of God's creation. And so when Adam sinned by disobeying God, sin entered the world and death along with it, because death is the ultimate consequence of sin (Rom 3:23). And so when Adam sinned all of creation along with himself immediately became separated from the life of God. Thus it is stated here that through man, i.e. Adam, death came to us all. For all people everywhere die in Adam, that is we suffer both spiritual death and bodily death because of sin entering the world through him. Even so in Christ all shall be made alive (vs. 22).
And so it is that just as death entered the world through one man, Adam, so too the resurrection from the dead came through One Man, Jesus Christ. So that all who believe in Him will be brought to life with God again, never to die again (John 11:25; 14:6). Therefore Jesus Christ entered the world to take the place of Adam as the Head of all of God's creation, so that He Himself might restore humanity back to life with God Himself. All which began with His own Resurrection from the dead.
Vs. 23 "But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."
The resurrection from the dead then for believers everywhere has it's origins with Christ's own Resurrection from the dead, which He and the Scriptures foretold (Matt 20:19; Luke 24:25-27; Heb. 2:9-10), and which He fulfilled three days after first suffering Crucifixion death for us all. Thus with atonement made for all our sins and transgressions Jesus Christ rose from the dead, thus becoming the firstfruits of all who will rise from dead at His second Coming. Until then His Spirit is being poured into us all who believe as the seal of our redemption as we wait on Christ's return, when He will come and take all believers everywhere in every generation, who have died, or are living at His return, and we shall be taken up in the air to be with Christ forever at His return (1 Thess. 4:15-18). And so it is then we shall forever be with the Lord in our glorified bodies, just as He now is in His.
Vs. 24-25 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
When Christ Returns and we go to be with Him forever then comes the end when the Lord Jesus Christ has gathered all His own to Himself. And so it will be at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign when He has defeated Satan and his forces once and for all and forever that He will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father and put an end to all rule and all authority and power. Thus Christ must reign until God has put all of His enemies under His feet.
Vs. 26 "The last enemy that will be destroyed is death."
The last enemy that God will destroy is death itself. For Christ has already defeated death through His own Resurrection from the dead (Rom 6:9), and thus He has now brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel (2 Tim 1:10). And so it is on the last Day when Jesus' sets up His everlasting Kingdom the finial enemy of God, death will be destroyed forever. Never again will we ourselves suffer it, or see our loved ones go through it (Hosea 13:14; Rev. 21:4).
Vs. 27 "For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted."
And so it is when God has put all things under the Lord Jesus Christ's feet, meaning placed all things into subjection to Himself, He Himself of course will be excepted. God's position as Father in the GodHead is unalterable just as Jesus' position as the Son is.
Vs. 28 "Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all."
And so when all things are made subject to the Son, then the Son Himself will be subject to the Father, so that God may be all in all. Now the functional subordination of the Son of God to God the Father does not deny the equality of the Father, Son, Spirit in the Godhead at any time. It merely is the means of restoring believing humanity back to God, to what has always been, and will always be.
Scripture Quotation
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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