HOW ARE THE DEAD RAISED?
The apostle then discusses the matter of the body (1 Cor 15:35-38), and says, "But someone will say,
“How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
He IS NOT speaking of how are bodies raised up, but "How are the dead raised up." He is speaking of the soul, the being, NOT speaking of the body; what kind of body will they (the soul or being) have when they are resurrected, His answer is,
"Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies." He is now applying this to nature; if you plant corn you do not expect to see the same exact grain of corn come up; but you will expect to find other grains of the same kind. In death you bury the human being; but you are not to expect the same body which you put down. The same body which goes into the grave will not come up, but the being, the entity, will be the same — God has preserved it in his own power, and He will clothe it with a body in due time.
The apostle proceeds to note what God's good pleasure is concerning the various features of the resurrection (Verse 39 and 40). "All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies (heavenly bodies) and terrestrial bodies (earthly bodies); but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another." Here he suggests that in God's plan there are two classes of beings, which our dear brother mentioned the other evening as dichotomy and trichotomy.
The dichotomy are those who have merely the animal or earthly nature, the trichotomy are those who have been begotten of the spirit "from above," and who therefore have the start of the new nature, and who, according to the apostle, are classed as new creatures in Christ. These new creatures are spiritual, and spiritual promises apply to them and belong to them.
But God has a special blessing also for the dichotomy likewise; NOT a blessing with the church, for only those begotten of the spirit shall attain spiritual blessings; they will not share in the first resurrection, because in the latter only the kings and priests of this gospel age shall have any share (Rev. 20), but there is a glory of terrestrial, earthly nature, which is to be attained by the natural man in the later resurrection. The apostle here wishes to show that two kinds of seed are sown, and two kinds of fruitage shall result — God will give to each kind of seed his own kind of body; to the natural man will be the natural body, similar to the one he has now; and to the new creature will be the spiritual body, the heavenly body, like unto Christ the glorious head.”
A SPECIAL RESURRECTION
In Verse 42, after the apostle describes the characteristics of the first resurrection, the resurrection of the church, he states: "So also is THE resurrection of THE dead."
“Thus also the resurrection of the dead (ones)…”
οὕτως καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν.
These emphatic words are shown by the original Greek, although they are not apparent in the English translation. This is a special resurrection for a special class, THE chief among the dead— they are the church, the body of Christ, faithful in Christ Jesus, who are promised a share with the Lord in the first resurrection.
The word first means properly first in order, but also implies a chief condition, a more important resurrection, implying a later resurrection of a less important character — the kind which shall come to the world in general. God's proposition, as described in this chapter (1 Cor. 15) is a spiritual body for the church, which will be different from the natural animal body, which is of the earth earthly; the church is to be changed from present earthly conditions and given bodies like unto our Lord's glorious body; or as the Apostle Peter has declared, "God hath given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we might be made partakers of the divine nature” — far above angels, principalities and powers, and every name that is named, like unto our Lord and Master in His glory, and shares with Him in His glory.
"The first man (Adam) was made a living soul (an animal soul); the last Adam was made a quickening (life-giving) spirit." (Verse 45) Christ was the last Adam and the church is to be like Him, with spiritual bodies. Then the apostle proceeds (Verse 48): "As was the earthly (Adam) so also are they that are earthly." As Father Adam was in His perfection, before condemnation, so will they also be of the earthly class who will share in the resurrection for the world of mankind in general. This will mean that the world will come back by resurrection processes to all that Father Adam had as the great earthly being whom God originally created. The apostle is not speaking of the heavenly resurrection; he has already spoken of that and says that all who have a share in it shall have spiritual bodies.
"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (Verse 50) There was a disposition on the part of many to suppose that human beings could enter and become partakers of the glorious privileges of the spiritual kingdom, but the apostle is pointing out by inspiration that the heavenly kingdom is a spiritual one, and that those who become joint heirs with the Lord must be changed, and be spiritual, instead of being earthly, animal beings— they must partake of the divine nature in place of the human nature. (1H138)
Continued with next post.
The apostle then discusses the matter of the body (1 Cor 15:35-38), and says, "But someone will say,
“How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
He IS NOT speaking of how are bodies raised up, but "How are the dead raised up." He is speaking of the soul, the being, NOT speaking of the body; what kind of body will they (the soul or being) have when they are resurrected, His answer is,
"Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies." He is now applying this to nature; if you plant corn you do not expect to see the same exact grain of corn come up; but you will expect to find other grains of the same kind. In death you bury the human being; but you are not to expect the same body which you put down. The same body which goes into the grave will not come up, but the being, the entity, will be the same — God has preserved it in his own power, and He will clothe it with a body in due time.
The apostle proceeds to note what God's good pleasure is concerning the various features of the resurrection (Verse 39 and 40). "All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies (heavenly bodies) and terrestrial bodies (earthly bodies); but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another." Here he suggests that in God's plan there are two classes of beings, which our dear brother mentioned the other evening as dichotomy and trichotomy.
The dichotomy are those who have merely the animal or earthly nature, the trichotomy are those who have been begotten of the spirit "from above," and who therefore have the start of the new nature, and who, according to the apostle, are classed as new creatures in Christ. These new creatures are spiritual, and spiritual promises apply to them and belong to them.
But God has a special blessing also for the dichotomy likewise; NOT a blessing with the church, for only those begotten of the spirit shall attain spiritual blessings; they will not share in the first resurrection, because in the latter only the kings and priests of this gospel age shall have any share (Rev. 20), but there is a glory of terrestrial, earthly nature, which is to be attained by the natural man in the later resurrection. The apostle here wishes to show that two kinds of seed are sown, and two kinds of fruitage shall result — God will give to each kind of seed his own kind of body; to the natural man will be the natural body, similar to the one he has now; and to the new creature will be the spiritual body, the heavenly body, like unto Christ the glorious head.”
A SPECIAL RESURRECTION
In Verse 42, after the apostle describes the characteristics of the first resurrection, the resurrection of the church, he states: "So also is THE resurrection of THE dead."
“Thus also the resurrection of the dead (ones)…”
οὕτως καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν.
These emphatic words are shown by the original Greek, although they are not apparent in the English translation. This is a special resurrection for a special class, THE chief among the dead— they are the church, the body of Christ, faithful in Christ Jesus, who are promised a share with the Lord in the first resurrection.
The word first means properly first in order, but also implies a chief condition, a more important resurrection, implying a later resurrection of a less important character — the kind which shall come to the world in general. God's proposition, as described in this chapter (1 Cor. 15) is a spiritual body for the church, which will be different from the natural animal body, which is of the earth earthly; the church is to be changed from present earthly conditions and given bodies like unto our Lord's glorious body; or as the Apostle Peter has declared, "God hath given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we might be made partakers of the divine nature” — far above angels, principalities and powers, and every name that is named, like unto our Lord and Master in His glory, and shares with Him in His glory.
"The first man (Adam) was made a living soul (an animal soul); the last Adam was made a quickening (life-giving) spirit." (Verse 45) Christ was the last Adam and the church is to be like Him, with spiritual bodies. Then the apostle proceeds (Verse 48): "As was the earthly (Adam) so also are they that are earthly." As Father Adam was in His perfection, before condemnation, so will they also be of the earthly class who will share in the resurrection for the world of mankind in general. This will mean that the world will come back by resurrection processes to all that Father Adam had as the great earthly being whom God originally created. The apostle is not speaking of the heavenly resurrection; he has already spoken of that and says that all who have a share in it shall have spiritual bodies.
"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (Verse 50) There was a disposition on the part of many to suppose that human beings could enter and become partakers of the glorious privileges of the spiritual kingdom, but the apostle is pointing out by inspiration that the heavenly kingdom is a spiritual one, and that those who become joint heirs with the Lord must be changed, and be spiritual, instead of being earthly, animal beings— they must partake of the divine nature in place of the human nature. (1H138)
Continued with next post.
