Does 'afterward' in 1 Corinthians 15:23 mean the resurrection of believers is later than Christ's?
Yes. First Corinthians 15:23 presents Christ as the firstfruits, the first group of resurrected people, followed by a semicolon and the word afterward. The context explains this means not simultaneously, not at the very same moment, but at a later time, when those who are Christ's are resurrected at His coming.
Les teaches that in 1 Corinthians 15:23 Paul is dealing primarily with the believing element, so every man in his own order means every believer in his own order. The word order is a military term for a company, battalion, or organizational group. Christ is the firstfruits, the first group of resurrected people, which includes those who came out of the graves at Jerusalem. Then, after the semicolon, afterward indicates a later time, not the same moment: they that are Christ's at His coming. That group is the church age, grace age believer, the body of Christ. Verse 24 then adds, and then cometh the end, which comes after the tribulation.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
More Questions
What is the resurrection order in 1 Corinthians 15:23?
In 1 Corinthians 15:23, resurrection comes in order: first Christ the firstfruits, and afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.