Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Lecture 8. Manner of the resurrection
15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed. [n. 1001]
15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise again incorruptible. And we shall be changed. [n. 1005]
1001. After responding to the question on the quality of the resurrection, the Apostle then responds to the question which was asked about the mode and order of the resurrection.
And concerning this he does two things.
First, he shows the mode and order of the resurrection;
second, he confirms it by an authority, at and when this mortal (1 Cor 15:54).
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he sets forth the aim;
second, he shows by what order it will be done, at in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
1002. First, then, he renders them attentive, showing that what he is setting forth is difficult and hidden, saying, behold, a mystery, i.e., a certain mystery I tell you, i.e., I uncover for you, brethren, what ought to be uncovered for you and for all believers: to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God (Luke 8:10); yet among the mature we do impart wisdom. . . but we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God (1 Cor 2:6–7).
1003. What that mystery is, he adds, we shall all indeed rise.
It should be understood concerning the first that, as Jerome says in a certain letter to the monks Minerva and Alexander: what is said here, we shall all indeed rise, is not found in any book of the Greeks, but in certain ones is found, we shall all sleep, i.e., we shall all die. And it is called the death of sleep because of the hope of the resurrection. Hence it is the same as if one said, we shall all rise, because no one rises unless he has died.
But we shall not all be changed. This is not altered in the books of the Greeks. And this is true, because that change which is spoken of here will not occur except according to the blessed body, because they shall be changed to those four qualities set down above, which are called the marks of glorified bodies. And this is what Job desired: all the days of my service I would wait, till my release should come (Job 14:14).
1004. In certain books is found: we shall not all sleep, i.e., die, but we shall all be changed. And this is understood in two ways.
First, literally, because the opinion of certain men is that not all men will die, but that at the coming of Christ some will come alive to the judgment, and these will not die, but they will be changed to the state of incorruption; and because of this they say, we shall not all sleep, i.e., die, but we shall all be changed, as much to good as to evil, as much to live as to die. Hence, according to these, the change is not understood from the state of animal to the state of spiritual, because according to this, they will be changed only to good, but from the state of corruption to the state of incorruption.
It is explained in another way, mystically, by Origen, who says that this is not said about the sleep of death, because all will die: what man can live and never see death? (Ps 89:48); from which in Psalm 13: lighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death (Ps 13:3); so that thus it is said, we shall not all sleep, i.e., we shall not all sin mortally, but we shall all be changed, just as above, from the state of corruption to incorruption.
And although these words, namely, we shall not all sleep, are not contrary to the faith, nevertheless the Church accepts with better reason the first explanation, namely, that we shall all die if we shall rise, because all will die even if some are then alive.
1005. Next he exhibits the order and mode of the resurrection when he says, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Concerning this he does three things.
First, he exhibits the order with respect to time;
second, with respect to the cause of the resurrection, at the last trumpet;
third, with respect to the progress produced by the cause, at for the trumpet shall sound.
1006. He says therefore that we all shall rise, but in what manner? In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
By this he excludes the error stated that the future resurrection will not be at the same time, but they say that the martyrs will rise before the others by a thousand years, and then Christ will descend with them, and he will possess the corporeal kingdom of Jerusalem for a thousand years with them. This is the opinion of Lactantius, but this is clearly false, because we all shall rise in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye.
Another of his errors is excluded by this, namely when he said that the judgment was to last for an interval of a thousand years. But this is false, because there will not be any perceptible time, but it will be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
1007. It should be understood that a moment can be taken either for the instant of time itself, which is called ‘now,’ or for a certain imperceptible time. Nevertheless in both ways this can be received by referring it to contrary things. Because if we refer this to the gathering of dust (which will be done by the ministry of the angels), then a moment is taken for an imperceptible time. For since in the gathering of that dust there is a change from place to place, it is necessary that there be a certain time. If we refer it to the reuniting of bodies and for their union with souls, all of which will be done by God, then a moment is taken for an instant of time, because God in an instant unites the soul to the body, and vivifies the body.
It is possible that what he says, in the twinkling of an eye, is referred to either of the two; if in the twinkling of an eye is understood as the opening of the eyelids (which happens in a perceptible time), then it is referred to the gathering of dust. If however in the twinkling of an eye is understood as the instantaneous sight of the eye itself, which happens in an instant, then it is referred to the union of the soul to the body.
1008. Then when he says, at the last trumpet, he shows the order of the resurrection as to its immediate cause.
And that trumpet is the voice of Christ, about which it is said in Matthew: but at midnight there was a cry (Matt 25:6); the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live (John 5:25).
Or it is the presence of Christ himself manifested to the world, as Gregory says, the trumpet signifies nothing other than the presence of Christ manifest to the world, which is called a trumpet for the sake of manifestation, because it will be manifest to all. And trumpet is taken this way in Matthew: thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you (Matt 6:2).
Likewise it is called a trumpet because of the office of the trumpet, which was fourfold, as it is said in Numbers, namely, for the calling of the assembly, and this will be in the resurrection, because then he will call to council, that is, to the judgment: the Lord enters into judgment (Num 10:1ff). Second, for the solemnizing of a feast: blow the trumpet at the new moon (Ps 81:3); so too in the resurrection: look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts (Isa 33:20). Third, for war, and this too is in the resurrection: and will leap to the target as from a well-drawn bow of clouds (Wis 5:21); to the sound of timbrels and lyres (Isa 30:32). Fourth, for the moving of the camp, and so too in the resurrection, some by going to heaven, some by going to hell: and they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matt 25:46).
1009. Then when he says, for the trumpet shall sound, he establishes the progress effected by the cause predicated.
Concerning this, he does two things.
First, he establishes the progress effected;
second, he indicates the necessity of this, at for this corruptible (1 Cor 15:53).
1010. The progress is effected because immediately at the sound of the trumpet the effect follows, because the dead shall rise again: he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice (Ps 68:33).
He establishes however two effects. One is common, because the dead shall rise again incorruptible, i.e., renewed without any diminution of their members. That indeed is common to all, because in the resurrection the reparation of nature pertains to all, because all have communion with Christ in nature. And although Augustine leaves open a doubt whether deformities will remain among the damned, I believe that whatever pertains to the reparation of nature is conferred entirely on them; but what pertains to grace is conferred only on the elect. And therefore all will rise incorruptible, i.e., renewed, even the damned.
Jerome however explains incorruptible, i.e., the state of incorruption, as namely, that they will not be corrupted further after the resurrection, because they will have come to that eternal beatitude, the evil surely to eternal punishment: and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake (Dan 12:2).
1011. The other effect is proper, i.e., only of the apostles, because we shall be changed, namely, the Apostles, and not only will we be incorruptible, but we shall be changed, that is, from the state of misery to the state of glory, because what is sown animal rises spiritual.
And according to this way of expounding, it is clear that that reading is better which says, we shall all rise, but we shall not all be changed, than that which has, we shall all be changed, because although all shall rise, nevertheless only the holy and the elect shall be changed.
But it would be possible even according to those who have, we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed, to be read thus: the dead will rise incorruptible, i.e., to the state of incorruption, and we who are alive, although we will not rise because we are not dead, nonetheless will be changed from the state of corruption to incorruption. And this would seem to agree with what is said in 1 Thessalonians: we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them (1 Thess 4:17); so that just as there, here too he reckons himself with the living.