1 Corinthians 15:41-50

1 Cor 15:41 (KJV)
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.

Paul now speaks specifically of the creation. This is something these Corinthians can see for themselves and understand. The sun has its own glory in that it lights up the day and gives heat and also is strategic in the growth of plant life and the sustaining of human life. The moon has a different glory and because of its reflective ability, it lights up the night. Then Paul uses the glory of the stars. We see the different constellations in the night sky. Some stars are brighter than others because they are planets. Stars such as Vega and Alpha Centauri are stars, yet they may differ greatly in illumination, even though both are visible from Earth, we will never get close enough to them to see a great difference. So even the celestial objects which we are so familiar with, when examined more carefully will have some difference among them. In using this illustration, Paul wants these Christians to know the concept of the vast difference between these objects. The vast difference between the sown body and the resurrected body is great like the difference between the sun, moon, and stars.
 

1 Cor 15:42 (KJV)
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

Paul now transitions into the vast difference between the sown body and the resurrected body. The body, when it is sown in the ground, is filled with the corruption of sin and many times it is corrupted by the ravages of a disease. In fact, some times the body is so ravaged by disease, at a funeral, there will be a closed casket. When the body of the Christian will rise on the last day, it will be raised in purity and without any tincture of corruption. It will be a perfect body which will be fit for eternity.
 

1 Cor 15:43 (KJV)
It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

It is sown in dishonor simply because of all the sinful corruption it endured and the corruption it helped to spew. It will not stay that way but when the Christians rises on the last day, the body will be raised in glory, which will be without blemish, flaw, or the slightest imperfection. The glory of the risen body will represent the glory of the Lord who makes it to fit with Heaven’s glory. The body is sown in weakness. The word “weakness” carries with it the meaning of “feebleness or sickness.” The Lord made a very apropos statement here: (Mark 14:38 KJV) Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Our flesh is weak indeed as so many times we would like to do something but we are just unable to do it. The spirit wants to go but is hindered by the weakness of the flesh. The weak body which is sown will be raised in power. The word “power” is the word dunamis” which means “strength, might, or ability.” In these two verses alone we see the vast difference between the sown body and the resurrected body.
 

1 Cor 15:44 (KJV)
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

The sown body is a natural body which is obedient only to the laws of this world such as gravity. It is unable to do any more than the natural forces of this Earth allow. The resurrected body will be a spiritual body which will be fit for the New Heaven and the New Earth. We received a glimpse of this body when the Lord Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration as He was temporarily in His glorified spiritual body. (Mat 17:2 KJV) And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. The eyes of Peter, James, and John had to be qualified to see Him or else they would have been consumed by His glory. This is the glorified spiritual body that we will have on the last day. I do not believe we will have the same type of body the Lord had when he arose from the dead because even though He had a physical/spiritual body, it was still tied to this world in the area of eating and drinking. Pure spirit does not require any food or water for sustenance. We will be totally kept by the power of God throughout all eternity. The last half of this verse teaches us that there is a natural body, which is flesh and blood, and that there is a spiritual body. Paul is pointing out that both of these are totally different bodies.
 

1 Cor 15:45 (KJV)
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

When Adam was created he was taken from the Earth and God breathed into him the breath of life and as the scriptures say, “and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) The first Adam was identified with the Earth because he was made to dwell on this Earth. God gave him food and water which was necessary for the upkeep of the body. There is no evidence that the first Adam was a spiritual being, instead he had flesh and blood, as those who would come after him, as the Scriptures teach that like begets like. The second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, was filled with the Holy Spirit. As Adam was the progenitor of the human race, the second Adam was the progenitor of the spiritual race. The Lord Jesus Christ was able to take people and save them through the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. The word “quickening” carries with it the meaning of “making alive or even empowering with new and greater powers of life.” As Christ, the firstfruits, was raised with a spiritual body, He will also give those who are His, at their resurrection, a glorified spiritual body.

 

1 Cor 15:46 (KJV)
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Paul once again calls upon a necessary order. First, we see the creation of the first Adam, which was the natural body, as all human beings have had that dwelled on the earth since creation. Then after the sowing of the natural bodies will come the raising of the spiritual bodies of the believers on the last day. Those Elect of God who are born into this world, first receive their natural bodies with all its sinful imperfections. Then when the body is sown, it will be raised as an incorruptible spiritual body for all eternity. We must endure the fleshly body first, and then we will have our glorified spiritual bodies on the last day.

 

1 Cor 15:47 (KJV)
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

The first Adam was specifically made to dwell upon the Earth as he was completely attached to this earth. Earth is the habitat of man. The second Adam was not a created being but the Creator Himself who came from Heaven, who was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. The modern versions leave out “the Lord” but believe me God will leave the authors of these modern per-versions out of Heaven. The first Adam had the Earthly nature, which means man was tied totally to this Earth. We speak of the sinful nature of man as the Adamic nature. The second nature is the Heavenly nature which the Lord Jesus brought to this Earth and gave to His Elect. (1 Cor 2:16 KJV) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

1 Cor 15:48 (KJV)
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

Here Paul makes a great distinction between the children of Adam and the children of God. Those that are of the Earth, are all made in Adam’s image, which is of the earth. (Gen 5:3 KJV) And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: After the fall into sin, every human being was born in the likeness of Adam’s sinful nature. Those that are in Christ, bear the image of the heavenly nature, even though they still bear the same type of bodies as the unbelievers do. However, on resurrection day, the believers will bear the Heavenly image in its entirety without any hint of sin, while the unbelievers will still bear the Adamic nature of sinfulness. (Rev 22:11 KJV) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. The nature that we die with on Earth, will continue into the next world, whether it be the Adamic nature of sin into Judgment or the re-created nature of the believer into Heaven.

 

1 Cor 15:49 (KJV)
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

As the Christian has been a descendant of the first Adam, thus causing us to bear the image of being of the Earth, we are being assured by this Scripture that we are going to bear the image of the Heavenly. That will come on the last day of Earth’s present existence.

 

1 Cor 15:50 (KJV)
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Now Paul gives us a straight statement here concerning the nature of the Kingdom of God. Flesh and blood, that is, the natural state of man cannot inherit the Kingdom of God because at this point in time, God saves the soul of man but the flesh is consigned to the grave until it will be changed on the last day. This is why works will never get anyone into Heaven, there must be a spiritual transformation of the soul. This also teaches that the Kingdom of God is spiritual and will not come with any observation in this present age. The unbeliever does not know anything about the Kingdom of God, when they see a gathering of Christians, they call us religious nuts, not realizing they are seeing a gathering of the redeemed of God. Notice in the verses below that the Kingdom of God is tied to the spiritual and not the physical. This also rules out the concept of a physical one thousand year reign of Christ on Earth.

(Rom 14:17 KJV) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

(Luke 17:20 KJV) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

(Mat 12:28 KJV) But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

(Mark 1:14-15 KJV) Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, {15} And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

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