Sunday, May 19, 2013 pm
Studies in 1 Corinthians
(56)
OUR INCORRUPTIBLE BODY
1 Corinthians 15:35-49
Paul now turns his attention to questions about the coming
resurrection. There are
questions about the nature of the body that is raised.
In this lesson and the next we want to examine Paul’s answers to
these questions.
a.
In vs. 35 we have,
either anticipated objections to what Paul has taught about the
resurrection of further inquiry wanting to know what type of body will
we have. IT could be that
those who denied the resurrection used as an argument, the impossibility
of a decayed body being raised.
b.
Two questions asked: 1)
How are the dead raised up? 2) With what body will they be raised?
a.
Paul answers this
question by noting that change happens every day in nature.
This change shows that God is capable of creating man with a
physical body that when it dies, the soul will be raised with a
different body.
b.
“Foolish ones”
– the one’s Paul is addressing were not being logical in their
reasoning. OR at least they
were not paying attention to what was happening.
c.
Point #1 - What you sow
is not made alive unless it dies (36-38)
- A seed is a remarkable thing.
Not only is it made up of matter, it has a spark of life in it.
But in order for that spark of life to germinate, the actual
material seed must first die and decay.
From the decaying seed comes the plant, perhaps even a huge tree!
That this is true is verified in science.
Mankind has the technology to determine the material composition
of a seed. He may be able to
create a seed made of the same matter and even shape it the same way.
BUT he cannot put that spark of life in it!
When he plants it, it will deteriorate like the actual seed but
nothing will happen.
i.
What you sow, you do not
sow that body that shall be (37) – the seed (described as mere grain) does NOT look the same as the plant it
produces. As the plant grows
it doesn’t look at all like the seed.
ii.
But God gives it a body
as He pleases, and to each seed its own body (38) – this doesn’t mean that God physically shapes each
individual seed, but the type of plant that will grow depends upon the
seed in the first place. And
even with that, we know there are distinctions in plants of the same
variety (for example – 2 corn stalks may be planted and treated the same
way and next to each other, but one might only produce 5 ears of corn
while the other will produce 7 ears.
Their height may be a little different, etc.
So while each stalk is unique, they are both corn – that which
God designated from the beginning (cf. Gen. 1:11-12 – “after its kind”).
d.
Point #2 – All flesh is
not the same (39-41)
i.
There is one kind of
flesh of men, another of animals, another of fish and another of birds
(39)– all are “from dust”, but there are different types of bodies for
each one. AND their bodies
are all suitable for their environment – whether living in water or
flying or on the earth.
ii.
There are also celestial
bodies and terrestrial bodies, (40)
but one glory for each of them -
celestial bodies will be explained in vs. 41 – it is descriptive of the
various bodies in the heavens – the sun, the moon and the various stars.
Each has its own “glory” or character.
Even among the stars they are different! (Psa. 147:4 says, “He
counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.”)
The terrestrial body would be reference to anything on this earth (also
2 Cor. 5:1, Phil. 2:10, 3:19).
Paul discussed this in the previous verse (39)
Their “glory” is different – the word glory means their splendor.
It is the typical word for “glory” found throughout the NT (150+
times). The idea here is a
reminder that they are remarkable – what we are learning about the
vastness and complexity of the universe, including various planets,
stars, moons, the sun, etc. is incredible.
And the same is true about creation.
Every living thing has dna and what we are discovering is
amazing. Yet God created
them ALL, within a species they possess similar characteristics, but
each one is unique in its makeup.
e.
AND THUS GOD can create man with a physical body and raise the same man
with a spiritual body. The POINT Paul is making is
if God can create this much difference on the earth, and even in the
universe, it is not a big thing for him to create man with a dual-nature
(a body with a soul that will live eternally).
f.
Lesson: Man
DOES have a dual-nature. Man
has a physical body that will die and a spiritual body that will live on
eternally.
i.
You could actually say
he has a tri-nature – a body, soul and spirit (cf. 1 Thess. 5:23, Heb.
4:12). This is in contrast
to animals who have flesh and life, but no soul – Eccl. 3:18-21, 12:7.
ii.
But the point is where
man is concern – physically he is going to die, but his spirit will live
on.
Matt. 10:28 speaks of not fearing man who can only kill the body, but
not the soul.
Acts 2:27-31 – speaking of David’s body in the grave but he spoke of the
soul not being left in Hades.
a.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. (42)
Having established the ability of God to create both a physical and
spiritual body for each man, he now addresses the second question.
OF course, the answer here is basic but it tells us a little
about our coming body, what we need to know.
b.
The body contrasted
(42-44)
i.
Sown in corruption,
raised in incorruption
– here it is susceptible to decay, but when we are raised, our new body
will be eternal – NOT susceptible to decay.
ii.
Sown in dishonor, raised
in glory –
dishonor could be how as the body decays it is unpleasant – foul odor,
maggot infested, unpleasant to look at; but when we are raised, our new
body will be glorious – subject to honor.
iii.
Sown in weakness, raised
in power –
the limitations of the flesh are evident – sickness, susceptible to
temptations, wears down and eventually it dies.
But the body to be raised is NOT susceptible to such things.
It will have full strength and vitality.
Phil. 3:20-21 speaks of our lowly bodies being transformed to His
glorious body.
iv.
Sown a natural body,
raised a spiritual body
– in this life we are
flesh, in the next we are spirit – a body suitable for the “kingdom
which is not of this world”
v.
There IS a natural body
and a spiritual body
– in this expression
Paul clearly defines our dual-nature.
c.
The first Adam and Last
Adam (45-49)
i.
Paul here contrasts Adam
and Christ. This is
not the only place where such a contrast is made.
Romans 5:12-21 contrasts them in relation to sin.
Because of Adam’s sin, all men die (as a consequence of sin), and
because of Christ’s righteousness, all man can live spiritually.
In our PRESENT text, the contrast is dealing with physical death and
physical resurrection.
ii.
“The first Adam became a
living being” (25)
- taken from Genesis
2:7. Some see in this text
the soul, but according to our present text the best interpretation
would be that Adam received life, the same way as other animals.
That man also has a SPIRIT that will live eternally is recorded
in Genesis 1:26-27 where we are made in the image of God, as well as
other passages.
iii.
The last Adam became a
life giving spirit (25)
– while Jesus offers
salvation, perhaps the best rendition here has to do with giving us a
life that will live eternally.
RECALL that we ARE dealing with the resurrection in this chapter.
Because Jesus arose from the dead, we too will arise.
iv.
The spiritual is not
first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual (46)
– When one becomes a human being he THEN receives a
soul.
LESSON: Man has a
beginning! While we will
live eternally because we have a soul, that soul has a beginning.
It doesn’t start until AFTER we become human.
This verse defeats the doctrine of reincarnation.
v.
The first man was of the
earth, made of dust;
(47) – humanity that decays;
The second man is the Lord from
heaven – Jesus Christ in coming to this earth, living, dying and
rising from the dead CHANGED things!
In Christ we see that we have an immortal body as well as our
physical body.
vi.
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
(48) – a continued explanation of our dual nature.
The body we receive from Adam is dust and will return to dust,
but as is Christ (who is risen) so we will be when we ARE raised from
the dead.
LESSON: There is NOTHING
in this verse to restrict this resurrection to Christians only.
Though some are now teaching that only the godly will be
raised, and that there is no eternal punishment, but scripture teaches
differently – 2 Cor. 5:10, John 5:28-29, Matt. 25:46, Rev. 20:10, 14-15;
Heb. 9:27, Acts 17:30-31, 2 Pet. 2:20-22, 2 Thess. 1:7-9, etc.
vii.
And as we have borne the
image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly
man (49) – in
the concluding remarks of this point, Paul EMPHASIZES our coming
resurrection. In this verse
he is expressing the certainty of it.
Just as we are like the first Adam, we SHALL ALSO BEAR the image
of Christ – the resurrection – the POINT of this text.