1 Corinthians 15:24 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Corinthians 15:24

Comments

There is no gap between verse 23 and verse 24. In fact, in verse 24 the word ‘cometh’ is in italics, which means it is not in the Greek. If you take the ‘cometh’ out, you feel the impact of the original Greek more: ‘Afterward they that are Christ's at his coming, then the end.' This is so profound. What does it mean? It means that Christ now returns his commission. Christ, the second person of the Godhead, was given a special commission. We could call it, for convenience, ‘project earth’. It is not a term in the Bible, but it is a term we understand these days, ‘project earth’. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the eternal council, decided that there would be a project earth. The universe would be brought into being. But there would be one planet, earth, in the universe that would be very special, because on that planet God would create mankind. God determined there would be a world, and there would be a human race, and it would be for his glory. But of course God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, knew what would happen. So to Christ was deputed project earth. The Scripture tells us that it was through Christ in particular that the universe, the world we know, was created. Christ created all things including the animals, with the human race special above them all. But then man fell. As soon as he was independent from God, there was the possibility of the fall, and he fell and sinned against God. Was project earth doomed? Was it finished? No. This was all part of Christ's commission. Christ would bring redemption for planet earth. He would come into this world; he would suffer and die and bear the punishment of sin. Then he would purchase the right to forgive millions of sinners, whom he would predestinate, and he would also purchase the right to recreate planet earth and free it from the effects of the curse. He would make it adapted to heaven so it would be the perfect environment for the eternal dwelling place of the redeemed with Christ and under his reign forever. Now we are in the period which we call the gospel age, in which he is still calling out a people. He is drawing sinful men and women to himself out of the world, bringing about their conversion by his Spirit. But finally will come the time (known to God, but not to us) when Christ will return in power and in glory, and he will bring the end of the age. At that time he will return his commission to the Father. ‘Here are my redeem people.’ Before the foundation of the world, the Father undertook to give to Christ the Son a people for his own possession, if he would create the world, and after their fall go and suffer and die from them, redeem them, draw them to himself, and watch over them, bringing them all safely to the paradise of Christ. ‘Here they are’, Christ will say to the Father. ‘You gave them to me and I have redeemed them. Now this time of earth history is over. All is accomplished. The role of my elect is complete.’ It is about the great final transaction when Christ returns his commission and hands back to the Father the trophies of his work. ‘When he should have put down all rule and all authority and power.’ In that last day when we receive our resurrection bodies, there will be no more rule, authority, and power. Romans 13 teaches that God has appointed all earthly authority, but all that is coming to an end. There will be no more kings or presidents, no more prime ministers, no more local government, no more magistrates; no more husbands, head of the home. They are just for the time being. There will be no more ranks in society, masters and slaves, employers and employees, nor will there be pastors and people, or elders and people in churches. All rule and all authority and all power will come to an end. At the very end – the last part of the work which is delegated to him – he brings an end to all the hostility, all the opposition and the unbelief. He brings in the judgement.

Application

Questions

That is a very important ‘then’; it means ‘at that time’. Some people try to stretch the word ‘then’. ‘Oh no,’ they say, ‘it doesn't mean then and there; it means afterwards, over a period of time, at some subsequent time.’ ‘No,’ says the apostle, ‘at Christ's coming, then, immediately at that time, ‘cometh the end.’ It cannot mean anything else the way in which it is put in the Greek. ‘But Paul, you’ve forgotten something. What about the millennium?’ Well it's a fact: Paul has never heard of the millennium. Search all the epistles of Paul; he had never heard of the millennium. Search all the words of Christ; he too had never heard of it, and he is the eternal Son of God. So how can there be a millennium? It is in the Book of Revelation, but it must be a figure, not a literal thousand years, because no one else knows about it in the New Testament.

There is a point of view quite popular with many Christians, that Christ has two comings, and that there are even two resurrections: the teaching of the New Testament on this subject is turned into a complicated series of events. The Scripture is much simpler than that. There is only one resurrection. We can show this by looking at a few verses. In John 6 Christ says over and over again that the saints will be raised right at the end of history, at the last day (verses 37, 40, 44, 54). There is only one return of Christ, and only one resurrection of both they that have done good, and they that have done evil at the same hour (John 5:28-29). It will all take place at the same time, on the last day. Matthew 24:30 tells us of the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven to gather his elect, and at the same time to all who do not believe, will mourn. That same coming at that same time will produce mourning and fear in the lost and great blessedness in the elect. The apostle Paul teaches exactly the same (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).

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1 Corinthians 15:24 Commentary and Bible Study