1 Corinthians 15:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

NIV: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

NASB: But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

CSB: But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

NLT: But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

KJV: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

NKJV: But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

In verses 13–19, Paul followed a premise to its logical conclusions: What if there is no resurrection from the dead? That's what some among the Corinthians were saying. Paul showed that if such a thing were true, it would mean Christ was not raised from the dead. And if Christ was not raised, the gospel is false, the apostles are liars, and believers in Jesus are still unforgiven for their sin and separated from God. The persecution endured by believers is pointless, and our suffering is meaningless (2 Corinthians 11:24–28).

Thankfully, the logic of this situation does not stop there. Christianity is tied, entirely, to the resurrection of Christ. If there are dire consequences for it being false, it stands to reason there are profound reasons to celebrate if it is true.

Here, Paul throws all the "what if" conclusions aside in a grand declaration of what is indeed true: Christ has been raised from the dead (Matthew 28:6)! Even better for those who believe in Him, Christ was not the last to be raised from the dead. Instead, Paul describes Him as the "firstfruits" of those who have died—those who have "fallen asleep".

The firstfruits were the first of the season's crops given by faithful Jewish people to God. Paul's use of the term here means that Jesus was the first of the crop of "the dead" to be resurrected. His was the prototype for what lies in store for believers in the future (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 John 3:2). In other words, that harvest has only just begun. As God raised Jesus back to life, He will collect all those who trust in Christ to life, as well, when the time comes.

First Corinthians 15:12–34 describes all the implications for Christians if there is no resurrection, at all. Most importantly, that would mean that Christ was not raised from the dead. If Christ was not raised, then Paul's preaching of the gospel was false, and the faith of those who believed it was worthless. All remain in their sins. Christ, though, was raised from the dead, and when He returns for those who are His, all who have died in Christ will be resurrected to new life, as He was after the crucifixion. Finally, Christ will reign on earth before delivering the kingdom to the Father.

Paul provides thorough teaching about the resurrection of Christians from the dead. This is a direct counter to some group of Corinthians who did not believe in such a resurrection. He shows that natural death is not the end of life for Christians; it is the last step before receiving a glorified, resurrected body like that of the risen Christ. That ''spiritual'' body will be as different from our current bodies as a star is from a fish. In that moment, for all who have believed in Christ, living and dead, death will be defeated for good.

In chapters 12, 13, and 14, Scripture focused on the concept of spiritual gifts and how best to use them. This follows several other ideas where Paul corrected errors in the Corinthians' thinking. Chapter 15 contains extensive teaching on one last issue about which some Corinthians were confused or misled. Apparently, they harbored some doubts about the physical resurrection of Christians from the dead. After clearing up these confusions, Paul will address various other items, of a less doctrinal nature, and close out his letter.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.