\\INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 15\\

The apostle, in this chapter, recommends the Gospel, and gives a
summary of it, proves the resurrection of Christ, and by various
arguments establishes the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and
answers objections made unto it. He also sets forth the glory there
will be upon the bodies of risen saints, and the change that will be
made on living ones; and concludes with an exhortation to perseverance
in faith and holiness. As his chief view is the doctrine of the
resurrection, he introduces this by recommending the Gospel in general,
or by observing that this is a principal doctrine which should be
remembered and retained, because it was the Gospel which he had
preached, and they had received, and had hitherto persevered in,
\\#1Co 15:1\\ and besides was essential to salvation, and the means of
it, by which they would be saved, if they retained it, except their
faith in it was in vain, as it would be should they drop it,
\\#1Co 15:2\\. And moreover, the apostle had received it by divine
revelation, and had faithfully delivered it to them, and therefore it
became them to hold it fast; the sum of which were the death, burial,
and resurrection of Christ, agreeably to the Scriptures of the Old
Testament, \\#1Co 15:3,4\\ and then he reckons up the eyewitnesses of
the latter, as first Peter, then the twelve disciples, then five
hundred brethren at one time; next James, and all the apostles; and
last of all himself, \\#1Co 15:5-8\\ of whom he speaks in a very
diminishing style, describing himself as an abortive, affirming himself
to be the least of the apostles, and unworthy to be in that office, or
bear that name, giving this as a reason for it, because he had been a
persecutor of the church of Christ, \\#1Co 15:9\\ wherefore he ascribes
the dignity he was raised to entirely to the free grace of God; and yet
he magnifies his office, and observes, that the gifts of grace bestowed
upon him were not in vain, and that he was a more abundant labourer
than the rest of the apostles, and had more success; but then he freely
declares that all he had, and all he did, were by the grace of God,
\\#1Co 15:10\\. But however, not to insist upon the difference between
him and other apostles; he observes, that the subject matter of their
ministry was the same, namely, a suffering and risen Saviour, and who
was also the object of the faith of the believing Corinthians,
\\#1Co 15:11\\ wherefore the apostle proceeds to blame some among them
for denying the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead, seeing it
was a principal part of the ministry of the Gospel, that Christ was
risen from the dead, \\#1Co 15:12\\ whereas that would not be true, if
there is no resurrection of the dead, \\#1Co 15:13\\ but that Christ is
risen, is not only evident from the testimonies of eyewitnesses before
produced, but from the absurdities that follow upon a denial of it, as
that the preaching of the Gospel was a vain thing, and faith in it
also, \\#1Co 15:14\\ yea, the apostles would be no other than false
witnesses of God, testifying that he raised up Christ, when he is not
risen, if the dead rise not, \\#1Co 15:15\\ which argument is repeated,
\\#1Co 15:16\\ and other absurdities following such an hypothesis are
added; as besides what was before mentioned, that faith becomes hereby
a vain thing, such as have believed in him must be in an unregenerate
state, and both under the power and guilt of sin, \\#1Co 15:17\\ nay,
not only so, but such who are dead in Christ, or for his sake are lost
and perished, \\#1Co 15:18\\ and even those of the saints who are
alive must be the most unhappy and miserable of all mortals,
\\#1Co 15:19\\. But inasmuch as it is a certain point that Christ is
risen, it is as clear a case that the saints will rise, which is argued
from Christ being the firstfruits of those that are fallen asleep in him,
which secures their resurrection to them, \\#1Co 15:20\\ and from his
being their covenant head, as Adam was to his posterity; so that as all
his offspring died in him, all the saints will be quickened by Christ,
death coming by the one, and the resurrection by the other,
\\#1Co 15:21,22\\. And whereas it might be objected, if this is the
case, why did not the saints, who were dead before the resurrection of
Christ, rise from the dead when he did, or quickly after? To which it
is answered, there is an order observed agreeable to the firstfruits
and lump: Christ, the firstfruits, is first, and then they that
believe in him, \\#1Co 15:23\\ and this will not be until the second
coming of Christ, and the end of all things, when all the elect of God
shall be gathered in; and then they will be raised and presented to the
Father complete in soul and body, and all rule and authority among men
will cease, \\#1Co 15:24\\. But in the mean while Christ must reign
until all enemies are subject to him, and the last of all that will be
destroyed by him is death; which is another argument proving the
resurrection of the dead; for if death is destroyed, the dead must
rise, and never die more, \\#1Co 15:25,26\\ That all things will be put
under the feet of Christ, every enemy, and so death, is proved from a
testimony out of \\#Ps 8:6\\. But to prevent a cavil, and secure the
honour of God the Father, he is excepted from being subject to him,
\\#1Co 15:27\\ so far is he from being so, that the Son shall be
subject to him, and appear to be so as Mediator, by giving up the
account of things to him; the end of which is, that God, Father, Son,
and Spirit, may be all in all, \\#1Co 15:28\\. The resurrection of the
dead is further argued from the sufferings of the saints and martyrs of
Jesus, for the sake of him and his Gospel, and particularly this
doctrine of it, which are first figuratively expressed under the notion
of a baptism, \\#1Co 15:29\\ and then more literally and clearly
signified by being in jeopardy, and exposed to danger of life
continually, \\#1Co 15:30\\ and which is exemplified in the case of the
apostle himself, who was liable to death daily, \\#1Co 15:31\\ of which
he gives a particular instance in his fighting with beasts at Ephesus.
Moreover, another absurdity would follow upon this, should this
doctrine not be true; and that is, that a loose and licentious life,
such an one as the Epicureans live, would be encouraged hereby,
\\#1Co 15:32\\ from which the apostle dissuades; partly from the
pernicious effect of it, which he shows by a passage cited out of one
of the Heathens, \\#1Co 15:33\\ and partly from its being contrary to a
righteous conversation, and from the stupidity, sinfulness, and
ignorance, which such a course of life, upon such principles, declares,
\\#1Co 15:34\\. And then the apostle proceeds to answer questions, and
remove objections relating to the resurrection of the dead; which
questions and objections are put, \\#1Co 15:35\\ which suppose the
thing to be impossible and absurd, and to which answers are returned,
first by observing, that grain which is sown in the earth first dies
before it is quickened, and that it does not rise up bare grain as it
was sown, but in a different form and shape, with additional
circumstances greatly to its advantage; and has a body given by the
power, and according to the pleasure of God, and suitable to the nature
of the seed; by which is suggested, that in like manner the body first
dies, and then is raised;, and though the same body, yet it is raised
in a different form with different qualities, by the power, and
according to the will of God; and therefore seeing there are every year
such innumerable instances in nature, of dead and putrefied grain being
revived, it need not be thought incredible, impracticable, and absurd,
that God should raise the dead, \\#1Co 15:36-38\\ and that the body,
though the same shall rise different from what it was when laid in the
grave, is illustrated by the difference of flesh in men, beasts,
fishes, and birds; which, though all of it flesh, differs from each
other; and so will the flesh of the body, in the resurrection, differ
from the flesh it is now clothed with, \\#1Co 15:39\\. And the same is
further illustrated by the difference there is in the heavenly and
earthly bodies, in the sun, and moon, and stars, and in one star from
another; all which have respect to the same, showing not any difference
there will be in risen bodies among themselves, but in risen bodies
from what they now are, \\#1Co 15:40,41\\ as appears by the
accommodation of these similes to the resurrection of the dead; and
which differences are clearly expressed, the present bodies being
corrupt, dishonourable, weak, and natural, the risen ones being
incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual, \\#1Co 15:42-44\\.
And that the risen bodies will be spiritual, the apostle proves, by
comparing Adam and Christ together; the one had a natural body, the
other had a spiritual body after his resurrection, \\#1Co 15:45\\ the
order of which is given, the natural body of Adam was before the
spiritual body of Christ, \\#1Co 15:46\\. Their original is also taken
notice of, the one being of the earth, the other front heaven,
\\#1Co 15:47\\ and so accordingly the offspring of the one, and of the
other, are different; the offspring of the first Adam are earthly like
him, and have a natural body, as he had; the offspring of the second
Adam are heavenly, as he was, and will have a body like to his; for as
they bear the image of the first man, from whom they naturally descend,
by having a natural body like to his, so they must bear the image of
the second man, the Lord from heaven, by having a spiritual body
fashioned like to his glorious body, \\#1Co 15:48,49\\. And there is an
absolute necessity for this, seeing bodies, in their present state, and
case, as natural, mortal, and sinful, cannot be admitted into the
possession of the kingdom and glory of the Lord, \\#1Co 15:50\\ but
inasmuch as all will not die, and so be raised again, but some will be
alive at the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, a
difficulty arises how the living saints will come by spiritual bodies,
in order to inherit the kingdom of God, without which they cannot
inherit it: this difficulty the apostle removes, by making known a
secret never divulged before, that at the same time the dead will be
raised, which will be at the sounding of a trumpet; in a moment, at
once the living saints will be changed, and become immortal and
incorruptible, as the raised ones, \\#1Co 15:51,52\\ for so it must be
that these corruptible and mortal bodies be clothed with incorruption
and immortality, either by the resurrection of them, or a change upon
them, when either way they will become spiritual, \\#1Co 15:53\\. And
hereby some prophecies in Isaiah and Hoses will have their
accomplishment, \\#1Co 15:54,55\\ on the mention of which, some things
in them are explained, as that sin is the sting of death, and the law
is the strength of sin, which regard the prophecy in Hosea, \\#1Co 15:56\\
and the victory obtained over death, which is mentioned in the prophecy
of Isaiah, is ascribed to God, who gives it through Christ, to whom
thanks are returned for it, \\#1Co 15:57\\. And the chapter is
concluded with an exhortation steadfastly to abide by the cause of
Christ, and in his service; to which the saints are encouraged from
this consideration, that they will find their account in it,
\\#1Co 15:58\\.