1 Corinthians 15:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

NIV: For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

NASB: For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

CSB: For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

NLT: Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.

KJV: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

NKJV: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

In describing the implications if there is no resurrection from the dead for Christians, Paul said it would mean Christ had not been raised, either. He did not allow for any possibility that Christ could have been resurrected by God as a one-time, special event.

Now he is showing why that is so by a comparison with the first man, Adam. Adam's sin introduced death into the world. His death became the pattern for all who would follow, because all are born into Adam's sin. Because Adam died, all die. In a similar way, Christ's resurrection from death became the inevitable pattern for all who are forgiven for their sin through faith in Him. Because He was resurrected in His bodily, physical form, all who are in Christ will also be physically resurrected from the grave when the time is right. Paul shows when that time will be in the following verse.

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 4:13:20 PM