Job 14:14 If a man dies, will he live again?
There have always been those who deny the resurrection.
Others who say that it is a spiritual resurrection, and not a physical resurrection of the body.
Most cultures of man believe in some type of life after death.
The American Indians- the great hunting ground beyond.
Other eastern religions- re-incarnation.
Life after death in another form or person.
The Egyptians built their pyramids to house their dead in the after life.
Life after death is a universal belief.
The questions for most are:
In what form shall I live? Physical? Only spiritual?
Will I be conscious?
15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
15:21,22 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
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- The idea is that Adam and Eve were created w/o sin.
- Perfect fellowship w/God, and immortality.
- Fellowship w/ God and immortality were forfeited when they sinned.
- They were driven out of the Garden of Eden, and they suffered physical death.
- That sin nature was passed on to all mankind, for we are their offspring.
- We prove that we are sinners very early on in life, i.e., babies, etc.
- Just as physical death came as a result of the sin of the man Adam, the head of the human race,…
- So also, physical resurrection comes from the life of Jesus.
Gen 2:17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (dying, you shall surely die)
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
Eph 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned;
John 5:28 “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
John 5:29 “and come forth; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
15:23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
Jesus was the first to rise from the dead, never to experience death again.
Jesus was first chronologically, to rise.
He is also first in pre-eminence to rise. First in rank and importance.
Jesus was the first to experience bodily resurrection unto everlasting life.
Resurrection for the who believe in Christ takes place “at His coming.”
”At His coming,” is called by some the rapture of the Church.
Others, the second coming of Christ upon the earth.
Others, a time period which involves both the Rapture of the church, and the second advent of Christ to the earth.
EX.- today is the “day” of salvation.
That “day” has lasted 2000 years.
afterward- This time period has lasted 2000 years, from between the time Jesus was resurrected, until we are resurrected or changed.
15:24 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.
Jesus came as Mediator between God and man.
He came as redeemer to seek and to save that which was lost.
He came to do the work of the Father, and to manifest God the Father to this world.
- After all has been completed that Christ came to do.
After every person called to be saved is saved.
After Jesus has accomplished the work as mediator, and gathered the church, the called-out ones together.
After Jesus has conquered sin and death, and the powers of Satan.
after He has come and brought all the nations and kingdoms of this world to nothing.
After Jesus has defeated every foe of God.
Then comes the end- The end of Christ’s mediatorial rule in bringing all things under His subjection
He will then bring all things gained or defeated, to God the Father.
15:25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
Jesus will rule and reign until all enemies have been put under His feet.
That is why He came.
To conquer every enemy of God, and gain a special people group for God, from out of the world.
1 John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
15:26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
The last foe to be conquered is death.
Satan brought sin to the garden, and sin brought death to Adam and Eve.
Death came to all men.
The death that Satan brought will be overruled at the end of the 1000 year rule of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection of those “in Christ” takes place at his coming.
The resurrection of the dead, after the millenium.
Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
Rev 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.
Rev 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
Rev 20:15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
At the resurrection of the unrighteous dead, God will conquer the power of death brought by Satan. He will raise the wicked dead, and judge them with an eternal judgement.
15:27 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.
Jesus was willingly made subject to the Father.
He came to do the will of the Father.
He was given authority over all things.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
That authority was given to Him by The Father, which means that the giver of the authority is not subject to that authority.
15:28 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.
When all things are brought before the Father, then even Christ will be in subjection to the Father, that the Father may be exlated over all.
Phil 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Phil 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus’ willingness to be subject to the Father on earth, as well as in heaven, in no way diminishes his diety.
Rev 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Rev 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain,
15:29 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?
Paul deals w/ arguments in validating the resurrection of the dead.
Paul here in no way approves of the baptism of living people on behalf of those who had died.
You don’t want to build an approval for doctrine based upon this one scripture.
Apparently, in Corinth, this was going on.
They baptized people for the dead, but didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead.
If there is no resurrection from the dead, or life after death, why worry about those who are dead?
15:30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?
The gospel message, which included rsurrection, constantly put paul in danger of losing his life.
15:31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Emotional, spiritual, mental, physical dangers. Exposed to death and pain in all these areas.
15:32 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!”
Some believe that paul was exposed to fight w/ wild beasts.
Others call the men he had to struggle against, “those wild beasts.”
If there was no hope for life after death, then why bother and take these risks?
15:33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
15:34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
Paul warns them about being infuenced wrongly by people who taught or supported erroneous teachings.
Especially when they affect this life.
If there is no future hope, then live it up.
That bad doctrine can affect godly living in this present life.
They prided themselves on knowing God.
He tells them how wrong they have been on this subject.
2 Cor 5:6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
2 Cor 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Cor 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
2 Cor 5:9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
Phil 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Phil 1:22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
Phil 1:23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Phil 1:24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
Rev 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
Rev 6:10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
Rev 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
2 Cor 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago; whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows; such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
2 Cor 12:3 And I know such a man; whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows;
2 Cor 12:4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Mat 27:52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
Mat 27:53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people .