1Corinthians 15:22-28, The Refutation Of a Universalist's Argument,---The Introduction
by Tom Logan
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A universalist states of his theology:


My theology is that the love of God Almighty never fails or expires on behalf of any of His creatures and that He will, in His omnipresence, exercise the unlimited  resources of His omniscience, omnipotence, and grace {unmerited favour, undeserved kindness} to draw all to Himself through whatever it takes, whether His goodness or His judgements, till all are safe and saved into that "in Christ" relationship He so desires {1Co. 15:22-28; Eph.1:10; Phil.2:9-11;  Jn.12:32; etc}.

     "Mr. Ray A. Van Dyke, compiled a comparison between the revelation given in Revelation and that given to Paul, as recorded in 1 Cor. 15:22-28. His comments are reproduced here:   "In the book of Revelation we do not have the final plan of God.  Paul, in 1 Cor. 15:22-28 takes us much further into the future than does the book of Revelation. To illustrate this more clearly, study the following: 1 Cor. 15:22-28 as compared with the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 20-22:

     In 1 Cor. 15:22-28, we have:


     In Revelation 20-22, we have:

     -end quote

     "Christians who believe in universal reconciliation believe that the Bible is God's Word, and His Word cannot contradict itself, hence the inspired sacred Scriptures say in Rev. 11:15; 22:5, eis tous aionas ton aionon, "for the eons of the eons." Thus, Christ our Lord "reigns for the eons of the eons," not as the king's translators rendered, "forever and ever." Therefore, Revelation 20-22 fits into the framework of the eons, and is truth relative to the eons. First Corinthians Chapter 15 fits at the consummation (end) of the eons.  We give the second Adam, Christ, as much credit and numerical ability as the first Adam, and use 1 Cor. 15:22-28 also for this truth. (Read Rom. 5:18-19.)" --- {Analytical Study of Words, chapter 17}.

     The universalist is quite mistaken regarding his claims for 1Cor15:22-28.  It is quite obvious from a reading of the passage It takes us as far as the second advent of Christ at which time He will raise those who are His thus defeating physical death the last enemy through resurrection as per:

1 Cor 15:49-54
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
(KJV)

and

1 Cor 15:23
23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.    (NIV)

which clearly showing death is defeated at the advent of Christ.

Universalists generally see three resurrection orders in the passage as do some orthodox Christians however note the bible teaches one general resurrection for the righteous and the unrighteous with two very different results:

John 5:28-29
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (KJV)

Notice an hour is coming in which ALL in their graves shall hear Christ's voice and come forth.  That "all" should be understood in an all inclusive sense is obvious.  Here it includes both the righteous and the unrighteous.  ALL come forth at the sound of Christ's voice. Some however receive the resurrection of life; some receive the resurrection of damnation.

The Universalist argument:

     Three Resurrection Orders "But each in his own order. Not a "but" of exception, rather a "but" of
     order.  ALL are to be made alive but at different times. "Each in his own order." Three orders are
     enumerated and located in relation to other events:

     It is the third or "end" order that many overlook. {Joseph E. Kirk, Saviour of All Fellowship}

...fails for the text will not support it:

1 Cor 15:22-24
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.  (KJV)

The fact is the bible speaks of:

(1) The resurrection of Christ
(2) The resurrection of believers.

Then it concludes with a statement of the end:

24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

It is to be noticed there is no statement of resurrection in this passage; just a statement of the end.  The passage never speaks of the resurrection of the unrighteous.  Further the universalist commentary simply ignores scripture which shows the wicked are raised at the same time as the righteous.

John 5:28-29
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have
done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.  (KJV)

Dan 12:2
2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame
and everlasting contempt. (NIV)

Rev 20:11-15
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven
fled away; and there was found no place for them
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another
book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (KJV)

...and the fact that all judged at the same time at the advent of Christ (resurrection and judgment coincide)

Matthew 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Matthew 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Matthew 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Matthew 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no
drink:
Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in
prison, and ye visited me not.
Matthew 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or
athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Matthew 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to
one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the
wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the
reapers are the angels.
Matthew 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and
gathered of every kind:
Matthew 13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into
vessels, but cast the bad away.
Matthew 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Matthew 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of
teeth.
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he
shall reward every man according to his works.

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2 Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old,
and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2 Peter 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store,
reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord
cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jude 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all
their  ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which
ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

This coincides well with the final judgment as expressed in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth
and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:  and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the
dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire.

Where all the dead are raised. Those not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire.  Those found in the book will inherit the eternal kingdom of God.

Rev 21:1-8
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

But those not in the book:

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (KJV)

The second death.  The bible is not a hodge-podge of contrary and conflicting idea but speaks as a unified whole expressing but one view in what it teaches. The bible clearly teaches the resurrection and judgment of all at Christ's advent.  As well as opposing destinies for the righteous and the unrighteous on the day of judgment.

Both of these destinies are eternal:

Matt 25:46
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (KJV)

The problem with the universalist's argument is that it ignores so much of scripture!

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