“But now Messiah is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits, afterward those who are Messiah’s at His coming.”
(1 Corinthians 15:20–23)
Clarification On Our Ministry's Name
We are occasionally asked whether First Fruits Ministries is affiliated with First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ) because of the similarity of our names. For the record: We have no theological or organizational affiliation with FFOZ in any way—not in leadership, teaching, nor doctrinal convictions. First Fruits Ministries is an independent First Century Judeo-Christian Messianic ministry in New Hampshire affiliated with Corner Fringe Ministries in Coon Rapids, MN. Our leadership, teaching, and doctrinal convictions are rooted in the beliefs and biblical convictions of our own ministry and our affiliation with Corner Fringe Ministries. We encourage all visitors to explore our Statement of Faith and our teachings to become familiar with what we believe. We hope this clarification is helpful, and we warmly welcome any questions as you get to know our congregation.
So Why Are We Called 'First Fruits Ministries'?
We’ve included the passage 1st Corinth. 15:20-23” in both forms of our logo specifically so no one can mistake the reason we're called First Fruits Ministries.
At the beginning of 1st Corinthians 15, Paul offered context that informs the significance of what we’ve just read. In verses 1-8, he wrote:
Besides Paul’s remarkable witness to the death and resurrection of Yeshua within this passage, the first important point to note here is that Messiah Yeshua died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. The word “Scriptures” in Greek is “graphas (γραφάς),” which is the plural form of the word “graphé (γραφή).” In the singular form of the word, it refers to a writing in general and it could also refer to a passage of Scripture, but in the plural form of the word it always refers to the Hebrew Scriptures, known in Hebrew as the Tanakh. The word “Tanakh” is a Hebrew acronym for Torah, meaning the law or the Pentateuch; the Nevi’im, meaning the Prophets; and the Ketuvim, meaning the writings. In other words, the word “graphas” refers to what we often call the “Old Testament.” This is a powerful point, and also important for why we’re called First Fruits Ministries.
It would take me a whole sermon series to show you exactly what Paul means when He said that Messiah died and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures, for there are too many examples in the Old Testament that explain Yeshua's identity, and each requires significant study. Ultimately, we will be studying this very thing as we meet together week-by-week, and we will be getting our doctrine from Scripture alone. For right now, I simply want you to accept at face value that Paul, who was a Pharisee, a student of the great Rabbi Gamaliel before he met Yeshua, and an expert in the Tanakh, according to Acts 22, verse 3, very clearly stated here that the Old Testament Scriptures foretold the death and resurrection of Yeshua, the Son of God, for the atonement of our sins. Yeshua Himself confirmed this in John 5:46, when He said, “if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me,” and in Luke 24:27, where we read, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [the risen Yeshua] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” This is important, because it explains the continuity of the Scriptures from the Old Testament into the Apostolic writings, commonly referred to as the “New Testament.” They are one story—His story—the history and promises of our Messiah Yeshua.
By writing what he wrote in 1st Corinthians, Paul explained that the Old Testament and New Testament are not two books with two different purposes for two different people groups, as many believe, but rather they are one book, with one purpose, for one people group united together in Messiah Yeshua, and Yeshua is explained throughout them both.
“But now Messiah [Yeshua] is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits, afterward those who are Messiah’s at His coming.” (1 Corinth 15:20-23)
In this passage, Paul explained the hope that we have in Messiah Yeshua, who is the firstfruits of the resurrection. Because of Messiah Yeshua's work on the cross, we can all look forward to life eternal in the Kingdom of God, but first we must be sanctified in this life as we look forward to that day. And it is specifically to facilitate this end for God's people that First Fruits Ministries exists. More specifically, our mission is to proclaim the Gospel to the Jews, restore the Torah to Christians, and reveal the love of Yeshua that unites both Jews and Gentiles into one Body obedient to God—bringing unbelievers to faith, believers to deeper trust in the LORD with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and making disciples of all nations, teaching all to repent and follow Yeshua, our LORD and our God.
At the beginning of 1st Corinthians 15, Paul offered context that informs the significance of what we’ve just read. In verses 1-8, he wrote:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
Besides Paul’s remarkable witness to the death and resurrection of Yeshua within this passage, the first important point to note here is that Messiah Yeshua died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. The word “Scriptures” in Greek is “graphas (γραφάς),” which is the plural form of the word “graphé (γραφή).” In the singular form of the word, it refers to a writing in general and it could also refer to a passage of Scripture, but in the plural form of the word it always refers to the Hebrew Scriptures, known in Hebrew as the Tanakh. The word “Tanakh” is a Hebrew acronym for Torah, meaning the law or the Pentateuch; the Nevi’im, meaning the Prophets; and the Ketuvim, meaning the writings. In other words, the word “graphas” refers to what we often call the “Old Testament.” This is a powerful point, and also important for why we’re called First Fruits Ministries.
It would take me a whole sermon series to show you exactly what Paul means when He said that Messiah died and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures, for there are too many examples in the Old Testament that explain Yeshua's identity, and each requires significant study. Ultimately, we will be studying this very thing as we meet together week-by-week, and we will be getting our doctrine from Scripture alone. For right now, I simply want you to accept at face value that Paul, who was a Pharisee, a student of the great Rabbi Gamaliel before he met Yeshua, and an expert in the Tanakh, according to Acts 22, verse 3, very clearly stated here that the Old Testament Scriptures foretold the death and resurrection of Yeshua, the Son of God, for the atonement of our sins. Yeshua Himself confirmed this in John 5:46, when He said, “if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me,” and in Luke 24:27, where we read, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [the risen Yeshua] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” This is important, because it explains the continuity of the Scriptures from the Old Testament into the Apostolic writings, commonly referred to as the “New Testament.” They are one story—His story—the history and promises of our Messiah Yeshua.
By writing what he wrote in 1st Corinthians, Paul explained that the Old Testament and New Testament are not two books with two different purposes for two different people groups, as many believe, but rather they are one book, with one purpose, for one people group united together in Messiah Yeshua, and Yeshua is explained throughout them both.
Learn more about our Community by watching the First Fruits Ministries Community sermon series, which was produced at the end of 2024 into early 2025 about the desired culture at First Fruits Ministries. It is intended to provide a lasting overview of who we are and what congregants should expect as they come in to fellowship with us. The series explains why we exist and what it means to be a first century Judeo-Christian Messianic congregation returning to the Jewish roots of the faith in Messiah Yeshua through the Hebraic understanding of the Scriptures. All men and women who are considering becoming a part of the First Fruits Ministries community should watch this series in full.
A Personal Reason
Here is another reason why our church is called First Fruits Ministries. Pastor Andrew and his wife Jen were baptized together on 4/5/2015 at dawn in the Merrimack River—the only place where the river flows east to west in our southern New Hampshire region. At the very moment we were baptized in the river, the sun was rising on the river in the east while the moon was setting on the river in the west. It was dawn on the Feast of First Fruits, which also happened to be aligned with Resurrection Sunday that year—a memorial of our LORD's great victory celebrated among Messianic believers and mainstream believers alike! Our role in the LORD's kingdom was truly founded on that very day.
Pastor Andrew had been a professing Christian since he was young, and while he was baptized as an infant, this was the moment he willfully buried his "old man" under the water and came up anew in Messiah Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit's sanctification process ignited that day. This was Jen's first and only baptism into Yeshua's family and she has been growing in her faith by the power of the Holy Spirit since that day. The LORD took both on a journey that led to the founding of this ministry for the glory of God!
May you all be equally blessed in the LORD our God!
Pastor Andrew had been a professing Christian since he was young, and while he was baptized as an infant, this was the moment he willfully buried his "old man" under the water and came up anew in Messiah Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit's sanctification process ignited that day. This was Jen's first and only baptism into Yeshua's family and she has been growing in her faith by the power of the Holy Spirit since that day. The LORD took both on a journey that led to the founding of this ministry for the glory of God!
May you all be equally blessed in the LORD our God!