Lesson 4824

 (Lesson 4824) (04-17-25) 1st Corinthians 15:35-50 

   “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” 

 

   In today’s lesson, Paul addressed questions about how the dead are raised and what kind of body they will have. He explained that the resurrection body is different from the earthly body, using the analogy of a seed: just as a seed must die to bring forth new life, so the natural body must die to be raised in a new, glorified form. Paul taught that there are different kinds of flesh—human, animal, celestial, and terrestrial—each with its own glory. Likewise, the resurrected body will be different from the earthly body which is sown in corruption and raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. He contrasted Adam, the first man who was made a living being, with Christ, the last Adam, who became a life-giving Spirit. Paul explained that the natural comes first, then the spiritual. Those who belong to Christ will bear His image in the resurrection. He concluded by declaring that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption—pointing to the necessity of a spiritual transformation before entering eternal life. ~