I CORINTHIANS 15…(Concordant Version)
20 (Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing.
21 For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead.
22 For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.
23 Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ’s in His presence;
24 thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power.
25 For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy is being abolished: death.
27 For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him.
28 Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.)
PLEASE NOTE: When I first read these words… I mean really read them… I had already been a “christian” for some 14 years. But I had never read these words on purpose. Sure I skimmed them, and not knowing anything about what they meant… I just glossed over… or glazed over…
But when I REALLY READ THEM… on purpose… I had to admit, I had no idea what Paul was talking about. But I wanted to know. I wanted to understand.
But NOW… many years later, I confess, this is perhaps my favorite passage of scripture.
You can toss the whole Bible away, but if we have these 8 verses… we’ve got a picture of God eonian purpose. And we can rejoice.
The Ace Theological Company 