Resurrected Body 1 Cor 15:35-49
Resurrected Body • Sermon • Submitted
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· 38 viewsChristians, who die prior to the coming of Christ, will be raised with imperishable bodies when He comes.
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Welcome - Text - This Palm Sunday no better text we can be looking at than Resurrection Hope
PRAY FIRST
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
The Gospel of the Resurrection of Christ and His People (15:1–58)
The Gospel of the Resurrection of Christ and His People (15:1–58)
V.1-11 - The gospel is secured by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
V.12-34 - God’s people will be bodily resurrected because Christ was resurrected bodily
BUT.... What will that look like? What kind of body?
The context:
The context now shifts to Paul’s response to those who doubt that a bodily resurrection is possible.
Those with such doubts were probably influenced by Greek paganism in which the resurrection of the body was deemed to be impossible and even disgusting.
In 15:35 the argument shifts from looking at the fact & evidence of the resurrection to the nature of the resurrection body.
sometimes to understand the future you have to back to the beginning.
We find Paul doing this using creation and the created to help us understand life after the return of Christ.
Ciampa and Rosner observe that in the study of the beginning of creation we find keys to eschatology.
Sin has disrupted creation but though The body believers have now is weak and corruptible, but the body to come will be glorious and incorruptible.
Paul then promises that a future transformation will come (vv. 50–57 -Next week)
Ex: Jeopardy: Main idea is the answer so what’s the question:
Christians, who die prior to the coming of Christ, will be raised with imperishable bodies when He comes.
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”
How Are the Dead Raised? -v.35-41
How Are the Dead Raised? -v.35-41
A Foolish question or an honest question?
A Foolish question or an honest question?
To deny the bodily Resurrection is to deny God’s Power and His economy
“Fool” in the biblical sense denotes the person who denies God (cf. ; ; )
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.
Because it was causing confusion in the church
A Disingenuous question
These objections probably stemmed from Greek dualism, which taught that the soul is good but the body is corrupt.
To deny resurrection is to deny the fact that God does what he wills (15:38).
How are the Dead raised?
By Transformation not reanimation -
By Transformation not reanimation -
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”
36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
By Transformation not reanimation (Reenergized) according to God’s Sovereign Will -
By Transformation not reanimation (Reenergized) according to God’s Sovereign Will -
ex: Cartoon or animated creature that by the cartoonist is simply reanimated.
Ex: Old cartoon The coyote runs off a cliff falls and a bolder smashes him - simply reanimates him
The question of what about our bodies after 500 years. dust - Yes
Resurrection does not entail the reanimation(Reenergizing) of dead corpses but rather the transformation of perishable bodies.
To better understand the nature of this transformation:
Three analogies: Seeds - animals - cosmos
The seed analogy - The purpose is not to emphasize the necessity of death but rather to illustrate the principle of transformation (cf. 15:51 - change =transformation )
Paul’s purpose is not to explain the scientific details but to demonstrate the connection with Creation and the transformation to come illusingtrated from creation itself.
36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
- we’ll be study John’s Gospel next...
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Paul’s purpose is not to explain the scientific details but to demonstrate the connection with Creation and the transformation to come illustrated from creation itself.
EX: Gardening is like have a bunch of little funerals. You bury the seed in faith that it will come out of the ground and look like something different than what you put in the ground.
EX: Gardening is like have a bunch of little funerals. You bury the seed in faith that it will come out of the ground and look like something different than what you put in the ground.
Paul’s purpose is not to explain the scientific details but to demonstrate the connection with Creation and the transformation to come illustrated from creation itself.
V.36- Before a seed can grow into a tree or a plant, it must be buried as if it were dead.
Remember the question: How are the dead raised?
Remember the question: How are the dead raised?
With Creation
Remember the question: How are the dead raised?
Remember the question: How are the dead raised?
The Dead are raised by God’s power and by his sovereignty
The Dead are raised by God’s power and by his sovereignty
38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
V.38 - The key point is that God gives to each seed its own body as he has determined (15:38).
The transformation to come illustrated from creation itself.
In other words, a seed does not bear the shape and size of the full-grown plant. In fact, a seed does not look anything like the plant into which it grows.
The great variety of plants that emerge from seeds represents God’s sovereignty and power
- The analogy of variety in kinds animals & cosmos
39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
The bodies of human beings differs from the bodies of animals, and birds and fish yet again are clothed/fitted with different bodies (cf. , ).
v.40 - There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, and they have their own unique beauty and splendour.
What is Paul’s point in these illustrations?
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Think about it: Your bodies and this creation is fine tuned for our existence on earth.
How are the dead raised?
How are the dead raised?
By transformation (15:40–42, 50–57), which explains how the earthly body can enter into a heavenly existence.
By God Power to give us a heavenly body fit for eternity
Therefore, The Dead are transformed at their resurrection by God’s Sovereign Power to fit heavenly existence.
The Dead are transformed at their resurrection by God’s Sovereign Power.
The Dead are transformed at their resurrection by God’s Sovereign Power.
What Kind of Bodies Will We have? v.42-49
What Kind of Bodies Will We have? v.42-49
What Kind of Bodies Will We have? v.42-49
What Kind of Bodies Will We have? v.42-49
And what will the transformation of our resurrection bodies look like?
The essence of resurrection is the transformation of our earthly bodies
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Paul uses the verbs sown versus raised four times, drawing a contrast between what is and what will be.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Four future distinctions & five contrasts of our Resurrected bodies -
(Paul keeps the seed analogy going)
Four future distinctions of our Resurrected bodies -
Four future distinctions of our Resurrected bodies -
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
v.42 - Mortal bodies are perishable, but resurrected bodies will be fitted with the imperishable.
Ress of Lazarus versus Ress. of Jesus.
The word imperishable is closely associated with eternal life
- Talking about the gospel
- The word imperishable is closely associated with eternal life
- The word imperishable is closely associated with eternal life
10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
Second, mortal bodies carry dishonor, but resurrected bodies carry glory. ()Third, mortal bodies suffer weakness, but resurrected bodies will be filled with power. Human beings originally received the power and honor of dominion over creation ()Through sin, however, man and the rest of creation were drawn apart (). In the resurrection, however, believers will reign with Christ in great power over his creation ().Fourth, mortal bodies are natural, but resurrected bodies will be spiritual.It is best to take the term spiritual not as “immaterial,” but as a reference to the Holy Spirit.
v.43- Mortal bodies carry dishonor, but resurrected bodies will be fitted for glory. ()
The body is not intrinsically evil, but it is dishonourable due to its corruptibility and weakness; however, the resurrection body will be glorious and will not suffer from frailty.
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
v.43 - Mortal bodies suffer weakness, but resurrected bodies will be filled with power.
Human beings originally received the power and honor of dominion over creation ()
Human beings originally received the power and honor of dominion over creation ()Through sin, however, man and the rest of creation were drawn apart (). In the resurrection, however, believers will reign with Christ in great power over his creation ().
Through sin, however, man and the rest of creation were drawn apart ().
Human bodies are plagued with illness, injuries, tiredness and finally death, but in the resurrection they will go from strength to strength
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
Human beings originally received the power and honor of dominion over creation ()Through sin, however, man and the rest of creation were drawn apart (). In the resurrection, however, believers will reign with Christ in great power over his creation ().Fourth, mortal bodies are natural, but resurrected bodies will be spiritual.It is best to take the term spiritual not as “immaterial,” but as a reference to the Holy Spirit.
v.44 - Mortal bodies are natural, but resurrected bodies will be spiritual.
It is best to take the term spiritual not as “immaterial,” but as a reference to the Holy Spirit.
In principle, all believers are “spiritual” by virtue of their reception of the Holy Spirit (cf. 12:1–3, 13), but what becomes clear in the present argument (15:44–49) is that believers have not yet received a “spiritual” body.
In principle, all believers are “spiritual” by virtue of their reception of the Holy Spirit (cf. 12:1–3, 13), but what becomes clear in the present argument (15:44–49) is that believers have not yet received a “spiritual” body.
A spiritual body does not mean an immaterial body; such a conclusion would contradict Paul’s entire discussion up to this point.
The spiritual body is a body ‘that eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered the human mind’ (), that is transformed into the likeness of Christ (), and that is fitted for the new age.
What Paul means by a spiritual body is a body empowered and animated (energized) by the Holy Spirit; the body is physical but, in contrast to one’s earthly body, it lives in a whole new realm, for now it is a body enlivened by the Holy Spirit.
The spiritual body is a body ‘that eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered the human mind’ (), that is transformed into the likeness of Christ (), and that is fitted for the new age.
(energized) by the Holy Spirit; the body is physical but, in contrast to one’s earthly body, it lives in a whole new realm, for now it is a body enlivened by the Holy Spirit.
Imperishable, fitted for glory, filled with power, made fully alive in the Spirit
Five contrasts of our Resurrected bodies (from Adam and Jesus Christ) - V.44-49
Five contrasts of our Resurrected bodies (from Adam and Jesus Christ) - V.44-49
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44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
- Paul paraphrased , which states that Adam became a living being.
45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
In his resurrection Christ became something much greater than a living being. He became a life-giving spirit.
Paul noted that the order of the biblical account was important. Historically, the natural body for the human race came before the spiritual body given by Christ.
46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.
First comes the natural [psychikon] body, then the spiritual [pneumatikon] body.1
- Adam was of the dust of the earth, but Christ is from heaven.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
- Paul argued that Scripture indicates that those who are of the earth (i.e., Adam’s descendants) are like the earthly man (i.e., Adam).
We have a nature like Adam but now like Christ’s
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
They inherit his natural physical nature.
Yet, those who are of heaven (i.e., born again/regenerate) become like the man from heaven (i.e., Christ).
From heaven (epouranios) does not refer to Christ’s location of origin, or even to his current location, but to his nature.
The regenerate inherit Christ’s spiritual nature.
- Paul pointed out that the biblical record teaches that all people bear the likeness of the earthly man.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Paul probably does not have in mind the incarnation, nor is he denying that Jesus was a man of dust.
Paul emphasizing that Jesus is the resurrected Lord, seated at God’s right hand as the resurrected Lord of all.
He is the heavenly man in that he is now seated at God’s right hand as the resurrected Lord of all.
So Paul concluded it must be true that Christians bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
Paul described the ultimate state of salvation as being “conformed to the likeness of [God’s] Son” ().
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
- our future effects our present.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
SO What? - With a pandemic effecting more than a million people why does this matter.
The time to prepare for the future is today!
Paul concludes this portion of his argument with an exhortation “calling them to prepare now for the future that is to be.”
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
With the possibility of 100-240 deaths how important is the American Dream? That career, that boat, that house, that car...
The reality that this pandemic will touch us all in some way.
The reality that this pandemic will touch us all in some way.
God has given us a gift clarity right now, what are we going to do with it.
What we (In Christ)don’t have to concern ourselves about:
As God fits us for this age so he will fit us for the next age.
What we should concern ourselves about:
The seed analogy is given to apply in life and death; apply it now!
J
The Seed analogy applies both in life and in death.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
3- Those who live the Resurrected life rest in God’s power over death.
What is clear, however, is that the essence of resurrection is the transformation of our earthly bodies (cf. ; ; ).
A Seed Germinates: Google: germination of a seed - the roots grow first then the plant pops out of the ground and the end --- fruit
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
- Do you know what verse 3 says?
3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4- For the believer, the fullness of life lies not on this side of the grave but in the glorious age to come, when all that is wrong will be made right
CSB - How do you want to be found? - A seed, a barren tree or a fruit-filled tree
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3
14 Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.
Think About it
Read and then go outside identify God’s variety, beauty and power in his creation.
Reflect on the beauty of the new creation and our own future transformation.
Find a seed and discuss what is necessary for that seed to becomes a plant that bears fruit.