The Resurrection:

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Thomas Gray“The boast of heraldry,

the pomp of power and all that beauty and all that wealth e’er gave

Await alike the inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave.”

Benjamin Franklin

Woody Allen• “I don’t want to achieve immortality

through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying. I don’t want to live on in the hearts of my countrymen; I want to live on in my apartment.”

1 Corinthians 15:50-52“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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 …”

1 Corinthians 15:52-55“and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperish-able, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your …’”

1 Corinthians 15:55-58“‘victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (ESV)

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last

trumpet” (51-52)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those …”

1 thessalonians 4:15-18“who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (ESV)

Luke 23:43“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (ESV)

Philippians 1:21-24“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” (ESV)

Revelation 6:9-10“I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” (ESV)

Three Prepositional Phrases (15:52)

• In a moment (atomos)– The smallest possible amount.

• In the twinkling (rhipē) of an eye– Used of rapid eye movement. The length of

a blink. The eye can move faster than any visible part of our bodies.

• At the last trumpet (salpizō)– The Greek word for “shophar.” The O.T.

means of announcing victory.

“Then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up

in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your

sting?’” (54-55)

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord

Jesus Christ” (57)

Galatians 3:13“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” (ESV)

Romans 6:23“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (ESV)

Hebrews 2:14-15“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (ESV)

Revelation 21:1-3“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they …’”

Revelation 21:3-4“‘will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (ESV)

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always

abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is

not in vain” (58)

Five Significant Words• Be Steadfast (hedraios)– Firmly situated, settled – Used 3x in NT: 1 Cor 15:58; 7:37; Col 1:23.

Five Significant Words• Be Steadfast (hedraios), firmly situated, settled

• Be Immovable (ametakinētos)– Carries the same basic idea as steadfast

with more intensity. Totally immobile.– Used only here in the N.T.

Five Significant Words• Be Steadfast—firmly situated, settled• Be Immovable—totally immobile

• Always Abounding (perisseuō) in the work of the Lord. – Overflowing, present in abundance,

excelling.– Same word is used of God lavishing his love

on us.

Five Significant Words• Be Steadfast—firmly situated, settled• Be Immovable—totally immobile• Always Abounding—overflowing

• Knowing that your Labor (kopos)– Toil with difficulty, to the point of

exhaustion

Five Significant Words• Steadfast—firmly situated, settled• Immovable—totally immobile• Abounding—overflowing• Labor—toil to the point of exhaustion

• Is not in Vain (kenos). – Empty, without meaning or purpose, invalid

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (ESV)

Revelation 22:12-13“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (ESV)

The Resurrection:

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our

Lord Jesus Christ” (15:57)