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1st Corinthians 15. Part III C
(verses 20-26)
December 23rd 2018
Milk
So we left off with Paul talking all about the situation of the faith and the world if there was no resurrection of the dead and/or of Christ.
And at verse 20 we are hit with his preaching and teaching. I say preaching and teaching because Paul is going to teach us some doctrine – very important doctrine – not only about the resurrection but about all sorts of things along the way.
And there is so much included in his works this chapter alone is truly a gem in the case of canonical precious stones.
So having laid out what things would look like without the resurrection (note that the last words used to describe the Christians in that day is “most miserable (without the resurrection) Paul now says:
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.
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.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
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.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
So, in a message of hope, based completely on the work of Christ for the reconciliation of the world, Paul now writes (at verse 20)
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
He has been laboring to build a case for the resurrection – specifically the resurrection of Christ upon which all other resurrections are predicated, and now he gets to launch into the great news.
But now IS Christ risen from the dead!
Of this message Paul was convinced and committed. His entire life had changed because of this fact and as an eye witness he was not about to let a rumor take over the believers and followers of Christ.
In verses 12-18 Paul affirmed that the dead also rise because of His resurrection so he is maintaining a mouthful here when he affirms His resurrection.
There is a real powerful force in the word “now” that is used. He seems to be saying:
“I have shown the consequences which would follow from the supposition that Christ was not raised up. I have shown how it would destroy all our hopes, plunge us into grief, annihilate our faith, make our preaching vain, prove us liars and make the passing of our fellow saints most bitter.
Most miserable, would be the result.
But all that I took the time to describe was total supposition because there is no need to be alarmed –
NOW he is risen from the dead. Then Paul adds to the resurrection and what it produced, by saying:
. . . and became the first-fruits of them that slept.
The word translated first-fruits (aparchin)
and it is used a number of times in the Apostolic Record but its origins and import are established in the Tanakh.
We will soon learn that the term first-fruits is also described in scripture as first born.
Prior to the establishment of the New and Eternal Age, the age which we presently live by the spirit, God through Christ set in place a number of things – now listen – some of those things WE TODAY are not part of – even if we would like to be.
Let’s go to the board and work through this concept while learning about first-fruits and/or firstborn.
FIRST-FRUITS
CROPS
Leviticus 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest:-
Note that in a harvest there are the first-fruits, implicating the fact that there are more fruit to come.
Second fruits, third, tenth . . . and then there is the gleanings of the field – so that nothing be lost.
Nothing.
Remember the Lord multiplying fishes and loaves – so that nothing be lost.
If the fruit of the field and the harvest of fields and the fishes and loaves of miracles are treated with tremendous respect, what about the souls of all human beings?
SONS
Exodus 13:12 That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S.
In the old Testament the first-born sons enjoyed certain special privileges. (Deuteronomy 21:17; Genesis 25:23,31,34; 49:3; 1st Chronicles 5:1; Hebrews 12:16; Psalm 89:27 all speak to these priviledges.
This status was also called a “birthright.”
In fact, it even works in the negative as the “first-born of the poor” signifies the most miserable of the poor according to Isaiah 14:30.
The destruction of the first-born was the last of the ten plagues inflicted on the Egyptians (Exodus 11:1-8; 12:29-30)
Anyway, from the beginning the office of the priesthood in each family belonged to the eldest son or firstborn.
Additionally, and under the law, a special sanctity was attached to the first-born both of man and of cattle. God claimed that the first-born males of man and of animals should be consecrated to him, the one as a priest Ex 19:22,24 representing the family to which he belonged, and the other to be offered up in sacrifice. (Genesis 4:4)
When the extensive plan of sacrificial worship was introduced through Moses, which required a company of men to be exclusively devoted to this ministry, the primitive office of the first-born in families was superseded by that of the Levites (Numbers 3:11-13) and it was ordained that the first-born of man and of unclean animals should henceforth be redeemed (Numbers 18:15.)
That word redeemed in the Old Testament means buy back, and so since the first born were God’s he allowed them to be bought back from him with the sacrifice of a lamb while the Levites assumed the role of the firstborn in the Nation.
All the laws concerning this redemption of the first-born of man are recorded in Exodus 13:12-15; 22:29; 34:20; Numbers 3:45; 8:17; 18:16; Leviticus 12:2,4
The first-born male of every clean animal was to be given up to the priest for sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:6; Exodus 13:12; 34:20; Numbers 18:15-17)
But the first-born of unclean animals was either to be redeemed or sold and the price given to the priest Lev 27:11-13,27.
Interestingly, the first-born of an ass, if not redeemed, was to be put to death Ex 13:13; 34:20
NATION
Romans 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. (Nation of Israel)
Remember the Lord said that He same only to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel?
For if the FIRSTFRUITS be holy . . .
JESUS
JESUS – the firstborn of Mary
Matthew 1:25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Yeshua.
Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn
The firstborn of every creation
Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
JESUS – the firstborn of Mary
Through His firstborn Son God established His church bride, and she was unique in the family of God.
How? She was the firstborn, or the first-fruits of all that would be His over the ages.
As hard as this is to hear for some, which it shouldn’t be hard at all, but believers today are NOT part of the first-fruits of the faith.
Neither are we his bride.
God established all of that in and through them/then. And it was established as a means to bless and benefit all who come thereafter – but the first-fruits and the firstborn were part of another age.
THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH
James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Of the Spirit
Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Of the dead (see whole chapter)
1st Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1st Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Of course, he is the firstborn of the dead
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
THE CHURCH OF THE FIRST BORN
Hebrews 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
This church of the firstborn, these firstfruits of the Body of Christ, were from the Jews and from those Gentiles then who helped form the Bride.
They took places in the Heavenly New Jerusalem – places of management perhaps, of administration, of ministration in the operations of the Bride of Christ and in anticipation of all who would come to God through Christ over the ages.
The 144000 would be part of this group – if not the whole of it – and again, we are NOT the firstfruits, the bride, the firstborn, the 144,000.
Listen to how revelation describes them
The 144,000
Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Some of us are born in families where we are not the oldest. We can hem and haw over this but nothing will change the fact that there were some before us and on them were placed certain expectations and responsibilities.
Such is the case with the establishment of His kingdom in heaven to govern the Kingdom on earth.
Finally, we cannot forget that Christ is the the firstborn of many to come, or as Romans 8:29 says . . .
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren . . .
This describes you and I – those who are his and will continue to be His and are part of the Kingdom He established nearly 2000 years ago.
Even though this is not directly related to our verse by verse, the idea does convey something that will come in handy in the future of this study together.
And whether right or wrong – you will have to decide for yourselves – this is how I see the world of faith today and God’s relation to it and us ever since the wrapping up, and the setting up, of everything that is in place in and through the first-fruit/firstborns before us.
I am convinced that God is like a generous billionaire who is father to twelve children, grandfather to 72 grandchildren, and great-grandfather to 310 greatgrandchildren.
And He has created the most wonderful estate for all of his creations to exist – it’s a 7 million acre piece of land that has everything anyone would ever want or need in life.
The land contains wonders of nature, mountains, oceans, deserts and every type of animal, vegetable, mineral, it contains houses of every kind, and every entertainment known to man through sport, the arts, theater, and the like.
There are amusement parks, and there are even areas where his family members can participate in destructive activities – the choice, again, is theirs.
Transportation is available and total freedom to live and speak and do whatever his family wants to do is present – and it is ENTIRELY up to them on how they will choose to live their lives.
Everything has been taken care of in terms of what is necessary for them to experience life. His love is unconditional. There is no expectation or payment required from any of his creations. None. Ever.
Now this billionaire lives in a twenty story house that has no elevator, no air conditioning and not many frills – and he spends his time in the top floor, dimly lit library.
To get to him people have to take the steep long twenty floors of stairs.
All are welcome all the time – his doors are always open – but he lives far from the exciting areas of the land, about 400 miles of dirt roads away – and sometimes, after making the trip, and climbing the stairs, he is not there.
So, there is an element of time – time that could be spent engaged in all that the land offers – required to visit him. And there is discomfort. And there is sacrifice. And inconvenience.
Afterall, he lives way the heck out there and there is no rewards for visiting him – he has blessed the family with everything, right?
In fact some of the younger generation boast at never having visited him or even spoken to him, and yet their lives are great and blessed!
Right?
I would suggest that this is the world we all live in today. And we are all free to choose to live our lives as we please. In fact, God is pleased when we enjoy ourselves and experience the wonders He has given us.
But there is a major major difference between being one of His creations, who enjoys the benefits of human life, and those who . . . LOVE him.
And because they love Him, they seek Him – often to the detriment of their own fun and entertainment – and do so often without any immediate remuneration.
They take the time to travel the dusty roads, to climb the stairs, and to wait outside the dark door knocking – sometimes without any reply.
But they come to relate with Him. To hear from him and learn from Him, and to thank Him for the life that He has provided them.
AT the end of the day, all are His creations, and he has taken measures to insure all are redeemed – bought back. But very few, of their own volition and desire, are His children.
So getting back to the family of the human race, who all experience physical death, Paul has told us that Jesus is the firstborn or first-fruits of them that sleep.
Of them that had died.
He was the first to rise from the grave and never die again – which is key to the definition. Paul adds (verse 21 and 22 together which will help in comprehension):
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.
Let’s look at this on the board for a minute:
PROBLEM
For since by man came death
For as in Adam all die
SOLUTION
By man came also the resurrection of the dead
Even so in Christ shall all be made alive
For this reason Paul calls Jesus “the Second Adam.”
We might ask, however, why because of one man came death?
Romans 5:12 says Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Remember, “the wages of sin is death.” By Adam SIN entered into the world and therefore death – for all – because all have sin.
In other words, Adam would not have died had it not been for his sin and Romans 5:12 is proof that if Adam had not sinned he would have remained immortal on the earth and/or would have been translated to heaven, as Enoch and Elijah were, without seeing death in the typical sense.
And Paul tells us that since the sin and death nature of human beings came to all by and through one Man (Adam) it was reasonable and even logical that freedom from sin and death would also come by one man, even Jesus.
Apples to apples, and truly so as Adam was not born into sin from fallen parents but like Jesus after Him, was born without the stain of sin upon him from birth but CHOSE the woman over God.
In Christ, we do not see such a fault or failure – therefore in like-man we have the redemption of sin and a victory over death and the grave.
We might wonder why the Christ did not overcome physical death by stopping it all together. In other words, He came and paid for the sin of the world, and rose from the grave, why do we all continue to die physically deaths.
Well, we also know that Jesus overcame and paid for all sin – so why do we still sin?
The implications are far reaching but go to prove that Jesus kingdom was never of this world, and so the true application of His work is in the spiritual, leaving all of us – believer and unbeliever alike – to cope and thrive in the present evil world while personally choosing to abide in Him and His resurrection, or to remain responsive to the material world in which we live.
The very fact that He did not put an end to physical death on this earth and/or sin (which is the way materialist religionists ultimately see Jesus victory as having application) shows – proves – that His kingdom is NOT of this world but is placed, and governed from the New Heaven and New earth and from the New Jerusalem which is on high.
So while here, faith in Jesus does not preclude our experiencing temptation to sin nor the committing of. Nor does it prevent us from earning the wages of these sins, which is death; but He certainly has redeemed all from both sin and death in the kingdom to come – from sin by His death and from death by His resurrected life.
Paul reiterates in verse 22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
This passage has always bewildered me for the following reasons – I don’t know whether Paul is talking about because of Adam all die physically, or spiritually, or both.
Yes, Paul has been talking about physical resurrection here which is speaking about the body reuniting with the soul/spirit of man.
So what we need to do is go backward and build upon this phrase presented here in verse 22:
Was there death before Adam? Apparently not in this creation. Was Adam physically alive? Yes, they were.
Were they spiritually alive? Yes they were – they had direct relationship with God in the garden without any issues.
But then the fall – where two deaths were introduced – the spiritual which was close to immediate, and the physical which in Adams personal case occurred 930 years later.
But God said to him, “don’t eat of the fruit because in that day (that you do) YOU will surely die.”
So to me – could be wrong – but to me, when Paul writes FOR AS IN ADAM ALL DIE – I take the ways the human race died in and through the life and actions of Adam – and those are spiritual and physical.
Many believers think that, because this is the chapter on the resurrection that Paul is speaking only about physical death, but because of what he says later about Christ having the victory and God through this victory over all things becoming all in all, I tend to see the first line of this verse as ALL FORMS OF DEATH we inherited from the actions of Adam.
So the question that remains is did Adams’s acts that took all of us into spiritual death and the physical grave, trump the work of God through Christ?
It is a serious question – and let me tell you right now, unless we embrace the Reformed theology which has done the homework on scripture – and admit that God only elects and loves and recognizes a few as His own, then the outcome of Christ work is universally applied leaving Him the victor.
In other words, as a means to refute universal reconciliation of all things to God, Reformed theology was created out of scripture to explain that this is not the case.
Arminianism is the worst fail of both extremes because at least in Calvinism God could have the victory – being a sovereign – he just chooses not to.
But with Arminianism, God is a failure anyway you look at it – he failed in the creation and lost out to the wiles and will of Satan, and he failed in providing a solution to the fall through His Son because while he really really wants to reconcile the world totally from the effects of Adam and the fall, Man is not willing.
But let’s look closely at the verse:
“for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ will all be made alive.”
Shall be made alive (dzyo-op-oh-aye-oh) – which means to quicken alive in either the physical sense, as in the resurrection of the dead to life or damnation, and it is also used to indicate spiritual quickening, as in John 5:21 and 6:63.
In John 5:21, we read something interesting as it says:
“For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them (referring to resurrection); even so the Son quickeneth whom he will (referring to spiritual regeneration in my opinion as Jesus did come baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with fire).
In other words, what Jesus brought, in overcoming the flesh, sin and the grave was a world of spiritual renewal, one that would occur in physical beings here by and through spiritual rebirth (which is in and through Him) and which continues on in and through the resurrection of the body from being carnal to being heavenly.
In John chapter 6 Jesus is in the synagogue and he introduces to the large crowd that was following him the idea of eating his body and drinking his blood. And many walked away from following Him that day.
And we read:
Joh 6:59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
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Edit MyNotes
60 ¶ Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, “Doth this offend you?”
Remember, he was referring to the communion he was going to establish as the Passover lamb – until he returns, right? So, then he adds:
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? (moving from the physical realm and into the spiritual, is the idea – and he adds so wisely)
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Paul hits us with some powerful words in
Romans 5:17-18 sayin
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one (and I would ask, What kind of death reigned by one? And I would answer all death – spiritual and physical) much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) And then Paul adds:
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
How to interpret verse 22 folks?
Its really clear in my estimation:
For as in Adam all die – EVEN SO –
Do you know what that means, even so – it means as in Adam all die and in the very same way, even so (referring to ALL of humankind) even so . . .
“In Christ will ALL be made alive.”
Now some suggest – true true – but only in CHRIST will all be made alive. I don’t dispute this. All life is IN Christ.
No doubt.
But this does not suggest that all must come to Christ in this life of they will be lost. If that is the case, then the case is one of Arminianism which, as described, is a wholesale fail of an impotent God.
If God created a universe of humans and allowed all of us to hang our very lives on the decisions of one man named Adam, then that same God, in Christ, would reverse the deleterious effects Adam had on the rest of us, and win the Edenic state back to the hearts of every individual – leaving each of us responsible for the lives we choose to live.
This Christmas season, millions of people around the world will celebrate a materially based holiday with gifts and food and family.
Many will revel in the lives they live and
Literally pay zero attention to the focus of the day.
But no matter. The day is given, and the day is taken away – all by a God who loved this world so so so very much He gave us His only human Son that whoever would believe on Him would not be lost.
See, just because the conditions of the Fall, brought on by Adam, have been overcome completely by God with us – the debts paid, the sin wiped away, the grave unable to hold her contents any more, many remain lost.
He can reconcile and redeem us, and he can lead us to the bread of life and to living water, but even he cannot make us eat and drink.
And while every knee will ultimately bow and every tongue will confess, those who choose to believe on Him here will never be lost, and like the son who remained at home with his father, it will be said of them:
“You were always with me.”
It is no mistake that here in this chapter, and after writing that as in Adam all die (all deaths, I would add) EVEN SO IN CHRIST will all be made alive (in every form of life, I would add) that Paul would then say:
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
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.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
May this Christmas be a time of true abiding love and appreciation for the birth of Him who saved us all.
Questions/Comments
Now before we go
Let me explain what we are offering at the back as you leave and what I need to do.
I am spending the next five years on a Transversion of the Apostolic Record (or what people call the New Testament).
I am going to go through every word of every verse three times.
On this first sojourn through I am changing some of the language in the King James and replacing it with the Critical text terms.
I have also made end notes to help teach the reader what is happening in the text, and I have referred to several things that will be helps as you study the bible.
They include these abbreviations (which are included in the headings of footings of each page)
PO
CLA
MI
THR
Finally, I have also colorized the text itself through a system using black, gray and red colors in the text.
Now, don’t let this colorization mess you up. You can ignore it all together because every word in the text is important – do you understand this – every word is important to the narrative.
But I explain the colorization this way:
(use high rise office building example)
Now, in this first pass through I have completed the Gospel of Mark.
I’ve done this because it is the shortest but in some ways the colorization system is difficult in a gospel (as you will discover).
What I need you to do, if you want to take one of these copies, is to
Buy it for a dollar.
Write your name on a list as having bought it.
Take it and read the sixteen chapters and report back to me:
The ease of the reading with the colorization.
The value of the approach.
Problems or issues.
Glaring mistakes.
Please keep separate notes citing the verse in question if you would because the actual transversion copy is yours to keep.
Questions?
Comments?
Thank you all so much.
Let’s pray.
