1 Corinthians 15:38

36 Foolish one, ^awhat you sow is not made alive unless it dies.

37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.

38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind¹ of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

40 There are also¹ celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 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.

42 ^aSo also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.

43 ^aIt 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

45 And so it is written, ^a“The first man Adam became a living being.” ^bThe last Adam became ^ca life-giving spirit.

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.

47 ^aThe first man was of the earth, ^bmade of dust; the second Man is² the Lord ^cfrom heaven.

48 As was the¹ man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; ^aand as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.

49 And ^aas we have borne the image of the man of dust, ^bwe shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Our Final Victory

50 Now this I say, brethren, that ^aflesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I tell you a¹ mystery: ^aWe shall not all sleep, ^bbut we shall all be changed—

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. ^aFor the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and ^athis mortal must put on immortality.

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: ^a“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O¹^a Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

<< 1 Corinthians 15:37

1 Corinthians 15:39 >>

1 Corinthians 15:38

But God giveth it a body ... - God gives to the seed sown its own proper body, formation, and growth. The word body here, as applied to grain, seems to mean the whole system, or arrangement of roots, stalks, leaves, flowers, and kernels that start out of the seed that is sown The meaning is, that such a form is produced from the seed sown as God pleases. Paul here traces the result to God, to show that there is no chance, and that it did not depend on the nature of things, but was dependent on the wise arrangement of God. There was nothing in the decaying kernel itself that would produce this result; but God chose that it should be so. There is nothing in the decaying body of the dead which in itself should lead to the resurrection; but God chose it should be so.

As it hath pleased him - As he chose. It is by his arrangement and agency. Though it is by regular laws, yet it is as God pleases. He acts according to his own pleasure, in the formation of each root, and stalk, and kernel of grain. It is, probably, here intimated that God would give to each one of the dead at the resurrection such a body as he should choose, though it will be, doubtless, in accordance with general laws.

And to every seed his own body - That which appropriately belongs to it; which it is suited to produce; which is of the same kind. He does not cause a stalk of rye to grow from a kernel of wheat; nor of maize from barley; nor of hemp from lenthes. He has fixed proper laws, and he takes care that they shall be observed. So it will be in the resurrection. Everyone shall have his own, that is, his proper body - a body which shall belong to him, and be suited to him. The wicked shall not rise with the body of the just, or with a body adapted to heaven; nor shall the saint rise with a body adapted to perdition. There shall be a fitness or appropriateness in the new body to the character of him who is raised. The argument here is designed to meet the inquiry how should the body be raised, and it is that there is nothing more remarkable and impossible in the doctrine of the resurrection, than in the fact constantly before us, that grain that seems to rot sends up a shoot or stalk, and is reproduced in a wonderful and beautiful manner. In a manner similar to this, the body will be raised; and the illustration of Paul meets all the difficulties about the fact of the resurrection. It cannot be shown that one is more difficult than the other; and as the facts of vegetation are constantly passing before our eyes, we ought not to deem it strange if similar facts shall take place hereafter in regard to the resurrection of the dead.

Other Barnes' Notes entries containing 1 Corinthians 15:38:

John 5:28
Romans 8:21
1 Corinthians 15:35
1 Corinthians 15:42

<< 1 Corinthians 15:37

1 Corinthians 15:39 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.

Join 137,134+ readers

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning

Consistent Bible study is hard to start.

The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.

Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.

Our Final Victory

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning