But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits 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 first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. (24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and authority and power. (25) For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. (26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (27) For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. Today’s verses address the bodily resurrection of the dead – and here Paul thinks only of believers. In chapter 15 Paul first proves the historical fact of Christ’s resurrection and then moves to the certainty of the resurrection of His people. There were false teachers in Corinth who denied the resurrection of the dead; they taught eternal life was spiritual only, not material. This false teaching included questioning of Paul’s status and authority so here he sets out to correct bad theology and to remind the Corinthians of his right to do so. To deny the resurrection of the dead is to deny the resurrection of Christ – to subvert the gospel and to make the apostles false witnesses.

“But now” in verse 20 means hypotheticals are set aside; Christ did rise from the dead. The resurrection of Christ was the pledge and proof of the resurrection of His people. Just as there is a causal relationship between the death of Adam and the death of his descendants there is a causal relationship between Christ and His people. Death here means physical death and resurrection means restoration of the body to life. The bodies of believers will be adapted to a heavenly, not earthly condition. Christ cannot end His dominion over the universe as mediator until the end comes; until the purpose of His reign is accomplished. His enemies – those being hostile to Christ – include all forms of evil, physical and moral including death, shall reign in this world until the resurrection with the absolute universal dominion of the Messiah according to the immovable purpose of God.

At death believers pass into eternity – in which there is no past, present or future – to await the resurrection of the body and the coming of Jesus Christ for His people in time. Between death and resurrection there is no soul sleep. Then this “end” will come.