1 Corinthians 15,35-49
1 Corinthians 15:35-49
January 5, 2003
Intro: If we are able to believe in the resurrection THEN we could
believe in the resurrection of Christ.
A- Remember this was the purpose of the transfiguration. (Matt. 17)
1- As Jesus taught about His death He did not want to leave His disciple without hope.
a- He then gave the illustration of His and man’s resurrection.
2- So as I believe in the resurrection, It would come to follow that I would believe in Jesus’ resurrection (He sets the pattern in all this spiritual).
a- If I believe in Christ’s resurrection it goes to follow that man would be resurrected.
- What was the purpose of Christ’s coming, death, and resurrection if we are not resurrected as well.
Psalm 2:7, “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:22-23
James 1:18, Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
b- Firstfruits speak of other fruits to come
- We are God’s granola (fruits and nuts)
Ø Remember there was a false teaching circulating within the church at Corinth on this matter.
1 Corinthians 15:12, Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Read Verses 29-34
A- to be unaware of our won resurrection does not render it not true.
1- BUT it circumvents what the Lord wanted to accomplish in Matthew 17.
a- It leaves us without a future and hope.
- Without hope this life is hopeless.
B- The best biblical definition of the resurrection is:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Ø So in his effort to teach the resurrection of man Paul presents 2 hypothetical questions:
1 Corinthians 15:35, But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
A- This will be his thesis for the following verses: to explain a heavenly reality in earthly terms.
1- Paul used the resurrection in his presentation of the gospel to Herod Agrippa (a N.T. fact)
Acts 26:6-8, “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.7 “To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.8 “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
a- Jesus also confirmed the Old Testament picture of the resurrection. (An O.T. mystery)
Matthew 22:31-33, “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
Ø Paul 1st looks at the illustration that nature gives of this occurrence that is constantly going on all around us.
Read Verses 36-38
A- “Foolish one”: One who chooses to ignore the obvious existence of God and His power.
Psalm 14:1, The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
1- Paul is telling them to look all around at creation.
Romans 1:20, For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
a- Natural theology
- Seed, the caterpillar and butterfly, A beautiful child – adolescents- adulthood.
2- The example shown is:
a- The original is to be dissolved
- Gone and nonexistent
· Corruption
b- The original and final forms are different in kind
- A little seed = pine tree
- Caterpillar = butterfly
- Dead body = Glorified body
c- The 2 forms have a continuity
- DNA the same
- Elijah and Moses were still recognized as themselves.
3- His Point: If you look around at creation the resurrection happens everyday.
Read verse 36
A- The seed is planted as dead and must actually start the to decompose in order for now life to spring out.
John 12:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
Read Verses 37-38
A- The seed (these bodies) is always the lesser form of what it will become.
1- A seed is always identified by what it will be, not what it is.
a- Wheat seed, Barley seed
- The hope is always in the future.
b- In this we have great expectation in what we will be.
Luke 24:15, 31,36
John 20:19, Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
2- Also notice through Jesus’ example of old body and new body.
a- The now body will be a physical spiritual body having substance.
- The new body will be recognized, yet different.
Read Verse 38
A- A law of God
1- A wheat seed will always become a wheat plant.
a- We know this by:
- God’s word (Genesis 1 “after it’s own kind”)
- And experience
2- We know that a human seed will always become a glorified worshiper of God.
a- We know this by
- The word of God
Read Job 19:25-27,
- Experience (Jesus Christ)
Ø Next in verses 39-44 we see the contrast between the earthly (seed) and the spiritual (plant)
Read verse 39
A- Again Paul looks at creation
1- God made man one way, after his kind, animals, another, fish, and birds.
a- In looking at the contrasts
- Cut me and I bleed (red)
- Step on a grasshopper (green)
2- High School biology THE PLANT TEST
a- To show the evils of rock and roll
- Music VS fertilizer
· Change the complexion of hospitality.
Read Verses 40-44
1 Peter 1:3-4, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
B- Because of the weakness of life we care for these bodies.
1- Hygiene, Health insurance, rest
a- concern for my children.
- Sports, driving, everyday they go away from me.
Ø Lastly the prototypes
A- It is appointed for man do die or rapture (type of death)
1- It is necessary for all that resurrection to happen
a- To live forever is to be separated from God forever (more like hell)
- Death is necessary for glorification
Genesis 3:22-24, Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Read Verse 49
1 John 3:1-3, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Philippians 3:20-21, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
1 Corinthians 15:35-49
January 5, 2003
Psalm 2:7
1 Corinthians 15:22-23
James 1:18
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Acts 26:6-8
Matthew 22:31-33
Psalm 14:1
Romans 1:20
John 12:24
Luke 24:15, 31,36
John 20:19
Job 19:25-27
1 Peter 1:3-4
Genesis 3:22-24
1 John 3:1-3
Philippians 3:20-21