Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin
John Calvin must be given to dry bones and dust that, resuming their former appearance and reunited to the spirit, they come forth straightway as living men into the presence of Christ.
The dead shall rise What he had declared generally as to all, he now explains particularly as to the living and the dead. This distinction, therefore, is simply an exposition of the foregoing statement — that all will not die, but all will be changed "Those who have already died," says he, "will* rise again incorruptible." See what a change there will be upon the dead!* "Those," says he, "who will be still alive will themselves also be changed." You see then as to both. 1028 You now then perceive how it is, that change will be common to all, but not sleep. 1029
When he says, We shall be changed, he includes himself in the number of those, who are to live till the advent of Christ. As it was now the last times, (1 John 2:18,) that day (2 Timothy 1:18) was to be looked for by the saints every hour. At the same time, in writing to the Thessalonians, he utters that memorable prediction respecting the scattering 1030 that would take place in the Church before Christ's coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:3.) This, however, does not hinder that he might, by bringing the Corinthians, as it were, into immediate contact with the event, associate himself and them with those who would at that time be alive.
53. For this corruptible must Mark, how we shall live in the kingdom of God both in body and in soul, while at the same time flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God — for they shall previously be delivered from corruption. Our nature then, as being now corruptible and mortal, is not admissible into the kingdom of God, but when it shall have put off corruption, and shall have been beautified with in-corruption, it will then make its way into it. This passage, too, distinctly proves, that we shall rise again in that same flesh that we now carry about with us, as the Apostle assigns a new quality to it which will serve as a garment. If he had said, This corruptible must be renewed, the error of those fanatics, who imagine that mankind will be furnished with new bodies, would not have been so plainly or forcibly overthrown. Now, however, when he declares that this corruptible shall be invested with glory, there is no room left for cavil.
54. Then shall be brought to pass the saying This is not merely an amplification, ({ἐπεξεργασία},) 1031 but a confirmation, too, of the preceding statement. For what was foretold by the Prophets must be fulfilled. Now this prediction will not be fulfilled, until our bodies, laying aside corruption, will put on incorruption Hence this last result, also, is necessary. To come to pass, is used here in the sense of being fully accomplished, for what Paul quotes is
Aspasio, volume 2 page 66. — Ed.
1028"Voyla donc ques les viuans et les morts;" — "Mark then how it will be as to the living and the dead."
1029"Non pus le dormir, c'est a dire la mort;" — "Not sleep, that is to say, death." 1030"La dissipation horrible;" — "The dreadful scattering." 1031"Vne declaration ou amplification;" — "A declaration or amplification."
Commentary on the Corinthians now begun in us, and is daily, too, receiving further accomplishment; but it will not have its complete fulfillment until the last day.
It does not, however, appear quite manifest, from what passage he has taken this quotation, for many statements occur in the Prophets to this effect. Only the probability is, that the first clause is taken either from Isaiah 25:8, where it is said that death will be for ever destroyed by the Lord, 1032 or, (as almost all are rather inclined to think,) from Hosea 13:14, where the Prophet, bewailing the obstinate wickedness of Israel, complains that he was like an untimely child, that struggles against the efforts of his mother in travail, that he may not come forth from the womb, and from this he concludes, that it was owing entirely to himself, that he was not delivered from death. I will ransom them, says he, from the power of the grave: I will rescue them from death. It matters not, whether you read these words in the future of the indicative, or in the subjunctive 1033 for in either way the meaning amounts to this — that God was prepared to confer upon them salvation, if they would have allowed the favor to be conferred upon them, and that, therefore, if they perished, it was their own fault.
He afterwards adds, I will be thy destruction, O death! thy ruin, O grave! In these words God intimates, that he accomplishes the salvation of his people 1034 only when death and the grave are reduced to nothing. For no one will deny, that in that passage there is a description of completed salvation. As, therefore, we do not see such a destruction of death, it follows, that we do not yet enjoy that complete salvation, which God promises to his people, and that, consequently, it is delayed until that day. Then, accordingly, will death be swallowed up, that is, it will be reduced to nothing, 1035 that we may have manifestly, in every particular, and in every respect, (as they say,)
1032"The words, as alleged by Paul," (from Isaiah 25:8,) "are found in the version of Theodotion, with which the Targum and Syriac agree, in reading the verb as a passive, {{כלעin Piel, as here, commonly signifies to destroy, destroy utterly; in Kal, the more usual signification is that of swallowing, which most of the versions have unhappily adopted, {}לנצחthe Greek translators render by; }ἰσχύσας}, {εἰς} {τέλος}, {εἰς} {νῖκος}; attaching to the term the idea of what is overpowering, durable, complete. The significations of the Hebrew root {,{נצחused only in Niphal and Piel, are --- to shine, lead, lead on, be complete; in Chald. to surpass; excel, vanquish; hence the idea of victory, eternity, etc., attaching to ,{}נצחand of completely, entirely, for ever, etc., to {}נצח{. }לנצחThe words are therefore equivalent to }ὁ} {θάνατος} {ὀυκ} {ἐσται} {ἐτι} --- (Death shall be no longer,) Revelation 21:4, where there seems to be an evident allusion to our text; and where the subject is, as here, not the millennial state of the Church, but the state of glory after the resurrection of the body. It will be then only, that a period shall be put to the reproachful persecutions of the righteous, which Isaiah likewise predicts.'' --- Henderson on Isaiah. --- Ed.
1033"Ie les eusse rachetez — ie les eusse deliurez;" — "I could have ransomed them — I could have rescued them."
1034"Lors vrayement et a bon escient il sauue les fideles;" — "He then truly and effectually saves believers."
1035"This victory will not be gradual only, but total and entire. Every thing of mortality, that was hanging about these glorious victors, shall be swallowed up in perfect and endless life. Death is unstung first — disarmed — and then easily overcome. Its sting is said to be sin — the deadliest thing in death. A plain farther proof, by the way, the Apostle intended death also in the moral sense. And the insulting inquiry, 'where is it?' implies 'tis not any where to be found; and signifies a total abolition of it, and, by consequence, must infer that every thing of death besides must, as to them, for ever cease and be no more. Which also the phrase of swallowing up doth with great emphasis express." — Howe's Works, (Lond. 1834,) page 1035. — Ed.