The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:20 Explained

1 Corinthians 15:20

KJV: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

YLT: And now, Christ hath risen out of the dead -- the first-fruits of those sleeping he became,

Darby: (But now Christ is raised from among the dead, first-fruits of those fallen asleep.

ASV: But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the dead,  [and] become  the firstfruits  of them that slept. 

What does 1 Corinthians 15:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The argument advances here by connecting the believer with Christ. Christ was the firstfruits of the larger group of those whom God has chosen for salvation. This is the last mention of Christ"s resurrection in the argument, but all that follows rests on this fact.
The Jews celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month on their sacred calendar. Jesus died on the day Jewish fathers slew the Passover lamb, which was a Friday that year. The Jews offered a sacrifice of firstfruits the day after the Sabbath (Saturday) following the Passover ( Leviticus 23:10-11), namely, Sunday. This was the day Jesus arose. Fifty days later on Pentecost they presented another offering of new grain that they also called an offering of firstfruits ( Leviticus 23:15-17). The firstfruits they offered following the Passover were only the first of the crops that they offered later. Paul saw in this comparison the fact that other believers would rise from the dead just as Jesus Christ did. He used the firstfruits metaphor to assert that the resurrection of believers is absolutely inevitable. God Himself has guaranteed it.

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 15:12-28 - Christ's Resurrection Assures Ours
The argument here goes to show, first, that our resurrection is intimately connected with Christ's. There must be such a thing, because he, as the representative of humanity, arose from the dead, in a human body which, though more ethereal in its texture, was easily recognizable by those who had known Him previously. Mary was recalled by the well-known intonations of her Master's voice. Thomas was compelled to believe, in spite of his protestations to the contrary. In fact, all of our Lord's friends were convinced against themselves. They credited the tidings of the risen Lord as idle tales. Therefore, says the Apostle, it is far easier to admit that man will rise than to face the difficulties of a still buried Christ, a vain faith, a vain gospel, and a false testimony from so many accredited witnesses.
What a burst of music breaks forth in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28! The first fruit sheaf is the forerunner and specimen of all the harvest. In Christ the whole Church was presented to God, and we may judge of the whole by Him. Note the divine order in 1 Corinthians 15:23 : first, Christ; then, His own; lastly, the end, when death itself shall be destroyed, all enemies conquered, and the kingdom of an emancipated universe finally handed back by the Mediator to the Father. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 15

1  By Christ's resurrection,
12  he proves the necessity of our resurrection,
16  against all such as deny the resurrection of the body
21  The fruit,
35  and the manner thereof;
51  and of the resurrection of those who shall be found alive at the last day

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 15:20

But now [νυνι δε]
Emphatic form of νυν — nun with ι — ̇i added (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:18). It is the logical triumph of Paul after the reductio ad impossibile (Findlay) of the preceding argument. [source]
The first-fruits [απαρχη]
Old word from απαρχομαι — aparchomai to offer firstlings or first-fruits. In lxx for first-fruits. In papyri for legacy-duty, entrance-fee, and also first-fruits as here. See also 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Corinthians 16:15; Romans 8:23, etc. Christ is “first-born from the dead” (Colossians 1:18). Others raised from the dead died again, but not so Jesus. That sleep (των κεκοιμημενων — tōn kekoimēmenōn). Perfect middle participle as in Matthew 27:52 which see. Beautiful picture of death from which word (κοιμαομαι — koimaomai) comes our χεμετερψ — cemetery f0). [source]
That sleep [των κεκοιμημενων]
Perfect middle participle as in Matthew 27:52 which see. Beautiful picture of death from which word (κοιμαομαι — koimaomai) comes our χεμετερψ — cemetery f0). [source]
The first-fruits [ἀπαρχὴ]
See on James 1:18. Omit become. Compare Colossians 1:18, and see on Revelation 1:5. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 15:20

Matthew 27:52 The tombs were opened [τα μνημεια ανεωιχτησαν]
First aorist passive indicative (double augment). The splitting of the rocks by the earthquake and the opening of tombs can be due to the earthquake. But the raising of the bodies of the dead after the resurrection of Jesus which appeared to many in the holy city puzzles many today who admit the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus. Some would brand all these portents as legends since they appear in Matthew alone. Others would say that “after his resurrection” should read “after their resurrection,” but that would make it conflict with Paul‘s description of Christ as the first fruits of them that sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). Some say that Jesus released these spirits after his descent into Hades. So it goes. We come back to miracles connected with the birth of Jesus, God‘s Son coming into the world. If we grant the possibility of such manifestations of God‘s power, there is little to disturb one here in the story of the death of God‘s Son. [source]
Romans 11:16 First fruit [απαρχη]
See note on 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23. The metaphor is from Numbers 15:19. The lxx has απαρχην πυραματος — aparchēn phuramatos first of the dough as a heave offering. [source]
1 Corinthians 16:15 Ye know [οιδατε]
Koiné{[28928]}š form for second perfect indicative used as present of οραω — horaō Parenthetic clause through rest of the verse. Stephanas is mentioned also in 1 Corinthians 1:16 and in 1 Corinthians 16:17. For απαρχη — aparchē see note on 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23. [source]
Colossians 1:18 The first-born from the dead [πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν]
Defining how Christ is the beginning of the new spiritual life: by His resurrection. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23, and Prince of life, Acts 3:15(note) See on Revelation 1:5, where the phrase is slightly different, “first-born of the dead.” He comes forth from among the dead as the first-born issues from the womb. Compare Acts 2:4, “having loosed the pains of death,” where the Greek is ὠδῖνας birth-throesThere is a parallelism between first-born of the creation and first-born from the dead as regards the relation of headship in which Christ stands to creation and to the Church alike; but the parallelism is not complete. “He is the first-born from the dead as having been Himself one of the dead. He is not the first-born of all creation as being himself created” (Dwight). [source]
1 Thessalonians 4:13 Them which are asleep [τῶν κοιμωμένων]
Or, who are sleeping. See on Acts 7:60; see on 2 Peter 3:4, and comp. 1 Corinthians 7:39; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:18, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:51; John 11:11, etc. The dead members of the Thessalonian church. [source]
2 Thessalonians 2:13 Beloved of the Lord [ηγαπημενοι υπο κυριου]
Perfect passive participle of αγαπαω — agapaō with υπο — hupo and the ablative as in 1 Thessalonians 1:4, only here κυριου — kuriou instead of τεου — theou the Lord Jesus rather than God the Father. Because that God chose you (οτι ειλατο υμας ο τεος — hoti heilato humas ho theos). First aorist middle indicative of αιρεω — haireō to take, old verb, but uncompounded only in N.T. here, Philemon 1:22; Hebrews 11:25, and here only in sense of choose, that being usually εχαιρεομαι — exaireomai or προοριζω — proorizō From the beginning Probably the correct text (Aleph D L) and not απαρχην — aparchēn (first fruits, B G P), though here alone in Paul‘s writings and a hard reading, the eternal choice or purpose of God (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9), while απαρχην — aparchēn is a favourite idea with Paul (1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Corinthians 16:15; Romans 8:23; Romans 11:16; Romans 16:5). Unto salvation (εις σωτηριαν — eis sōtērian). The ultimate goal, final salvation. In sanctification of the Spirit Subjective genitive πνευματος — pneumatos sanctification wrought by the Holy Spirit. And belief of the truth (και πιστει αλητειας — kai pistei alētheias). Objective genitive αλητειας — alētheias belief in the truth. [source]
2 Thessalonians 2:13 From the beginning [απ αρχης]
Probably the correct text (Aleph D L) and not απαρχην — aparchēn (first fruits, B G P), though here alone in Paul‘s writings and a hard reading, the eternal choice or purpose of God (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9), while απαρχην — aparchēn is a favourite idea with Paul (1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Corinthians 16:15; Romans 8:23; Romans 11:16; Romans 16:5). Unto salvation (εις σωτηριαν — eis sōtērian). The ultimate goal, final salvation. In sanctification of the Spirit Subjective genitive πνευματος — pneumatos sanctification wrought by the Holy Spirit. And belief of the truth (και πιστει αλητειας — kai pistei alētheias). Objective genitive αλητειας — alētheias belief in the truth. [source]
James 1:18 A kind of first-fruits [ἀπαρχήν τινα]
A kind of indicates the figurative nature of the term. Time figure is taken from the requirement of the Jewish law that the first-born of men and cattle, and the first growth of fruits and grain should be consecrated to the Lord. The point of the illustration is that Christians, like first-fruits, should be consecrated to God. The expression “first-fruits ” is common in the New Testament. See Romans 8:23; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23; Revelation 14:4. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 15:20 mean?

Now however Christ has been raised out from [the] dead firstfruit of those having fallen asleep
Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων

Νυνὶ  Now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: νυνί  
Sense: now, at this very moment.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Χριστὸς  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
ἐγήγερται  has  been  raised 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.
ἐκ  out  from 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
νεκρῶν  [the]  dead 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: νεκρός  
Sense: properly.
ἀπαρχὴ  firstfruit 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀπαρχή  
Sense: to offer firstlings or firstfruits.
τῶν  of  those 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κεκοιμημένων  having  fallen  asleep 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: κοιμάω  
Sense: to cause to sleep, put to sleep.