1Cor 15:24

“But it remains so firm and stable in its own state, notwithstanding the introduction into it of the Trinity, that the Son actually has to restore it entire to the Father; even as the apostle says in his epistle, concerning the very end of all: "When He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; for He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet; " following of course the words of the Psalm: "Sit Thou on my right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”

“When Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, then those living beings, because they have before this been made part of Christ's kingdom, shall also be delivered up along with the whole of that kingdom to the rule of the Father, so that, when "God shall be all in all," they also, since they are a part of all, may have God even in themselves, as he is in all things.”

“"Then cometh the end." For when these shall have risen again, all things shall have an end, not as now when after Christ's resurrection things abide yet in suspense. Wherefore he added, "at His coming," that thou mayest learn that he is speaking of that time, "when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the Father; when He shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power." Here, give heed to me carefully, and see that no part escape you of what I say. For our contest is with enemies: wherefore we first must practice the reductio ad absurdum which also Paul often doeth. Since in this way shall we find what they say most easy of detection. Let us ask them then first, what is the meaning of the saying, "When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father?" For if we take this just as it stands and not in a sense becoming Deity, He will not after this retain it. For he that hath delivered up to another, ceases any longer to retain a thing himself. And not only will there be this absurdity, but that also the other person who receives it will be found not to be possessor of it before he hath so received it. Therefore according to them, neither was the Father a King before, governing our affairs: nor will it seem that the Son after these things will be a King. How then, first of all, concerning the Father doth the Son Himself say, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work:" and of Him Daniel, "That His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which shall not pass away?" Seest thou how many absurdities are produced, and repugnant to the Scriptures, when one takes the thing spoken after the manner of men? But what "rule," then doth he here say, that Christ "putteth down?" That of the angels? Far from it. That of the faithful? Neither is it this. What rule then? That of the devils, concerning which he saith, "Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness:" For now it is not as yet "put down" perfectly, they working in many places, but then shall they cease.”

“They that have done well will go to live with the angels of God; they that have done evil, to be tormented with the devil and his angels. And the form of a servant will pass away. For to this end He had manifested Himself, that He might execute judgment. After the judgment, He shall go hence, will lead with Him the body of which He is the head, and deliver up the kingdom of God. Then will openly be seen that form of God which could not be seen by the wicked, to whose vision the form of a servant must be shown.”

“Scripture knows two kingdoms: one by right of adoption, the other by right of creation. By right of creation He reigns over all, over Greeks, Jews, and over the demons themselves, and over those who do not wish it. By right of adoption He reigns over the faithful and the saints, who submit voluntarily. Of this kingdom it is said: "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance" (Ps. 2:8) and: "All authority has been given to Me" (Matt. 28:18); this is the kingdom He will deliver to the Father, that is, He will arrange it, bring it to completion. Let us imagine that some king entrusted his son with waging war against nations that had revolted from him; when the son has carried out the war and subdued those nations, then he can say that he has delivered the war to his father, that is, he has shown that the task entrusted to him is finished. So Paul says that when the Son has subdued all things, then the end will come. For Christ will fully reign over us when we are no longer divided between God and the prince of this world; He will, as it were, take back the kingdom seized by the tyrant and present it to the Father free. That is, when He conquers and subdues the evil powers. For now they act very much, but then they will cease to act.”

“Nature dictates jurisdictional obedience according to the state of nature as reparable or repaired, and this in the state of the wayfarer, according to that passage in First Corinthians fifteen: When he shall have brought to nothing all principality, etc.; the Gloss: "As long as the world endures, Angels will preside over Angels, and men over men for the benefit of the living: but when all have been gathered together, then all prelacy will cease, because it will not be necessary." For what nature dictates absolutely has perpetual duration; but it is not so of what nature dictates for a particular state: just as in the state of innocence it dictated that all things should be held in common, which indeed it does not dictate in corrupted nature.”

“936. – Then comes the end. Here he shows the end of the resurrection and it is twofold: one as to attaining the good; the others as to removal of the wicked (v. 25). In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows that the attainment of the good consists in inhering to God; secondly, he shows that it consists in immediate inherence (v. 24b). 937. – He says, therefore: that then, i.e., after this, will come the end of the resurrection. And an end of this kind will not be that they will live the life of the body and voluptuousness, as the Jews and Saracens pretend, but that they will inhere to God by immediate vision and happy enjoyment: and this is to hand over the kingdom to God and the Father. Therefore, he says: when he delivers, i.e., brings the kingdom, i.e., his believers, whom He acquired by His own blood: "By thy blood thou didst ransom men for God" (Rev 5:9), to God the Father, i.e., before the sight of God, i.e., of his Creator, inasmuch as He is man, and of the Father, inasmuch as He is God. And this is what Philip sought: "Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied" (Jn. 14:18). But He will deliver it up in such a way that He does not take it from Himself; indeed, He, the one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit will reign. Or when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, i.e., when he will show God the Father reigning. For in Scripture something is to said be done, when it first becomes known, and such knowledge is made by Christ: "No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Matt 11:27). 938. – After he does away with every principality. Here he shows the immediacy of the aforementioned inherence. For as it says in Gal (4:1): "The heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave but is under tutors." But when he is now large and mature, then he is immediately under his father in the home without a pedagogue an tutor. But the condition of this present life is akin to childhood; therefore, in this life we are under angels as under tutors, inasmuch as they over us and direct us. But when the kingdom is delivered over to God the Father, then we will be immediately under God, and all other powers will cease. And this is what he says: After he does away with every principality, power and virtue, i.e., when all dominion both human and angelic shall have ceased, then we shall be immediately under God: "The Lord alone will be exalted on that day" (Is 2:11); "And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor, for they shall all know me, says the Lord" (Jer 31:34). 939. – But will not the orders of angels remain distinct? It seems so, as to the eminence of glory, by which one excels another, but not as to the efficacy of their activity toward us. Therefore, he says that those will be done away with whose names pertain to outward activity, namely, principalities, powers and virtues. He does not name those who belong to the higher hierarchy, because they are not outwardly active; not angels, because it is their common name. He does not say dominations will be done away with, because although they are among the outwardly active, they do not perform outward activity, but they direct and command. For it belongs to lords to direct and command, not to act outwardly. Archangels are included with the principalities, for archos is the same as prince. According to Gregory these three orders are presented in descending order, because according to him principalities are above powers, and powers above virtues; but according to Denis in ascending order, because he wants the virtues over the powers, and the powers over the principalities. Or in another way: when every rule and every authority and power is done away with, i.e., then it will be known that they had no power of themselves but from God, from Whom are all things.”