1 Corinthians 15 26

1 Corinthians 15:26 kjv

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:26 nkjv

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:26 niv

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:26 esv

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:26 nlt

And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15 26 Cross References

VerseTextReference
1 Cor 15:54Death is swallowed up in victoryFulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy
Ps 116:15Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saintsGod's perspective on the end of believers' suffering
Isa 25:8He will swallow up death foreverOld Testament prophetic assurance
Hos 13:14O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?Rhetorical question highlighting death's eventual defeat
Rev 20:14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fireFinal destruction of death and the grave
Rev 21:4He will wipe away every tear... no more death or mourning or crying or painDescription of the new, eternal reality
John 11:26Everyone who lives and believes in me will never dieJesus' teaching on eternal life
Rom 8:38-39Nothing can separate us from the love of GodAssurance of ultimate security
Phil 3:10-11To know Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death—that by some means I may attain the resurrection from the deadPaul's longing for resurrection
Col 1:13-14He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sinsTransition from spiritual death to life
1 Thess 4:13-17We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleepAssurance of resurrection for living believers
2 Tim 1:10He has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospelChrist's victory over death in the Gospel
Heb 2:14-15Through death he might destroy the one who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slaveryChrist's conquest over the power of death and the devil
Rom 6:9Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over himChrist's victory as the basis for ours
Gal 3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for usRedemption from the penalty of sin which is death
Acts 2:24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by itPeter's testimony of Jesus' resurrection
Ps 30:3You have preserved my life from among those who go down to the pitDavid's testimony of God's preservation
Isa 53:10When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspringProphecy of the atonement leading to life
Acts 4:33And with great power the apostles gave testimony to the resurrection of the Lord JesusApostolic witness to the resurrection
Rom 5:17For if, because of one man's offense, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of God's grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus ChristThe reign of life overcoming the reign of death

1 Corinthians 15 verses

1 Corinthians 15 26 Meaning

The ultimate enemy, death, will be abolished. This verse speaks to the final triumph over death, marking the completion of Christ's redemptive work and ushering in the eternal state. It signifies the end of death's reign and its complete eradication.

1 Corinthians 15 26 Context

1 Corinthians 15 addresses the resurrection of believers. In this chapter, Paul systematically refutes the erroneous teaching circulating in Corinth that denied a future bodily resurrection. He establishes the theological necessity and certainty of the resurrection, demonstrating it as the cornerstone of Christian faith. Verse 26 serves as a crucial declaration within this argument, signifying the eventual and absolute eradication of death as the final enemy. This truth offers profound hope and encouragement to believers facing persecution and the reality of death. The historical context includes Greek philosophical ideas that often saw the body as a prison to be escaped, a view Paul directly counters by emphasizing the bodily resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15 26 Word Analysis

  • eschatos (ἔσχατος): last. Denotes the finality and ultimate nature of death as the last enemy to be destroyed.

  • echthros (ἐχθρὸς): enemy. Highlights death's adversarial role against God's created order and humanity.

  • katergetai (καταργεῖται): abolished, destroyed, rendered ineffective. A strong verb signifying the complete nullification of death's power and existence. It's used in the passive voice, indicating that this abolition is an act performed upon death by a divine power.

  • The last enemy that will be abolished: This phrase underscores that death, while a pervasive and formidable force, is not eternal but temporary and subject to ultimate defeat. It is the final hurdle before the complete establishment of God's kingdom.

1 Corinthians 15 26 Bonus Section

The concept of "abolishing death" encompasses both the cessation of physical death for believers in the future resurrection and the negation of death's power to separate believers from God's love, as stated in Romans 8:38-39. It's a multifaceted victory. Paul's argument in this chapter draws parallels between Adam's introduction of death and Christ's victory, as seen in Romans 5. The complete overcoming of death is the ultimate manifestation of Christ's reign.

1 Corinthians 15 26 Commentary

This verse declares the eventual and complete destruction of death. Death is presented not as an ultimate reality, but as an enemy that Christ's work on the cross and his resurrection have definitively conquered. While death's sting is experienced by individuals and its presence grieved, its ultimate authority and existence will cease entirely. This abolition is not merely a mitigation of death's effects but its utter annihilation. It is a promise that points to the consummation of God's plan when mortality is overcome by eternal life.