1 Corinthians 15:35-49
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?”
36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;
37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 So also it is written: “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” The last Adam was a life-giving spirit.
46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second Man is from heaven.
48 As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly One, so also are those who are heavenly.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
The Resurrection Body
Is there no resurrection body?
At that time, there were people who believed that there would be no resurrection of the body. In response to their question, Paul gives three illustrations. (1) The first is the illustration of a seed sprouting. A seed sown in the ground must first die before it begins to grow. This demonstrates that death is a necessary step toward new life. In other words, unless the present body dies, there can be no resurrection body. It also shows that there is a continuity between the present body and the resurrection body. (2) Next, Paul uses the various kinds of flesh found in the created order as an illustration. Although the flesh of all living creatures may appear similar, each kind has a different composition. In the same way, the present body and the resurrection body differ in their nature. (3) Paul further points out that the glory of the heavenly bodies differs from the glory of the earthly bodies. Life in heaven and life on earth belong to different realms, and the bodies given for each are likewise different. Even among the heavenly bodies themselves, there are varying degrees of glory, just as the glory of the sun differs from the glory of the moon, and the glory of the stars differs from one another.
The last Adam
Paul goes on to explain the existence of the spiritual body by contrasting Adam and Christ. The “spiritual body” does not mean a body that exists only as a spirit, but rather a glorified body with a nature different from our present body. (1) The first Adam refers to Adam, the forefather of the human race, who was formed from the dust of the earth. By natural birth, all people bear the likeness of this Adam. (2) The last Adam is Christ. Through His resurrection, Christ became the Man from heaven, that is the One who possesses a resurrection body. (3) Presently, as members of the human race, we bear the likeness of Adam and possess an Adamic (earthly) body. But at the resurrection, as those who belong to Christ, we will bear the likeness of Christ and receive a Christ-like body (a heavenly body, a spiritual body). The goal of the Christian life is to receive this resurrection body. Death is not a sign of despair, but the doorway to be resurrected into a glorified body. Let us thank God for the hope of the resurrection that He has given us and go forth into the world today with confidence and courage.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, when this earthly body perishes, I will be given a spiritual body. Thank You that I live in the hope of this promise. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.