1 Corinthians 15:20 (LSB)

Passage

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "christ", "been", "raised", "dead", "first", "fruits", "fallen", and "asleep". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "christ" and "been", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "If we have hoped in Christ in..." into verse 21's "For since by a man came death...", so "christ" and "been" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "christ" and "been" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.