1 Cor 15:35-58

1 Corinthians 15:35–58 CSB

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. But God gives it a body as he wants, and to each of the seeds its own body. Not all flesh is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another star in splendor. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 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 will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

What does this new resurrected body look like? How will it happen?

Paul writes “don’t worry about it”… well.. he’s a little harsher than that v. 36 “you fool”

just know that like a seed, you’ve gotta die first

seed goes into the ground, then the plant comes up

So it is with us!

We go into the ground, and God raises us gloriously into a new body.

v.38 “God gives a body as He has chosen”

probably a lot like this one, only glorified

Paul wants them to not worry so much about the mechanics of it, and rather focus on your immortality in Christ!

there are different kinds of bodies

animal, bird, fish, human, heavenly

with differing glories

Different kinds splendour in the skies

sun, moon, star, and between stars

v.42 “So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonour, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body”

Corruption > incorruption

or perishable to imperishable

If you’re over 30, you know about the perishability of the body!

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes!

People spend billions trying to stop the advance of corruption, or at least the outward appearance of it

because it’s painful, stifles life, ability, and choices.. and is as growing reminder of the guarantee of death

But not in the resurrection

Dishonour > glory

the stain of sin and the extent of the curse shattered our relationship with God, each other, and creation

But not in the resurrection

Weakness > power

not just weak muscles, but helplessness, inability to do anything to change our state

But not in the resurrection

Natural > spiritual

not a platonic dualistic approach where the material is bad but spiritual is good

Jesus added flesh to pay our penalty, we need to be made alive in the Spirit to share in His resurrection.

Our natural bodies alone, subject to decay, are mortal and unable to receive eternal life

mortality is a big problem, and 100% of us suffer from it.

But not in the resurrection

Paul is setting up the comparison between Adam and Jesus

the first Adam and the last Adam (“Adam” meaning “man”; representing all mankind)

“The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

“The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.”

“Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust (corrupted, dishonoured, weak, flesh); like the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven (incorruptible, glorious, powerful, spiritual).”

“And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

Why is that important?

He tells us in v.50 “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption.”

we cannon inherit the Kingdom with corruptible bodies, something MUST change.

1 Corinthians 15:35–58 CSB

We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment (atomos), in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?

We will be clothed with incorruptibility

Covered in immortality

Jesus makes a big deal of this in the parable of the great invitation in Matt 22.

Someone comes wearing the wrong clothes and is thrown into outer darkness

You must be Gal 3:27 “clothed in Christ”

immersed in Him (baptised)

Hidden in Him

United with Jesus

You are immersed in immortality, so that “death has been swallowed up in victory”, and no longer has any sting.

there is a kind of sting when we lose a loved one, because we may have seen them suffer and we miss them, but there is now no sting in our own death, because we are immortal.

Sin gave death its venom; the law amplified its bite. But Jesus—cross bleeding, tomb vacating —has crushed it!

Immortality! It essentially means the same thing as having eternal life, but for me there’s something to the word that denotes power, glory, incorruptibility…

Not a fleshly, earthly kind of power that looks to lord over others, and not a glory that is self seeking, but power over death, and glory from and to the father.

1 Tim 6:16 “only God is immortal”

Isaiah 48:11 “My glory I don’t give to another.

and yet God invites us into His immortality, and into His glory (Rom 8)

He clothes us in perfection, clothes us in beauty, clothes us in righteousness, clothes us in immortality, clothes us in glory, clothes us in splendour

So that… “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

steadfast

Immovable

Excelling in the Lord’s work

Because your labour in the Lord is not in vain!

2 Corinthians 4:8–18 CSB

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

If you are in Christ, you are immortal

1. Live with Confidence—Because Death is Defeated.

• You don’t have to fear the grave. You don’t have to wonder what’s next. Jesus has already won.

2. Live with Purpose—Because Nothing is Wasted.

• Every act of faith, every moment of obedience—it echoes into eternity.

Excel in the Lord’s work!

3. Live with Expectation—Because Jesus is Coming Back.

• Not a vain wish. The day is coming when will rise with him, glorified, imperishable, immortal.

Pray

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Grok:

“Resurrection: The Unmaking of Death and the Remaking of Us”

Intro: The Question That Won’t Let Go Church, let’s lean in close today. There’s a question that’s been rattling around humanity’s skull since we first scratched dirt into graves: what happens when we die? It’s not academic—it’s visceral. It’s the lump in your throat at a funeral, the late-night stare into the ceiling wondering, “Is this it?” The Corinthians were asking it too, pressing Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58: “How are the dead raised? What kind of body do they come with?” They’re not just curious—they’re skeptical, maybe scoffing. Resurrection? Bodies coming back? Sounds wild. But Paul doesn’t blink. He unfolds a tapestry of truth so intricate, so bold, it takes the breath away—a vision of God’s power, Christ’s triumph, and our future that ties straight into the Gospel’s core. This isn’t a dry debate; it’s a lifeline. So let’s walk through it, verse by verse, because what God’s saying here doesn’t just inform us—it transforms us.

1. The Seed and the Blueprint of Transformation (vv. 35-41) Paul kicks off with the doubters: “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You can hear the edge in their voices—maybe they’re picturing decayed bones and thinking, “Nice story, Paul, but really?” His answer’s sharp: “You fool!” It’s not rudeness; it’s urgency, like a parent grabbing a kid from traffic. He points to a seed—humble, everyday, profound. You plant it, and it dies. The husk cracks, rots, vanishes into the earth. But then—life erupts. A wheat grain doesn’t stay a grain; it becomes a stalk, golden and tall, swaying under the sun. It’s different, yet it’s the same—continuity through change.

This isn’t Paul pulling a rabbit out of a hat; it’s him reading God’s playbook. Genesis 1 shows a Creator who builds with purpose—seeds yielding plants, each “after its kind.” Modern biology echoes it: DNA’s a script, dictating what a seed becomes. But God’s the playwright. He’s not stumped by death’s mess. Paul widens the lens: fish shimmer in water, birds carve the air, stars blaze across the cosmos—each with a body fitted to its realm, a “glory” unique to its calling. Our earthly bodies have a glory too—think of a child’s laugh, a runner’s stride—but it’s fleeting, scarred by sin’s decay. The resurrection body? It’s a glory redefined—imperishable, suited for eternity, radiant with God’s intent.

Philosophically, this challenges the materialist who says we’re just atoms scattering. Culturally, it flips the ancient Greek dualism that despised the body for the soul. Paul says no—God redeems the physical, not just the spiritual. The seed dies, but it rises, transformed. That’s us—buried in weakness, raised in wonder, all by a God who doesn’t scrap His creation but renews it. This is hope with roots, church, not a fairy tale.

2. The Contrast: From Dust’s Dominion to Glory’s Dawn (vv. 42-49) Paul zooms in now, painting a portrait of before and after that’s almost too big to hold. He lists four shifts, each a gut punch to despair. First: sown perishable, raised imperishable. These bodies? They’re breaking down. Entropy’s real—scientists measure it, we feel it in every gray hair, every tired step. But the resurrection body knows no decay—no rust, no expiration, no slow fade. Second: sown in dishonor, raised in glory. Go back to Eden—Adam and Eve’s rebellion didn’t just dent us; it shattered us. Sin’s shame clings like damp rot. But raised in glory? That’s Christ’s righteousness draped over us, a splendor we can’t earn.

Third: sown in weakness, raised in power. Weakness isn’t just sore muscles—it’s the helplessness of a world groaning under sin’s weight. Every war, every tear, every “why, God?” moment. Raised in power means no more fragility—unshackable, unbreakable, alive with divine strength. Fourth: sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. “Natural” here ties to Adam—dust-formed, sin-bound, mortal. “Spiritual” isn’t ghostly—it’s a body animated by the Holy Spirit, bearing the image of Jesus, the second Adam who walked out of death.

This is cosmic drama. Adam’s fall wasn’t a hiccup—it was a catastrophe, dragging humanity into a grave we couldn’t escape. Philosophers like Sartre wrestled with this, calling life absurd, a march to nothing. Paul says absurdity’s not the endgame. Jesus rewrites it. His resurrection’s the first note of a new song—He’s the “firstfruits,” and we’re the harvest. The Spirit’s strumming that tune now, stirring us, shaping us for what’s ahead. Church, this isn’t self-help; it’s sovereign rescue—God’s grace lifting us from dust to dawn, from ruin to radiance.

3. The Trumpet and the Death of Death (vv. 50-57) Paul’s crescendo hits hard: “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” This body’s too frail for eternity’s glory—it’s like sending a paper boat into a hurricane. So God acts: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” Time splits open—the dead rise, the living transform. Perishable puts on imperishable; mortal dons immortality. And death? Paul grabs Hosea 13:14 and Isaiah 25:8, taunting it: “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Sin gave death its venom; the law amplified its bite. But Jesus—cross bleeding, tomb empty—crushes it.

Let’s unpack this. “Moment” here is atomos—an indivisible instant, faster than a blink. The “trumpet” echoes Jewish tradition, signaling God’s arrival—think Sinai, think judgment, think jubilee. This isn’t gradual; it’s sudden, decisive, divine. Death’s not a natural friend, as some poets claim, nor a blank inevitability, as secularists insist. It’s an enemy, born of sin, and Jesus slays it. Egyptians mummified bodies to defy it; Greeks resigned to Hades’ gloom. Jesus doesn’t bargain—He wins. The cross pays sin’s debt; the resurrection snaps death’s neck. And the Spirit? He’s the seal, the fire in our bones, testifying this isn’t myth—it’s history bending toward triumph.

Culturally, we’re obsessed with cheating death—cryonics, AI uploads, anti-aging creams. Paul says stop grasping; Christ’s already claimed it. This is the Gospel’s apex: Jesus dies, rises, and returns to finish what sin started. It’s not escapism—it’s conquest, God’s unyielding will to make all things new.

4. The Call: Labor Anchored in Eternity (v. 58) Paul doesn’t leave us starstruck—he grounds it: “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” “Therefore” ties it all back—resurrection’s the why. “Steadfast, immovable” isn’t passive—it’s defiant, standing against despair’s tide. “Abounding” is overflow, excess, pouring out for Christ. And “not in vain”? That’s the kicker. The world’s a skeptic—Ecclesiastes moans all’s vanity; Nietzsche sneers at meaning. Paul says no—because Jesus rose, your life’s not a sandcastle washing away. It’s stone, built into God’s eternal city.

Exegete this: “in the Lord” is everything. Apart from Him, it’s dust. United to Him, it’s indestructible. Every sermon preached, every meal shared, every prayer whispered—it’s seed for the resurrection harvest. The Spirit’s fueling it now—gifts flowing, worship rising, lives changing. This isn’t a call to wait; it’s a charge to work, knowing the end’s secure.

Application: Resurrection as Our Lens Let’s live this, church. You, grappling with faith’s edges—maybe science feels louder than Scripture—resurrection says matter and miracle dance together; Christ’s body walked out alive. You, carrying grief’s weight—a parent gone, a dream shattered—this shell’s not final; the Spirit’s groaning with you for glory. You, laboring in shadows—teaching, serving, loving—the trumpet will sound, and it’ll shine forever. And us, together? We’re a community of the risen—praying bold, loving deep, standing firm. The Spirit’s here, moving, making resurrection real today.

Conclusion: The Gospel’s Unstoppable Arc Here’s the pulse: Jesus died for our sins, rose to kill death, and He’s coming to raise us. The cross was justice and mercy colliding; the resurrection was power rewriting reality. We’re sinners saved, mortals made immortal, all by grace we didn’t muster. So let’s live it—eyes lifted, hearts burning, hands ready. Death’s undone. The King reigns. And when that trumpet blasts, we’ll stand with Him, shouting, “Victory is ours!” Amen.

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Chat:

Victory Over Death: The Resurrection and Our Future Hope

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Introduction

Church, let’s be real—death feels like the great undefeated enemy. It rips people away from us. It whispers fear into our hearts. It’s unavoidable, unrelenting. But Paul stands in 1 Corinthians 15 and declares, “Not anymore.” Because of Christ’s resurrection, death is defeated, the grave is not the end, and our future is not just some spiritual dream—it is a real, bodily, eternal victory.

Maybe you’ve wondered: What will the resurrection be like? Will we recognize each other? What kind of body will we have? That’s exactly where Paul goes in this passage. And his answer is full of hope, confidence, and the unshakable truth that Jesus’ victory is our victory.

1. Resurrection Bodies: The Perishable Becomes Imperishable (vv. 35-49)

Paul starts by answering the skeptic’s question: How are the dead raised? What kind of body do they have?

His answer? Look at seeds.

“What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel.” (vv. 36-37)

Think about planting a seed. A tiny, unimpressive thing gets buried—and out of it comes something glorious. A towering tree. A field of wheat.

Our bodies are like that. Weak, fragile, subject to sickness and death now—but when Christ returns, they’ll be raised glorious, powerful, and imperishable.

Paul lays out the contrast:

• Perishable → Imperishable (No more sickness, aging, or decay)

• Dishonour → Glory (No more shame, only splendour)

• Weakness → Power (No more frailty, only strength)

• Natural → Spiritual (Not ghostly, but fully alive, animated by God’s Spirit)

Right now, we bear the image of the man of dust—Adam, the fallen one. But in the resurrection? We will bear the image of the man of heaven—Jesus, the risen one.

2. Victory Over Death: The Final Enemy Destroyed (vv. 50-57)

Paul shifts gears: Flesh and blood can’t inherit the kingdom of God. In other words, we need transformation.

And here’s the best part: not everyone will have to die to get it.

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” (vv. 51-52)

One day, Jesus will return, the trumpet will sound, and in a split second, every believer—living and dead—will be clothed with immortality.

And when that happens? Paul says we will mock death itself.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (v. 55)

Death has haunted humanity since Genesis 3. But on that day, it will be swallowed up in victory. The resurrection of Jesus already secured it—the final resurrection will make it complete.

And let’s be clear: this is not our victory—it’s His.

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 57)

Not through your good works. Not through your effort. Through Jesus alone.

3. Stand Firm, Stay Faithful, Because Nothing Is Wasted (v. 58)

Paul lands the plane with one of the most powerful therefore statements in Scripture:

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.” (v. 58)

Why does the resurrection matter? Because everything we do for Jesus has eternal weight.

• Your faithfulness in trials? Not in vain.

• Your obedience when no one sees? Not in vain.

• Your labour in ministry, your sacrifice, your perseverance? Not in vain.

Because death doesn’t get the final word. Jesus does.

Application: Living in Resurrection Hope

Church, if all this is true, it changes how we live right now.

1. Live with Confidence—Because Death is Defeated.

• You don’t have to fear the grave. You don’t have to wonder what’s next. Jesus has already won.

2. Live with Purpose—Because Nothing is Wasted.

• Every act of faith, every moment of obedience—it echoes into eternity.

3. Live with Expectation—Because Jesus is Coming Back.

• This is not wishful thinking. This is reality. A new, glorified, imperishable life is coming.

Closing

So as we walk out of here today, let’s hold tight to what we know:

• The cross broke the power of sin.

• The resurrection broke the power of death.

• The return of Jesus will make all things new.

And on that day, when we stand with new, glorified bodies, looking into the face of the risen King, we will laugh in the face of death and say, “Where is your sting?”

Because Jesus wins. And in Him, so do we.

Pray.