All or Nothing: Apocalyptic Ethics in 1 Corinthians

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (Cody’s Translation)

But now Christ has been raised from the dead as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Since Death is through a man, so also resurrection of the dead is through a man. For just as in Adam all are dying, likewise in Christ all will be made alive. Now each in their own order: Christ is the first fruits, then those who belong to Christ at the time of his coming, then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when every ruler and every authority and every power will be wiped away. For it is necessary that he should rule until “Every enemy is subordinated under his feet.” The last enemy to be wiped away is Death. For, “He has subordinated everything under his feet.” Now when it says, “everything has been subordinated,” it is clear that this excludes the one who has subordinated everything to him. Now when everything is subordinated to him, then even he, the Son, will be subordinated to the one who subordinated everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

What is 1 Corinthians about?

Strange letter, seems to jump from topic to topic.

There are three major sections in 1 Corinthians:

Problems Paul has heard about from “Chloe’s people” (1:10-6:20)

Paul’s response to Corinthian concerns in a prior letter (7:1-11:1)

Concerns about traditions passed on by Paul and held in common with other Churches. (11:2-15:58)

Even with this organization, topics seem all over the place

factionalism, sexual immorality, food sacrificed to idols, marriage and divorce, women wearing head coverings, the Lord’s supper, and resurrection.

Despite the letter’s apparent sporadic nature, there is a central theme tying the letter together: Unity and Holiness

Holiness, in biblical perspective, is simply being “set apart” or separate from all forms of corruption, evil, wickedness, death, and decay. It is to be utterly unique and “other” than the world.

The key question of 1 Corinthians is: How do Christians remain unified to one another while also pursuing holiness?

1 Corinthians alternates between these two competing ideas of unity and holiness .

Factionalism (1:10-4:21; Unity)

Sexual Immorality (5:1-13; Holiness)

Lawsuits against believers (6:1-11; Unity)

Sexual Immorality (6:12-20; Holiness)

Marriage (7:1-24; Unity)

Celibacy (7:25-40; Holiness)

Food, Idols, and Giving up rights (8:1-9:27; Unity)

Warning against Idolatry (10:1-11:1; Holiness)

This theme creates building tension throughout Paul’s letter. We are to live together in harmony, except when we must separate ourselves for the sake of holiness! How do these things go together?

All of this comes to a climax in our passage on the resurrection, reign, and return of Christ. So, 1 Corinthians 15:20-34 is the key to understanding the whole letter.

A Closer Look at 1 Cor 15:20-28

Teaching on the resurrection is regarded as of “first importance” for Paul (v. 15:3-4)

This passage addresses a major problem: Corinthians believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, but for some reason don’t believe that we will be raised from the dead.

Paul insists this makes no sense.

Christ is the “first fruits” of God’s eschatological harvest. If he is the first fruits, this necessarily entails more fruit to follow.

Christ and the Day of Omer

The resurrection is the logical result of Adam’s sin. Since death came to everyone by a man, it only makes sense that the defeat of death must also happen through the actions of a man. This is what the resurrection of Jesus was all about.

Adam caused a universal problem. Thus, in Jesus Christ God provides a universal solution.

The resurrection follows an order according to God’s plan. This is already suggested in Christ’s being called the first fruits.

First Christ is raised, then those who belong to Christ, and then comes the end.

The “end” also follows a logical order:

First Christ will have every enemy of God “subordinated” under his feet. Then he will hand over all things to God.

Placing under feet is ancient imagery suggesting total defeat of an enemy.

The “rulers, authorities, and powers” mentioned in this passage refer to both human and spiritual powers, i.e., the spirits claiming to be gods. This is relevant for Paul’s earlier discussion about idolatry, where he connects Greco-Roman gods to demons.

Death itself is the last enemy defeated and placed under Christ’s feet. This is why resurrection is so important! Without a resurrection, God cannot really be said to be victorious.

Jesus’s submission to God functions similarly to his resurrection.

Just as Jesus’s resurrection undoes the death brought on by Adam, so Christ’s submission undoes the disorder caused by Adam’s rebellion.

Paul’s end-time Gospel shows us, through Jesus’s submission to God, that there can be no order without subordination.

Indeed, this is made apparent in the Greek: there is no ταξις without υποταξις.

Finally, after Christ hands everything over to God the Father, then God will be “all in all.”

Paul’s end-time Gospel fits in perfectly with 1 Corinthians’ larger concern for unity and holiness.

The Corinthian Christians are called to be unified just as all things will be unified to God in the end when he becomes “all in all.’

Likewise, the Corinthians are called to separate from unholy things just as all unholy things will be ultimately separated and “wiped away” by God in Christ.

Called to End-time Ethics

The problem in Corinth was a misunderstanding of how to be both unified and holy. The Corinthians did not know what to be united to and what to separate from.

A look back through the letter shows that Paul has been subtly rooting all of his ethical advice to the Corinthians in his understanding of the Gospel and God’s plan for all things at the end.

In other words, Paul is urging the Corinthians to always live with their telos or end in mind.

As followers of Jesus, we are not wandering through life aimlessly. God has a plan and purpose for our lives. Ultimately, he desires that all things should be in relationship with him, so that he can be “all in all.”

When questions in life arise, the right Christian response is to always view these things in light of the end. All things should be seen in light of the resurrection and victory of God in Christ. Only then can we find the right path forward toward that end.

Discussion Prompts

Choose one or more of the passages below and think about how Paul is seeing moral choices in light of the end times and spiritual realities. How does the end influence the present for these situations?

Disputes Between Believers- 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Sexual Immorality- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Eating Food Sacrificed to Idols- 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Spiritual Gifts- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Think of moral choices you are facing right now or that you face regularly in life. What might the resurrection of Jesus and God’s victory at the End say about those choices? Do you often think about God’s purpose for us when you make those decisions?

Consider how 1 Corinthians’ theme of unity and holiness might speak to your own life:

What things are you united to that you should be separated from?

What things are you separated from that you should be united to?

How does God’s judgement and victory influence the way you spend your time, what you do, and who you place in your life?

Jesus came “not to be served, but to serve,” and even in the end practices humble submission by subordinating himself to the Father. How could you better model Jesus’s humility and submission in your own life? Does subordinating yourself make you uncomfortable? If so, why? Submission is often characterized as “weakness” in our culture. Why do you think the Bible teaches submission as something to be admired?

How can we pray for you today?