Thursday, April 20, 2017
1 Corinthians 15:55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
Paul quotes Hosea 13:14 in reference to the victory that Christ has won by his resurrection and by which he has conquered sin, death, hell and all our enemies. Paul says that death is swallowed up in this victory, and he defies death with these words: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
In effect he says: "In times past, sin and death, you were mighty, terrible foes, before whom everyone-- no matter how holy and pious-- had to tremble and despair; but where are you now? How did I lose you so completely? O death, where are your teeth? Come, bite off one of my fingers. Before you had a spear, what has become of it now? Christ has taken it from you. Sin, where is now the edge of your sword and your power?"
Paul says that the power of sin is the law. The more clearly we understand the law, the more sin oppresses and stings us. For this reason Paul says that Christ has completely destroyed the spear of death. Why, Paul replies, everything is swallowed up and completely drowned in a victory. But where is the victory, or whose is the victory?
"Thanks be to God," he further replies (v. 51), "He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Now, this Gospel he has not taken with him into heaven, but he caused it to be preached throughout the world, so that for him who believes in Christ, spear and whetstone, nay, sin and death, should be destroyed. But this must be brought about by the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore pray God that his Gospel may prosper, that we all may truly learn to know Christ and thus rise with him and be honored by God as he was honored.
- Martin Luther
