1 Corinthians 15:50-59

Paul completes the section on resurrection in these 10 verses with what is essentially a recap of the entire section. Verse 50 is the transition:

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Read this slowly! Only the “imperishable” can inherit the Kingdom of God. Notice that he did not say that only the imperishable can enter the Kingdom; that is a point that has caused just a bit of confusion and argument over the years to be sure. We enter the Kingdom as mortal humans by receiving God’s awesome grace and entering into relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, we live today as citizens of His Kingdom on the earth. As such we are destined for much greater things in Christ upon His return: We live today as His co-heirs, but we haven’t yet inherited everything. That will occur upon His return. When He returns…

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 cf. Hosea 16:14

Upon Jesus’ return the dead are raised imperishable, and those alive are transformed… Simple.

Well, maybe not as simple as it should have been; Paul will need to correct a whole new batch of misunderstandings in due course. He went on to explain, in verses 56-57 that the sting of death is sin, and sin’s power comes from the law, but that has been dealt with by Christ. Finally, Paul concludes:

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (15:59)

It was as though he were simply telling them that since they have such an amazing future to look forward to, they should stand firmly together and dedicate themselves to the Lord’s work, secure in the knowledge that whatever this life might throw at them, their work in the Lord had a great purpose, and their labors would not be in vain. I would suggest to you, that the message for us is exactly the same.