A Glorious Body

Just because we may have difficulty understanding the nature of the resurrection should not cause us to doubt its reality, anymore than not understanding how a seed becomes a plant should cause us to disbelieve in the coming harvest.

We know that when we plant a seed of grain or corn, that seed has to die in order to spring forth into a new plant. That seed does not come forth as the very same seed, but comes forth as a whole new plant to produce even more than that one little seed.

Example: The seed of a corn will become a whole new plant of corn.

V. 38, “But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.�?/P>

V. 39, “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.�?/P>

V. 40, “There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.�?/P>

V.41, �?I>There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.�?/P>

There is a variety found in nature among living beings, such as men, animals, fish and birds and also among objects such as celestial (of the heavens or the sky) bodies and terrestrial (worldly, of the earth) bodies. They reflect the creator’s power and will. The varying brightness of the sun, moon, and stars serves as a good illustration of the differences between the earthly human body and the heavenly human body. All these different celestial and terrestrial objects are evidence that God the Creator can certainly create new resurrected human bodies out of our old bodies.

V.42, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.�?/P>

V. 43, “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.

When our body is corrupted (breaks down due to sickness, evil , or sin) it dies. But for the believer in Christ our bodies are raised in incorruption (that cannot be corrupted, cannot break down due to sickness, evil or sin).

When our natural bodies die, it is put down in dishonor ( loss of honor or respect, shame, disgrace, an insult). But praise be to God, it is raised in glory (great honor or fame, adoration, great splendor, prosperity, heavenly bliss)!

When our bodies die it is sown in weakness ( being weak, a fault, sickly), but praise the Lord it is raised in power (ability to do or act, vigor, strength, authority, influence)!

V.44, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.�?/P>

V.45, “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.�?The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.�?/P>

V. 46, “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.�?/P>

V. 47, “The first man was of the earth, made of the dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.�?/P>

V. 48, “As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.�?/P>

V.49, “And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.�?/P>

The contrast here is not between a material body and an immaterial body, but between a body subject to death and a body that is immortal (living forever). The Greek term translated spiritual here refers to a body directed by the Spirit, as opposed to one dominated by the flesh ( see1 Co.2:15, and 10:4). The first man...and second Man contrasts the sinful nature that every person inherits with the new righteous nature that comes through Christ.

Our Final Victory

(1 Co.15:50-58NKJV)

Thank the Lord we do not have to feel at home in our decaying bodies but the Lord’s plan for us is something so much better. Beginning at verse 50 is some great news.

V.50 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.�?/P>

Mere flesh and blood cannot enter into the glorious existence of an immortal body (read vv. 35-49). Something must happen to this flesh so that it becomes incorruptible (read v.42). Webster says of corruption - to break, evil, depraved, debased.

Our corrupted bodies are going to break, it is evil, it is depraved and debased, which is my interpretation. The word incorruption than is just the opposite, it cannot be corrupted. So then what must happen that we can inherit the kingdom of God?

V.51 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed¾

V.52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.�?/P>

The teaching here is similar to the teaching given to the Thessalonians (see 1Thess. 4:13-18). Whereas the dead in Christ will be raised first, the living believers will be instantly transformed into their immortal bodies when Jesus returns. The we shall not all sleep means, we shall not all die. But every one whether asleep (dead) or alive, shall be changed.

Changed from a corruptible body to a incorruptible one.

V.53 “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

V.54 “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:

V.55 �?I>O death where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?�?/P>

V.56 “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.�?/P>

V.57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.�?/P>

The living will receive a body that is not subject to death (see v. 50). Satan’s apparent victories in the Garden of Eden (see Gen. 3:13) and at the Cross (see Mark 15:22-24) were reversed by Jesus�?death (read Col. 2:15) and resurrection. From the vantage point of Jesus�?victorious return, Death and Hades (the grave) have no power over Christians, because Jesus has already conquered both. We participate in His victory.

So then what are we to do about all of this now? What Paul admonished the Corinthians to do in V. 58:

V. 58 “Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.�?/P>

We are also to do. The Corinthians were to continue steadfast in the work of Christ, specifically because of the resurrection. All the work we do for Christ will not be in vain it will be rewarded (read 2Cor. 5:10; Rev.22:12).

The always abounding in this verse in my understanding means to do so often and even rising up like waves of the sea, to be plentiful.

Aalie of

http://groups.msn.com/ChristFollowers

The resurrection of Christ was proclaimed eagerly by the early church. This miracle was considered an essential part of the gospel message. Surely Christ had died, but more importantly, He had been raised. More than just a suffering Savior, Jesus is our living Lord.

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Christ’s resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures (Ps. 16:10). 1Co.15:4

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The risen Christ appeared to more than five hundred witnesses, including Paul.

1 Co.15:5-8

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If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the gospel message is pointless, empty, and dishonest. Jesus Christ would not be alive, interceding for us, and we would not be able to place our hope in a glorious future with Him. The Resurrection is central to the gospel.

1 Co.15:14,15

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According to Paul, “if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins�?(1 Cor. 15:17; see Rom. 4:25). Christ’s resurrection, not merely His death on the Cross, secured our justification. His resurrection was a sign of God’s approval of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. In short, no Resurrection equals no forgiveness of sin.

1Co.15:17-19

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The resurrection of Christ was designed to reveal what lies ahead for those who put their trust in Jesus (1Cor.15:20-57). Paul called Christ “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep�?(1 Cor.15:20).This Old Testament image (see Ex. 23:16-19) means that Christ serves as both an example and a guarantee of what we can expect. Because He has conquered death (15:26,27,54-57), we need not fear death. Because He now enjoys a glorified body, we also can expect to inherit a “spiritual body�?(15:44-46) after this mortal one wears out.

1Co.15:20-26

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Our dead, physical body will one day be resurrected.

1 Co. 15:42

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We will once again be both material and immaterial beings, our soul being reunited with our resurrected body.

1 Co. 15:43,44

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The power behind this marvelous, yet mysterious, event is Jesus, the self-declared “resurrection and the life�?(John 11:25).

1 Co. 15:45

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Our Physical body will be altered and changed to prepare us for the life to come. If Jesus is the prototype, we will be recognizable, but our new body will be capable of supernatural activities (see Luke 24:31, 36, 51).

1 Co.15:51-54

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Our resurrection will take place when Jesus returns (see 1Thess. 4:13-18).

1 Co.15:53

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NKJV Study Bible