1 Corinthians 15:50-58
50: Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51: Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52: in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53: For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54: But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55: “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”
56: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
57: but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Paul concluded his discussion on resurrection from the dead, first by saying that flesh and blood, which is perishing, cannot inherit the kingdom of God—the imperishable. God’s kingdom and our new glorified bodies are eternal.
Paul then spoke of a mystery, as if telling them a secret--a thought that may not have occurred to them, most likely because they thought the Lord would return in their lifetime. Their expectation may have been that some would die, but most of them would be alive when He returned, not considering that their generation, let alone many generations, would come and go before the Lord’s return.
This mystery is that those who are alive when the Lord returns will have their bodies changed in an instant into their new glorified body. Those who have died will be raised with this new imperishable, immortal body as well. This will fulfill the Scripture in Isaiah 25:8, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Paul also referenced Hosea 13:14, "Oh death where is your victory, O death, where is your sting?" He was not quoting in the same context as Hosea wrote, but instead proclaimed victory over death and the power of the Law which resulted in sin and death, to thank God for the victory He gives us through Jesus Christ.
You get the sense that Paul has preached himself happy when discussing this glorious victory that the Lord had provided for us, and before his final instructions and closing, he encouraged them to be steadfast, knowing that their toil was not in vain.
51: Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52: in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53: For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54: But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55: “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”
56: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
57: but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
***
Paul concluded his discussion on resurrection from the dead, first by saying that flesh and blood, which is perishing, cannot inherit the kingdom of God—the imperishable. God’s kingdom and our new glorified bodies are eternal.
Paul then spoke of a mystery, as if telling them a secret--a thought that may not have occurred to them, most likely because they thought the Lord would return in their lifetime. Their expectation may have been that some would die, but most of them would be alive when He returned, not considering that their generation, let alone many generations, would come and go before the Lord’s return.
This mystery is that those who are alive when the Lord returns will have their bodies changed in an instant into their new glorified body. Those who have died will be raised with this new imperishable, immortal body as well. This will fulfill the Scripture in Isaiah 25:8, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Paul also referenced Hosea 13:14, "Oh death where is your victory, O death, where is your sting?" He was not quoting in the same context as Hosea wrote, but instead proclaimed victory over death and the power of the Law which resulted in sin and death, to thank God for the victory He gives us through Jesus Christ.
You get the sense that Paul has preached himself happy when discussing this glorious victory that the Lord had provided for us, and before his final instructions and closing, he encouraged them to be steadfast, knowing that their toil was not in vain.
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