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Paul moves now to tackle a key objective raised by some in the Corinthian congregation. A physical resurrected body seems ridiculous to them, as they see them as little more than resuscitated corpses. Paul has no tolerance for such nonsense and disdain. He swiftly corrects them giving them the analogy of a seed being planted. Our bodies when they are buried will be like seeds going into the ground. What springs up is not a seed but a whole plant, something far more glorious. It has continuity with the seed, a wheat seed doesn't grow up into an apple tree. However, it surpasses it in glory. The same will be true of our resurrected bodies. They will be far more than reanimated corpses.
In our case our bodies prone to sin and decay will be transformed into immortal bodies that are animated by the Spirit and take on her character.[1] We are sown in the weakness and earthiness of our forebearers, however, Jesus serves as the template for our resurrected bodies. In his glorified image we will be raised.
The kingdom of heaven is not a place of weakness and sin, it is a place where only those who have been completely transformed by the Spirit can reside, and that includes our physical bodies. The Lord will arrive as announced by the trumpet. Those who have not yet died when Jesus returns will be instantly transformed into a new, perfected, Christ-like humanity. At the same time the dead will be raised to have bodies in the same fashion. Thus death, the last enemy, will have been defeated.[2] Since sin and death have been defeated there is no more room for them in the new age, we will have immortality. We can mock death.[3]
Due to the law, creation experienced a causal chain. Sin lead to death.[4] Thanks be to God who has given us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ! It is for this that we hope, and for this reward that we sacrifice in this life. Paul urges the Corinthians to push on knowing what joy is in store for them.
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[1] So Thiselton and Ciampa and Rosner as well. As a note, God obviously does not have a gender, but I have decided to start using the feminine pronoun in my writing to refer to God and the Holy Spirit because if we're not conscious about it, using male gendered pronouns subtly shapes our view of God to a male image. When referring to God as Father or to Jesus, obviously the male pronoun makes sense.
[2] Ciampa and Rosner capture this point very well.
[3] Thiselton calls vv 54b-55 a taunt.
[4]Again Thiselton was very helpful here.
Paul moves now to tackle a key objective raised by some in the Corinthian congregation. A physical resurrected body seems ridiculous to them, as they see them as little more than resuscitated corpses. Paul has no tolerance for such nonsense and disdain. He swiftly corrects them giving them the analogy of a seed being planted. Our bodies when they are buried will be like seeds going into the ground. What springs up is not a seed but a whole plant, something far more glorious. It has continuity with the seed, a wheat seed doesn't grow up into an apple tree. However, it surpasses it in glory. The same will be true of our resurrected bodies. They will be far more than reanimated corpses.
In our case our bodies prone to sin and decay will be transformed into immortal bodies that are animated by the Spirit and take on her character.[1] We are sown in the weakness and earthiness of our forebearers, however, Jesus serves as the template for our resurrected bodies. In his glorified image we will be raised.
The kingdom of heaven is not a place of weakness and sin, it is a place where only those who have been completely transformed by the Spirit can reside, and that includes our physical bodies. The Lord will arrive as announced by the trumpet. Those who have not yet died when Jesus returns will be instantly transformed into a new, perfected, Christ-like humanity. At the same time the dead will be raised to have bodies in the same fashion. Thus death, the last enemy, will have been defeated.[2] Since sin and death have been defeated there is no more room for them in the new age, we will have immortality. We can mock death.[3]
Due to the law, creation experienced a causal chain. Sin lead to death.[4] Thanks be to God who has given us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ! It is for this that we hope, and for this reward that we sacrifice in this life. Paul urges the Corinthians to push on knowing what joy is in store for them.
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[1] So Thiselton and Ciampa and Rosner as well. As a note, God obviously does not have a gender, but I have decided to start using the feminine pronoun in my writing to refer to God and the Holy Spirit because if we're not conscious about it, using male gendered pronouns subtly shapes our view of God to a male image. When referring to God as Father or to Jesus, obviously the male pronoun makes sense.
[2] Ciampa and Rosner capture this point very well.
[3] Thiselton calls vv 54b-55 a taunt.
[4]Again Thiselton was very helpful here.
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