Now that we have established our definitive definition of the soul, let us finally look at 1 Corinthians 15.
[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.
[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
[55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a rather lengthy passage, but it is imperative that you read it for yourself and really soak it in before we examine it.
The context of the passage is the resurrection of the dead. Verse 35 starts by asking how the dead are raised up. What body do they come up with? This sets the stage for the rest of the passage.
[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:
Paul is telling us that what man produces will eventually die. It's finite. This is an allusion to the fact that God is the One who quickens, so that we shall not die.
[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.
What are these verses saying? Quite frankly, I have no idea. Just kidding. Paul is showing us the distinction between things of God's creation. All is not the same. Men, beasts, fish, birds, they all have their own glory or purpose in the world. Verse 40 further shows that there are celestial (heavenly) bodies and terrestrial (earthly) bodies as well, and that they have their own glory. They have a separate purpose, essentially. He is leading up to a huge point. Let's read further.
[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.
Pretty awesome stuff here. The resurrection of the dead is sown in corruption, but raised in incorruption. Dishonour/glory, weakness/power. Paul is showing us that we are wretched and that Christ raises us in glory and power. Verse 44 shows that there is a distinction between the natural and the spiritual body. He flat out says they are two different things. These three verses show the contrast between mortal and immortal. Mortal man is dishonourable, weak, and natural. Christ is glorious, powerful, and spiritual. God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) I know this may still be a little confusing at this point, but let's continue on, because it gets clearer.
[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.
So here we have Paul furthering the comparisons in the previous verses. The first man (Adam) was made a living soul. In other words, he was given the breath of life. The last Adam was made a quickening Spirit. Note the word quickening. It was also mentioned in verse 36, right? That verse shows that man does not have the power to quicken anything. Verse 45 tells us that the last Adam is a Spirit, and can quicken us to life. Verse 46, the first Adam is not spiritual but natural. The last is spiritual. 47, the first is earthy, the second is the Lord from heaven! So if we did not know who the last Adam is, it is plainly stated here. Verse 48 compares earthy Adam (us) to the heavenly (Christ.)
The next verse is crucial, and should raise a question. How can we bear the image of the heavenly if we are earthy? How can our natural bodies turn spiritual? Of course we know the answer to this. Jesus is the quickening Spirit that gives us the gift of eternal life in heaven.
[50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
On the surface, this verse may not seem as deep as it really is. Paul spends all this time showing us the comparisons between mortal and immortal. Between wretched man and glorious Christ. He shows us that they are separate from each other, and have distinct differences. Yet in verse 49 he tells us that we will bear heaven's image! Verse 50 reminds us that flesh and blood (mortal man) cannot inherit God's kingdom, and that corruption can't inherit incorruption. Incorruption is eternal life. From verse 42 we learned that the resurrection of the dead (to eternal life) began with a corrupt mortal, yet it is raised in incorruption. The first Adam is raised by the last.
I hope the final verses will make this crystal clear for us.
[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This is simply telling us that the dead in Christ shall not sleep, but will be changed in what seems to be the blink of an eye. Jesus will raise His people at the last trumpet, to an incorruptible life, in a changed body.
Here comes the clincher. Are you ready?
[53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Corruptible, sinful mortal man must put on incorruption in order to have eternal life. This mortal must put on immortality! This verse tells us that we are mortal, and we "put on," or are given immortality through Jesus Christ!
[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Paul states this again to emphasize the importance of this notion. After those saved by Christ have "put on" immortality, death will be swallowed up, because it has no more power over those with eternal life.
[55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) Believers in the Lord Jesus are given the victory over death, because they are the ones that are given immortal life. The unbelievers fall by the wayside and are conquered by death. There is no other way that mortal can inherit immortal but through Jesus Christ.
This is always a rather exhausting study for me, and I hope that I have conveyed it clearly to you. In summary, there is a natural body and a spiritual body. One is born of corruption (sin) and one is incorrupt and without sin. There is a distinct gap between the two. Sinful, mortal man is born in corruption. Incorruption is only attained through Jesus Christ, the One who quickens us to immortality. There is no other way that mortal man can put on immortality. There is no form of eternal life that is corrupt. Eternal life is a gift of God. That means that not everyone will live forever. If man had an immortal soul, those outside of Christ would be alive forever in a burning "hell." This passage proves that to be an impossibility, because corruption (sinful nature) cannot inherit incorruption (the perfect nature of Christ).
I thank you for reading this, and hope that it has made a difference in your walk with God. We welcome any comments or questions you may have.
Romans 8:
[11] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
