God’s Word has a unique quality, that gives perfect division of a topic. This quality of beauty comes from observance of how things are said. Simply observing these characteristics of Scripture can help Dis-mantle false doctrine. Many doctrines claim to have the “mantle” of truth from God above, but when they clash with the written word, the supposed mantle falls and crumbles to the ground.
We have a beautiful example of this in I Cor. chpt 15. It is structured so that nothing may break down the truth it conveys.
MAIN SUBJECT: the nature of man & the need for resurrection
Questions answered:
What is man’s normal state of being?
What kind of body is the flesh?
Is an apostle a “god”?
What is man’s final destination?
How does God correct man’s nature?
QUOTATIONS & References:
Quotations bring light from other passages of Scripture into the discussion presented by Paul. References are verses/passages that Paul referred to that the Scripture student would recognize and bring into the discussion to assist in proving Paul’s point.
STRUCTURE:
vv. 1-11 Apostleship asserted and claimed (note that Paul barely considers himself an apostle, albeit he is THE apostle sent to the gentiles Acts 13:47 unto the END of the earth, which would be ALL future genereations of Israel and gentiles since there is no difference between them Romans 10:12,18; 15:20)
vv. 12-58 Claim established by his doctrinal teaching
12 Objection 1 Cor. 15:12 is the Main point…Christ was resurrected
13- 19 The answer (an example of logical reasoning, similar to a geometric proof If ….then)
20-28 Resurrection is certain because Christ is raised
29-32 Present conflict to no purpose, if Christ be not raised
33-34 Exhortation
35 Objections
36-41 Answer
42-49 Resurrection is certain because Christ is raised
50-57 Victory worth all present conflicts
58 Exhortation
When interpreting this chapter, one must understand what the objection is in verse 12. Basically if Christ wasn’t resurrected then we are a bunch of dupes who have no hope at all, and might as well be DEAD (even though we are physically alive).
This is exactly what 1 Cor. 15:29 is saying.
Ever heard the phrase “dead man walking”? That is the exactly the thought here, continued in verse 30, “Why stand we in jeopardy every hour?”. Because in Acts 19:27 it is stated that false gods will come to nought.
The thought repeated AGAIN in 1 Cor 15:31 “I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I’d do this if I wasn’t convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? ”
Let’s repeat the SAME thought AGAIN (for the 4th time!) in 1 Cor 15:32 “what does it advantage me if the dead rise not?” then a QUOTE from the OLD TESTAMENT to draw from that Scripture passage will give us a 5th repetition of this point, and since 5 means grace, if we absorb all 5 as the truth that resurrection is sure then we have GRACE bestowed upon us, but if you miss one repetition then you miss the truth and you miss the GRACE. The quote is from Isa. 22:13, where the analogy is fully elaborated.
The next section discusses the flesh body and the spirit body, which God made them both Luke 11:40. The relationship of God to man here is NOT brother to brother, but Potter to the clay, both our flesh and our soul are made by the Potter.
The pot cannot make itself.
Psalms 100:3 Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
So this flesh body will DIE, and our inner man will come out of that old husky shell called flesh, which falls away, never to be used again. Paul says this is a really simple concept here guys! Even a cave-man could understand this ( to use a modern figure of speech).
The analogy is that within a seed is all the information to make a beautiful green seedling, that eventually matures into a full grown plant. This is testified elsewhere in the Bible, that the chaff (the outter husky shell) will never be used again, or it outlasted it’s use and is blown away (Psalms 1:4), even so the those who cast away the LAW OF THE LORD Isaiah 5:24 are burned like the chaff. What is the chaff to the wheat? obviously the chaff is nothing but useless (Jeremiah 23:28) so are vain prophesies.
1 Cor 15:40 is extends this same analogy of seed to plant, flesh to spiritual. This is not some new revelation, never before revealed in Scripture. It’s plain and simple that the “glory” of the celestial (spiritual) body is ONE THING and the terrestial body is quite another thing altogether.
Simply put the “glory” of the flesh is what you can see created by the hands of man here:
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory1391 of them;
This is the first occurrence of the word “glory” (in Greek)! Hence, connecting the “glory” of the flesh world with satan! Or things made by men, buildings, roads, transportation, and by summation CITIES. Man’s glory.
The “glory” of the supernatural world is as different as a seed is from the plant. Since we aren’t in that body yet, or that dimension, we cannot understand what it will be like. But we do know God is LIGHT.
Does 1 Cor 15:41 state there are different kinds of LIGHT? Simply no. Does the moon have any light at all? no. So the “glory” you have in the spiritual body is directly proportional to how much True Light you have. You can be like a moon, with no light, or you can be full of God’s light like the stars.
These two verses do not introduce “levels of heaven or hell”, but merely the truth that another body exists, and that comes after the resurrection. We need not insert new theologies that are unscriptural and distract from the simple truth of resurrection.
1 Cor. 15:42-44 Repeat and illustrate this same concept in different terms, so that it cannot be missed what is being said.
1 Cor. 15:45 Quotes from Gen. 2:7 expressing the difference between FLESH man and God’s soul in man. God makes ALL men alive, but man in the flesh is unable to accomplish anything but flesh glory (cities).
Notice the contrast between the first Adam and the Last Adam is that of man vs. God. 1 Cor 15:47 says all men are earthy, but Jesus is from heaven. The same argument in John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
It’s simple really. God created our souls, put us in a flesh body, came to our world in the flesh to redeem us, and so one day we will be resurrected. The difference has been made between flesh and spirit and between God and man.
1 Cor 15:49 restates the goal here. Resurrection. ”we shall also bear the image of the heavenly”.
1 Cor. 15:50 is the natural conclusion to all that has been said.
1Cor 15:50 ¶ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
It can’t inherit it because the flesh goes back to the dirt, like the chaff it go “bye, bye”!
Eccl 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Eccl 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
1 Cor. 15:51 is really the grand conclusion to resurrection and prophecy put together! Once you understand the simple truth of resurrection, we can then see how it will fit into prophecy of the final return of Christ at the 2nd advent.
Everything is explained because the “dead” are raised first (because they are already there with God) and then WE are changed in that blessed moment, the LAST trump (trump # 7), repeated in 1 Thess. 4:16,17, which describes Christ’s return to the earth at the 7th trump.
This concludes in VICTORY “Death is swallowed up in Victory!” Isa 25:8 and Hos. 13:14
This is the same as
Psalms 68:20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
We are to conclude:
1Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
(It is not in vain, hence back to vs. 29, we are not “walking dead men” but victors abounding in truth.)
Thank you Father for this Word of God and this simple 15th chapter of Paul’s.