Ambrosiaster : Paul says this in order to get at the false prophets who claimed that Christ was never born and thus cannot have died. The resurrection from the dead proves that Christ was a man and therefore able to merit by his righteousness the resurrection of the dead. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES Clement of Rome : Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising Him from the dead. Let us contemplate, beloved, the resurrection which is at all times taking place. Day and night declare to us a resurrection. The night sinks to sleep, and the day arises; the day [again] departs, and the night comes on. Let us behold the fruits [of the earth], how the sowing of grain takes place. The sower [Luke 8:5] goes forth, and casts it into the ground, and the seed being thus scattered, though dry and naked when it fell upon the earth, is gradually dissolved. Then out of its dissolution the mighty power of the providence of the Lord raises it up again, and from one seed many arise and bring forth fruit. — Letter to the Corinthians (Clement) Cyril of Alexandria : For the sake of all he tasted death. Although by nature he was life and was himself the resurrection, he surrendered his own body to death. By his ineffable power he trampled upon death in his own flesh that he might become the firstborn from the dead and the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.… Even if the resurrection of the dead may be said to be through a man, the man we know it is through is the Word begotten of God. The power of death has been destroyed through him. — LETTER 17.11 Cyril of Alexandria : The Word does not suffer insofar as he is viewed as God by nature. Yet the sufferings of his flesh were according to the economy of the dispensation. For in what way would he be "the firstborn of every creature, through whom have come to be principalities and powers, thrones and dominations, in whom all things hold together," and in what way would he become the "firstborn of the dead" and the "first fruits of those who have fallen asleep," unless the Word, being God, made his own the body born to suffer? — LETTER 50.14 Hippolytus of Rome : He calls Him, then, "the first-fruits of them that sleep," as the "first-begotten of the dead." For He, having risen, and being desirous to show that that same (body) had been raised which had also died, when His disciples were in doubt, called Thomas to Him, and said, "Reach hither; handle me, and see: for a spirit hath not bone and flesh, as ye see me have." In calling Him the first-fruits, he testified to that which we have said, viz., that the Saviour, taking to Himself the flesh out of the same lump, raised this same flesh, and made it the first-fruits of the flesh of the righteous, in order that all we who have believed in the hope of the Risen One may have the resurrection in expectation. — Fragments - Dogmatical and Historical Irenaeus : For the Lord, having been born "the First-begotten of the dead," and receiving into His bosom the ancient fathers, has regenerated them into the life of God, He having been made Himself the beginning of those that live, as Adam became the beginning of those who die. Wherefore also Luke, commencing the genealogy with the Lord, carried it back to Adam, indicating that it was He who regenerated them into the Gospel of life, and not they Him. And thus also it was that the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith. — Irenaeus Against Heresies Book 3 John Chrysostom : "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of them that are asleep." Having signified how great mischiefs are bred from not believing the resurrection, he takes up the discourse again, and says, "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead;" continually adding, "from the dead," so as to stop the mouths of the heretics. "The first-fruits of them that slept." But if their first-fruits, then themselves also, must needs rise again. Whereas if he were speaking of the resurrection from sins, and none is without sin;-for even Paul saith, "I know nothing against myself, yet am I not hereby justified;"-how shall there be any who rise again, according to you? Seest thou that his discourse was of bodies? And that he might make it worthy of credit, he continually brings forward Christ who rose again in the flesh. Next he also assigns a reason. For, as I said, when one asserts but does not state the reason, his discourse is not easily received by the multitude. — Homily on 1 Corinthians 39 Pelagius : If the head has risen, then the rest of the body will follow in due course. — COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15