To be of any profit this article must be read in connection with a Bible, opened at the above passage.
THE first question of verse 32, “How are the dead raised up?” gets a very full answer in verse 45 to 54. In this question the force of “How” seems to be “In what condition?” rather than, “In what way?” or “By what means?” Otherwise there would be no conclusive answer to the question in the chapter. Moreover, if God did condescend to explain in what way or by what process He will raise the dead, we should be no wiser, for the explanation would be utterly beyond us. As it is, we have an answer. In a nutshell, it is this—we shall be raised in the image of the heavenly Christ.
In order to understand it we must consider the contrast between the two Adams, the first and the last. The first was made a living soul, as Gen. 2 tells us. The last is of another order entirely. Though as truly Adam (i.e. Man) as the first, He is a life-giving Spirit. The one, then, is “natural” or “soulish:” the Other, spiritual. We might have expected that the Spiritual would take precedence of the soulish as to time. But it is not so, as verse 46 points out. The first Adam was constituted a living soul by the Divine in breathing. Consequently he was “soulish,” and he possessed a “natural” or “soulish” body (verse 44) which was “earthy.” He has reproduced himself in abundance; but all who spring from him are earthy also, as being of his order (verse 48).
The last Adam stands in sharp contrast to the first. Though truly Man, being a life-giving Spirit He is God. He is the “Lord from heaven.” He is not only Man, however—the “Second Man” as stated in verse 47—He is Adam, i.e. He is the Progenitor and Head of a race. And He is the last Adam, for He is never to be succeeded by another head. In Him God has reached perfection and finality. God be praised for this! We are amongst the heavenly ones Who are of His order.
Let it be emphasized in our minds that He is not only “last Adam,” but also “the second Man.” This latter expression shows that between Adam and Christ no man is counted. Cain was not the second man. He was only Adam reproduced in the first generation. So were all men—only Adam reproduced in their various generations. But when Christ was born, He was not Adam reproduced. By the “virgin birth,” under the action of the Holy Ghost, the entail was broken, a new and original Man appeared worthy of being called “the second Man.” He, in His turn becoming the Head of a new race, He stands forth as “the last Adam.”
Now we all started as children of the earthy Adam, bearing his image. Brought to Christ, we have become subjects of the Divine workmanship, and find ourselves transferred from the earthy to the heavenly. That transference however has not so far touched our bodies, for we still bear the image of the earthy, and consequently our bodies decay and are subject to death and the grave. In resurrection we are to bear “the image of the heavenly.” We are to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, not only as to our characters, but as to our very bodies. Most glorious fact! How are the dead raised up? In a condition of perfection and glory such as that!
Do not let us overlook the fact that, though we must wait for the realization of this perfection, we have not to wait in order to be under the headship of the last Adam, to be linked up with the second Man. The end of verse 48 does not say, “such are they also that shall be heavenly”— but “that are heavenly.” We ARE heavenly. Is not that wonderful! Does it seem too wonderful? Are we inclined to shrink from it? Do we feel that its implications are very sweeping and make demands upon us which we cannot face? Well, let us beware of paring down the truth to suit our low walk. Behavior which is low, and carnal, and earthly, and worldly, does not befit those who are heavenly.
With verse 50 the Apostle passes on to speak of the great moment when the change from things earthy to things heavenly shall reach our bodies. We are going to inherit the kingdom on its heavenly side and find ourselves in a scene of absolute incorruptibility. We cannot enter there in our present “flesh and blood” condition, to which corruption is attached.
“Behold I show you a mystery,” he says. These words indicate that he is going to announce something hitherto unrevealed. That there would be a resurrection of the dead, that the Lord was coming, they knew. They had not hitherto known that when the Lord came He would raise the dead saints in a condition of glorious incorruptibility and change the living saints into a like condition. It seems that saints of Old Testament days conceived of resurrection as being a raising up of the dead to a glorified life on earth. It is certain that they had no knowledge as yet of the resurrection out from among the dead, which believers are to enjoy at the coming of the Lord. Until the truth of the heavenly calling of saints, of the calling out of the church, came to light, the moment had not come for the full truth as to resurrection to be made known. This orderly progress of doctrine can be noted all through the New Testament.
Now it is plainly revealed. We shall not all “sleep” (i.e. die) but we shall all be changed, whether alive or dead at the moment when the Lord comes for His saints. The change will involve the swallowing up of all that is mortal or corruptible about us, in life and in victory. We shall “all be changed,” you notice, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”―not in many, or at least several, different moments, as would be the case if by a partial rapture, or series of partial-raptures, the church is destined to enter into its glory.
The mighty change will be wrought instantaneously by the power of God, at the “last trump.” In verse 29 believers were considered as soldiers stepping into the ranks by baptism to take the places of their fallen comrades. In verse 52 we see them all—whether in the ranks still, or fallen out of them by death—put, in one moment at the last trump, beyond death and corruption. Their warfare will be over. They will never need another trumpet blast forever!
As regards ourselves, the saying of Isa. 25:88He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25:8) will be fulfilled when we are changed bodily into a condition of immortality and incorruptibility. This illustrates what we have just said. The Old Testament has in view the victorious resurrection power of God exercised on earth. Our Scripture brings to light a greater fullness of meaning, lying dormant in the verse until the Gospel day was reached. When the saints reach the image of the heavenly, death will be swallowed up in a victory that none can deny. Our Scripture, you notice, does not speak of the “rapture,” the catching up of the saints. For that we must turn to 1 Thess. 4.
The sense of how great the victory of that day will be, moves the Apostle to an outburst of exultation. He flings a triumphant challenge to death and “the grave” —or more strictly “hades.” The fact is, the victory is already ours. It has been won in the resurrection of Christ which has been so fully established in this chapter. The resurrection of saints is merely the outworking of that victory, and we can treat it as being as good as done. The victory is ours today—thanks be to God!
With what tremendous force does the closing exhortation of the chapter come! “Therefore—.” Behind that word lies all the weight of the glorious truth established in the earlier 57 verses of the chapter. Having entertained doubts as to the truth of resurrection they must have become unsteady, easily moved, slack, and inclined to subscribe to the motto, “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.”
Resurrection however is a glorious certainty. Christ is risen, and we, being of His heavenly order, are to join Him in His heavenly likeness. These things being so, THEREFORE an unmovable stability becomes us. Instead of fooling away our time eating and drinking, we are to abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that nothing really done for Him shall be lost. All shall be found again as fruit in the resurrection world.
Are we living in the light of that resurrection world? We may recite the creed correctly, and have resurrection as a prominent item in it; but if our souls really have it full in view, we shall be diligent and untiring workers in the service of the Lord, as He may be pleased to direct us.
The last direction of the Apostle in this epistle concerns the special collection being made at that time for poor saints in Judaea. Today in many religious circles money is so often the first topic. Here it is the last. Still it comes in, and instructions of abiding value are given. In verse 2 systematic giving is advocated as opposed to haphazard. Proportionate giving is also what God expects—in, proportion to the prosperity which God Himself may have given. In Jewish days God fixed the proportion at one tenth. He has not fixed any proportion for us who are under grace; but depend upon it we shall hear something pretty serious at the judgment seat if we fall below the standard set by the law. If all believers practiced giving which is both proportionate and systematic, there would be no money problem in connection with the work of the Lord. The chapter division perhaps leads us to miss the connection between 15:58, and 16:2.
The closing messages of a personal sort begin after this, and verses 5-12 are illuminating if compared with the history of Acts 18:2424And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. (Acts 18:24)—20:6. Paul wrote from Ephesus while in the midst of a great work with many adversaries, whose opposition culminated in the great riot in the theater. Apollos had preceded Paul at Ephesus, and then after being further instructed in the way of the Lord through Aquila and Priscilla, he visited Achaia, where Corinth was situated. Paul had come to Ephesus while Apollos was at Corinth, but by this time Apollos had passed on from Corinth. Meanwhile Paul contemplated passing through Macedonia and visiting Corinth on the way. This visit to Macedonia was accomplished, as Acts 20 records, though his second epistle shows that his visit to Corinth was delayed. He had begged Apollos to pay them another visit, but without avail.
Observe from this that if God raises up a servant he is responsible only to the Lord who commissions him, and not even to an apostle. Paul assumed no jurisdiction over Apollos. The fact that he begged him to go shows that he entertained no feelings of jealousy towards this fresh man of gift who had suddenly appeared. The fact that Apollos felt he should not go to Corinth at this juncture probably indicates that he on his part had no wish to push himself forward lest he should fan the flames of that partisanship and rivalry which would say, “I am of Apollos.”
The Corinthians had been unwatchful. They had been vacillating as to the faith of the Gospel. They had behaved more like weak children, than strong men. Hence the graphic exhortations of verse 13. We must keep those exhortations connected with verse 14, or we may go astray. All our things are to be done “with charity,” or “in love.” Otherwise our manliness and our strength will degenerate into, something fleshly and almost brutal. Christian manliness and strength exercised in love is according to God and very powerful.
Verse 15 gives an interesting side-light on service. The household of Stephanas had “addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,” or, “devoted themselves to the saints for service.” They laid themselves out to serve the saints realizing that thus they would be serving Christ in His members on earth. There might be a lot that was commonplace and humdrum in such work, but it was rendered to Christ. Such service is not very common, we fear. It receives mention and commendation in verse 16. It exemplifies, we judge, what is meant by “helps,” mentioned amongst the gifts in chapter 12:28.
The three closing verses are a blending of solemnity and grace. The Corinthians were prominent as to gift but deficient as to love. Hence verse 22. Many of us are like the Corinthians. Let us take it to heart that it is love that counts. Not to love the Lord Jesus means a curse at His coming, when all profession will be tested. Maran-atha is not Greek but Aramaic, signifying “The Lord is coming.”
For those who do love the Lord there is a full supply of grace from Him, and the outflow of love from those who are His, as seen in the affectionate closing salutation of the Apostle Paul.
F. B. Hole.