1 Corinthians 15:23

Myles Coverdale Bible

but euery one in his order. The first is Christ, then they that beloge vnto Christ, whan he commeth.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
But we ain't gettin' in ahead of the boss. Jesus was brought back to life first. Then, when he comes back to get us, those who've ridden for him will be raised to life again as well.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,

Legacy Standard Bible
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming.

Bible in Basic English
But every man in his right order: Christ the first-fruits; then those who are Christ's at his coming.

Darby Translation
But each in his own rank: [the] first-fruits, Christ; then those that are the Christ's at his coming.

Christian Standard Bible®
But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ.

World English Bible
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's, at his coming.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But every one in his own order: Christ the first-fruit, afterward they who are Christ's, at his coming.

Weymouth's New Testament
But this will happen to each in the right order--Christ having been the first to rise, and afterwards Christ's people rising at His return.

King James Version (1611)
But euery man in his owne order. Christ the first fruits, afterward they that are Christs, at his comming.

Literal Translation
But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruit; afterward those of Christ at His coming.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but every one in proper order: Christ has the precedence, next they who were Christians shall rise at his advent.

Amplified Bible
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's [own will be resurrected with incorruptible, immortal bodies] at His coming.

American Standard Version
But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming.

Revised Standard Version
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and every man in his awne order. The fyrst is Christ then they yt are Christis at his commynge.

Update Bible Version
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits; then those that are Christ's, at his coming.

Webster's Bible Translation
But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Young's Literal Translation
and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, afterwards those who are the Christ's, in his presence,

New Century Version
But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life,

New English Translation
But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him.

Berean Standard Bible
But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.

Contemporary English Version
But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns.

Complete Jewish Bible
But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming;

English Standard Version
But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But euery man in his owne order: the first fruites is Christ, afterward, they that are of Christ, at his comming shall rise againe.

George Lamsa Translation
But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they who belong to Christ at his coming.

Hebrew Names Version
But each in his own order: Messiah the first fruits, then those who are Messiah's, at his coming.

International Standard Version
However, this will happen to each person in the proper order: first Christ,Christ the first fruits">[fn] then those who belong to Christ when he comes.1 Corinthians 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
every one in his order: the first-fruits was the Meshiha; afterward they who are of the Meshiha at his coming.

Murdock Translation
every one in his order; the Messiah was the first-fruits; afterwards, they that are the Messiah's, at his coming.

New King James Version
But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

New Living Translation
But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

New Life Bible
This is the way it is: Christ was raised from the dead first. Then all those who belong to Christ will be raised from the dead when He comes again.

English Revised Version
But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming.

New Revised Standard
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, each, in his own rank: - A firstfruit, Christ, after that, they who are the Christ's, in his presence,

Douay-Rheims Bible
But every one in his own order: the firstfruits, Christ: then they that are of Christ, who have believed in his coming.

King James Version
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Lexham English Bible
But each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's at his coming,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But euery man in his owne order. The first fruites [is] Christe, afterward, they that are Christes at his commyng.

Easy-to-Read Version
But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. Then, when Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life.

New American Standard Bible
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,

Good News Translation
But each one will be raised in proper order: Christ, first of all; then, at the time of his coming, those who belong to him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But ech man in his ordre; the firste fruit, Crist, afterward thei that ben of Crist, that bileueden in the comyng of Crist;

Contextual Overview

²⁰ But now is Christ rysen from the deed, and is become ye first frutes of them that slepe. ²¹ For by one man commeth death, and by one man the resurreccion of the deed. ²² For as they all dye in Adam, so shal they all be made alyue in Christ, ²³ but euery one in his order. The first is Christ, then they that beloge vnto Christ, whan he commeth. ²⁴ Then the ende, wha he shal delyuer vp the kyngdome vnto God the father, whan he shal put downe all rule, and all superiorite, & power. ²⁵ For he must raygne, tyll he haue put all his enemies vnder his fete. ²⁶ The last enemye that shal be destroyed, is death, ²⁷ for he hath put all thinges vnder his fete. But wha he sayeth, that all thinges are put vnder him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which put all thinges vnder him. ²⁸ Whan all thinges shalbe subdued vnto him, then shal the sonne himselfe also be subiecte vnto him, which put all thinges vnder him, that God maye be all in all. ²⁹ Or els what do they which are baptised ouer ye deed, yf the deed ryse not at all? Why are they then baptysed ouer the deed?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

every: 1 Corinthians 15:20, Isaiah 26:19, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

they: 1 Corinthians 3:23, 2 Corinthians 10:7, Galatians 3:29, Galatians 5:24

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 26:2 - That thou shalt Malachi 3:17 - they shall Mark 9:41 - because Acts 4:2 - preached Romans 8:9 - he is Romans 14:8 - we live therefore 1 Corinthians 4:5 - until 1 Corinthians 11:26 - till Colossians 1:13 - the kingdom 1 Thessalonians 2:19 - in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 - at the 1 Thessalonians 4:14 - God 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - and the 1 John 2:28 - at his

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But every man in his own order,.... Not of time, as if the saints that lived in the first age of the world should rise first, and then those of the next, and so on to the end of the world; nor of dignity, as that martyrs should rise first in the order of martyrs, and preachers of the word in the order of preachers, and private Christians in the order and rank of private Christians; or of age, as the elder first, and then the younger; or of state and condition, as married persons in the order of married persons, and virgins in the order of virgins; these are all foreign from the sense of the words; the order regarded is that of head and members, the firstfruits and the harvest. There seems to be an allusion to the ranging and marshalling of the Israelites, everyone by his "own standard"; which both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render על טקסיה, "by or according to his own order": and so the Septuagint κατα ταγμα, the word here used; and the sense is, that every man shall be raised from the dead, according to the head under which he is ranged and marshalled. Christ the head is risen first; next all those that are under him, as an head, will rise from the dead; the dead in Christ will rise first; and then a thousand years after that, those who are only in their natural head, by whom death came to them, and have lived and died in a natural estate, will rise last; but as the apostle is only upon the resurrection of the saints, he carries the account and observes the order no further than as it concerns Christ and his people:

Christ the firstfruits; he rose first in order of time, dignity, causality and influence; :-.

afterwards they that are Christ's; not immediately after; for now almost two thousand years are elapsed since the resurrection of Christ, and yet the saints are not raised; and how many more years are to run out before that, is not to be known; but as there was an interval between the firstfruits, and the ingathering of the harvest; so there is a considerable space of time between the resurrection of Christ as the firstfruits, and the resurrection of his people, which will be the harvest; and that will be at the end of the world, according to Matthew 13:39 the persons who shall rise first and next after Christ, are they that are his; who were chosen in him before the foundation of the world, and were given to him by his Father as his spouse, his children, his sheep, his portion, and his jewels; who were purchased and redeemed by his blood, are called by his grace and regenerated by his Spirit, and who give up themselves to him, and are possessed by him: and the interest that Christ has in them here expressed, carries in it a strong argument of their resurrection; which may be concluded from their election in Christ, which can never be made void; from the gift of their whole persons to Christ by his Father, with this declaration of his will, that he should lose nothing of them, but raise it up at the last day; from his redemption of their bodies as well as their souls; from the union of both unto him; and from the sanctification of both, and his Spirit dwelling in their mortal bodies as well as in their souls: the time when they will be raised by Christ is,

at his coming; at his second and personal coming at the last day; then the dead in Christ will rise first, and immediately; and he will judge the quick and dead, those that will be found alive, and those that will be then raised from the dead: when this will be no man knows; yet nothing is more certain, than that Christ will come a second time; and his coming will be speedy and sudden; it will be glorious and illustrious, and to the joy and salvation of his people; since their bodies will then be raised and reunited to their souls, when they, soul and body, shall be for ever with the Lord. The Vulgate Latin reads the words thus, "they that are Christ's, who have believed in his coming"; both in his first and second coming; but there is nothing in the Greek text to encourage and support such a version and sense.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But every man - Everyone, including Christ as well as others.

In his own order - In his proper order, rank, place, time. The word τάγμα tagma usually relates to military order or array; to the arrangement of a cohort, or band of troops; to their being properly marshalled with the officers at the head, and every man in His proper place in the ranks. Here it means that there was a proper “order” to be observed in the resurrection of the dead. And the design of the apostle is, probably, to counteract the idea that the resurrection was passed already, or that there was no future resurrection to be expected. The “order” which is here referred to is, doubtless, mainly that of “time;” meaning that Christ would be first, and then that the others would follow. But it also means that Christ would be first, because it was “proper” that he should be first. He was first in rank, in dignity, and in honor; he was the leader of all others, and their resurrection depended on his. And as it was proper that a leader or commander should have the first place in a march, or in an enterprise involving peril or glory, so it was proper that Christ should be first in the resurrection, and that the others should follow on in due order and time.

Christ the first-fruits - Christ first in time, and the pledge that they should rise; see the note on 1 Corinthians 15:20.

Afterward - After he has risen. Not before, because their resurrection depended on him.

They that are Christ’s - They who are Christians. The apostle, though in 1 Corinthians 15:22 he had stated the truth that “all” the dead would rise, yet here only mentions Christians, because to them only would the doctrine be of any consolation, and because it was to them particularly that this whole argument was directed.

At his coming - When he shall come to judge the world, and to receive his people to himself. This proves that the dead will not be raised until Christ shall re-appear. He shall come for that purpose; and he shall assemble all the dead, and shall take his people to himself; see Matthew 25:0. And this declaration fully met the opinion of those who held that the resurrection was past already; see 2 Timothy 2:18.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. But every man in his own order — The apostle mentions three orders here:

1. Christ, who rose from the dead by his own power.

2. Them that are Christ's; all his apostles, martyrs, confessors, and faithful followers.

3. Then cometh the end, when the whole mass shall be raised.

Whether this order be exactly what the apostle intends, I shall not assert. Of the first, Christ's own resurrection, there can be no question. The second, the resurrection of his followers, before that of the common dead, is thought by some very reasonable. "They had here a resurrection from a death of sin to a life of righteousness, which the others had not, because they would not be saved in Christ's way. That they should have the privilege of being raised first, to behold the astonishing changes and revolutions which shall then take place, has nothing in it contrary to propriety and fitness;" but it seems contrary to 1 Corinthians 15:52, in which all the dead are said to rise in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. "And, thirdly, that all the other mass of mankind should be raised last, just to come forward and receive their doom, is equally reasonable:" but it is apparently inconsistent with the manner in which God chooses to act; see 1 Corinthians 15:53. Some think that by them that are Christ's at his coming, "we are to understand Christ's coming to reign on earth a thousand years with his saints, previously to the general judgment;" but I must confess I find nothing in the sacred writings distinctly enough marked to support this opinion of the millennium, or thousand years' reign; nor can I conceive any important end that can be answered by this procedure.

We should be very cautious how we make a figurative expression, used in the most figurative book in the Bible, the foundation of a very important literal system that is to occupy a measure of the faith, and no small portion of the hope, of Christians. The strange conjectures formed on this very uncertain basis have not been very creditable either to reason or religion.