Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." — 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (ASV)

After responding to the question on the quality of the resurrection, the Apostle then responds to the question that was asked about the manner and order of the resurrection. In this regard, he does two things. First, he shows the manner and order of the resurrection; second, he confirms it by an authority (1 Corinthians 15:54). Regarding the first point, he does two things. First, he states the objective; second, he shows the order in which it will be done (1 Corinthians 15:52).

First, then, he gets their attention by showing that what he is presenting is difficult and hidden, saying, Behold, a mystery. That is, a certain mystery I tell you; in other words, I am uncovering for you, brothers, what ought to be revealed to you and to 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 Corinthians 2:6–7).

He adds what that mystery is: we shall all rise. Regarding this, it should be understood that, as Jerome says in a letter to the monks Minerva and Alexander, what is said here, we shall all rise, is not found in any Greek manuscript. Instead, in some manuscripts, we find, we shall all sleep, that is, we shall all die. This death is called "sleep" because of the hope of the resurrection. Therefore, it is the same as saying, we shall all rise, because no one rises unless he has died. But the next phrase, not all shall be changed, is not altered in the Greek manuscripts. And this is true, because the change spoken of here will only occur in the blessed body, for they will be changed according to the four qualities mentioned above, which are called the marks of glorified bodies. This is what Job desired: All the days of my service I would wait, till my release [immutatio] should come (Job 14:14).

In some manuscripts, we find: We shall not all sleep, that is, die, but we shall all be changed. This is understood in two ways. First, it can be understood literally. The opinion of some is that not all people will die, but that at Christ's coming, some will arrive at the judgment alive. These will not die but will be changed to a state of incorruption. For this reason, they say, We shall not all sleep, that is, die, but we shall all be changed—some for good and some for evil, some to live and some to die. According to this view, therefore, the change is not understood as being from a natural state to a spiritual state (because in that case, they would be changed only for the good), but rather from a state of corruption to a state of incorruption.

Origen explains it in another way, mystically. He says this is not about the sleep of death, because all will die: What man can live and never see death? (Psalms 89:48). Similarly, Psalms 13:3 says, Lighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death. Thus, the verse We shall not all sleep is interpreted to mean, "We shall not all sin mortally," but all will be changed, as stated before, from the state of corruption to incorruption. And although these words, we shall not all sleep, are not contrary to the faith, the Church nevertheless accepts the first explanation with better reason: that we shall all die if we are to rise, because all will die, even those who are alive at that time.

Next, he shows the order and manner of the resurrection when he says, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Regarding this, he does three things. First, he shows the order with respect to time; second, with respect to the cause of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52b); and third, with respect to the effect produced by that cause (1 Corinthians 15:52c).

He says, therefore, that we shall all rise, but in what way? In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. By this, he excludes the stated error that the future resurrection will not happen for everyone at the same time. Some say that the martyrs will rise a thousand years before the others, and then Christ will descend with them and possess a physical kingdom in Jerusalem with them for a thousand years. This is the opinion of Lactantius, but it is clearly false, because we shall all rise in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Another of his errors is also excluded by this: his claim that the judgment would last for a thousand years. But this is false, because there will not be any perceptible duration; it will be in a moment.

It should be understood that a "moment" can be taken either as an instant of time itself, which is called the "now," or as a certain imperceptible period of time. This can be understood in both ways by relating it to different aspects of the event. If we relate this to the gathering of the dust (which will be done by the ministry of angels), then a "moment" is taken to mean an imperceptible period of time. For since the gathering of that dust involves movement from place to place, a certain amount of time is necessary. However, if we relate it to the reuniting of bodies and their union with souls, all of which will be done by God, then a "moment" is taken to mean an instant of time, because God unites the soul to the body and gives it life in an instant. It is possible that what he says, in the twinkling of an eye, refers to either of these. If in the twinkling of an eye is understood as the opening of the eyelids (which happens in a perceptible amount of time), then it refers to the gathering of the dust. If, however, in the twinkling of an eye is understood as the instantaneous act of seeing itself, which happens in an instant, then it refers to the union of the soul with the body.

Then, when he says, at the last trumpet, he shows the order of the resurrection in relation to its immediate cause. That trumpet is the voice of Christ, about which it is said in Matthew 25:6, But at midnight there was a cry, and in John 5:25, The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Or, as Gregory says, it is the very presence of Christ made manifest to the world: "The trumpet signifies nothing other than the presence of Christ manifest to the world." It is called a trumpet for the sake of this manifestation, because it will be clear to all. The word "trumpet" is used this way in Matthew 6:2: Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you.

It is also called a trumpet because of its fourfold function, as described in Numbers 10:1-10:

1. To call the assembly. This will happen at the resurrection, because then He will call everyone to council, that is, to the judgment: The Lord enters into judgment.
2. To solemnize a feast: Blow the trumpet at the new moon (Psalms 81:3). This too will happen at the resurrection: Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts (Isaiah 33:20).
3. For war. This too will happen at the resurrection: And will leap to the target as from a well-drawn bow of clouds ; To the sound of timbrels and lyres (Isaiah 30:32).
4. To move the camp. So too at the resurrection, some will go to heaven and some to hell: And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:46).

Then, when he says, and the trumpet will sound, he establishes the effect produced by the aforementioned cause. Regarding this, he does two things. First, he establishes the effect produced; second, he indicates its necessity (1 Corinthians 15:53).

The effect is produced because the result immediately follows the sound of the trumpet, for the dead will be raised: He sends forth his voice, his mighty voice (Psalms 68:33). He establishes two effects. One is common to all: the dead will be raised imperishable, that is, renewed without any loss of their body parts. This is indeed common to all, because the restoration of nature in the resurrection pertains to everyone, for all share a common nature with Christ. And although Augustine (in Enchiridion, 92) leaves it an open question whether deformities will remain among the damned, I believe that whatever pertains to the restoration of nature is conferred on them entirely. However, what pertains to grace is conferred only on the elect. Therefore, all will rise incorruptible—that is, renewed—even the damned. Jerome, however, explains "incorruptible" as referring to the state of incorruption, meaning that they will not be corrupted further after the resurrection. For they will have arrived at that eternal state—the evil to eternal punishment: And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake (Daniel 12:2).

The other effect is specific, that is, only for the Apostles, because we shall be changed. This refers to the Apostles, who will not only be incorruptible but will also be changed from a state of misery to a state of glory, because what is sown a natural body rises a spiritual body. According to this way of explaining it, the reading that says, We shall all rise, but we shall not all be changed, is clearly better than the one that has, We shall all be changed. For although all shall rise, only the holy and the elect will be changed. However, it would still be possible to interpret the reading, We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed, in this way: the dead will rise incorruptible (that is, to a state of incorruption), and we who are alive—although we will not rise because we are not dead—will nonetheless be changed from a state of corruption to incorruption. This would seem to agree with what is said in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: We who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them. Thus, just as in that passage, here too the Apostle counts himself among the living.