20-26 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He ‘has put everything under his feet’. 

27-28 Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 New International Version (English Standard Version link)

Although we read vs 20-26 last time I've included them here so we can see the background to vs 27-28 which present a difficulty. Did you spot the difficulty when you read the verses?

Paul speaks of Christ being 'subject' to God (which suggests that he is less than God), yet in John 10:30 Jesus himself says: “I and the Father are one.” And in the book of Revelation there are many places where both God the Father and God the Son received worship from the host of heaven. So what do Paul's words mean?

Christians have seen it as applying to Christ's role as mankind's mediator. Verse 20-26 show that Paul was speaking of how Christ came into the world as a man and was therefore subject to God as all mankind is. And just as Adam represented all of mankind in the beginning, so Jesus too was representing mankind in the work of salvation he came to do. In Philippians 2:6-8 we see what this involved on Christ's part. It says: “Though Christ Jesus was by nature God - he didn't consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed (or clung to), but emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.”  This is what is behind the words of the Christmas Carol which say: “Mild he lays his glory by – born that man no more may die.”

The opening verses of John's gospel clearly tell us that Christ existed before he came into the world as a man. We read there that “In the beginning was the Word - and the Word was with God - and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made.” But as the mediator between man and God, and the representative of those who are redeemed, Christ also subjects himself to God.

Remember also that to 'subject oneself' to someone doesn't mean that one is of less worth. Christian wives are called by God to ‘submit’ to their husbands, but that doesn't mean they are less than their husband. The Bible says that a man and his wife are 'one flesh'. As mediator Christ is subject to God, but in his Son-ship he is eternally one with the Father and, with the Holy Spirit, honoured and worshipped.

In 1 Timothy 3:16 Paul says: “Without question, great is the mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh.” The relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is not something easy to grasp or put into words. Groups like Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons try to explain it by teaching that Jesus is simply the greatest angel, or the greatest man who ever lived. But the solution isn’t as simple as that. If Jesus was only an angel or a great man we could admire him deeply, but we could not worship him. Yet the Bible says: “God has highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11.