How does Paul argue resurrection and preserve its mystery?

Paul recalls the gospel preached, received and stood in, saving them if they hold fast as preached unless belief was vain. He delivered what he received: Christ died for sins according to scriptures, was buried and rose the third day according to scriptures. The appearances listed are Cephas, the eleven, more than five hundred at once (many still remain, some asleep), James, all apostles and last Paul, as one born out of due time. Many is not changed to a majority, eleven to Twelve, or burial to a specified tomb. Paul calls himself least and unworthy because he persecuted the church. Grace made him what he is and was not void: he laboured more abundantly than all, yet grace with him. Whether he or they, this is their preaching and the readers’ belief.

Some deny resurrection. Paul follows the conditional implications: no resurrection means Christ not risen, vain preaching and faith, false witnesses of God, remaining sins and perished sleepers in Christ. Hope only in this life would make them most miserable. He does not identify a Greek philosophical influence or a perjury trial. Christ is risen, firstfruits of sleepers. Death and resurrection each came by a man; all die in Adam and are made alive in Christ. Each has his order: Christ first, then those of Christ who believed in his coming, afterwards the end with the kingdom delivered to God and the Father and all principality, power and virtue brought to nought. He reigns until enemies are underfoot, death destroyed last. The one who put all under him is excepted; the Son is then subject so God is all in all. The printed annotation explains this of the Son’s human nature after general resurrection and the whole mystical body obeying God in everything.

Paul asks why people are baptized for the dead if dead do not rise. The printed annotation preserves alternatives: some think a ceremony then used; others, more probably, prayers and penitential labours for faithful departed souls, or afflictions and sufferings for spiritually dead sinners. One cannot collapse this into an established single practice. Paul asks about hourly danger, says he dies daily, and conditionally asks what fighting beasts at Ephesus profits without resurrection. This span does not identify beasts as fierce human adversaries. Eating and drinking because tomorrow brings death is explained in the printed note as how unbelieving impious people might live if resurrection were denied. Evil communications corrupt good manners; awake, sin not, and recognize the shame that some lack knowledge of God.

The anticipated question is how and with what body dead rise. Sown grain must die before quickening; one sows bare wheat or other grain, not the body to be, and God gives each seed its proper body. Men, beasts, birds and fishes have different flesh; celestial and terrestrial bodies differ in glory, as sun, moon and stars differ. Resurrection is described as corruption to incorruption, dishonour to glory, weakness to power, natural body to spiritual body. First Adam is a living soul, last Adam a quickening spirit; natural precedes spiritual, earthly man precedes heavenly. Paul exhorts let us bear the heavenly image after bearing the earthly, rather than declaring inevitable conformity.

Flesh and blood cannot possess God’s kingdom, nor corruption incorruption. The exact printed mystery says all shall indeed rise again but not all be changed. This must not be replaced by a different translation saying not all sleep but all change. At the last trumpet, in a moment and twinkling of an eye, dead rise incorruptible and we shall be changed. Corruptible puts on incorruption and mortal immortality; then death is swallowed in victory. Paul asks where death’s victory and sting are, identifies sin as sting and law as sin’s power, and thanks God for victory through Jesus Christ. Readers should be steadfast, unmoveable and abound in the Lord’s work, knowing their labour in him is not vain. No calendar for these future events is supplied.