1 Corinthians 15:25-27 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

For he must reign Because so it is written, Psalms 110:1; till he God the Father; hath put all enemies under his feet That is, till he hath utterly subdued them to Christ, that he may destroy them. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death That enemy which continues, in some measure, to hold the subjects of Christ under his dominion, even when the temptations of the world, and the malice of Satan, can hold them no longer, and when every remainder of corrupt nature and human infirmity has long since ceased in the perfect holiness of the intermediate state. Macknight, who renders this verse, the last enemy, death, shall be destroyed, observes, that “the common version of this passage implies that there are some enemies who shall not be destroyed, which is wrong: for all enemies shall be destroyed, 1 Corinthians 15:25.” Nor is it true in every sense, that “because death is called the last enemy, it is to be last destroyed: for if the destruction of death is to be accomplished by the resurrection, the devil and his angels, and wicked men, are to be judged and punished after the dead are raised. In Chrysostom's opinion, death is called the last enemy, because he entered into the world after the devil and sin entered.” For Satan brought in sin, and sin brought forth death. There is a sense, however, in which it may be affirmed that death is the last enemy that is destroyed; for when Christ engaged these enemies, he first conquered Satan, namely, in his temptation, then sin in his death, and lastly, death in his resurrection. In the same order he delivers all the faithful from them, yea, and destroys their power. Death he so destroys, that it shall exist no more; sin and Satan, so that they shall no more hurt his people. For he hath put all things under his feet Agreeably to what is said, Psalms 8:6. But As is sufficiently evident; when he saith all things are put under him In the last-mentioned passage, and as is implied in many others; he The Father; is excepted, who did put all things under him This declaration concerning the Father's not being subject to the Son, was intended to prevent us from interpreting what is said of the extent of the Son's dominion, in such a manner as to fancy that he is in any respect superior to the Father.