It seems that the claim that “there is no resurrection” (15:12) came out from misunderstanding of the process of resurrection (15:35). In this part (15:36–53), Paul discusses this issue.
15:35 - Were these questions raised by some of the Corinthians? If so, that wrong answers to these questions led to the rejection about the truth of general resurrection.
Paul’s arguments follow a ‘sandwich structure’:
A1 - 15:36–44a - transformation;
B - 15:44b–49 - Adam - Christ Typology;
A2 - 15:50–53 - transformation.
Paul answers the second question - “with what body [the raised people] come”?
15:36–40 - Paul draws two examples from the common experience:
15:36 shows that Paul was ‘poor’ at his biology class. The seed does not actually die; it cannot die, because it contains within itself the genetic material. But what ‘dies’ is the outer part of the seed, the part that protects the core of the seed.
The key word here ‘body - soma’ and God’s action. It is God, who decided about the shape of different bodies.
Between the twofold process - sowing and making alive - is ‘death’.
Notice in 15:40–41 the reference to Gen 1:20.24.26 in reverse order.
15:42–44 - the conclusion.
The above examples are applied to resurrection:
Sown in:
| Sown in | It is raised |
|---|---|
| Corruption | incorruption - cannot be destroyed any more |
| Dishonor | glory - reflect God’s glory (2 Cor 3:18) |
| Weakness | power (2 Cor 13:4) |
| natural body - human body before death | spiritual body - human body after resurrection (1 Cor 2:14–15 - natural man and spiritual man |
In between is ‘death’ - presumed from 15:36. But, if we use the metaphor of seed (15:36) with proper understanding, then the core of humanity - soul - does not actually die. Here, we find the support for the truth that human soul created by God is immortal.
The natural body has the following qualities:
The resurrected body has the following qualities:
15:45 is quote from Gen 2:7 LXX but with some modifications by adding “first” and “Adam”. (For the typology Adam - Christ see also Rom 5:12–14 and 1 Cor 15:22).
The first Adam is described as “a living soul” - it is related to natural body that ends in corruption. Adam represents the whole humanity (present dimension).
The last Adam as “a life-giving spirit” - it refers to spiritual body that experience resurrection. Christ represents the resurrected - transformed - humanity (future dimension).
15:46 - The sequence of events is: from physical to spiritual, from natural body to resurrected body passing through death.
15:47–49 - Both the first Adam and the last Adam influence humanity:
| First Adam | Last Adam |
|---|---|
| of earth, made of dust | out of heaven |
| those like first Adam - made of dust | those like last Adam - heavenly |
| bearing the image of the earthly | bearing the image of the heavenly man |
The word “image - icon” does refer to likeness (Gen 1:27, Col 1:15). In this case, however, it points to eschatological reality, when we shall be like the resurrected Christ (see 1 John 3:2).
15:50–53. The idea in this verse is the same like in 1 Thess 4:15–17. Even those, who shall be alive at the moment of Christ’s coming, cannot enter God’s kingdom ‘still dressed in their physical bodies’. This physical body has to be first transformed. In a sense, we have here the old biblical idea that humans in their sinful state cannot see God and remain alive (see Ex 3:6; 33:20). God has to transforms us first or dress us up in another body (see Gen 3:21 and 2 Cor 5:4).
Notice, that Paul includes himself among those, who shall be transformed (similar in 1 Thess 5:17). Was Paul really so sure that he shall live to see the Lord’s coming?
15:54–58 close the entire section. Paul speaks about the future when the dressing up will be completed: from corruptible to incorruptible, from mortal to immortal. This refers to the day of Christ’s coming. The quote that follows refers to Isaiah 25:8, but notice one thing. In Isaiah (Masoretic Text) it is a prediction of a future reality: “he will destroy death forever”. But Paul’s quote has: “death was swallowed up in victory” (the quote is from one of the Greek version of the Bible available to the apostle known as “Theodotion”); (see also Rev 20:14).
The next quote is from Hosea 13:14. Paul answers the second question combining three things: the Law, sin, and death. Their relationship was explained in Romans 1–9 (see Rom 6:23).
The thanksgiving for the final victory over the law, sin, and death goes to God. God through Jesus Christ let us overcome death. From the hights of eschatology, Paul comes back to reality. Although, God has won victory for us through Jesus Christ, yet we are still here, not yet dressed up in that resurrected man. Thus, we have still work to do. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to faithfulness to the work of the Lord. This labor is not empty - in vain - in the Lord.