But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. (25) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (25) For He must reign till He has out all enemies under His feet. (26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (28) Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. Chapter 15 which we study today deal with the bodily resurrection of the faithful and to understand our verses they must be seen in context. The Corinthians were not denying the resurrection of Christ but some were denying the resurrection of their own bodies. Paul was insisting that if they denied the resurrection of faithful men, they were denying the resurrection of Christ and thereby emptying the Christian message. There were two opinions in the Jewish world of life after death; one group denied any life after death at all and for another group there was hope of spiritual life after death. The non-Jews (or the Greeks) had a fear of death and had an acceptance of the immortality of the soul but they had no thought of resurrected body; they considered the body a tomb. In chapter 15 Paul writes of the doctrine of bodily resurrection based on Christ’s proven historical resurrection – he cites the empty tomb with no body ever produced; the appearance of the risen Christ to many witnesses most of whom were still alive at the time of writing this letter; the appearance of the risen Christ to Paul himself – and the promise of scripture.
Every Jew recognized the ritual of offering the first fruits of the harvest to God as these were the promise of the harvest to come. Paul is saying here that the risen Christ is the promise that the dead will follow the established risen Christ. This world will have an end – so also government, magistratry and laws, and distinction of rank and everything of superiorities. At that last day Christ will subdue all His enemies. Death is the last enemy and came into this world when Adam sinned.

But Christ is risen and the faithful carry the Spirit of God with them; Death will wound but not kill. Paul’s preaching was not in vain; faith is not in vain; the faithful are not in their sins; the dead in Christ have not perished. The death which flowed from Adam is far more than physical death and Christ is the cause of spiritual and future physical life. Death shall reign until the resurrection of our bodies.