What does 1 Corinthians 15:20 say about Christ and the firstfruits?
First Corinthians 15:20 declares that Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have slept, or died. The term firstfruits points back to Leviticus 23's feast of firstfruits, connected to Israel's barley harvest, the first crop gathered shortly after Passover.
Les teaches that Paul says, "Now is Christ risen from the dead, and He has become the firstfruits of those that have slept, or have died." Les explains that understanding this language requires going back to the Old Testament, because if you do not understand the Old Testament you cannot understand the New. He points to Leviticus 23 and the seven feasts of Jehovah, feast days for Israel in their temple worship as they progressed through the year. The third feast is the feast of firstfruits, after Passover and unleavened bread, tied to the barley harvest—the first crop Israel harvested in Palestine shortly after Passover. Israel was an agrarian nation, not metropolitan, living off the land with herds, flocks, and grain. In Leviticus 23:10, the Lord tells Moses to speak to the children of Israel: when they come into the land and reap its harvest, they are to bring a sheaf.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
More Questions
How can you understand the firstfruits language in 1 Corinthians 15:20?
To understand the firstfruits language in 1 Corinthians 15:20, you must go back to the Old Testament; if you don't understand the Old Testament, you can't understand the New.
What does it mean that Christ is the firstfruits in 1 Corinthians 15:20?
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that Christ has become the firstfruits (plural), meaning that He is not the only resurrected one—because a firstfruits sheaf had to contain many stems gathered from the field, Christ was definitely the first but could not be the only one raised.
What does Paul mean by calling Christ the firstfruits of those who have died in 1 Corinthians 15:20?
When Paul says Christ is 'the first fruits' of those who have died, he is speaking of something plural, not singular, because it involves many who have died.
In 1 Corinthians 15:20, is the phrase 'first fruits' singular or plural?
In 1 Corinthians 15:20, the phrase 'first fruits' is plural, not singular.