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1 Corinthians 15:23
ESV But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
NIV But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
NASB But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
CSB But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.
NLT 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.
KJV But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

What does 1 Corinthians 15:23 mean?

Paul is correcting a mistaken idea among some of the Corinthians that Christians will never be resurrected in bodily form. They apparently believed as taught by the culture around them: that either death is the end of a person completely or that only the spirit goes on into some vague afterlife. Paul is showing that, instead, Christians will be resurrected to full, physical life just as Christ was after His crucifixion.

Now Paul describes the order in which this will take place, starting with "Christ the firstfruits." Paul refers to Jesus this way since He was the first of the harvest of those who have died to be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20). Sometime later, all those who belong to Christ will be resurrected at His coming or return to the earth (1 John 3:2). Jesus promised to return for His people in John 14:2–3. Paul shows that the fulfillment of that promise will include the physical resurrection from the dead of all who belong to Him (1 Corinthians 15:51).
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