{14} Then cometh the {h} end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down {i} all rule and all authority and power.

(14) The fourth argument with which also he confirms the other, has a most sure ground, that is, because God must reign. And this is the manner of his reign, that the Father will be shown to be King in his Son who was made man, to whom all things are made subject (the promiser being the only exception) to the end that the Father may afterward triumph in his Son the conqueror. And he makes two parts of this reign and dominion of the Son in which the Father's glory consists: that is first, the overcoming of his enemies, in which some must be deprived of all power, as Satan and all the wicked, be they ever so proud and mighty, and others must be utterly abolished, as death. And second, a plain and full delivery of the godly from all enemies, that by this means God may fully set forth the body of the Church cleaving fast to their head Christ, his kingdom and glory, as a King among his subjects. Moreover he puts the first degree of his kingdom in the resurrection of the Son, who is the head: and the perfection, in the full conjunction of the members with the head, which will be in the latter day. Now all these tend to this purpose, to show that unless the dead do rise again, neither the Father can be King above all, neither Christ the Lord of all. For neither should the power of Satan and death be overcome, nor the glory of God be full in his Son, nor his Son in his members.

(h) The conclusion and finishing of all things.

(i) All his enemies who will be robbed of all the power that they have.

People's New Testament

15:24 The cometh the end. The end follows soon after the resurrection of the saints.

When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God. See 1Co 15:28. When Christ's work is accomplished he places all in the Father's hands.

Wesley's Notes

15:24 Then - After the resurrection and the general judgment. Cometh the end - Of the world; the grand period of all those wonderful scenes that have appeared for so many succeeding generations. When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father, and he (the Father) shall have abolished all adverse rule, authority, and power - Not that the Father will then begin to reign without the Son, nor will the Son then cease to reign. For the divine reign both of the Father and Son is from everlasting to everlasting. But this is spoken of the Son's mediatorial kingdom, which will then be delivered up, and of the immediate kingdom or reign of the Father, which will then commence. Till then the Son transacts the business which the Father hath given him, for those who are his, and by them as well as by the angels, with the Father, and against their enemies. So far as the Father gave the kingdom to the Son, the Son shall deliver it up to the Father, John 13:3. Nor does the Father cease to reign, when he gives it to the Son; neither the Son, when he delivers it to the Father: but the glory which he had before the world began, John 17:5; Heb 1:8, will remain even after this is delivered up. Nor will he cease to be a king even in his human nature, Luke 1:33. If the citizens of the new Jerusalem shall reign for ever, Rev 22:5, how much more shall he?

Scofield Reference Notes

[3] kingdom

Kingdom (N.T.), Summary: See "Kingdom (O.T.)" Gen 1:26-28. See Scofield Note: "Zech 12:8". Kingdom truth is developed in the N.T. in the following order:

(1) The promise of the kingdom to David and his seed, and described in the prophets 2Sam 7:8-17, Zech 12:8 enters the N.T. absolutely unchanged. Lk 1:31-33. The King was born in Bethlehem Mt 2:1 Mic 5:2 of a virgin. Mt 1:18-25 Isa 7:14.

(2) The kingdom announced as "at hand" See Scofield Note: "Mt 4:17", by John the Baptist, by the King, and by the Twelve, was rejected by the Jews, first morally, See Scofield Note: "Mt 11:20", and afterward officially Mt 21:42,43 and the King, crowned with thorns, was crucified.

(3) In anticipation of His official rejection and crucifixion, the King revealed the "mysteries" of the kingdom of heaven, See Scofield Note: "Mt 13:11" to be fulfilled in the interval between His rejection and His return in glory Mt 13:1-50.

(4) Afterward He announced His purpose to "build" His church Mt 16:18 another "mystery" revealed through Paul which is being fulfilled contemporaneously with the mysteries of the kingdom. The "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" and the "mystery" of the church Eph 3:9-11 occupy, historically, the same period, i.e, this present age.

(5) The mysteries of the kingdom will be brought to an end by "the harvest" Mt 13:39-43,49,50 at the return of the King in glory, the church having previously been caught up to meet Him in the air 1Th 4:14-17.

(6) Upon His return the King will restore the Davidic monarchy in His own person, re-gather dispersed Israel, establish His power over all the earth, and reign one thousand years Mt 24:27-30 Lk 1:31-33 Acts 15:14-17 Rev 20:1-10.

(7) The kingdom of heaven See Scofield Note: "Mt 3:2" thus established under David's divine Son, has for its object the restoration of the divine authority in the earth, which may be regarded as a revolted province of the great kingdom of God See Scofield Note: "Mt 6:33". When this is done (1Cor 14:24,25) the Son will deliver up the kingdom (of heaven), Mt 3:2 to "God, even the Father," that "God" (i.e. the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) "may be all in all" (1Cor 14:28). The eternal throne is that "of God, and of the Lamb" Rev 22:1. The kingdom-age constitutes the seventh Dispensation, See Scofield Note: "Eph 1:10".

Margin Then cometh

Then, finally, when he delivers up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he has done away with every rule, and every authority and power (for he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet), the last enemy, death, is destroyed.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. Then-after that: next in the succession of "orders" or "ranks."

the end-the general resurrection, and final judgment and consummation (Mt 25:46).

delivered up . kingdom to . Father-(Compare Joh 13:3). Seeming at variance with Da 7:14, "His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away." Really, His giving up of the mediatorial kingdom to the Father, when the end for which the mediatorial economy was established has been accomplished, is altogether in harmony with its continuing everlastingly. The change which shall then take place, shall be in the manner of administration, not in the kingdom itself; God shall then come into direct connection with the earth, instead of mediatorially, when Christ shall have fully and finally removed everything that severs asunder the holy God and a sinful earth (Col 1:20). The glory of God is the final end of Christ's mediatorial office (Php 2:10, 11). His co-equality with the Father is independent of the latter, and prior to it, and shall, therefore, continue when its function shall have ceased. His manhood, too, shall everlastingly continue, though, as now, subordinate to the Father. The throne of the Lamb (but no longer mediatorial) as well as of God, shall be in the heavenly city (Re 22:3; compare Re 3:21). The unity of the Godhead, and the unity of the Church, shall be simultaneously manifested at Christ's second coming. Compare Zep 3:9; Zec 14:9; Joh 17:21-24. The oldest manuscripts for "shall have delivered up," read, "delivereth up," which suits the sense better. It is "when He shall have put down all rule," that "He delivereth up the kingdom to the Father."

shall have put down all rule-the effect produced during the millennary reign of Himself and His saints (Ps 110:1; 8:6; 2:6-9), to which passages Paul refers, resting his argument on the two words, "all" and "until," of the Psalmist: a proof of verbal inspiration of Scripture (compare Re 2:26, 27). Meanwhile, He "rules in the midst of His enemies" (Ps 110:2). He is styled "the King" when He takes His great power (Mt 25:34; Re 11:15, 17). The Greek for "put down" is, "done away with," or "brought to naught." "All" must be subject to Him, whether openly opposed powers, as Satan and his angels, or kings and angelic principalities (Eph 1:21).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:20-34 All that are by faith united to Christ, are by his resurrection assured of their own. As through the sin of the first Adam, all men became mortal, because all had from him the same sinful nature, so, through the resurrection of Christ, shall all who are made to partake of the Spirit, and the spiritual nature, revive, and live for ever. There will be an order in the resurrection. Christ himself has been the first-fruits; at his coming, his redeemed people will be raised before others; at the last the wicked will rise also. Then will be the end of this present state of things. Would we triumph in that solemn and important season, we must now submit to his rule, accept his salvation, and live to his glory. Then shall we rejoice in the completion of his undertaking, that God may receive the whole glory of our salvation, that we may for ever serve him, and enjoy his favour. What shall those do, who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Perhaps baptism is used here in a figure, for afflictions, sufferings, and martyrdom, as Mt 20:22,23. What is, or will become of those who have suffered many and great injuries, and have even lost their lives, for this doctrine of the resurrection, if the dead rise not at all? Whatever the meaning may be, doubtless the apostle's argument was understood by the Corinthians. And it is as plain to us that Christianity would be a foolish profession, if it proposed advantage to themselves by their faithfulness to God; and to have our fruit to holiness, that our end may be everlasting life. But we must not live like beasts, as we do not die like them. It must be ignorance of God that leads any to disbelieve the resurrection and future life. Those who own a God and a providence, and observe how unequal things are in the present life, how frequently the best men fare worst, cannot doubt as to an after-state, where every thing will be set to rights. Let us not be joined with ungodly men; but warn all around us, especially children and young persons, to shun them as a pestilence. Let us awake to righteousness, and not sin.