1 Corinthians 15:20-34 - Death is Dead in Christ’s Death!

1 Corinthians 15:20-34

The Last Enemy Destroyed

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.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Death dies in the death of Christ.  The resurrection proved that Christ killed death by defeating it with life out of the grave.  When life replaced death in Christ’s resurrection it was the heralding of life to all who are then found in Him as well.  This life is spiritual at once (John 5:24, Galatians 2:20) and also is a promise for after we also experience death and find ourselves resurrected to eternal life with our Lord!  Unfortunately, those who are not found in Christ by repentance and faith will also live forever, but it will be in torment (Matthew 25:46, John 5:28-29, Acts 24:15) and not a resurrection to look forward to (1 John 4:18).  Jesus therefore was the first to rise as God’s harvest of promise to anticipate the resurrection of the body as well as the eternal soul inhabiting it.  We see in this firstfruit our future in Him as a proven steadfast hope and no mere wish or desire which we cannot rely upon with such certainty.  He has proved the certainty with eyewitnesses to His bodily resurrection which was witnessed by the twelve and more than five hundred others (1 Corinthians 15:4-6) as it is recorded for us.  Just as we all inherited death through Adam’s sin left uncured with the then forbidden access to the tree of life, we who are in Christ now by faith will inherit eternity with Him as promised and proven in the resurrection.  We will join Him after death when He comes again to establish His kingdom of heaven on earth and assumes all authority and power that the world currently possesses over nations and peoples.  He will make the creation of His earth great again as no sinful human ruler can ever even come close to promising.  These promises of God in Jesus Christ are yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20-23), as certain, sealed, and absolute!  Our last enemy, death, will be forever defeated and destroyed by Him who puts all under His feet of conquest and rule, never to rise over us again.  This is the hope His resurrection affords us.  This is why we are baptized into Christ, with the certainty of hope in our resurrection of a new life now and into eternity with a sinless and incorruptible body to match our renewed souls.  It is not a mystical baptism of the dead as the non-Christian Mormon cult teaches, but a real revelation of why we are baptized to eternal life in Christ alone by grace alone in faith in Him alone.  This simply means we are baptized in hope and certainty of a resurrection after our death and not a baptism without a destination in Him.  Because the dead do arise, all of us, we should not live as the world who does not know Him without hope (Ephesians 2:12-13) by saying, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” but instead live for Him now (2 Timothy 2:19) into eternity because we are His and we are called to be holy as He is and we will be in eternity with incorruptible bodies and souls apart from the presence of sin.  This is why we are given the warning to awaken to righteous living and stop sinning because we know God in Christ personally and are under His authority and rule even now.  Death is dead in Christ’s death, and we must count ourselves dead to sin (Romans 6:11-13) and alive in Christ.  It is shameful and shortsighted for us to live otherwise.