But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Parallel translations
- WEB But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.
- BSB But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- NKJV But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- NASB But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
- NLT But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
But Christ has truly been raised as the first fruits of those who sleep. It matters because His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of all who belong to Him.
Overview
After the hypotheticals, Paul declares the glorious fact: Christ is risen. As the 'first fruits,' His resurrection is the firstborn pledge of a coming harvest of resurrected believers. The image assures Christians that their own rising is certain because Christ has gone before them in victory over death.
Cross-references & the web
Theme
- Resurrection"Christ has been raised, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
Cross-references · 7
- Rev 1:5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
- 1 Cor 15:23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
- Acts 26:23That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
- 1 Pet 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- Col 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
- Rom 8:11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
- 1 Cor 15:6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 15:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.