1 Corinthians chapter 15

vs 25

Ok, you can feel free to disagree, but to fill in the "he"s, here is my understanding - Jesus must reign until God has put all God's enemies under Jesus' feet.

This means that Jesus currently reigns, which is easy for us to accept as he is risen in glorious splendour, and is in heaven, so we assume it's not hard to reign from there.

vs 26

Now death wasn't destroyed by Jesus' resurrection. Well, it sort of was. People still die, though, so we know it wasn't. But it was a sign that the defeat will come. So we can assume this victory over death will come in the end times with Jesus' return.

vs 27

This is clearly God putting everything under Jesus' feet. Except himself, as Paul makes clear. Jesus was humble before God on earth, and probably still is now. This does not mean that Jesus is not equal with God. But just because they are equals does not mean that one cannot treat the other with deference.

vs 28

Again, this subjection is not out of one's inferiority to the other - it is a deference which we assume is a part of the relational structure of the Godhead.

vs 29

Ok, we really have no idea here. Historical picture of this practice is sketchy at best. This verse is not necessarily endorsing the practice, but it is also not being explicitly denied either. It is never prescribed in Scripture, though, so I think we can safely say it's not necessary. The point Paul is making is that ther's no point to people doing it if there is no resurrection.

vs 30

Paul's own risk-taking life is another example of proof that he believes in the resurrection, that his hope is on more than just this life which he treats as temporary.

vs 31

He means it, but not literally. What does he actually mean? I'm not sure. That he puts his life at risk for the gospel every day? Perhaps. That he dies more to the sinful nature? Possibly, but it's out of context. There could be other meanings, but I think that first one is most in keeping with the context. Paul is really serious about this too.

vs 32

He does not do the things he does for human or temporal gain, because he knows that things done for such purposes are worthless in the end, and he has gained nothing. If he didn't believe in a resurrection or an eternity after death, then why do anything but enjoy yourself in the short term, right?

vs 33

This sort of jumps in from nowhere. I am assuming he's talking about those in the church who are talking about this lack of resurrection, or he might be talking about the company of philosophers who came to correct Paul's view on things like the resurrection, whom the Corinthians supposedly had a great respect for.

vs 34

Paul shames them because there are some among them who are ignorant of God. Could it be that these philosophers are talking the Christians into believing their philosophies, and so there are people in the church who are ignorant of God, but know about these philosophies? In any case, the church isn't doing its job.

vs 35

People still ask this question, even Christians. Paul's answer is quite potent, which makes us think that the way in which the Corinthians asked it was more of a scoffing than a plea for understanding.

vs 36

This is the start of a new metaphor - the idea of planting something and it dying before it comes to a new life.