As we know, the word “firstfruits” is used in several ways. Jesus twice is called “the firstfruits” (I Corinthians 15:20-23). A second usage is that Christians have the firstfruits of the Spirit (Romans 8:23). A third usage is that Christians themselves are firstfruits (James 1:18). A fourth usage is found in Romans 11:16, which says that “If the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy.” The context suggests that it is talking about Abraham. He was the early part of God’s work anciently. Along similar lines, a fifth usage is that the nation of Israel was also the firstfruits of what God was doing then (Jeremiah 2:3; Hosea 9:10).
