1 Cor.15:20 – now Christ is raised from the dead, firstfruits of those fallen asleep, for since through man came death, also through man resurrection through the dead, as Adam died, so Christ is made alive. Each in his own order, Christ as firstfruit and then when he comes, those in Christ. “Firstfruits” is a thesis in itself, it is an agricultural term, a term that describes sacrifices that Israel provide at the beginning of the first grain harvest ie. Ex3:19, Lev23:10-11, it doesn’t just provide temporal priority, but an organic connection, it is the beginning, but it represents the whole, it is a symbol, it is an act of worship representing the whole.

The resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the believer cannot be separated, because Christ’s the resurrection is the firstfruit of a resurrection harvest. The resurrection of non-believers is not in view of this passage, the focus is a soteriological focus, between Christ and his resurrection and the resurrection of the believers. To get the full impact of what Paul is saying. Christ’s resurrection is a guarantee of ours. It is eternal promise, it doesn’t go far enough… Christ’s resurrection is a guarantee of ours is nothing less than the actual beginning of the general epochal event. The general resurrection event, Paul is saying, in which believers share begins with the resurrection of Christ.

When will the resurrection occur? The eschatological resurrection harvest has become visible in Christ. The resurrection has already begun in Christ. Christ’s resurrection is not an isolated stupendous event in the past. The great event of the resurrection is inaugurated by the resurrection of Christ, that is in unity with the resurrection of the believers. We then see it not as two resurrections, though temporary distinct, they are two episodes of a single event. The beginning and the end of the same harvest. They are not two separate events, but two phases of the one event. Similar to the coming of Christ.

1 Cor.15:12-19 – if it is preached that Christ is raised from the dead. How is it that some are saying that there is no resurrection of the dead, neither is Christ raised, and if Christ is not raised, then our preaching is empty, then our faith is vain, then we are false witnesses of God, for we are false witnesses that God raised from the dead, then our faith is futile… we are of all men most miserable, most to be pitied.

Paul says if the resurrection of Christ, then there should be no question of the resurrection of the believer. He reasons about the resurrection of the believer with the resurrection of Christ. The two resurrection are so intimately related, you can’t have one without the other. Paul to Agrippa: God is the God who raises the dead. The cross is an offense to unbelief, an offense to the ancient world, that God raises the dead.

Colossians 1:18 – he is before all things, and all things consist in him and he is the head of the body, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, in order that in all things, he might have pre-eminence. This expresses the same thought as the firstfruits of 1cor.15, though first born does not bring out the organic connection as firstfruits does. But the combination with the firstborn of those who have died, there is a solidarity or unity with the dead believers. There is a group of the dead that Christ is the first born. The resurrection of Christ as a birth process is not quite the right interpretation. Against the background of the usage in the OT, the term does not represent the one who is first, but the special dignity of the firstborn. For instance, Ex.4:22, Israel, is called the Lord’s firstborn, Psalm 89:27 ???? denotes headship or origin. Gen 49:3, and Deut21:17. Romans 8:29, Christ may become firstborn among many brothers. It is more specifically the resurrected Christ that is in view.

2 Corinthians 4:14 – the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us with Jesus will present us with you. The resurrector of Jesus will raise us. Paul also speaks of the resurrected body, already being raised with Christ. Ephesians 2:5-6, Colossians 2:12-13, 3:1, Romans 6:4, Galatians 2:20 – How are we to understand that the believers are already been raised with Christ? How are we to understand? Christ as representative is true, but what needs to be pointed out further is this, careful reading of this passage, when Paul says we have been raised with Christ. He talks not about his representative resurrection, but also to our involvement, which has experiential or existential, involvement, something that has taken place with the life history of the believer. What are the grounds for saying that? Ephesians 2:5- Paul says when you were dead in your transgressions, he made us alive with Christ and raised us up with Christ Jesus. In the backdrop of being dead in our sins. In this passage a key word is “walk” describing a way of life. This is a our former walk or pre-christian way of life, walking dead, then when we get to the other side of the passage, we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works in which God prepared in advance so that we may walk in them. This is a 180 turnaround, from sin to good works. This existential turn around, what can we explain it? The answer lies in the middle of the passage… Eph2:5, God made us alive, raised us up with Christ. The walk in the old aeon with the walk of the new aeon. Colossians 3:1 – the resurrection is made the basis for our life and holy living. When Paul speaks about the resurrection of the believer in the past tense, the resurrection is real and actual, existential and takes place in the actual existence of the believer. The primary reference of the once for all, of redemption applied that is by faith. The reality of the not to the history of salvation, but to the order of salvation.

The unity of resurrection of Christ and believer is that the resurrection of believer consists of two episode: one is past and one is future, yet to be realized. As we put it that you may appreciate how the formal structure of Paul’s eschatology the overlap between the two aeons, is related to the resurrection of the believer. Both these aspects of the believer’s experience, the already, realized and future are integrally related, all factors that make up a whole. Unity involved here is that Jesus’ resurrection is refracted into the life of the believer in a two fold distinction, temporal/historical? How do you account for the resurrection? Bodily and non-bodily distinction, the resurrection that has already taken place is non-bodily, the problem with this is negative connotation… visible/invisible; secret/open; all are useful and have liabilities. Especially the visible and invisible. Another problem in the spiritual/ physical distinction. When we use spirit in Paul’s usage, we need the capital Spiritual. But he later makes clear in 1Cor15, that the resurrection is Spiritual, so the distinction would be Spiritual/Spiritual… so there is still a problem. The best way of distinguishing, is that Paul describes in 2Cor4:16 – wherefore are we, don’t give up, even though our outer self undergoes corruption, our inner self is understood renewed day by day. The outer is the body, which he describes the inner person or the heart, spirit. The distinction anthropological distinction in Romans 7:22, Ephesians 3:16. Paul is not factoring human person into two parts, two entities within a person, he is seeing aspects of the whole person. What Paul is saying here applies, so far as you are inner man/self you have already been raised. So far as you are outer self, bodily existence, you are still to be raised. It is true in the body, but not true for the body. According to the teaching of Paul, if you are believer in Jesus Christ, consider at the core of your being, you will no more be resurrected than you already are.

Bring under consideration statements in Paul that refer to the resurrection, express the truth and fact of resurrection. And when these statements are brought together, there is a pattern, ?????? – raise up.
a. Active, Christ is the object and God is the subject. Romans 10:9 if you believe that God has raised him. 1 Cor15:15, Acts 13:30-37, Jesus can be the object, the one who raised Jesus. Romans 4:24; Col2:12.
b. God the Father: Gal1:1; 1 Thess1:9-10, passive,
c. Christ is subject, aorist passive, Romans 4:25; 2 Cor5:15 or perfect passive 1cor15:20; 2 Tim2:8. God in his identity raises Jesus and Jesus is passive in his resurrection. This is a viewpoint that is held consistently with Paul. No where does Paul teach that Christ was active in his resurrection, Paul does not teach “Jesus rose from the dead” but that “Jesus was raised.” Christ is the beneficiary, the theological significance of this pattern how we are to understand, reflects his understanding as firstfruits with those who slept. Solidarity with the dead. How are we to see this Pauline teaching with the overall unity of the NT.
d. The conclusion Paul says Jesus as passive in his resurrection, but how does this correlate with Jesus stating that he actively rose from the dead? John 2:19 – destroy temple and in three days will rise it up. John 10:17-18 – I lay down my life in order that I may take it again. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it again. Note: these are not in conflict they are complementary. Council of Chalcedon (451) – The reflections of Christ are helpful, based not only on Chalcedonian formulation, drawn by the reformers, correlatives: ‘anything that is true either of Christ’s nature (divinity/humanity) in distinction of the other, is true of him as a person.’ Paul sees the resurrection as the Adamic identity of Jesus, as the last Adam and the genuine humanity he shares with believers fully in the state of humiliation. In John’s gospel and elsewhere, is Jesus deity in relation to the father as son. As we reflect on this mystery, there is no contradiction. [economic and ontological trinity]

In view of the uniform stress, it is clear that for Paul, the primary significance of Paul does not lie where the difference is between Christ and his people, his stress is where they are in common. Not to prove Christ’s deity, rather for Paul to show the vindication of the incarnate Christ, the vindication of Christ incarnate and his obedience to death. The powerful transformation of his humanity, the resurrection constitutes him as firstborn among many brothers and firstborn among the dead. The adamic character of the resurrection. The resurrection of Christ is a messianic event just as his suffering and death. At the resurrection, his humanity is no longer of importance… 2Cor5:15 – Paul says Christ as the one who for us died and was raised.

Related posts:

1. The Center of Paul’s Theology
2. Christ and Culture
3. Biblical Theology (cont’d)

1 Corinthians 2:2 in the context of 1:18-3:22.  Paul’s concern is his defense of his apostolic ministry.  “For I did not judge to know anything except Jesus Christ and this Jesus Christ crucified.”  This is his basic theological epistemology.  He wanted to know nothing except the crucified Christ.  In a similar vein, 2 Timothy 2:8 “remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead, this is my Gospel.”

In 1 Cor. 15:1-4 Paul recounts the gospel he preached to them.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.  The resurrection of Jesus is not just an aspect of his teaching, it is his teaching in its entirety.  This disposes us to say that Paul’s theology is his gospel.  Paul preaches a gospel-theology.  Or if we view things as concentric circles, the center of these concentric circles is Christ and his death and resurrection.

Related posts:

1. Biblical Theology (cont’d)
2. Unity between the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of believers
3. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, Section 8

Jesus teaches that the period of the church being built is the period in which the gospel is being brought to the nations. It is distinctively an eschatological phase of the coming of the kingdom. What sanctions the church building example of baptism. The teaching and preaching of the apostles in its entirety can be seen as amplifying the kingdom proclamation of Jesus. Apostolic teaching expounds eschatological structure. Ridderbos in the outline of Paul’s theology: “Paul does nothing but explains the eschatological reality of Jesus kingdom proclamation.”

New Testament revelation is an organism. It is whole, it is part of a larger whole. In its parts it is an organic whole. Each part is not equally important, but every part is integral, so no part is dispensable. This has to be insisted upon that the teaching of Jesus cannot be separated from the teaching of the apostles. This cannot place Jesus teaching above the apostles because of Jesus unique character. The fallacy of this argument is that the only access to Jesus is through the apostles.

Vos – “Jesus is not the exhaustive expounder of truth. Jesus in his earthly ministry does not have the last word, but Jesus in his person and work, is the great fact to be expounded. Jesus and the Apostolic are the fact to be interpreted and the subsequent interpretation of that fact.” They are incomplete without each other. The apostles provide the necessary amplification and elaboration of Jesus and Jesus teaching provides the roots or the presupposition.

Gaffin then makes a connection between the baptism of John the Baptist with Pentecost. These two historical events are linked in that the result is the giving of the Holy Spirit. The first instance to perform the messianic work through Jesus and the second instance, to equip the apostles for the apostolic ministry of building the church.

Looking at other positions that are taken, not a rite or ritual that is tied in time of a rite or sign. What distinguishes the messiah’s activity of baptizing to John’s water ritual, is their relationship in the messianic reality of the sign that points to that. John’s sign of water points to Holy Spirit and fire of Christ’s baptism. This reality is a reality of judgment. This messianic spirit and fire baptism is a judgment/judicial transaction or forensic. Note the use of the word judgment – is a judicial process that has a dual outcome, positive (acquittal, blessing, reward) or negative (condemnation, curse, punishment). Look at Luke 3:7-9 “brood of vipers.” v.17 subject is Christ, spirit and fire baptizer is the subject of v16-17. This is an amplification of messianic spirit and fire baptism. The messianic baptizer is a harvester and judge. In his baptizing, he is harvesting and judge.

Whatever is the full significance of Pentecost, Pentecost is a forensic reality, within a judicial setting. A proper overall understanding Pentecost of nothing less than eschatological judgment. Additional observation 3 things: 1) It is Christ and not the Spirit who is the primary actor of Pentecost (note: the Messiah will baptize with the spirit). It is more a Christological event than it is a Pneumatological event. 2) Pentecost is not in any sense a second blessing or additional blessing. Pentecost is at the heart and work of Christ, at the core of the work in which he came to do. Not of second order significance, it is of primary significance, it is tied primarily to the death, resurrection and ascension.

Note: Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:8 (no reference to fire), and Luke 3:16. Mark’s baptism is the same as Matthew/Luke’s reference of baptism with spirit and fire. Spirit and fire is a unitary complex that constitutes the element of baptism. Blessing to the repentant and condemnation to the unrepentant. Fiery baptism in which we are immersed or deluged.

For the messianic people to escape the destructive aspect of the messiah’s own baptism of holy spirit and fire, for them to be saved from fire, (even for there to be a messianic people), eschatological judgment, for this to happen, there needs to be a messiah that must go through eschatological judgment that the sins his people deserves. Because of that he emerges triumphant from this baptism ordeal as that happens. He must be baptized with condemnation and curse. When the messianic baptizer comes to baptize his people, just as he promised he would, when that happens, fire must happens. Tongues as of fire that rests on each one. How are we to understand that sign? Very frequently the fire-tongue as symbolizing the refining or purifying aspect of the spirit’s work. Also the empowering of the spirit. The fire of destruction has been exhausted, abated. The fire is there but does not destroy or harm. The fire has been domesticated. Spirit and fire had both connotations… In as much as the outpouring of the spirit has clear affinities with the messianic ordeal, the death and resurrection of Christ. Cross and resurrection belongs together. Pentecost has the efficacious empowering of the church for service, but also the effective demonstration that the church is subject to God’s wrath. What takes place during Pentecost, with background of who Jesus is, both baptizer and baptized, the church is no longer under condemnation, the church is the justified people of God.

According to Luke 3:16, what John prophesies, is nothing less than the blessing that is bound up with the coming of the kingdom, that is realized in the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. Nothing less than the redemptive activity of the Messiah is realized in the baptism of the Spirit in Pentecost. As crucial as the death and resurrection of Christ, it is only preliminary, that we might share in the gift of the holy spirit. That we might share in Holy Spirit baptism. His Kingdom ministry taken in a whole – the resurrected and spirit giving Christ, is crucial. Everything that Jesus does is one large effort to secure for his people to pour out on them the Holy Spirit as a gift as a blessing. Recall connection between Luke 11:13 and 12:32. Holy spirit is Kingdom gift is first order fundamental importance.

Pentecost must be seen first of all its pivotal place for the flow of redemptive history. It finds itself in the completed work of Christ. What takes place in Acts 2 is the great turning point, the hinge of Luke/Acts. The pivot of the apostolic history in which Luke surveys. To clarify this, Pentecost is coordinate with the death and resurrection and ascension are conjoined with these other events. Pentecost is as pivotal event. While they are temporally distinct, they are unified as event complex constituting together so that they are inseparable from each other. They imply each other.

Related posts:

1. Little Gidding IV
2. The Center of Paul’s Theology
3. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 28, Section 5

For the messianic people to escape the destructive aspect of the messiah’s own baptism of holy spirit and fire, for them to be saved from fire, (even for there to be a messianic people), eschatological judgment, for this to happen, there needs to be a messiah that must go through eschatological judgment that the sins his people deserves. Because of that he emerges triumphant from this baptism ordeal as that happens. He must be baptized with condemnation and curse. When the messianic baptizer comes to baptize his people, just as he promised he would, when that happens, fire must happens.

Tongues as of fire that rests on each one. How are we to understand that sign? Very frequently the fire-tongue as symbolizing the refining or purifying aspect of the spirit’s work. Also the empowering of the spirit. The fire of destruction has been exhausted, abated. The fire is there but does not destroy or harm. The fire has been domesticated. Spirit and fire had both connotations…

In as much as the outpouring of the spirit has clear affinities with the messianic ordeal, the death and resurrection of Christ. Cross and resurrection belongs together. Pentecost has the efficacious empowering of the church for service, but also the effective demonstration that the church is subject to God’s wrath. What takes place during Pentecost, with background of who Jesus is, both baptizer and baptized, the church is no longer under condemnation, the church is the justified people of God.

The dove descending breaks the air
With flame of incandescent terror
Of which the tongues declare
The one discharge from sin and error.
The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre of pyre—
To be redeemed from fire by fire.

Who then devised the torment? Love.
Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove.
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.

- TS Elliot, Little Giddling

Related posts:

1. Biblical Theology (cont’d)
2. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 28, Section 7
3. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 28, Section 2