1 Corinthians 15:50-58

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” ⁵⁵ “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Commentary

Vs. 50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption." 

Though through our mortal bodies we are recipients of the Kingdom of heaven (consider, 1 Cor 3:16-17, 6:19; 2 Cor 6:19) they were not designed to inherit (dwell in) the Kingdom of heaven. The physical body which was only designed for the physical realm then must be transformed into a spiritual body so that it might be fit to dwell in the kingdom of heaven. For corruption (sinful flesh which is subject to death and decay) cannot inherit incorruption, where there is no sin, and death has no realm or place. 

Vs. 51-52 ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

The mystery here is that not every believer will experience physical death (i.e. "sleep"). At the Lord's return those who are then living will be immediately caught up in the air with those believers who will be raised from the dead to also be with the Lord forever (1 Thess. 4:15-18). Thus at the sound of the heavenly trumpet, in the twinkling of an eye the dead will be raised incorruptible, (that is the will be raised from the dead in their immortal bodies), just as those who are then living will also be changed into theirs. 

Vs. 53-55 ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” ⁵⁵ “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 

And so it is that this corruptible that we now bear must put on incorruption, and this mortal that we now bear must put on immortality. The Apostle Paul then is distinguishing between those who will be living at Christ's return and those who have already died. For we all must be changed into our immortal bodies and state before we can go to be with the Lord forever. And so it is when we all go to be with the Lord forever (both those who rise from the dead, and those who are then living are all transformed at the resurrection of the dead), then shall the saying be brought to pass which states: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” and“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 

Now the Apostle Paul is quoting from Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14, two passages which proclaim God's finial victory over death and the grave, and thus all of the enemies schemes and plans to destroy His prized creation through it, which is every one of us. For God has already paid the price of our redemption from sin and death through the Crucifixion death of His only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ so that we all might have everlasting life by faith in Christ's Person. The only question is have you received Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior so that you might have remission of all your sins and everlasting life? (John 1:14). For only then will you stand justified in the sight of God and be glorified forever with the Lord Jesus Christ at the resurrection of dead (John 5:24; Rom 5:1; Gal 2:16).

Vs. 56 "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." 

Truly the sting of death is sin, for it is by sin that death entered the world (Rom 6:23). Equally important to understand is that "the strength of sin is the law", something that the Apostle Paul elucidates in Rom 7 (see vs. 7-12), and is why the Gospel is the Message the needs to be preached everywhere, not the Law (consider John 1:17). Because only by God's grace and truth which is found exclusively in Christ Jesus is sins strength through the law defeated. For the law only makes us conscience of our sin, but it does nothing to cleanse us from it, or empower us to overcome it. Only the Lord Jesus Christ does that by His Spirit when we repent and belive in Him through the Gospel. 

Vs. 57 "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

And so it is that God gives us the victory over sin and death through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who not only washes our sins away in His blood, but by His Holy Spirit regeneration of our persons, He sets us on a course of sanctification, in preparation of our spending all eternity with Himself.

Vs. 58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

In light of the resurrection of the dead; and our being personally assured of it; it behooves us to all who believe to set our lives about doing the Lord's business down here. For every Christian's person and life by God's design is to be filled with His purposes. Thus the exhortation here is for us all to be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord that He has assigned to us. Because what we do down here, as the Holy Spirit equips and enables us and leads us to do, will not only will have an eternal impact on others down here, but it will also impact our own futures up there. Anyone then who knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and yet does not serve Him as their Lord and Savior will not find satisfaction nor fulfillment in this life unless they are actively serving Christ with the gifts and talents He has given to them. Therefore use what God has entrusted you with to the best of your abilities, because He will multiply your fruits and increase joy in all that you do for Him.

Scriptural Quotation

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Additional Resources Consulted

MacDonald, William. Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. Edited by Arthur Farstad. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995.