35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 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. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1 Corinthians 15:35-50 KJV)
The Resurrection Body
The apostle now answers a strong objection against the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead: “Some will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body will they come?’” (1 Corinthians 15:35).
The objection has two parts. First, How are they raised up? meaning, By what means? What power can accomplish such a thing? This was a common belief among pagans and among the Sadducees—that it was beyond divine power to make mortal men immortal or to restore the dead to life. Such thinkers likely influenced those in Corinth who denied the resurrection. They reasoned, “How can the dead rise? Is it not impossible?”
The second part concerns the quality of the bodies that will rise: “With what body will they come? Will it be the same as before—in form, stature, or composition—or something different?” The first objection questions the possibility of resurrection, while the second questions its nature.
Paul first replies to the question of possibility by pointing to what God already does in nature. “Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” (1 Corinthians 15:36). Each year, seeds die in the earth before new life springs up from them. Corruption precedes growth. Why then should it be thought impossible for God to raise the dead, when He performs a similar miracle every season? It is foolish to doubt God’s power to raise the dead when we see Him continually bringing life out of decay.
Next, Paul turns to the question of what kind of body will rise. He begins with the example of seed: “What you sow is not the body that shall be, but mere grain…but God gives it a body as He pleases” (1 Corinthians 15:37-38). The seed is changed when it grows—it is not the same in appearance as when it was planted. In the same way, the body that dies is not the same as the one that rises. God gives each body its own form, as He wills. The transformation of the seed into a living plant is a clear picture of how the dead will rise—changed, yet still belonging to the same person.
He further notes that there is great variety among bodies in creation. “All flesh is not the same flesh” (1 Corinthians 15:39). The flesh of men, animals, birds, and fish differ from one another. Likewise, there are celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, each fitted for its own sphere. Earthly bodies are suited to earthly life, and heavenly bodies to heavenly life. Even among heavenly bodies there are degrees of glory: “The sun has one glory, the moon another, and the stars another; for one star differs from another star in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:41).
All this shows that divine power can produce a great variety of forms and degrees of splendor. Therefore, it is not difficult to believe that God can raise human bodies from the dust and fit them for the heavenly world, just as He has made so many kinds of bodies and glories in creation.
Paul then applies this directly: “So also is the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:42). He describes several changes that will occur in the resurrection body.
“It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” Burial is like sowing a seed. The body that is laid in the grave is corruptible and decays, but it will rise beyond the reach of corruption and death.
“It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.” Now our bodies are lowly and frail, even loathsome in death (Philippians 3:21). But when raised, they will be glorious and like Christ’s own body, purified from every trace of decay and shining with heavenly beauty.
“It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.” The dead body is helpless and motionless, but when it rises, it will be filled with strength and vitality. No weakness or infirmity will remain.
“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:44). The natural body is suited to the earthly life and its needs and pleasures. The spiritual body will be suited to the heavenly life—pure, refined, active, and fitted to dwell with spirits made perfect. It will not cease to be a real body but will be transformed and glorified. If God could create matter out of nothing and shape such diversity of creatures, He can certainly transform our present bodies into immortal, spiritual ones.
Paul then compares the first and second Adam. “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). From the first Adam we receive our natural, mortal bodies. From Christ, the second Adam, we shall receive our spiritual, immortal ones. The first man was made from the dust and suited for earthly life; the second Man is from heaven (John 3:13; John 6:33). As the earthly Adam could transmit natural life to his descendants, much more can the heavenly Adam give spiritual and eternal life to His people (John 5:21; John 11:25).
We must first bear the image of the earthly man before we can bear the image of the heavenly one (1 Corinthians 15:49). We are born with mortal bodies and must pass through death before we can be raised to immortal life. This is the order God has established—first the natural, then the spiritual. But as surely as believers have borne the image of the first Adam, they shall bear the image of the second. Those who belong to Christ will not only rise but will be transformed into His likeness.
Finally, Paul explains why this transformation is necessary: “Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:50). Our present bodies, made of flesh and blood, are frail and perishable. They are not suited to the glory and purity of heaven. Therefore, they must be changed into incorruptible and immortal forms to inherit the eternal kingdom (1 Peter 1:4). Corruption cannot inherit incorruption; mortality must put on immortality.
The conclusion is clear: the bodies of the saints, when they rise, will be greatly changed and perfected. What is now corruptible will become incorruptible; what is weak will become powerful; what is natural will become spiritual. They will be made fit for the celestial world where they will dwell forever in glory with the Lord.