The Resurrection of 1 Corinthians 15 – Installment #11 by Holger Neubaur
We continue sharing with you the excellent thoughts from Holger Neubaur, on the resurrection of 1 Corinthians 15. Needless to say, most of Christianity claims that in this great chapter Paul was predicting an “end of time” resurrection of decomposed human corpses. But, Neubauer is showing with powerful exegetical proof, this is not what Paul is discussing in his teaching on the resurrection. Be sure to read the previous installments of this series, beginning here, and including the last installment.
We pick up Neubaur’s thoughts with verse 53f.
Paul again states, “for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (15:53).” Jesus promised, “he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:26). Again he said, “If a man keep my saying he shall never see death” (John 8:51). These were spiritual realities that Jesus was speaking about and Paul cannot be speaking of a different physical reality that some how trumps the importance of true spiritual life. Paul ties his entire discussion to the fact the death was being destroyed. He goes on to say, “so when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (15:54).
Paul now quotes from Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory; and wipe all tears from off all their faces.” This Old Testament prophecy must not be applied to a yet future generation for Jesus said, “one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). The word “fulfilled” includes all prophecy because the word “fulfilled” inheres in prophecy. Jesus said, “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled”(Matthew 24:34). The same word “genetai” appears in both texts of scripture.
The death that is addressed is spiritual in nature and signifies the removal of fellowship with God. The Hadean world is the result of sin and resided outside the presence of God. Hosea 13:14 says, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: Oh death, I will be the plagues; Oh grave, I will be thy destruction; repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” The corruptible body is the entire body that succumbed to death and decay. The body of Adam is the one where all die (1 Corinthian 15:22). Adam sinned and he died, just as is the case with all of mankind. Only in Christ is there true spiritual life, for Jesus said, “I am the life” (John 14:6). The mortality of Adam is overcome through the immortality of Christ, for He “only hath immortality” ( 1 Timothy 6:15). The death that is swallowed up in victory was the death lost in Adam; i.e, spiritual death, and was the consummation of the death that was being destroyed even as Paul penned these words, “who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality through the gospel” ( 2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus’ promise that “he that liveth and beleiveth in me shall never die” (John 11:26) would now come to pass.
(It is this that then led to Paul’s exultant declaration of the victory of death to be found in 1 Corinthians 15.- DKP)
Be sure to order a copy of Don K. Preston’s book, We Shall Meet Him In The Air, the Wedding of the King of kings, for an in-depth study of the resurrection.
