According to Paul, Christ's Resurrection initiates the End of the World
He viewed Christ's Resurrection as a sign that the general resurrection was imminent
Jesus is the "first fruits of those who have died"
This means that soon all the dead will be resurrected
Paul drew no distinction between Jesus' Resurrection and the General Resurrection
When you see the "first fruits", you know that the harvest is imminent
That is why Paul says, "we will not all die"
He believed the End of the World was imminent.
This is why Paul encourages those who are unmarried not to get married because "the appointed time has grown short" and "the present form of this world is passing away"
Paul describes his current generation as those "on whom the end of the ages have come"
Linked to the "first fruits" imagery of 1 Corinthians 15 is the story of the resurrection of the Saints in Matthew 27.
This story likely developed from the belief that soon after the resurrection of Christ, all the dead would be raised.
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