SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:23
Mas cada uno en su orden: Cristo, las primicias; luego los que son de Cristo, en su venida.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 15:23
Verse 23. But every man in his own order] The apostle mentions three orders here: 1. Christ, who rose from the dead by his own power. 2. Them that are Christ's; all his apostles, martyrs, confessors, and faithful followers. 3. Then cometh the end, when the whole mass shall be raised. Whether this order be exactly what the apostle intends, I shall not assert.
Of the first, Christ's own resurrection, there can be no question. The second, the resurrection of his followers, before that of the common dead, is thought by some very reasonable. "They had here a resurrection from a death of sin to a life of righteousness, which the others had not, because they would not be saved in Christ's way. That they should have the privilege of being raised first, to behold the astonishing changes and revolutions which shall then take place, has nothing in it contrary to propriety and fitness;" but it seems contrary to ver. 52, in which all the dead are said to rise in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
"And, thirdly, that all the other mass of mankind should be raised last, just to come forward and receive their doom, is equally reasonable:" but it is apparently inconsistent with the manner in which God chooses to act; see ver. 53. Some think that by them that are Christ's at his coming, "we are to understand Christ's coming to reign on earth a thousand years with his saints, previously to the general judgment;" but I must confess I find nothing in the sacred writings distinctly enough marked to support this opinion of the millennium, or thousand years' reign; nor can I conceive any important end that can be answered by this procedure.
We should be very cautious how we make a figurative expression, used in the most figurative book in the Bible, the foundation of a very important literal system that is to occupy a measure of the faith, and no small portion of the hope, of Christians. The strange conjectures formed on this very uncertain basis have not been very creditable either to reason or religion.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. But every man in his own order , etc.] Not of time, as if the saints that lived in the first age of the world should rise first, and then those of the next, and so on to the end of the world; nor of dignity, as that martyrs should rise first in the order of martyrs, and preachers of the word in the order of preachers, and private Christians in the order and rank of private Christians; or of age, as the elder first, and then the younger; or of state and condition, as married persons in the order of married persons, and virgins in the order of virgins; these are all foreign from the sense of the words; the order regarded is that of head and members, the firstfruits and the harvest. There seems to be an allusion to the ranging and marshalling of the Israelites, everyone by his own standard; which both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render hysqj l[ , by or according to his own order: and so the Septuagint kata tagma , the word here used; and the sense is, that every man shall be raised from the dead, according to the head under which he is ranged and marshalled. Christ the head is risen first; next all those that are under him, as an head, will rise from the dead; the dead in Christ will rise first; and then a thousand years after that, those who are only in their natural head, by whom death came to them, and have lived and died in a natural estate, will rise last; but as the apostle is only upon the resurrection of the saints, he carries the account and observes the order no further than as it concerns Christ and his people: Christ the firstfruits ; he rose first in order of time, dignity, causality and influence; (see Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:20). afterwards they that are Christs ; not immediately after; for now almost two thousand years are elapsed since the resurrection of Christ, and yet the saints are not raised; and how many more years are to run out before that, is not to be known; but as there was an interval between the firstfruits, and the ingathering of the harvest; so there is a considerable space of time between the resurrection of Christ as the firstfruits, and the resurrection of his people, which will be the harvest; and that will be at the end of the world, according to ( Matthew 13:39) the persons who shall rise first and next after Christ, are they that are his; who were chosen in him before the foundation of the world, and were given to him by his Father as his spouse, his children, his sheep, his portion, and his jewels; who were purchased and redeemed by his blood, are called by his grace and regenerated by his Spirit, and who give up themselves to him, and are possessed by him: and the interest that Christ has in them here expressed, carries in it a strong argument of their resurrection; which may be concluded from their election in Christ, which can never be made void; from the gift of their whole persons to Christ by his Father, with this declaration of his will, that he should lose nothing of them, but raise it up at the last day; from his redemption of their bodies as well as their souls; from the union of both unto him; and from the sanctification of both, and his Spirit dwelling in their mortal bodies as well as in their souls: the time when they will be raised by Christ is, at his coming ; at his second and personal coming at the last day; then the dead in Christ will rise first, and immediately; and he will judge the quick and dead, those that will be found alive, and those that will be then raised from the dead: when this will be no man knows; yet nothing is more certain, than that Christ will come a second time; and his coming will be speedy and sudden; it will be glorious and illustrious, and to the joy and salvation of his people; since their bodies will then be raised and reunited to their souls, when they, soul and body, shall be for ever with the Lord. The Vulgate Latin reads the words thus, they that are Christs, who have believed in his coming; both in his first and second coming; but there is nothing in the Greek text to encourage and support such a version and sense.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 20-34 - All that are by faith united to Christ, are by his resurrection assure of their own. As through the sin of the first Adam, all men becam mortal, because all had from him the same sinful nature, so, throug the resurrection of Christ, shall all who are made to partake of the Spirit, and the spiritual nature, revive, and live for ever. There wil be an order in the resurrection. Christ himself has been the first-fruits; at his coming, his redeemed people will be raised befor others; at the last the wicked will rise also. Then will be the end of this present state of things. Would we triumph in that solemn an important season, we must now submit to his rule, accept his salvation and live to his glory. Then shall we rejoice in the completion of his undertaking, that God may receive the whole glory of our salvation that we may for ever serve him, and enjoy his favour. What shall thos do, who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Perhap baptism is used here in a figure, for afflictions, sufferings, an martyrdom, as Mt 20:22, 23. What is, or will become of those who have suffered many and great injuries, and have even lost their lives, for this doctrine of the resurrection, if the dead rise not at all Whatever the meaning may be, doubtless the apostle's argument wa understood by the Corinthians. And it is as plain to us tha Christianity would be a foolish profession, if it proposed advantage to themselves by their faithfulness to God; and to have our fruit to holiness, that our end may be everlasting life. But we must not liv like beasts, as we do not die like them. It must be ignorance of God that leads any to disbelieve the resurrection and future life. Thos who own a God and a providence, and observe how unequal things are in the present life, how frequently the best men fare worst, cannot doub as to an after-state, where every thing will be set to rights. Let u not be joined with ungodly men; but warn all around us, especiall children and young persons, to shun them as a pestilence. Let us awak to righteousness, and not sin.
Greek Textus Receptus
εκαστος 1538 A-NSM δε 1161 CONJ εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSN ιδιω 2398 A-DSM ταγματι 5001 N-DSN απαρχη 536 N-NSF χριστος 5547 N-NSM επειτα 1899 ADV οι 3588 T-NPM χριστου 5547 N-GSM εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF παρουσια 3952 N-DSF αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
23. Order (tagmati). Only here in the New Testament. In Sept., a band, troop, or cohort; also a standard; Num. x. 14; xviii. 22, 25. How the one idea ran into the other may be perceived from the analogy of the Latin manipulus, a handful of hay twisted round a pole and used by the Romans as the standard of a company of soldiers, from which the company itself was called manipulus. In classical Greek, besides the meaning of company, it means an ordinance and a fixed assessment. Here in the sense of band, or company, in pursuance of the principle of a descending series of ranks, and of consequent subordinations which is assumed by Paul. The series runs, God, Christ, man. See ch. iii. 21-23; xi. 3. The reference is not to time or merit, but simply to the fact that each occupies his own place in the economy of resurrection, which is one great process in several acts. Band after band rises. First Christ, then Christians. The same idea appears in the first-fruits and the harvest.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
15:23 {Order} (tagmati). Old military term from tassw, to arrange, here only in N.T. Each in his own division, troop, rank. {At his coming} (en tei parousiai). The word parousia was the technical word "for the arrival or visit of the king or emperor" and can be traced from the Ptolemaic period into the second century A.D. (Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_, p. 368). "Advent-coins were struck after a parousia of the emperor." Paul is only discussing "those that are Christ's" (#3:23; Ga 5:24) and so says nothing about judgment (cf. #1Th 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23).
