Introductory remarks:
Paul now begins teaching the Corinthians the importance of the resurrection of our Lord. "Paul lists the witnesses of Christ's resurrection mentioning himself last. He says though he didn't deserve to be an apostle, God has worked the hardest through him. There is no disputing that Christ rose from the dead or else everything they preached and believed was a lie. Through Adam, death passed to all but since Christ arose, all the dead will be resurrected. If there was no resurrection then Paul's persecution is senseless and they should enjoy life as much as they can. When we are resurrected it will be in a spiritual body. Those who are alive when Christ appears will not die but will be transformed. All will be immortal and death will be defeated, so they should live in this hope" (A Survey of 1 Corinthians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: The resurrection of Christ vv. 1-11:the resurrection of the dead vv. 12-34: the resurrection of the body vv. 34-58.
The Resurrection of Christ
Verse 1, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand."
LGT "Now I make known to you, brethren, the Glad Tidings which, I announced to you, which also ye received, in which also ye stand,"
Now I make known to you, brethren: Paul starts out this chapter with a reminder of the full gospel, which he taught them when he established the church in Corinth, which was based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There was a faction in the church, which denied the resurrection at this time, and now Paul is intent on clearing this heresy up. The glad tidings, which I announced to you: this is not something new. Which also ye received: which you embraced when I first taught it to you, and you received it gladly, and now you are allowing some to question this doctrine, and some of you are becoming fickle. In which also ye stand: the resurrection is the firm doctrine in which ye placed your eternal security.
Verse 2, "By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain."
LGT "By which also ye are being saved, if ye hold fast what words I announced to you, unless in vain ye believed."
By which also ye are being saved: eternal security of the believer rest on these doctrines of grace Paul had taught them. All believers have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. If ye hold fast what words I announced to you: if you accept the doctrine of free grace. Paul is not telling them that they will be saved if they persevere; he is saying that if they accept the doctrine of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, they are saved. Unless in vain ye believed: however, if you change the doctrine of free grace and begin allowing teachers in your assemblies that teach lies, only heresy can be the result. Paul is warning them against anyone teaching doctrines other than what he first delivered unto them.
Verse 3, " For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;"
LGT "For I delivered to you in the first place, that which I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;"
For I delivered to you in the first place: that the resurrection was a primary doctrine of free grace, and that he did not neglect to teach them this at the first. That which I also received: these doctrines of free grace were not taught him by the other apostles, but were taught him by Christ Himself, when Paul was on the backside of the desert in Arabia. Paul says that these are not doctrines he made up, but were given to Him by Divine Inspiration through the Holy Spirit. That Christ died for our sins: in verses 1-11 Paul gives the fundamental profession of every believer's faith. According to the Scriptures: the shed blood of Jesus Christ runs as a scarlet thread throughout the entire Word of God. The Jews will not agree to this, for they refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who fulfilled all Scripture on the cross. The unbelievers of every religion will not agree to this, because they believe they are worthy, and that they do not need a Savior. They also refuse to have "This Man reign over them."
Verse 4, "And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
LGT "And that He was buried; and that He has been raised the third day according to the Scriptures."
And that He was buried: proof that He died, and did not swoon as some critics entertain themselves with this stupid notion. And that He has been raised the third day: the fact that He died and was buried is in the aorist tense, while "has been raised" is in the perfect tense, proving that He is still living. The perfect tense, remember, states that His resurrection happened in the past and continues into the future forever as a completed act. According to the Scriptures: (Acts 10:40; Luke 24:46; Mark 10:34; Matt. 12:40; Luke 24:1).
Verse 5, "And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve."
LGT "And that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve:"
Jesus appeared to Peter first and then to the twelve. The original called apostles were referred to as the "twelve", even though Judas was not present. Paul felt it necessary to bring this up in order to show that there were witnesses to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The women are not mentioned specifically but were included in the overall numbers.
Verse 6, "After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto the present, but some are fallen asleep."
LGT "Then He appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep:"
Then He appeared to above five hundred brethren at once: this appearance is recorded in Matt. 28 and Mark 16. Of whom the greater part remain until now: that is, at the time Paul was writing this letter. But some are fallen asleep: some have past away and gone to heaven.
Verse 7, "After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles."
LGT "Then He appeared to James; then to all the apostles:"
The Gospels do not record the appearance of Jesus to James, so we must take Paul's word for it: not a bad thing at all. I get quite put out with skeptics that try and prove the Bible to be in error. I believe you either believe it or you do not believe it; I for one believe in the Inspired Word of God. So it only takes one word from Paul to convince me.
Verse 8, "And last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time."
LGT "And last of all as to an abortion, He appeared also to me."
The Greek word for "born out of due time" is toi-ektromati, which means an aborted child, and this is the only time it is used in the New Testament. The phrase does not mean "out of due time", for time is not in the context. Paul considered himself the least of the apostles that had followed Christ throughout His public ministry. Christ appeared to Paul after His ascension while Paul was on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus. "Paul was even nicknamed "an abortion" during his missionary journeys" (Vincent).
Verse 9, "For I am least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God."
LGT "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God."
For I am least of the apostles: Paul defended himself before the Judaizers that he was a true apostle, called by Jesus Christ Himself: now here he calls himself the least of all the apostles. McGee thinks that Paul was just being modest. I believe it goes deeper than this, for Paul was very aware of his life before as a persecutor of the assembly of God. Who am not fit to be called apostle: it seemed strange to him why Christ could possibly want him to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Because I persecuted the assembly of God: Paul gives further reasons that he considered himself the least in regard to all the other apostles.
Calvin has this comment on this verse:
"The sum is this, that Paul does not refuse to be the most worthless of all, and next to nothing, provided this contempt does not impede him in any degree in his ministry, and does not at all detract from his doctrine. He is contented that, as to himself, he be reckoned unworthy of any honor, provided only he commends his apostleship in respect of the grace conferred upon him. And assuredly God had not adorned him with such distinguished endowments in order that his grace might lie buried or neglected, but he had designed thereby to render his apostleship illustrious and distinguished."
Verse 10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
LGT "But by grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which [was] towards me was not found to be void, but I labored more abundantly than them all, but not I, but the grace of God [which is] with me."
But by the grace of God I am what I am: Paul does not say "who I am", but "what I am". Paul gives God all the credit for his successful ministry. And His grace which was towards me not found to be void: Paul asserts that it is God and God alone that deserves all the credit. The very meaning of His grace shows that Paul had nothing to do with the ministry God chose for him; it is simply in Paul's mind that it is undeserved, and that he simply responded to God's wonderful grace. But I labored more abundantly than them all: Paul was given the ministry of providing church doctrine to the believers in this age of grace, and his prosperous results are completely by the grace of God. But not I, but the grace of God which is with me: Here is the apostle completely occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ. You will never find a Scripture that reflects on Paul anything but submission to the grace of God. We will never find this type of dedication this side of glory.
Verse 11, "Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed."
LGT "Whether therefore I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed."
Paul now associates himself with the other apostles. All that God had given them by His grace to preach they preached. All those who believed what they preached were saved. There is no salvation provided to those who reject the doctrines of grace given in the Word of God by these apostles. Some may not understand all the doctrines, but to reject them is saying God is a liar, and there is no salvation to those who reject the true Word of God.
The Resurrection of the Dead
Verse 12, "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?"
LGT "Now if Christ is preached, how say some among you that there is not a resurrection of [the] dead?"
Now if Christ is preached: Christ is preached. The "if" is in the first class, which means that Christ is being preached. How say some of you that there is not resurrection of the dead: Paul now goes on to prove our resurrection based on Christ's resurrection. There were some in Corinth that denied the resurrection of the dead.
Verse 13, "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen."
LGT "But if there is not a resurrection of [the] dead, neither has Christ been raised."
If Christ has been raised, so shall we be raised; but if Christ had not been raised, neither shall we. "Christ did not die, or rise again for Himself, but for us: hence His resurrection is the foundation of ours, and what was accomplished in Him, must be fulfilled in us also - In the negative form, on the other hand, it is thus: Otherwise He would have risen again needlessly and to no purpose, because the fruit of it is to be sought, not in His own Person, but in His members" (Calvin).
Verse 14, "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."
LGT "But if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation [is] void, and your faith also void."
"But if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is void: If Christ has not risen, then death, sin, and Satan have conquered him. Paul says all the apostles teaching are empty. There is no point in the Gospel of Grace without a living Christ. And your faith also void: without believing in the resurrection, their faith is empty, and
they are in the same helpless, useless, without hope condition as the unbelieving world.
Verse 15, "Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not."
LGT "And we are false witnesses of God, because we witnessed concerning God that He raised Christ, whom He raised not if then [the] dead are not raised."
And we are false witnesses of God: we apostles are liars because of our false claim that God raised Christ from the dead. Because we witnessed concerning God: we also claimed that we were made apostles by God Himself. That He raised Christ: and everything we have claimed concerning God is false. Whom He raised not if then the dead are not raised: Christ is the firstfruit of all the resurrected ones. "The apostles had ample opportunity to know whether God did raise up the Lord Jesus; and they were witnesses who had no inducement to bear false witness in the case" (Barnes).
Verses 16, 17, "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins."
LGT "For if [the] dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised: and if Christ has not been raised, your faith [is] vain, ye are still in your sins."
For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised: Paul repeats what he has just given them in verse 13. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain: this word for vain [mataia] is stronger than used previously meaning empty; here it means "devoid of truth, a lie: (Robertson). Ye are still in your sins: this is the result of teaching the lie that Christ has not been raised, and that the dead rise not. Christ could not have accomplished our deliverance from sin if He was conquered in death.
Verse 18, "Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished."
LGT "And then those that fell asleep in Christ perished."
And then all the Christians who have passed on, from Adam to the end of the world, have been denied salvation and have perished. Without the resurrection, our hope is no better than all the false religions of the world that teach salvation by works.
Verse 19, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."
LGT "If in this life we only have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."
If our hope in Christ is limited to this life with no hope for eternity, we live a super miserable existence. Without the resurrection of the dead, Christianity is as senseless in its faith as all miserable men who believe not, and are dead in their trespasses and sins.
Verse 20, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."
LGT "But now Christ has been raised from among the dead, [the] first fruits of those fallen asleep."
But now: this is the emphatic form of "now then", to prove the impossibility of the former happening, that is, that Christ has not risen (Robertson). Christ has been raised from among the dead: none of the dead had been raised at this time. The firstfruits of those fallen asleep: now that Christ has been raised, all the dead in Christ were raised with Him. In this age of grace when a believer dies, he or she does not go to Paradise but directly into God's presence, for we read, "to absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). "Christ is the firstfruits. In the Old Testament they had the festival of firstfruits when they would bring the first sheaf of grain to the Lord. This meant that there would be more to come; otherwise it wouldn't be the firstfruits. The fulfillment of that is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (McGee).
Verses 21, 22, "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
LGT "For since by man [is] death, also by man resurrection of [the] dead. For in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive."
Through the sin of Adam all mankind is imputed with that sin, and the result is death; and through the death of the Christ, His righteousness has been imputed on all who believe, making the believer able to be accepted by the Father into His family. The believer will still face physical death, but we will live eternally with the Lord, because of the sacrifice and righteousness of our eternal big brother, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 23, "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming."
LGT "But each in his own order of succession: [The] firstfruit Christ, then those of Christ in His coming."
But each in his own order of succession: "The reference is not to time or merit, but simply to the fact that each occupies his own place in the economy of resurrection, which is one great process in several acts. Band after band rises. First Christ, then Christians. The same idea appears in the firstfruits and the harvest" (Vincent). The firstfruit Christ, then those of Christ in His coming: Paul is speaking to Christians alone, and this does not at all refer to the coming judgment. There is much confusion in theological circles about Christ coming for His bride, and His coming in judgment.
Verse 24, "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."
LGT "Then the end, when He shall have given up the kingdom to Him who [is] God and Father, when He shall have annulled all rule and all authority and power."
Then the end: "The proper and obvious meaning of the word end here is, that then shall be the end or completion of the work of redemption. That shall have been done which was intended to be done by the incarnation and the work of the atonement; the race shall be redeemed; the friends of God shall be completely recovered; and the administration of the affairs of the universe shall be conducted as they were before the incarnation of the Redeemer" (Barnes). When He shall have given up the kingdom: at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ, the Millennial Reign. To Him who is God and Father: God is the Father of all who believe. When He shall have annulled: When He has conquered. All rule and all authority and power: at the end of the Millennial Reign, all the kingdoms of the world will revolt under the charge of Satan in their final attack to destroy God; Christ will destroy all Satanic revolt from the nations of the world under Satan with the sword of His Mouth. Satan then will be cast into the lake of fire with his followers for eternity. The thought also includes all distinctions of authority of any kind among men.
Verse 25, "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet."
LGT "For it is necessary [for] Him to reign, until He shall put all enemies under His feet."
For it is necessary for Him to reign: Christ will reign for one thousand years. Until He shall put all enemies under His feet: Paul had the passage "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool" (Psalm 110:1). Satan is Christ's archenemy, and Satan inspires all his followers. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17).
Verse 26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
LGT "[The] last enemy dissolved [is] death."
Physical death will no longer plague believers. Death will be at last destroyed, and that should please all of us.
Verse 27, "For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him."
LGT "For all things He put in subjection under His feet. But when it is said that all things have been put in subjection, [it is] manifest that [it is] except Him who put all things in subjection to Him all things."
For all things He put in subjection under His feet: God has appointed Christ to be the Head of all creation. But when it is said that all things have been put in subjection: when Jesus Christ actually begins His Millennial reign. It is manifest that it is except Him: God is not included in the Son's subjection. Jesus Christ is in no way superior to the Father. Who put all things in subjection to Him all things: the Godhead has always worked in a Divine unity, and this unity is the only exception to any rule.
Verse 28, "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."
LGT "But when all things shall have been put in subjection to Him, then also the Son Himself will be put in subjection to Him who put all things in subjection to Him, that God may be all in all.
But when all things shall have been put in subjection to Him: this is prophetic of the thousand-year reign of Christ. Then also the Son Himself will be put in subjection to Him who put all things in subjection to Him: Christ kingdom shall be perpetual, unlike the kingdoms of this world, for there will be no end to His eternal reign. His reign will be in oneness with His Father. That God may be all in all: That the eternal Godhead may rule. "The Divine Nature, the Divinity, consisting of the three persons, without respect to any peculiar office or kingdom" (Barnes).
Verse 29, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?"
LGT "Otherwise, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead are not raised at all, why also are they baptized for them?"
Otherwise, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead: what will they accomplish who are baptized for the dead. Paul resumes his argument for the resurrection, which he left off at verse 19.
Otherwise, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead: This is a very difficult verse to understand, and it has caused some difficulty among the commentators I have access to. I will present some of the various interpretations after I make this comment to begin expounding the verse from the context, what baptism is not. First we know that the resurrection of the dead is the context, and we also know that symbolic baptism does not save a person, but it was practiced in the apostolic church to signify that they belonged to the resurrected Christ, and that since we have the completed Scriptures, we no longer need symbols and signs. Next we know that Paul did not teach we should be baptized for the dead. We have no historical proof that the Church practiced this. If it were practiced at all, it would have been practiced by a cult, as it is today by some of our modern day false cults.
Here are some of the comments on this phrase by some exceptional expositors:
"This verse remains, in my opinion, a puzzle"
(Robertson)
"Some heretics claim that this was baptism to save the dead who died in unbelief" (Tertullian ad. 145-220)
"Concerning this expression, of which some thirty different explanations are given, it is best to admit frankly that we lack the facts for a decisive interpretation. None of the explanations proposed are free from objection."(Vincent)
"In the first place Paul brings forward this objection - that the baptism which those received who are already regarded as dead, will be of no avail if there is no resurrection."(Calvin).
"The Corinthians were accustomed, when any one had been deprived of baptism by sudden death, to substitute some living person in the place of the deceased - to be baptized at his grave."(Chrysostom - ad. 347-407)
"In this case Paul is speaking of identification as a dead person. He asks, 'What shall they accomplish which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?' Why are they then identified as the dead? This does not imply that the Corinthian believers were being baptized for their dead relatives or friends. It means that they were baptized or identified with Christ Jesus - who had died for them and He was now risen from the dead. They were dead to the world but were alive to Christ."(McGee).
(Remember, baptism by emersion was when you were taken down under the water, this was identifying you with Christ's death and being buried with Him, and when you were lifted out of the water, this was a sign that you were resurrected with Christ, and when you walked out of the water, that was a sign that you began a new life in Christ (Rom. 6:3-4) - and this was the significance of baptism in the first Church - no longer needed for we have the completed Scriptures for our new life, coupled with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit - DG).
I personally believe that this phrase is what is brought forward by Calvin and McGee, that it is all a sign of identification with Christ, however, you make up your own mind; but be careful not to put a superstitious bent on the phrase.
If the dead are not raised at all: what is the purpose of baptism if there is no after life, for it would have been a ridiculous sacrament. Why also are they baptized for them: Why would anyone be identified with a dead Christ?
Verse 30, "And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?"
LGT "Why also are we in danger every hour"?
Paul is saying that it would be foolish for them, that is, he and the other apostles, to put themselves in danger if they were not encouraged by hope of the resurrection; they would be like the world that might risk danger for worldly fame.
Verse 31, "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily."
LGT "I die daily, that glorying in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I die daily: I am in constant peril of my life (2 Cor. 4:11; 11:32; Rom. 8:36). "And each day, nay, each hour, I die beforehand, enduring many deaths instead of one, the last" (Philo-quoted by Vincent). That glorying in you which I have: the Corinthian believers were the fruit of Paul's labor, for which he says, 'I die daily." In Jesus Christ our Lord: Christ is the reason they are brothers, and the resurrected Christ is the reason Paul is willing to face death every day till the last.
Verse 32, "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die."
LGT "If according to man I fought with beasts in Ephesus, what to me the profit? If the dead are not raised, We may eat and we may drink, for to-morrow we die."
If according to man: like men do for money, applause, and generally to be well regarded. I fought with beasts in Ephesus: Paul uses figurative language of fighting wild beasts in the form of human flesh; this is the same language of 'I die daily.' What to me the profit: I would never receive accolades from men, only abuse. If the dead are not raised: It is in the hope of the resurrection that Paul receives all his strength to press on to that higher calling. We may eat and we may drink, for to-morrow we die: Paul is not giving his own opinion but that motto of the Epicureans who denied the resurrection.
Vincent makes this historical note:
This is the exclamation of the people of Jerusalem during the siege by the Assyrians. The traditional founder of Tarsus was Sardanapalus, who was worshipped, along with Semiramis, with licentious rites, which resembled those of the Feasts of Tabernacles. Paul had probably witnessed this festival, and had seen, at the neighboring town of Anchiale, the statue of Sardanapalus, represented as snapping his fingers, and with the inscription upon the pedestal, 'Eat, drink, enjoy thyself. The rest is nothing.' Farrar cites the fable of the Epicurean fly, dying in the honey-pot with the words, 'I have eaten and drunk and bathed, and I care nothing if I die.' Among the inscriptions from the catacombs, preserved in the Vatican are these: 'to the divine shade of Titus, who lived fifty-seven years. Here he enjoys everything. Baths and wine ruin our constitutions, but they make life what it is. Farewell, farewell.' 'While I lived I lived well. My play is now ended - soon yours will be. Farewell and applaud me.' Compare the wisdom of Solomon, 2:1-9)."
Verse 33, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."
LGT "Be not mislead: evil companionship corrupt good morals."
Be not misled: don't be led astray by such vain philosophy of life. Evil companionship corrupt good morals: Paul quotes Menander; "Paul, then, being aware that this proverb was in common use among the Greeks, chose rather to make use of it, that it might make its way into their minds more readily, than to express the same thing in his own words. For they would more readily receive what they had been accustomed to - as we have experience of in proverbs with which we are familiar" (Calvin). (I would agree with Calvin to a point, because everything that is true has found its roots in the Word of God). Calvin continues: "Let us, then, take notice, that nothing is more pestilential than corrupt doctrine and profane disputations, which draw us off, even in the smallest degree, from a right and simple faith; for it is not without good reason that Paul exhorts us not to be deceived."
Verse 34, "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame."
LGT "Awake up righteously, and sin not, for some have ignorance of God, I speak to your shame."
Instead of teaching one another, the Corinthians were socializing with the world, and especially those who denied the resurrection; instead of spreading the Bible Doctrines Paul had taught them, they were entertaining bad fellowship. Today our society takes great pride in their agnosticism, and they spread their progressive stinking philosophy of love everyone, which only means, tolerate their sins, and don't criticize their abominable actions.
The editor of Calvin's commentary adds this:
"The Corinthians had received, from the intrusion of false teachers, principles which militated against that great doctrine. They had been taught to explain it away, and to resolve it merely into a moral process which takes place in the present world: interpreting what is said of the resurrection of the dead in a mystical and figurative manner. The apostle insinuates, that it was a mixture of the corrupt communications of these men with the Christian Church, and the intimate contact into which they had permitted themselves to come with them, that they had been led off from the fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and rejected a primary part of the apostolic testimony. 'For if there be no resurrection of the dead, then,' as he observed, 'is Christ not risen, and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; ye are yet in your sins.' We see, that notwithstanding the apostle had planted pure Christianity among the Corinthians, and had confirmed it by the most extraordinary miracles and supernatural operations, yet such was the contagion of evil example, and corrupt communication, that the mention of the Corinthian Church, in a very short time, departed from the fundamental article of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ; and hence we may learn the importance, nay, the necessity, of being on our guard in this respect, and of avoiding such confidence in ourselves as might induce us to neglect the caution here so forcibly expressed - 'Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners.'"
The Resurrection Body
Verse 35, "But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?"
LGT "But some will say, How are the dead raised? And with what body do they come?"
But some will say: Paul once again employs the imaginary objector. There were those false teachers that denied the resurrection, and here Paul brings out their objection to the resurrection. How are the dead raised: death is the way of the resurrection just as a seed must die before it becomes a plant. And with what body do they come: "There is nothing that is more at variance with human reason than this article of faith. For God alone could persuade us that bodies, which are now liable to corruption, will, after having rotted away, or after they have been consumed by fire, or torn in pieces by wild beasts, will not merely be restored entire, but in greatly better condition. Do not all our apprehensions of things straightway reject this as a thing fabulous, nay, most absurd? Paul, with the view of removing entirely this appearance of absurdity, makes use of an anthypophora, that is, he brings forward by way of objection, in the person of another, what appears at first view to be at variance with the doctrine of a resurrection. For this question is not that of one who inquires doubtingly as to the mode, but of one who argues from the impossibility - that is, what is said as to the resurrection is a thing incredible. Hence in his reply he repels such an objection with severity. Let us observe, then, that the persons who are here introduced as speaking, are those who endeavor to disparage, in a way of scoffing, a belief in the resurrection, on the ground of its being a thing that is impossible" (Calvin).
Verse 36, "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die."
LGT "Fool; what thou sowest, is not made alive unless it die."
The word "quickened" is to vivify or bring to life. Paul uses the illustration of planting a seed and that it dies before a plant becomes alive.
Verse 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."
LGT "And what thou sowest, not the body shall come to pass that thou sowest, but a bare grain, it may be of wheat or of some one of the rest:"
"Meeting the objector's assumption that either the raised body must be the same body, or that there could be no resurrection. Paul says: 'What you sow is one body, and a different body arises;' yet the identity is preserved. Dissolution is not loss of identity. The full heads of wheat are different from the wheat-grain, yet both are wheat" (Vincent).
Verse 38, "But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body."
LGT "But God gives to it a body just as He wills, and to each of the seeds its own body."
But God gives to it a body just as He wills: there is nothing in the decaying process of the seed that leads to the resurrection of the wheat, but it is as God has chosen it to be. And to each of the seeds its own body: "That which appropriately belongs to it; which it is fitted to produce; which is of the same kind. He does not cause a stalk of rye to grow from a kernel of wheat; nor of maize from barley; nor of hemp from lentils. He has fixed proper laws, and He takes care that they shall be observed. So it will be in the resurrection. Every one shall have his own, i.e. his proper body - a body which shall belong to him, and be fitted to him. The wicked shall not rise with the body of the just, or with a body adapted to heaven; nor shall the saint rise with a body adapted to perdition. There shall be fitness or appropriateness in the new body to the character of him who is raised. The argument here is designed to meet the inquiry how should the body be raised, and it is that there is nothing more remarkable and impossible in the doctrine of the resurrection, than in the fact constantly before us, that grain that seems to rot sends up a shoot or stalk, and is reproduced in a wonderful and beautiful manner. In a manner similar to this, the body will be raised; and the illustration of Paul meets all the difficulties about the fact of the resurrection. It cannot be shown that one is more difficult than the other; and as the facts of vegetation are constantly passing before our eyes, we ought not to deem it strange if similar facts shall take place hereafter in regard to the resurrection of the dead" (Barnes).
Verse 39, "All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."
LGT "Not every flesh [is] the same flesh, but one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another flesh of fishes."
The word flesh here is used of the body. Paul continues to make the point that every body is not the same and that our resurrection bodies will be formed from our earthly bodies. Our earthly bodies are for a short duration, but our resurrected bodies will be for eternity, but we will be able to identify each other.
Verses 40, 41 "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 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."
LGT "And [there are] bodies heavenly, and bodies earthly: but different [is] the glory of the heavenly, and different that of the earthly. One glory of [the] sun, and one glory of the moon, and one glory of [the] stars: for from star differs from star in glory."
Paul now shifts to the heavenly bodies in the universe, excluding angels. "The scoffers who refused to believe in the existence of the future body would hardly have admitted the existence of angelic bodies. To convince them on their own ground, the apostle appeals exclusively to what is seen" (Godet). "Looking back to verse 39, and grouping men, beasts, birds, fishes under this term [terrestrial]. It is to be observed that the apostle makes two different general categories - terrestrial and celestial bodies, and shows the distinctions of organizations subsisting between the members of each - men, beasts, fishes, birds, and the sun, moon, stars; and that he also shows the distinction between the two categories regarded as wholes. 'The glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is different" (Vincent). The term glory means, luster; beauty of form and color.
Verse 42, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption."
LGT "So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruptibility."
Paul uses the above argument of the earthly and heavenly bodies to prove the resurrection of the body. As he pointed out the seed is planted, and then rots away, but out of that corruption blooms a wonderful plant.
Verse 43, "It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power."
LGT "It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power."
Paul teaches that our new resurrected bodies will no longer be subject to death. The New Testament is full of statements that we will be changed into incorruptible bodies that will no longer need a physician.
Verse 44, "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
LGT "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is an natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
The emphasis here is on the noun body. The natural body is fitted naturally for this earth, and our resurrection bodies will be fitted spiritually for our heavenly eternal existence. Those who teach that we only rise spiritually have not examined the grammar of this verse; for it is obvious that when we die we will be raised bodily.
Verse 45, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."
LGT "So also it has been written [and stands written], The first man Adam became a living soul; the last Adam a life giving Spirit."
The first man Adam became a living soul: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." (Gen.2:7). Adam became the physical head of the human race. The last Adam a life giving Spirit: Jesus Christ is the second Adam not giving physical life, but spiritual life. "The period at which Christ became a quickening Spirit is the resurrection, after which His body began to take on the characteristics of a spiritual body (See Rom. 6:4; 1Peter 1:21).
Verses 46, 47 "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual."
LGT "But not first [was] the spiritual, but the natural then the spiritual. The first man out of the earth, made of dust; the second Man out of heaven."
Here Paul is describing the first Adam, our physical head, and the second Adam, Christ, our spiritual head. Paul is describing Adam in his earthly body, and Christ in His resurrected body; Paul only saw Christ in His resurrected body.
Verse 48, "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."
LGT "Such as he made of dust, also such [are] the ones made of dust, and such as the heavenly One, such also the heavenly ones."
Such as he made of dust, also such are the ones made of dust: as Adam was of the earth, that is earthly, so all humanity after Adam are earthly. And such as the heavenly One, such also the heavenly ones. This is speaking of Christ in His glorified ascended state; and all the ones who believe in Him will be like Him, in our new glorified bodies.
Verse 49, "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."
LGT "And just as we bore the image of the [one] made of dust, we also shall bear the image of the heavenly [One]."
And just as we bore the image of the [one] made of dust: the one made of dust of course is Adam, for Eve was made from Adam's rib. Our image is that we have this human carcass, cursed because of sin. We also shall bear the image of the heavenly One: our blessed hope is our resurrection from the dead, because of our identification with the risen Lord Jesus Christ; we will be like Him, and we shall see Him just as He presently is.
Verse 50, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
LGT "But this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruptibility."
That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: the kingdom of God is spiritual, and our corrupt human bodies could not exist for a second in heaven. We will be raised bodily, but our bodies will be transformed into heavenly bodies able to exist forever. Nor does corruption inherit incorruptibility: just as we were made spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit the moment we believed in Christ, so also will our spiritual bodies be made alive as we take on the image of the transformed Christ after our death.
Verse 51, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed."
LGT "Behold, I tell to you a mystery: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed."
Behold, I tell you a mystery: a mystery is something that had not yet been revealed in Scripture. Paul has been teaching that there will definitely be a resurrection from the dead, and that it is the very hope of every Christian. Now Paul begins to teach the nature of the resurrection. We shall not all fall asleep: the fact of the resurrection was a well known doctrine among believers, but what happens to the living at Christ's return was the mystery he now is revealing. Paul says we shall not all die, he is including the entire Church of God, the ones who will be living at Christ's return; he did not mean that the immediate Church at Corinth would not taste death, only those who would be alive at His coming. We shall see when we study Paul's epistle the Thessalonians that he did not believe that the Lord's return was imminent, that is, that it was soon to take place. But we shall all be changed: at the return of Christ for His church, the ones living will undergo an instant change of body from a corruptible one to an incorruptible one; a body that will be fit for space travel; a body that will be fit for heaven.
Verse 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."
LGT "In an instant, in [the] twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye: as fast as the eye can blink. At the last trumpet: John explains in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet" (Rev. 1:10-13). Just as Christ called Lazarus to come forth from the dead, He will call all those that are alive by name, and they will be raised together to meet the Lord in the air. For a trumpet shall sound: Christ will call all believers together, and they will ever be with Him. And the dead shall be raised incorruptible: those who have died, their souls have left their bodies and are presently in Christ's presence, but their bodies will be raised at this time incorruptible. Our God, who created man from the dust of the earth, is very capable of raising man again from the dust at the time of Christ's return. And we shall all be changed: when mortality will take on immortality.
From the editor of Calvin's commentary:
"The trumpet shall sound, says the prophetic teacher. And how startling, how stupendous the summons! Nothing equal to it, nothing like it, was ever heard through all the regions of the universe, or all the revolutions of time. When conflicting armies have discharged the bellowing artillery of war, or when victorious armies have shouted for joy of the conquest, the seas and shores have rung, the mountains and the plains have echoed. But the shout of the archangel, and the trump of God, will resound from pole to pole - will pierce the center and shake the pillars of heaven. Stronger - stronger still - it will penetrate even the deepest recesses of the tomb! It will pour its amazing thunder into all those abodes of silence. The dead, the very dead, shall hear."
Verse 53, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."
LGT "For it is necessary this corruption to put on incorruptibility, and this mortal to put on immortality."
As the Godhead is immortal, we must be changed into immortal beings in order to dwell with them in their abode. These bodies of ours are only fit for the present mortal world; in heaven we will be immortal, that is, we will never ever die. We will put on this immortality: "Incorruption and immortality are to invest the spiritually-embodied personality like a garment" (Vincent).
Verse 54, "So when this corruptible shall 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."
LGT "But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the word, the one that has been written [and stands written], Death was swallowed up in victory."
But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility: Paul has the indefinite future in mind by saying "shall have put on." Our present bodies are corruptible, but then in heaven we shall have put on an incorruptible body. And this mortal shall have put on immortality: we shall never again have to face death. Then shall come to pass the word: all this beautiful doctrine of the resurrection will have come to pass. The one that has been written, and stands written: the immutable Word of God can ever be trusted to be true. Death was swallowed up in victory: What a wonderful passage in Isaiah 25:8, that Paul uses here to encourage the Corinthian church, and every church thereafter: "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it."
Verse 55, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
LGT "Where of thee, O death, the sting? Where of thee, O death, the victory?"
The word grave is not found in the original. Paul is assuring us all that death has lost its sting, and that by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; death has once and for all been conquered. Death to all believers is simply passage to a wonderful eternity. Calvin notes: "Now, although we do not as yet behold the victory with our eyes, and the day of triumph has not yet arrived, (nay more, the dangers of war must every day be encountered,) yet the assurance of faith, as we shall have occasion to observe ere long, is not at all thereby diminished."
Verse 56, "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."
LGT "Now the sting of death [is] sin, and the power of sin [is] the law."
The real culprit is sin, and the law reveals to us our total depravity. The law kills, but God's grace gives us new life. Under the law, we are all condemned, but because of Christ we are all made alive.
Verse 57, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
LGT "But to God [be] thanks, who gives us the victory by our Lord Jesus Christ."
Victory is ours because of the Lord Jesus Christ; no man has ever overcome; Christ overcame death for us by His precious blood that He shed for the entire world. This is not a fact for the future, but it is real right now; positionally, we believers are all conquerors over death. When we attend a funeral, whether for our own, or if someone loses a loved one, we should not mourn as if we did not know this doctrine Paul is teaching; now if you have studied this with me, you have no reason to mourn as one who has not this wonderful promise.
Verse 58, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
LGT "So that, brethren my beloved, be firm, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord always, knowing that your toil is not void in [the] Lord."
We need not howl and complain as if we did not share in our fellowship with the Lord. We are more than conquerors by the One who died and gave Himself for us. When Paul speaks of working for the Lord, he simply means to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us; we can only experience this working through us as we remain in fellowship with the Lord; and we can only remain in fellowship by confessing our sins, and allowing the Word of God to lead us every moment of the day. Praise to our wonderful Big Brother Who watches over us.
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