Paul’s View of Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
Many Christians believe this passage refers to physical resurrection. But if that were true, then why did Paul use Old Testament examples of spiritual resurrection to make his case? Paul could have easily given examples of physical resurrections—such as in 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:32-37, and 2 Kings 13:20-21—but he didn’t do that. Instead, he pointed to Old Testament passages about spiritual resurrection. For example:
“Oh Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55).
In this passage, Paul is alluding to Hosea 13:14, which says:
“I [God] will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!” (Hos. 13:14).
This passage clearly refers to the spiritual resurrection of Israel. The chapter begins with God describing Israel’s spiritually dead state:
“When Ephraim spoke, trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended through Baal worship, he died. Now they sin more and more” (Hos. 13:1–2, italics mine).
This cannot possibly refer to physical death because physically dead people do not “sin more and more.” This is obviously referring to Israel’s spiritually dead state. Israel’s sins had separated them from God, and thus, they were spiritually dead. And they kept sinning more and more.
Then God goes on to say: “O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me…I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!” (Hos. 13: 9, 14).
The last section (v. 14) is what Paul was alluding to in 1 Corinthians 15:55. And why did Paul point to this passage? Because this is what God was doing in Paul’s day through Jesus. God was redeeming the righteous remnant of Israel from spiritual death/separation from God. Death was being destroyed. This is what the general resurrection was all about!
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
While it’s true that Jesus died and rose from the dead physically, notice how Paul says—twice—“according to the Scriptures.” Paul was clearly referring to Hosea 6:1-2:
“Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up” (Hos. 6:1-2).
This is a passage about Israel’s corporate spiritual resurrection/restoration—from a state of spiritual deadness and separation from God because of sin…to a state of forgiveness of sin and a restored relationship with God, aka spiritual life. And the reason Paul alluded to this passage is that it was coming to pass in his day! Israel was being resurrected to life through Jesus.
Furthermore, Jesus’s physical resurrection on the third day was the incontrovertible sign—or proof—of this. In fact, Jesus’ physical resurrection is specifically called a sign (Matt. 12:38–40, John 20:30–31, John 11:47). Supernatural signs/miracles prove spiritual realities (Matt. 9:5-6), and this is what Jesus’ physical resurrection was, a sign of the corporate resurrection of the righteous remnant of Israel!
The Timing of the Resurrection
When did the resurrection happen? In the first century, within the lifetimes of the Corinthians. Notice what Paul told the Corinthians:
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
We shall not all sleep. We shall be changed. Paul clearly expected the resurrection to happen within the lifetimes of the Corinthians. And Paul told the Thessalonians the very same thing:
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:15-17).
We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord. We who are alive and remain shall be caught up. (The second coming and resurrection happen at the same time.) This would happen in the lifetimes of the Thessalonians.
The resurrection happened in the first century!
For more information about the topics discussed in the article, please see my book The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled, available NOW on Amazon!
By Alex Polyak, director of The Bible fulfilled, 8/9/25
