We live between two Easters

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Theologian Erich Sauer has written, “The present age is Easter time. It begins with the resurrection of the Redeemer and ends with the resurrection of the redeemed. Between lies the spiritual resurrection of those called into life through Christ. So we live between two Easters, and in the power of the first Easter we go to meet the last Easter.”

The last Easter to which Saner refers is, of course, the bodily resurrection of the saved. Scripture speaks of that resurrection of the righteous (Rev. 20:6; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; 2 Cor. 5:1–5; Luke 14:14; John 5:29), calling it the first resurrection. The second is the resurrection of the unrighteous (John 5:29). It is of the first resurrection that Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 15.

The apostle has reminded the Corinthians that they already believed in Christ’s resurrection (15:1–11) and that logically they must also believe in their own resurrection and that of all saints, mentioning seven disastrous and absurd consequences that would result if they were not raised (vv. 12–19). Moving into verses 20–28 Paul discusses three aspects of the resurrection of the righteous: (1) The Redeemer; (2) the redeemed; and (3) the restoration. The first and third focus on Christ; the second focuses on believers.


MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1984). 1 Corinthians (pp. 415–416). Chicago: Moody Press.

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