5
`Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; WHETHER
Paul, or
Apollos, or
Cephas, or
The World, or Life, or
Death, or
Things present, or Things to come;
ALL ARE YOURS; and
YE ARE CHRIST'S; and
CHRIST IS GOD'S' (1 Cor. 3:21-23).
We move on from this most heartening emphasis upon the supreme place that Christ occupied in Paul's ministry
to the fifteenth chapter, which is largely devoted to the great doctrine of Resurrection. There, in that sphere, `Christ
is All', and immediately it is seen to be impossible of attainment apart from Him. Look at verses 12-23, twelve
verses in all, with twelve references to Christ:
`Now if Christ be preached `
`Then is Christ not risen:
`And if Christ be not risen, `
`He raised up Christ:
`Then is not Christ raised:
`And if Christ be not raised,
`Then they ` asleep in Christ are perished.
`If in this life ` hope in Christ,
`But now is Christ risen `
`Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
`Christ the firstfruits;
`Afterward they that are Christ's at His coming'.
Here it will be seen that the whole argument for Resurrection revolves around Christ. He is the Firstfruits of
them that slept. If the dead person who is in view has fallen asleep in Christ, then Christ will be the firstfruits and
guarantee that he too shall rise, and the reference to Adam in verse 22, does not include every single soul who is
physically descended from Adam, any more than `All Israel' includes every one who is physically descended from
Abraham (Rom. 9:6-8). The number which includes those who are `of Adam' is larger than the children of promise,
who are counted for a seed, and called `All in Adam'.
This relation of Adam to Christ and the purpose of God is resumed in verses 42-50.
By natural birth, and because through Adam sin entered into the world and death by sin, we are sown in
corruption. We have a natural body, and have borne the image of the earthly. But Christ is the last Adam and the
Second Man. The first Adam was a living soul, the last Adam a quickening spirit.
`And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly' (1 Cor. 15:49).
Victory comes through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by no other.
So full is the apostle of the love of this Christ, that before he pronounces the benediction he is moved to say:
`If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema' (1 Cor. 16:22).
Maran-atha, which follows, is Aramaic interjected by the apostle `Our Lord, Come!'.
We have not attempted to include all the references to Christ, or even to indicate the many passages that agree
with the title of this booklet, enough we trust has been brought forward to fully justify our claim, that in Paul's
epistle, from every aspect, `Christ is All'.
2 CORINTHIANS