Sunday, 5 April 2015
So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 1 Corinthians 15:42
Paul now begins to respond to the question in 1 Corinthians 15:35 with specific details. These are based on the analogies he provided in verses 36-41. This particular verse is responding to verses 36-38. The seed went into the ground in corruption, it sprang into a new and exciting form, and yet it was the same life which went into the ground. The analogy has been given, it is appropriate, and Paul confirms it with the words, “So also is the resurrection of the dead.”
What happens with the seed will also be the case with those who die. This then is speaking of the form of the resurrection, not the manner. Their body “is sown in corruption.” When a believer is planted in the ground, they decompose and return to the form of the basic elements from which they were taken, eventually becoming nothing but dust once again. But this is not the end of the story. Like the seed, the body of the believer will change and it will be “raised in incorruption.”
This change will take place and its results will be explained in greater detail in verses 51-54. The body we now have is corruptible; the body we will be given will be incorruptible. The body we have now is prone to weakness, sickness, fractures, infection, etc; the body we will receive will not have such characteristics of corruption. Instead, like the body of the plant which is completely different than the seed, the body of the believer will be completely different from what we now experience.
Life application: Unless we have observed a particular type of seed being planted and growing into a plant, we could never guess what that plant would actually look like and what its characteristics would be. The same is true with our resurrection bodies. We cannot fully imagine what lies ahead. But we can know that it has been planned by the Creator of all things. Because all things are possible to God, we can be certain that what lies ahead for us will be marvelous. If you’re struggling with some human weakness today, just remember that it is but a temporary and light affliction compared to the glory which awaits!
Heavenly Father, the older I get, the closer I am to my inevitable end. And as that approaches, so come the difficulties with my aging body. My eyes aren’t as strong, my joints ache a bit more, a bout with the flu is more difficult to overcome, and those around me that I have known and loved have begun departing in ever-increasing numbers. And yet, I am not dispirited. I know that this is the way of life and that You have a far better way ahead, reserved for me because of the resurrection of Jesus. I too will share in that honor when old things will have passed away. I know that all things will be made new. I cherish the thought of what is coming. Amen.