Useful Bible Studies > 1 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 15
Originally, God’s plan was that people would rule the world with his authority. However, when they had received authority from God, the first people chose not to obey him. Instead, they followed their own wrong desires and so they gave their authority to the devil. The result was that death entered the world.
The purpose of Christ’s death on the cross is to defeat the evil forces that have authority in this world. The result will be that, in the future, God the Father will again have authority over all things. That has not happened yet; a series of three events must happen first. Each of these events shows that Christ has defeated those evil forces.
The first event has already happened. Christ himself became alive again after his death. Peter said that it was not possible for death to keep control of Christ (Acts 2:24).
The next event will happen at Christ’s return to this world. Christ will make alive again the people who belong to him. Their spirits are already alive in heaven; but then their bodies will also live again. Christ will change the nature of their bodies (15:35-44). They will never die again.
The last event is the final defeat of the devil, death and every evil force. John describes this in Revelation 20:10 and Revelation 20:14. Christ will take away their authority and their punishment will never end.
Then, at last, all the troubles of this present world and this present age will have ended. In the future ages, God the Father will rule with his Son. See Revelation chapters 21 and 22.
Next part: The harvest and the end of the age (1 Corinthians 15:25)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.