Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-58.

Introduction⤒🔗

Sir Isaac Newton was a leading scientist of the 18th century; he was also a devout Christian. One day someone asked him how he, as a scientist, could believe in the resurrection of the body. In reply, Newton took a handful of metal shavings and mingled them into a mound of sand. Then he took a strong magnet, held it over the mound of sand, and proceeded to re-collect the metal shavings as they were “resurrected” and re-gathered out of the sand.

How can you believe in the resurrection of the body? That was the question some of these Corinthian Christians posed. As a matter of fact, some of them were even denying the future resurrection. Paul incredulously asks them, “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”

This is the issue with which the Apostle Paul is dealing here in 1 Corinthians 15. He is presenting arguments demonstrating the certainty of the final resurrection. As Paul instructs these Corinthian Christians, so we, too, must not be swayed by the fallacious arguments of those who would deny the resurrection. On the contrary, we must stand firm in our Christian faith and always abound in the work of the Lord, precisely because of the certainty of the final resurrection.

As we focus on this main theme of 1 Corinthians 15, let us consider the apostle’s arguments for the certainty of the resurrection.

Christ’s Own Resurrection is Evidence of the Final Resurrection←⤒🔗

It should be noted that the Corinthian Christians were not denying the personal resurrection of Christ Jesus; rather, they were denying the final resurrection on the last day. With this in mind, the apostle’s argument in verses 1-28 is as follows: If there is no resurrection of the dead, then that fact would rule out the possibility of Christ’s own resurrection. This is the thrust of verses 12-13,15-16,

Now if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised... ¹⁵And we are even found to be bearing false testimony about God; because we testified concerning God that he raised Christ [from the dead], whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

Conversely, if Christ has been raised from the dead, His resurrection proves that there is, in fact, the resurrection of the dead. In other words, Paul is pointing out that the fundamental, underlying question is this: Does God raise the dead, or doesn’t He?

The question is not, Can God raise one man (Jesus Christ), or can He also raise many people, (namely, all of humanity on the last day)? God has the power to raise as many of the dead as He chooses; but, does He raise the dead? That is the question under consideration. Again, the question is not, Can God raise those who have just died (like Christ), or can He also raise those whose bodies have already decomposed? God has the power to raise the dead no matter what their state of decomposition; but does He raise the dead? Again, that is the question under consideration.

The answer the apostle gives to this fundamental question is, Yes, God does raise the dead; the proof of this being the fact that He raised Christ: “But now, [the fact is], Christ has been raised from the dead” (vs. 20b). God foretold the resurrection through the Old Testament prophets, as Paul implies from his statement, Christ was raised “according to the Scriptures” (vs. 4). God revealed the resurrected Jesus to numerous eyewitnesses on numerous occasions (vs. 5-8):

...he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. ⁶After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, although some of them have fallen asleep [in death]. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸Last of all, as to a child born pre-maturely, he appeared to me also. vs. 5-8

Not only is Christ’s personal resurrection the proof that God does raise the dead, Christ’s resurrection is also the pledge of our final resurrection on the last day:

But now, [the fact is], Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]. ²¹Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. ²²Just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³But each in his own turn: the first fruits, [which is] Christ; then those who belong to Christ when he appears [in glory]. vs. 20-23

Christ in His resurrection is “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death];” i.e. those Christians who have died (vs. 20b). That is to say, there is a direct connection, a living, organic connection, between Christ’s own resurrection and the resurrection unto glory of the redeemed on the Last Day.

Paul explains why there is this connection between Christ’s resurrection and the resurrection into glory of the redeemed (vs. 21-22). Originally, it was through one man (Adam) that death entered the world: by virtue of Adam’s disobedience, all those whom he represented and who were united to him, became involved in sin and suffered the consequence, namely, death. Likewise, it is through one man (Jesus Christ) that there comes the resurrection from the dead: by virtue of Christ’s obedience, all whom He represents and who are united to Him, become involved in His righteousness and the benefit of that righteousness, namely, life. In verse twenty-three Paul informs us of the divinely established timetable: Christ has the honor of being personally and individually resurrected as the first fruits; then, at Christ’s return, all who belong to Him shall be resurrected to share fully in His resurrection life.

Thus, the Apostle Paul’s first argument for the resurrection is this: Christ’s own resurrection is the evidence and assurance of our final resurrection.

Before moving on, let us briefly consider the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:28, “When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be in subjection to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.”

In this verse Paul looks to that time when the promises specified in verses 23-26 have been fulfilled and all things have been absolutely subjected to Christ (the Messiah). Then, at that time, “the Son himself will be in subjection to the one who subjected all things to him.” That is to say, the Son Himself, in His capacity as the incarnate Messiah, will be subject to God by virtue of the fact that at “the end” He will deliver the kingdom unto God the Father (vs. 24). The purpose of this submission is explained in these terms: so that “God may be all in all.” The final consequence of these events is not that the Son becomes eternally subordinate to the Father. On the contrary, at “the end” there shall be the restoration of the eternal union of the Son (now in His incarnate state) with the Father, even as Jesus prayed in John 17:5, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” Thus, in the final state it is “God,” the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who shall be “all in all.”

The Natural World Bears Witness to the Final Resurrection←⤒🔗

In verse thirty-five, Paul anticipates the obvious question, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body will they come?” Paul is addressing the question, How can a disintegrated corpse be raised back to life? What will it look like?

What may at first appear to be a rational and legitimate question is defined by the apostle as the question of a fool (vs. 36).

In verses 36b-38, the apostle provides the answer to this anticipated question by pointing to the everyday processes of sowing and reaping: “that which you yourself plant is not brought to life unless it [first] dies.”

In verse 37, Paul is drawing an analogy between the sprouting of a seed and the future resurrection body. As an analogy, there are points of similarity between the things being compared, but the one is not an exact replica of the other. The natural process of planting and reaping provides an analogy to the supernatural process of death and resurrection: The whole process, which commences with the seed and culminates with the crop (“[the] body that shall be”), involves burial (the seed is planted in the ground), dissolution (the husk is separated from the kernel and the kernel breaks open), and resurrection (with the appearance of “that body that shall be,” i.e. the mature crop springs forth out of the ground).

Although there is a vast difference between the resulting fruit and the seed that was initially planted; there is, nevertheless, an organic and genetic relationship between the two of them. In verse 37, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the distinction between “[the] body that shall be,” (or, “that shall come into being”), and the seed that is initially sown, calling it “just a seed,” or, as the NKJV expresses it, “a mere grain.” (He will further develop this theme in verses 39-44a.) However, he does go on to indicate the vital connection that exists between the seed and the body that later appears, when he writes, “God gives...to each seed its own body” (vs. 38b). In so writing, Paul is connecting the seed that was planted (“when you plant...you are...planting...just a seed” vs. 37) with “[the] body that shall be.” Although that body is vastly superior to the seed, it is, nevertheless, the body that belongs to the seed. Here is a body that belongs to this particular seed; there is a vital connection between the two. Because it is the same principle of life that animates both the kernel and the fruit, and they share the same genetic make-up, there is an intimate organic connection between the kernel and its counterpart, the mature fruit. By analogy, the same type of relationship holds true with regard to the earthly body and its counterpart, the resurrection body.

This whole process is under the dominion of God: the seed that is sown “is brought to life” (vs. 36) by the providential working of God; and it occurs at the discretion of God: “God gives it a body just as he pleases” (vs. 38). Just as God presently carries out this “death and resurrection” process throughout the plant kingdom, so, at the Last Day, shall He cause the resurrection of all the earthly “seeds” (i.e. bodies) that have been “sown” into the earth. As in our Lord Jesus’ Parable of the Growing Seed (Mk. 4:26-29), while the farmer sleeps the seed grows, and he does not know how, so, likewise, with the resurrection of the body we are confronted with God’s mysterious creative and re-creative work.

In verses 39-44a, Paul focuses on the distinction between the future (resurrection) body and the present (earthly) body, a distinction that is attested to by the variety of bodies the Lord has created and that are evident in this present world: “All flesh is not the same. Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another kind, birds have another kind, and fish have still another kind” (vs. 39). If the Lord has created such a variety of bodies, all distinct from each other, as we see throughout nature, why is it surprising to find that the future (resurrection) body will be distinct and different from the present (earthly) body?

The superior glory of the resurrection body is evidenced by the varying degrees of splendor possessed by the bodies of this present creation: “There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another kind. ⁴¹The sun has one kind of splendor, and the moon has another kind, and the stars have still another kind of splendor; even star differs from star in splendor” (vs. 40-41). We see that the heavenly bodies differ from the earthly bodies in splendor in this present creation; by way of example, the sun, moon, and stars shine, while the rocks of the earth have a different glory. Even among themselves, the heavenly bodies differ in degrees of splendor: the sun shines brighter than the moon and the stars. By analogy, we should not be surprised to learn that the resurrection body will have a different glory, an all-surpassing glory, in comparison to the earthly body.

In verses 42-44a, the apostle contrasts the future (resurrection) body with the present (earthly) body:

And so it is with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is planted decays, what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³It is planted in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is planted in weakness, it is raised with power. ⁴⁴What is planted is a physical body, what is raised is a spiritual body.

Our present earthly body is planted as a perishable body, but it shall be raised as an imperishable body: a body that is no longer subject to death and decomposition. Our present earthly body is planted in dishonor, but it shall be raised in glory. The death and decomposition of our present earthly body is a humiliating experience, a consequence of the curse pronounced by the LORD upon sin. Speaking to Adam, after the fall, the LORD declared, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken; for you are dust, and unto dust shall you return” (Gen. 3:19). But our future resurrection body shall share in the divine glory of Christ the Holy One of God, of whom the Scriptures declare, “You, [O, LORD], will not allow your Holy One to see decay” (Acts 2:27b). Our present earthly body is planted in weakness, but it shall be raised with power. Our present body is frail, as is evidenced by the fact that it succumbs to death; but our resurrection body shall partake of the dynamic power and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our present earthly body is planted as a natural body, but it will be raised as a spiritual body. That is to say, our present body belongs to and has been designed for life in this present world; our resurrection body shall belong to and be designed for life in the kingdom of God, the kingdom that is ruled and filled by the Holy Spirit, (that is why the resurrection body is called “a spiritual body”).

In verses 44b-45, the apostle is emphasizing the certainty of the resurrection body: “If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.” A “spiritual body” is certainly not an immaterial body, that would be a contradiction in terms; rather, a “spiritual body” is a body that is filled with the Holy Spirit and suited to dwell in the transcendent kingdom of God, which is characterized by the manifest presence and unrestrained working of the Holy Spirit. If there is a body designed for life in this present creation, there will also most certainly be a body uniquely designed for life in the new creation. “The first man, Adam, became a living being;” Paul is referring to Genesis 2:7 and the fact that God created Adam out of the ground and gave him life: “And the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Paul now goes on to say, “the last Adam [Jesus Christ] is a life-giving Spirit;” not only does Christ live in God’s new creation, but He has the ability to impart eternal life to us. The first Adam possessed life, given to him by God; the “the last Adam” has the God-given ability to give life. Christ is said to be “a life-giving Spirit,” because it is by means of the Holy Spirit, who is “the Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9b), that the redeemed experience the resurrection of the body and the life of the kingdom to come (cf. Rom. 8:11).

In verse forty-six, Paul emphasizes the divinely ordained order: “it is not the spiritual body, but the physical, that comes first, then comes the spiritual.” The natural body, designed for life in this present creation, precedes the spiritual body, designed for life in the new creation. Thus, with the exception of Christ, (who, according to Hebrews 6:20, is our “Forerunner”), the appearance of the spiritual body must await the appearance of the new creation. Referring to the heavenly kingdom, the writer of Hebrews declares, “as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever” (Heb. 6:20). Verse forty-seven informs us that, while the natural man and the present creation may precede the spiritual man and the new creation in point of time, the latter is far superior to the former: “the first man was formed out of the dust, the second man is from heaven.”

Just as all of Adam’s descendants partake of this earthly existence, so all those who belong to Christ shall partake of His heavenly existence: “Those who are made of dust are just like the man formed out of the dust; those who are heavenly are just like the heavenly man” (vs. 48). Verse forty-nine gives a word of assurance: “Just as we have borne the image of the man formed out of the dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man.” Just as surely as we presently bear the image of our father Adam, and are identified with him; so shall we as believers in Christ bear the image of our heavenly Savior, and be identified with Him. Note Philippians 3:20-21,

...our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹By the power that enables him to bring everything into submission to himself, he will transform the body [belonging to the present state] of our humiliation, so that it may be conformed to his glorified body.

Thus, the Apostle Paul’s second argument for the resurrection is this: the fact that the natural world bears witness to the final resurrection.

Creation and Salvation Demand the Final Resurrection←⤒🔗

In verse twenty-nine, Paul raises the question, “If the dead are not raised, why do they practice baptism on their behalf?” His point is: Does not such a practice imply a belief in the resurrection? The soul of the deceased must have departed to some intermediate state where it awaits the resurrection of the body; otherwise, if it has gone to its eternal state there would be no sense in submitting to baptism for such a one. Note: Paul appears to be referring to a heretical form of baptism that some within the church may have been practicing. He does not condone the practice; rather he distances himself from it, (he speaks of “those men” who are baptized on behalf of the dead). This may have been one of the matters he intended to address personally when he came to Corinth. Back in chapter eleven (vs. 34b) he had written, “I will give instructions concerning the other matters when I come.” Paul there is referring to the rest of the questions and problems that beset the Corinthian church, one of which may have been the heretical form of baptism referred to here in 1 Corinthians 15.

But even this heretical form of baptism implies the final resurrection and stems from an understanding of the biblical view of the creation of man. Man was created as a unity of body and soul: “the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). The corruption of the body, together with the unnatural severance of soul and body, is part of the curse against sin. Following man’s transgression in the Garden of Eden, the LORD declared to Adam: “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken; for you are dust, and unto dust shall you return” (Gen. 3:19). Note: All of Paul’s argument in verses 29-34 is based upon this biblical view of the creation of man.

Not only creation, (that is to say, the fact that man was originally created as a unity of body and soul), but also redemption, demands the resurrection of the body; because, as Paul argues in verse fifty, “flesh and blood are not able to inherit the kingdom of God.” It is impossible for our earthly body in its present form to dwell in the kingdom of God; the reason being the fact that it is impossible for “that which decays” to inherit “what is imperishable.” Simply stated, that which is subject to decay and decomposition cannot exist in the realm of the eternal. Consider the present experience of men when they encounter the immediate presence of God, (which shall be the chief characteristic of life in the kingdom of God): There was Daniel’s experience when he was confronted with the immediate presence of Christ: “How can I, your servant, talk with you, my Lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe” (Dan. 10:17). There was the Apostle John’s experience when he found himself in the immediate presence of Christ: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead” (Rev. 1:17).

Consider, too, the character of the kingdom of God and life in that eternal kingdom. According to Matthew 13:43, “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father;” the redeemed shall share in the glory of Christ Himself. At the time of His transfiguration, our Lord’s appearance is described in these terms: “he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). For us to handle such an experience, our present bodies must undergo the resurrection transformation. By way of illustration: just as our present earthly body is not suited to survive in space, how much less is it suited for the immediate presence of God in His eternal kingdom! Thus, if we are to inherit the kingdom of God, our bodies must undergo a transformation.

Note: The resurrection is not only a return from the grave and a reuniting of the body and soul; it is also a transformation, so that we may be enabled to experience life in the kingdom of God. In verse fifty-three the apostle once more explains the reason and the necessity for this transformation of the body: “This body that decays must clothe itself with what is imperishable; indeed, this mortal body must clothe itself with what is immortal.” If we are to survive in the atmosphere of God’s immediate presence and enjoy the blessedness of His presence, we must share in Christ’s own incorruptible and immortal being.

Here, then, is the apostle’s third argument for the future resurrection: the fact that both creation and redemption demand the resurrection.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Finally, in verse fifty-eight, the apostle presents the practical application of these things. In light of the certainty of the resurrection, we are to be “steadfast [and] immoveable;” we are to continue to place our faith in Christ and not forsake Him. We are to be “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” We are to serve the Lord in the common duties of life; note Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, ²⁴since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” We are to employ our spiritual gifts in service to Christ and His church, as well as be involved in the advancement of the gospel and the cause of Christ in the world.

In verse thirty-four, the apostle exhorts these Corinthian Christians to come back to their senses, for they who deny the future resurrection “have no comprehension of God.” Such people are like the Sadducees, of whom the Lord Jesus said, “You do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Mk. 12:24). Likewise, we must not be swayed by the fallacious arguments of those who would deny the future resurrection of the body, those who fail to take into consideration the person of God and the creative and re-creative power of God.

Recognizing the certainty of the resurrection as it is expounded in 1 Corinthians 15, let us heed the command of verse fifty-eight, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your labor for the Lord is not in vain.”

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How does the Apostle Paul define the gospel? See 1 Cor. 15:3-4. What is the significance of Christ’s burial; to what two things does it testify? Can we depart from the gospel is favor of any other doctrine without jeopardizing our soul? See 1 Cor. 15:1-2,

I delivered to you as of first importance that which I also received, [namely,] that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; ⁴and that he was buried; and that he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures... 1 Cor. 15:3-4

Now, brothers, I remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you also received, on which also you stand, ²and by which you are saved—if you hold firm to the word that we preached to you, otherwise you have believed in vain. 1 Cor. 15:1-2

2. How important is Christ’s resurrection? See 1 Cor. 15:17-19. Why is Jesus Christ’s resurrection an essential element of the gospel? Why was it imperative that God raise Jesus from the dead? See Acts 2:24, 27. What does the resurrection prove that Jesus is? What does this tell us about the substitutionary nature of His death, and God’s acceptance of His sacrifice? Note 1 Pet. 3:18; also, Rom. 4:25,

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Furthermore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If we have only hoped in Christ for this [present] life, [then] of all men we are the most to be pitied. 1 Cor. 15:17-19

...God raised up [Christ Jesus], having loosened the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it....²⁷for you will not...allow your Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:24, 27

Christ indeed died for sins once for all, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones, so that he might bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive [again] by the Spirit. 1 Pet. 3:18

Jesus our Lord...was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification. Rom. 4:25

Our Lord’s resurrection is the testimony that He is, indeed, the sinless One and, therefore, His sacrificial death was undergone on our behalf, and is the acceptable payment for our sins and the means by which those who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are justified before God the Father and Judge of all the earth.

3. Were some of the Corinthians doubting Jesus’ own resurrection, or the future resurrection of all mankind on the Last Day? See 1 Cor. 15:12-13, 16. Why would they question the possibility of the resurrection of the body on the Last Day? What does the Apostle Paul say about those who would question God’s ability to raise the dead on the Last Day? See Acts 26:8. Why should we judge the resurrection of the body to be incredible; who are we to judge what God can and cannot do? Note Jer. 32:17,

Now if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised... ¹⁶If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 1 Cor. 15:12-13, 16

Why should you judge it incredible that God raises the dead?Acts 26:8

Ah, Lord God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for you.Jer. 32:17

4. What question does Paul anticipate the Corinthians may ask (cf. 1 Cor. 15:35); with what illustration does he answer that objection (cf. 1 Cor. 15:36-38)? If such is true with regard to a mere seed, what mysterious—organic and spiritual—connection must exist between the earthly body and the resurrection body?

But someone will say, How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body will they come? 1 Cor. 15:35

O foolish one, that which you yourself plant is not brought to life unless it [first] dies. ³⁷And when you plant, you are not planting the body that shall appear; but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or some other grain. ³⁸But God gives it a body just as he pleases, and to each [kind of] seed he gives its own body. 1 Cor. 15:36-38

Although there is a vast difference between the resulting fruit and the seed that was initially planted; there is, nevertheless, an organic and genetic relationship between the two of them.

5. Why is the resurrection body essential if we are to live with Christ our Lord in the new creation? See 1 Cor. 15:50. What happened to John when, in his earthly body, he encountered the risen Lord Jesus in His glory? See Rev. 1:17; note, also, Daniel’s experience when he saw Christ in a vision (cf. Dan. 10:17). As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, what must and shall happen to us? See 1 Cor. 15:52-53,

Now I tell you this, brothers, flesh and blood are not able to inherit the kingdom of God; neither can that which decays inherit what is imperishable. 1 Cor. 15:50

The Apostle John testifies:

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.Rev. 1:17

When he was confronted with the immediate presence of Christ, Daniel cried out:

How can I, your servant, talk with you, my Lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe. Dan. 10:17

...in a moment of time, in the blinking of an eye, at [the sounding of] the last trumpet. The trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised [to an] imperishable [existence], and we will be transformed. ⁵³This body that decays must clothe itself with what is imperishable; indeed, this mortal body must clothe itself with what is immortal. 1 Cor. 15:52-53