1 Corinthians 15:54 – Death is swallowed up in Victory!

… then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory.

More triumphant than in this wording, Paul could hardly conclude his speech. All this chapter was devoted to the victory over death. It was D-Day when “the Firstfruits”, who is also “the last Adam”, left the grave completely empty. It was the biggest revolution ever: demonstratively the large heavy stone was rolled off in front of the tomb.

What we call “life” here, Paul calls in this chapter “mortal.” For it is ‘life’ that by definition is swallowed up by death. The word ‘swallowed up’ here is the same as what is used for what happened to the Egyptians in the Red Sea (Heb. 11:29). Nothing was left of them. The word is also used for what a roaring lion does with its hopeless prey: he devours it (1Pet.5: 8).

As in a corruptible world like ours, ‘life’ is swallowed up by death, so the Evangle reports that in Christ Jesus death is swallowedup in victory! Death is abolished (15:26; 2Tim.1: 10). How is death swallowed up and abolished? By making all alive so that there is no death, but only LIFE! With all capital letters!

Delen: