1Corinthians 15:22-28, The Refutation Of a Universalist's Argument---part I
by Tom Logan
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Regarding the universalist argument introduced in "1Corinthians 15:22-28, The Refutation Of a Universalist's Argument---The Introduction"

    "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

This argument fails to see that 1Cor 15 takes us only as far as the resurrection and does not deal with the final judgment or the lake of fire and the new earth both of which are subsequent to Christ's advent and the resurrection:

     In 1 Cor. 15:22-28, we have:

In context it is hostile and enemy powers which are abolished.

1 Cor 15:24-26
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  (NIV)

All enemies are to be abolished and all are to be placed under Christ's feet.  The passage is a reference to:

Psalm 110:1-7
1 The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."
2 The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.
3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
7 He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head. (NIV)

which shows the nature of Christ's rule and his defeat of his enemies.  It is quite ludicrous to view the defeat of these enemies as expressing salvation in this context.

The eternal reign of Christ frequently takes a beating at the hands of universalist commentators.  However it is a particular reign of Christ which is denoted here. It is the meditorial reign of Christ in which He serves as the intermediary between God and man. When the kingdom is turned over, man will relate directly to God and require no mediator:

Rev 21:1-7
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. (KJV)

Then by right of His divine deity, Christ will reign forever:

Luke 1
33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.'
---Young's literal translation.

Psalm 45:6
6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. (KJV)

Dan 7:13-14
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,
and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and
languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom that which shall  not be destroyed. (KJV)

Heb 1:8
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is
the sceptre of thy kingdom. (KJV)

Again in context, it is the mediatoral reign of Christ which is spoken of as being handed over.   Presently, Men relate to God through Christ at the end of the mediatorial reign, men will relate directly to God.

Scripture does not deny that (1) Christ is God and (2) Christ has a reign that never ends

And He is forever on the throne:

Rev 22:3
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his
servants shall serve him: (KJV)

Rev 22:1
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of
 God and of the Lamb. (KJV)

Returning to the universalist argument:

It is clear that all enemies will be defeated, however this does not speak of universal salvation.  It is also clear that all will be subjected to the power of Christ.  Once again this does not speak of universal salvation:

Mark 5:1-13
1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (KJV)

It seems even demons were subjected to our Lord in His earthly ministry and recognized His Lordship.  However, subjection does not necessarily imply salvation!

Certainly this is true when subjection comes through a display of power as in 1Cor 15:

1 Cor 15:25-26
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (KJV)

and it's reference to:

Psalm 110:1-7
1 The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."
2 The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.
3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
7 He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head. (NIV)
 


Again, it is physical death which is referred to here:

1 Cor 15:35-43
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: (KJV)

It is the defeat of physical death by resurrection and in context refers to the resurrection of believers at Christ's advent:

1 Cor 15:50-54
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)

1 Cor 15:23
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (KJV)

This is the key - all will be resurrected at Christ's advent.  Paul however does not speak of the resurrection of the wicked here. Nevertheless, we know they are raised at the same time, see Jn 5:28,29; Dan 12:2 and Rev 20:11-15.

However following the resurrection is the final judgment and the lake of fire:

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)

...so after physical death is defeated, there remains the lake of fire which is also known as the second death in the bible:

Rev 21:8
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)

---end part 1.

click here to continue to part II