Terminating Death
Some members of the Corinthian congregation denied the future bodily resurrection. The Apostle Paul responded not only by stressing the necessity for it but also by appealing to the past resurrection of Jesus, which was and remains the precedent for the resurrection of believers. His disciples will be raised bodily from the dead when he “arrives” at the end of the age, and his appearance will result in the termination of Death itself.
Paul begins the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians by
reiterating the basics of the Gospel. “I delivered to you first of all that which
also I received; namely, that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he has been raised on the third day.” This sets the stage for his discourse
on the resurrection of believers - (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
[Photo by Richard Bell on Unsplash] |
Since God raised His Son from the dead, he will terminate death when he returns, both the process of dying, which will cease, as well as the existing state of death, which he will reverse by raising his saints “out from among the dead.” By doing so, he will nullify completely and remove the sentence of death, both legally and experientially.
In his
explanation of the future resurrection, Paul reveals something new. Believers
who are alive on the day when Jesus “arrives” will be transformed and receive
immortal bodies. He also presents the sequence of key events that will precede
the ‘Parousia’ or “arrival” of Jesus, all of which will culminate
in the final overthrow of Death, the “Last Enemy.”
The Apostle begins
with the rhetorical question - “If Christ is proclaimed that he has been
raised from among the dead, how say some of you there is no resurrection of the
dead?” – (1 Corinthians 15:12).
From his perspective,
the crux of the matter was the absolute necessity for bodily resurrection and
all his arguments were crafted to support this proposition. The basis of his position
was the past resurrection of Jesus.
If there is no resurrection, then “not even Christ has been raised,” and if that is the case, then the Gospel is null and void. Thus, the resurrection of believers is based on the past resurrection of the Son of God, and it is pivotal to the teachings and hope of his Church.
Paul then argues
that “all will be made alive, but each in his own rank” or “order.”
Jesus was the “first fruits” - He rose first - The rest will follow “at
his arrival.” That event will constitute “the END when he delivers up
the Kingdom to God and brings to nothing all rule, authority, and power.”
Thus, the
raising of the dead began with Jesus, the “firstborn of the dead,” and at
his “arrival,” this process will be consummated - (1 Corinthians 15:23).
HIS ‘PAROUSIA’
Elsewhere, Paul
uses the Greek noun ‘Parousia’ for the “coming” or “arrival”
of Jesus. For example, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, he links
the resurrection of dead believers to the “arrival” of Jesus from Heaven
- (1 Thessalonians 4:12-15, 5:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2:8).
His ‘Parousia’
will mean “the end” of the present age, the subjugation of all his
enemies, and the termination of Death. The latter is the “Last Enemy”
that must and will be destroyed. Only then will he deliver the "Kingdom”
to his God and Father, after which, God will be “all in all” - (1
Corinthians 15:24-28).
Paul’s
purpose was not to present all the details related to the return of Jesus. Specific
subjects were introduced because they supported his argument for the necessity
of the resurrection of the righteous dead.
Jesus was
raised as the “first fruits” of those who “sleep.” Logically, dead
believers who “sleep” will participate in the same kind of resurrection
that he did, though only at the appointed time. In the conclusion of his
argument, Paul returns to the subjects of the resurrection and the end of death:
- (1 Corinthians 15:51-58) - “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed… During the last trumpet, for it shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
The cessation
of death will coincide with the “arrival” of Jesus. That day will mark the
final overthrow of all God’s enemies and the consummation of His rule. After that,
there will be no more enemies to conquer, therefore, death will be no more.
[Rainbow - Photo by Niklas Ohlrogge on Unsplash] |
However, the bodily resurrection does not mean the resuscitation of dead corpses. Instead, our mortal bodies will be transformed into another kind of body, ones that are geared for life in the Spirit and are no longer subject to disease, decay, and death. The evidence for this hope is the glorified body of Jesus. Life in the future age will be an embodied existence, not a disembodied state - (1 Corinthians 15:35-50).
The “mystery”
that is now revealed is that believers who remain alive on the Earth when Jesus
arrives will be physically transformed. They will not experience death before
their transformation. The hope of the Assembly rests on belief in the resurrection
and life in the New Creation, which, in turn, is based on the bodily
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
RELATED POSTS:
- Meeting Jesus - (Both living and resurrected saints will meet Jesus as he descends from Heaven - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
- Sorrow Not - (Foundational to the believer’s future hope is the bodily resurrection of the righteous dead when Jesus arrives in glory)
- Final Events - (The future arrival of Jesus will be a day of great finality)
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