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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 -

 

 

 

THE VICTORIOUS CONCLUSION OF THE RESURRECTION

1Co 15:51-58 (04/11/12)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     THE CERTAINTY OF BODILY RESURRECTION (15:1-34)

 

A.    Historical Argument (15:1-11)

B.    Logical Argument (15:12-20)

C.    Theological Argument (15:20-28)

D.    Experiential Argument (15:29-34)

E.    Natural Argument (15:35-49)

F.     Spiritual Argument (15:45-58)

1.     The Relative Contrast of Adam and Christ (45-50)

 

2.     The Resurrection/Rapture Conquers Death (51-58)

 

a)    The Resurrection/Rapture for the Church is a Mystery (51)

(1)   Paul concludes his spiritual argument on the resurrection with a strong declaration. He introduces it and draws their attention with the word, “behold” (idou, - look or take notice).

(2)   The Resurrection or Rapture of the church is a “mystery” (muste,rion), which is something that has been unknown from the OT but now revealed as God’s plan. The word muste,rion is used some 28 times in the NT. Some of the major “mysteries” concerning the Church are:

(a)   The mystery of Israel’s blindness (Rom 11:25).

(b)   The mystery of the Indwelling Spirit (1Co 2:7).

(c)   The mystery of the Rapture (1Th 4:13-17; 1Co 15:51-53).

(d)   The mystery of the Gentiles in Christ (Eph 3:9-10).

(e)   The mystery of the Bride of Christ (Eph 5:32).

(f)    The mystery of Christ in the Gentiles (Col 1:26).

(3)   This mystery in regard to the Resurrection/Rapture is that all believers will not “sleep”, a term referring to deceased saints. Some will be alive at the time of the Rapture (1Th 4:13-17).

(4)   However both those who are asleep and those who are alive at the Lord’s coming will be “changed” (alla,ssō - change to another (a,llos), transform, exchange) and given glorified resurrected bodies.

b)    The Change will Happen Instantaneously (52)

(1)   When the Resurrection/Rapture occurs, believers (both living and dead) will be given glorified bodies suddenly, instantaneously, and without interval.

(2)   It is described as a “twinkling” (hripê, - a rapid movement, i.e. “blink of an eye”) of an eye. Though associated with many modes of an action (flight of a javelin, fire etc.), twinkling or blinking suggests the quickest moving part of the human body, the eyelid. Suddenly believers will be in His presence.

(3)   The “last trumpet” is not to be confused with the seventh trumpet during the Tribulation (Post-Tribulationist View, cf. Rev 11:15, which pertains to judgment), but is an OT signal for the appearance of God (Exo 19:16). It is the “last” (eschatos, Eng. eschatology) trumpet because it is the last one that the church will hear before entering the eternal presence of the Lord. Certainly the church will hear it. Whether or not the world will hear it is open to speculation.

(4)   The dead in Christ will be raised from the dead, but those alive at the Lord’s coming will simply be “changed” (same word as vs. 51) into glorified bodies.

c)     The Perishable will become Imperishable (53)

(1)   Man’s body became “perishable” (phtharto,s - subject to decay) through the entrance of sin into the world (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 5:12). The believer’s present body and condition will permanently “put on” (endu,ō - clothe with a garment) an “imperishable” (aphtharsia - a=not & phtharsia=decay, not subject to decay) glorified body and condition (Phil 3:21).

(2)   Man’s body can also be described as “mortal” (thnêto,s - subject and limited in death) in that it is subject to and limited by death. However, the resurrection body will be “immortal” (athanasi,a - a=not & thanasi,a(thanatos)=death, not subject to or limited by death).

d)    Death has been Swallowed up in Victory (54-55)

(1)   When believers are eternally changed at the Resurrection/Rapture, they will be no longer subject to or limited by death itself (Rev 21:4) (54).

(a)   Paul confirms his statement by quoting Isa 25:8. After Isaiah prophecies a time of Judgment on earth (ultimately during the Tribulation, Isa 24:1-23), he prophecies a time of blessing when death (Isa 5:14; Pro 1:12) itself will be swallowed up “for all time” at the end of the Millennium for Israel (Isa 25-27).

(b)   The church’s victorious removal of death will take place at the Resurrection/Rapture (1Co 15:51-58).

(2)   Paul quotes Hos 13:14 to show the victory of Christ’s death and resurrection over Satan and death (55).

(a)   Death no longer has the victory, Christ does. Physical death was appointed to all men (Heb 9:27), but death no longer has the sting of spiritual death, i.e. the second death (Rev 20:6)

(b)   The apparent victories of Satan, in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:13) and on Golgotha (Mark 15:22-24) were reversed on the cross (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14-15) and vindicated in the resurrection of Christ. From the vantage point of the certain resurrection of the saints, Paul voiced his taunt against death and Satan. BKC

e)     Death is the Sting of Man’s Sin (56)

(1)   In further explanation, man’s sin and his punishment gave death its sting for the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23a)

(2)   In addition, sin and death were reinforced by the Law for the breaking of even one point of the Law meant physical and spiritual death (Deu 27:26; Mat 5:18-19; Jam 2:10). The Law is good and holy (Rom 7:12), but because of man’s sin the Law reveals his sin (Rom 7:7) and judges him (Gal 3:10).

f)     Believers Have the Victory over Death through Christ’s Resurrection (57)

(1)   Now death no longer has the upper hand. For this Paul gave the sole thanks to God.

(2)   God gave believers the “victory” (ni,kos - to overcome, be victorious;  “Thessalonica” means Thessalian victory) over death.

(3)   It was accomplished “through” (dia, with the genitive - personal agency) Christ’s work on the cross proven by His victorious resurrection (cp. 1Co 15:17).

(4)   The Law’s curse of death upon man’s sin was removed when it was nailed to the cross (Gal 3:13; Col 2:14). Christ’s victory over death for the believer makes them “overwhelming victors” (hupernikaō - miore than victors, conquerors, Rom 8:37).

g)     Therefore Be Steadfast in the Lord (58)

(1)   As a result of this glorious resurrection chapter, because of everything Christ accomplished for the believer through His death and resurrection, the believer is never to be defeated in life or ministry.

(2)   We are commanded to “continually be” (present middle imperative - ginomai) “steadfast” (edrai,os - seated firmly in our belief), “immovable” (amentaki,êtos - never moved away from God’s truth), “always abounding” (perisseu,ō - over and above towards the work of the Lord).

(3)   Therefore, no hard “toil” (kopos) in the Lord, is in “vain” (kenos - without result).

 

II.    OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

 

A.    If there is no resurrection, then Paul’s total being, attitudes, incentives, labors, and purposes are defunct. The same should be true of every believer.

B.    The truth of Christ’s resurrection is the all-encompassing truth that gives victory to the believer on every level of the Christian life; from the forgiveness of every violation against God’s holiness and Law to the incentive to live and serve with resurrection power.

C.    In connection with Christ, the believer’s heel may be bruised, but that same bruised heel crushes the head of Satan and death. Where can we walk in life or ministry that Christ hasn’t gained that ground or promised to build His church?