Genesis 1:26.  When however, we read what is written in the epistles of Paul on

these words `all things under His feet', his superior knowledge of the Mystery

of Christ is fully substantiated.  The apostle refers to these words of Psalm 8

in three epistles, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews and Ephesians.  Let us examine these

passages and see how far he substantiates his claim to have attained to a fuller

and richer understanding of the Mystery of Christ than those who went before

him.  The first reference is 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, which we will set out in

structure form straight away.

A

The end.

B  a

when He delivers up the kingdom.

b  15:-24.

when He abolishes all rule.

c  15:25-.

for He must reign.

d  15:-25.  Till all enemies under His feet.

d  15:26.

The last enemy; death abolished.

c  15:27-.

for He hath put all things under His feet.

b  15:-27.

when The one exception.

a  15:28-.

when The Son Himself subjected.

A

15:-28.  That God may be all in all.

There is no word for `cometh' in the original of verse 24; it simply reads

`Then the end'.  Some understand the words to mean `Then the end rank', but we

can find no justification for such a rendering.  Cremer, in his note on to

telos, says that this word does not primarily denote the end, termination, with

reference to time, but the goal reached, the completion or conclusion at which

anything arrives, either as issue or ending ... or as result, acme,

consummation, e.g. polemon telos, `victory' (literally `the end of war', end,

not measuring time but object); telos andros, `the full age of man' (not the end

of man -- death), also of the `ripening of seed'.  In Luke 1:33 and Mark 3:26

the idea of termination seems uppermost.  The idea of issue, end, conclusion, is

in Matthew 26:58, `To see the end'; James 5:11, `Ye ... have seen the end of the

Lord'; 1 Peter 4:17, `What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?'

The idea of a goal reached is seen in Romans 6:21, `The end of those

things is death'; Philippians 3:19, `Whose end is destruction'.  So also 2

Corinthians 11:15; Hebrews 6:8.  When the apostle wrote the words of 1

Corinthians 15:24, `Then the end', what goal had he in view?  What is the object

of resurrection?  Does it not take man back into the place intended for him in

the Divine purpose, for which sin and death had for a while rendered him unfit?

The goal, this end in view, is contained in the words of 1 Corinthians 15:28,

`That God may be all in all'.  Although `the end' is mentioned immediately after

the resurrection of those that are Christ's at His parousia, it is not attained

without a reign of righteousness and a rule of iron.  The uninterrupted

statement of the end is as follows:

`Then the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even

the Father ... with the object that God may be all in all'.

The reader is aware, however, that the end is not attained in this

unbroken sequence.  The first `when' is conditional upon the second.  `When He

shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power'.  This will not be