Lexical Summary tagma: Order, rank, division Original Word: τάγμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance division, class, groupFrom tasso; something orderly in arrangement (a troop), i.e. (figuratively) a series or succession -- order. see GREEK tasso HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 5001 tágma (a neuter noun) – an ordered arrangement, reflecting God's perfect wisdom in ordering all of creation (it only occurs in 1 Cor 15:23). See 5021 (tassō). 5001 /tágma ("order") extends to the principle of God's ordering to its natural results. [Compare Ps 139:16 with Eph 1:11; cf. Ps 119:89-91 with Ac 4:28, 17:26-31.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tassó Definition that which has been arranged in order, spec. a division, rank NASB Translation order (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5001: τάγματάγμα, ταγματος, τό (τάσσω); a. properly, that which has been arranged, thing placed in order. b. specifically, a body of soldiers, a corps: 2 Samuel 23:13; Xenophon, mem. 3, 1, 11; often in Polybius; Diodorus 17, 80; Josephus, b. j. 1, 9, 1; 3, 4, 2; (especially for the Roman 'legio' (examples in Sophocles Lexicon, under the word, 3)); hence, universally, a band, troop, class: ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι (the same words occur in Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 37, 3 [ET] and 41, 1 [ET]), 1 Corinthians 15:23, where Paul specifies several distinct bands or classes of those raised from the dead (A. V. order. Of the 'order' of the Essenes in Josephus, b. j. 2, 8, 3. 8). Strong’s Greek 5001 (τάγμα) occurs once in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 15:23, and conveys the idea of a divinely appointed “division” or “order.” Though rare in Scripture, the term sheds light on God’s orderly arrangement of redemptive events, particularly the resurrection. Usage in Scripture 1 Corinthians 15:23: “But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.” Here Paul unfolds the resurrection sequence: The single appearance is strategic, anchoring the chapter’s entire eschatological logic. Paul’s choice of a military-administrative word underscores that the resurrection is not random but proceeds according to a heavenly parade ground. Old Testament Background of Ordered Ranks • Priestly divisions were arranged in twenty-four “orders” under David (1 Chronicles 24:1-19). These patterns prefigure the New Testament insistence that God’s salvific acts unfold in designated stages. Theological Significance 1. Certainty of Bodily Resurrection The orderly progression from Christ to His people guarantees that what happened to the Head will happen to the Body (Romans 8:11). “Firstfruits” secures His supremacy; every other τάγμα follows His lead (Colossians 1:18). The term implies no believer will be overlooked; each will rise in the precise slot God has fixed (John 6:39-40). The Church is called to mirror divine order in worship and governance (1 Corinthians 14:40; Titus 1:5), anticipating the ultimate τάγμα of resurrection. Historical and Patristic Insight Early fathers used 1 Corinthians 15 to refute Gnostic denial of bodily resurrection: Later creeds (e.g., Nicene-Constantinopolitan) echo this ordered expectation: “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come.” Ministry Applications • Funeral Ministry: The language of τάγμα comforts mourners with the assurance that departed saints await their appointed turn. Related Biblical Concepts Order (Greek taxis) – Luke 1:8; Hebrews 7:11. Appointed Times (Greek kairos) – Acts 17:26. Firstfruits – Romans 8:23; James 1:18. Parousia – 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Summary Strong’s 5001, though appearing only once, encapsulates the Scriptural witness that God advances salvation history in precise ranks. Christ’s resurrection inaugurates a procession that will culminate in the resurrection of all who belong to Him, reinforcing the believer’s confidence in both the sovereignty and the fidelity of God. |
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