1 Corinthians 15:55Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you see the greatness of his soul? As though celebrating victory, he is filled with courage. Beholding the future as though already accomplished, he is caught up and tramples fallen death underfoot. Over the head of the vanquished one he raises the cry of victory, loudly proclaiming: “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” It has passed away, perished, and vanished completely. Everything has been made vain. The Lord not only disarmed and conquered death, but destroyed it and brought it to nothing.

As though seeing this accomplished in deed, he is filled with courage, utters a cry of victory, and triumphs. He seems to stand upon fallen death and trample it down. You may find a certain distinction between Hades and death: Hades holds souls, while death holds bodies, for souls are immortal.

Since human nature, as tribute for sin, has been subjected to the enemy, man must first be torn from his power in order to fight him. Then, if his life is prolonged, he will need help in the battle, so that he may overcome the enemy. Finally, the victor will be blessed to reign, and then he will say: “O death, where is your sting?” Death in this passage, as I think, means the habit of the flesh resisting the good will through temporal pleasures.

Where, O death, is your victory, which was from Adam until this day? And where, O death, is your sting, which took its beginning from the fruit of the tree (Hos 13:14)?

After the resurrection, the death of the impious and of sinners will be swallowed up in victory. For these are words of mockery: “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The victory over death is the resurrection of the dead. Here death also means the devil put to shame.

Because the divine Apostle beholds the very fulfillment, he sees both the Master’s victory and the resurrection of the dead. As though singing a triumph over the enemies, he uttered this prophetic song (Is 25:8; Hos 13:14).

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” This passage is cited freely from Isaiah (Is 25:8). There it is foretold that death will be swallowed up forever. Here the Apostle indicates that, because of Christ’s victory over death, its swallowing up has already been, as it were, accomplished. Transported in exultation to the future state of the risen, he cries out in the words of the prophet Hosea: “O death, where is your sting?” (Hos 13:14).

The Apostle concludes the chapter with Isaiah's prophetic words that one day "death will be swallowed up in victory," that is, it will be conquered utterly.

He also uses the words of the prophet Hosea, that the sting will be torn from death and Hades will be deprived of its victory.

After thanking God for the victory over death and sin granted to us through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle turns to the Corinthians with this instruction.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable," that is, in faith and Christian life. "Always abound in the work of the Lord," that is, in the work of salvation.

"Know that your labor is not in vain before the Lord," for there is a resurrection of the dead and there is a future life.

The first fruit of the future transformation of bodies will be the destruction of death. The second will be victory over Hades and the devil.

Together with this, the power of sin will be destroyed, as will all those instruments or means used to arouse or restrain it.

Such were, for example, the law of conscience and the revealed law, which now pierces to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts of the heart (Heb 4:12).

Then the righteous will shine like the sun, while sinners will be kept in torments (Mt 13:43). Therefore one law alone will then reign, the law of God's righteousness.

The prophet Daniel foretold this, saying: everlasting righteousness will be brought in (Dan 9:24).

Death is presented under the image of a venomous serpent, which killed everyone with its sting. When its sting was taken away, it became no longer fearful, but a laughingstock to children.

Hades, according to the usual understanding of that time, is the receptacle of all who depart this life. It is presented as taking everyone into its power through death. Now there is an end to its victims as well.

The Apostle personifies them and, in the words of the prophet Hosea (Hos 13:14), addresses them with this humiliating speech.

"He already contemplates the very fulfillment, sees the Master's victory and the resurrection of the dead, and, singing the triumph over the enemies, utters this prophetic song" (Theodoret).