1 Corinthians 15:1
Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ παρελάβετε, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε,
Now, I reveal to you, brothers, the gospel which I preached to you which even you received in which even you stand
Paraphrase: Now brothers and sisters, there is something else that I want you to know about the message which I preach. There are some truths so central to our faith that I want to clarify these as much as I can. This is the message which you embraced by faith and the theology on which you have taken your stand as followers of Christ. It’s that important; life and death is at stake.
Comments:
εὐαγγέλιον and εὐηγγελισάμην are from the same root.
1 Corinthians 15:2
δι’ οὗ καὶ σῴζεσθε, τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε· ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ, εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε.
through which even you were saved, in which words I preached to you, if you hold fast unless you have believed in vain.
Paraphrase: In believing this message, you were saved and brought into a right relation to God. Now this is the message which I preached to you, and it is important that we understand it correctly in order that we may take our stand on something that can really hold us and not on some philosophy which people may have spun out of their own mind. These manmade philosophies (Colossians 2:8) abound in our day, and they are completely unreliable. Anyone who thinks that such philosophy will satisfy him in life and save him in death is sure to be bitterly disappointed. (Isaiah 28:20) Eventually, it will give way beneath their feet; it will fail, and they will perish.
Comments:
Blass calls ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ a pleonasm. source
1 Corinthians 15:3
Παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς,
For I handed down to you what even I received at first, that Christ died for our sin according to the Scriptures…
Paraphrase: Let’s consider then, the basic truths of what Jesus taught us. The first thing you need to know is that what I am teaching you here is not something I came up with on my own. We have enough of these kind of “gospels” already; everyone trumpets his own thinking as “gospel-truth.” On the contrary, what I am stating here was given to me by Jesus Himself. (Galatians 1:11, 12) Let’s start at the beginning:
First, Christ died as a sin-offering to make atonement for our sin and to remove our guilt. You can learn about atonement and substitution in Leviticus 4 and many other places in the Scripture.
Comments:
The sophists were traveling philosophers who taught all sorts of different philosophies; see here. There were plenty of these in Corinth. Witherington: “It is plausible that the Corinthians, and probably the false apostles as well, had been strongly affected by the rising tide of the Sophistic movement.” see on 348 of Conflict and Community in Corinth. Also Abbott.
1 Corinthians 15:4
καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη, καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς,
and that He was buried, and that He had been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
Paraphrase: Second, He was buried and laid in the grave for three days which proves to all that He really was completely dead.
Third, God raised Him up out of the grave, brought Him back to life again, and in this state He continues today. In fact, He is sitting at God’s right hand (Ephesians 1:20) as the living Christ (John 14:19; 2 Corinthians 13:4), reigning and ruling (1 Corinthians 15:25) until His return. Again, I emphasize that these are not my ideas; they are all to be found in the Scriptures. For example, some of you may know that our brother Matthew is preparing an account of Jesus’ life. In his account, he reports that Jesus told His disciples well before He died that He would suffer many things from the Sanhedrin, be killed, and that He would be raised back to life on the third day. (Matthew 16:21) Even in the Old Testament, we read that God would perform a resurrection on the third day (Hosea 6:2; Jonah 1:17 & Matthew 12:40) and that the Messiah would die and live again. (Isaiah 53:10–12)
Comments:
ἐγήγερται is in the perfect tense.
If Matthew’s gospel is dated to 61 or 62ad, then he may very well have been in the process of preparing it during Paul’s ministry. First Corinthians is typically dated to ~54ad.
1 Corinthians 15:5
καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη Κηφᾷ, εἶτα τοῖς δώδεκα.
and that He appeared to Cephas, next to the twelve.
Paraphrase: Proof that Jesus really was raised from the dead is as simple as speaking to those who saw Him alive. You can investigate this for yourself by speaking to Peter to whom Jesus made a private visit (Luke 24:34); and after that He visited all twelve of the disciples, the first when Thomas was not present (John 20:19f) and the second when he was (John 20:26f).
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:6
ἔπειτα ὤφθη ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ, ἐξ ὧν οἱ πλείονες μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι· τινὲς δὲ ἐκοιμήθησαν.
Then, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at the same time, of which the most remain until now, although some have slept.
Paraphrase: After these visits to the twelve, Jesus visited over 500 Christians in Galilee which He had promised to do before He died. (Matthew 26:32) Some of these have gone on to their sabbath-rest (Hebrews 4:9), but most of these brothers and sisters are still living and can testify to this visit and to the fact of Jesus being alive.
Comments:
Acts 1:15 tells of 120 persons in Jerusalem who were Christians. There were probably more Christians than this in Jerusalem but not 500. Much more likely that Jesus’ ministry in Galilee had produced this number of converts. Also, it is likely that many Christians in Jerusalem would have gone to Galilee in light of Jesus’ promise in Matthew 26:32.
1 Corinthians 15:7
ἔπειτα ὤφθη Ἰακώβῳ, εἶτα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν.
Then, He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Paraphrase: He also visited James who was another of the disciples of Jesus. (Acts 12:2) He then made another visit to all the apostles together.
Comments:
The James here would likely be the James who was killed by Herod, not the author of the New Testament book.
1 Corinthians 15:8
ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων, ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι, ὤφθη κἀμοί.
and last of all as it were to one aborted, He appeared even to me.
Paraphrase: Finally, Jesus appeared to me as well and conferred on me the status of an apostle (1 Corinthians 9:1), although I am as fit to be called an apostle as an aborted child would be called a son or daughter. (1 Corinthians 15:9)
Comments:
What is the point of comparison between Paul and an aborted child? Some see it as a reference to how Paul was called to be an apostle; i.e. it was in an unnatural way. Billroth writes:
Paul calls himself εκτρωμα, because he was introduced to his apostolic office in a violent, and consequently in an unnatural manner, and because he stood as far behind the other apostles as a child born prematurely does behind one that is sound, and enters the world in the usual manner. source
Closely tied to this is the interpretation which sees it as a reference to Paul’s conversion as Calvin. Others see it as a reference to his unworthiness and see Paul’s metaphor here as stated literally in 1 Corinthians 15:9. Wesley writes:
It was impossible to abase himself more than he does by this single appellation. As an abortion is not worthy the name of a man, so he affirms himself to be not worthy the name of an apostle. source
I think the last of these is the correct one especially in such close proximity to the next verse.
1 Corinthians 15:9
Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ.
For I am the least of the apostles who I am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.
Paraphrase: Actually, I am the least of all the apostles, not even worthy to loose their sandals. It’s only a miracle of God’s saving grace that I was ever called to be an apostle. God knows there is nothing in me that qualifies me for this work, and my record of breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1) stands as a permanent testimony to my treatment of the first Christians. Such a record should disqualify me from any service in God’s kingdom.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:10
χάριτι δὲ Θεοῦ, εἰμι ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη. ἀλλὰ, περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα, οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ, ἀλλὰ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ‹ἡ› σὺν ἐμοί.
but by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace, the grace in me, was not for nothing, but I labored more than all of them, but not I but the grace of God, the grace with me.
Paraphrase: But now look what God’s grace did in me (and it was all God’s grace!). I ended up working harder than all the other apostles! and all this work from someone who was, at one time, doing all he could to stamp out the Name of Christ and to destroy the Way! (Acts 9:2) Isn’t it amazing what God’s grace can accomplish? I am a living, breathing example of God’s regenerating grace. Wait, did I say that I worked harder than all the apostles? I need to correct that; I should have said, the grace of God working through me and in me labored and toiled harder than all the other apostles. I contributed nothing.
Comments:
Notice the two orphan articles; cf principle 15 “ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ…” “…ἡ σὺν ἐμοί.”
1 Corinthians 15:11
εἴτε οὖν ἐγὼ εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, οὕτως κηρύσσομεν, καὶ οὕτως ἐπιστεύσατε.
Therefore, whether I or they, in this manner we preached and in this manner you believed.
Paraphrase: At the end of the day, it makes little difference who labored where or to what extent. All the apostles are preaching Christ crucified and Christ risen. This is what we labor for day and night, and this is all that really matters. (Philippians 1:18) James the younger has already lost his life because he labored to spread these truths (Acts 12:2) and Stephen too. (Acts 7:58) At the end of the day, this is what we preach and this is what you believed. Only in this Name can anyone find salvation.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:12
Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς κηρύσσεται ὅτι ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγήγερται, πῶς λέγουσιν ἐν ὑμῖν τινες ὅτι ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν;
but if Christ is preached that from the dead He was raised, how do certain ones among you say that resurrection from the dead is not?
Paraphrase: Now if the resurrection of Christ is so central to our faith, then how is it that some of you do not even believe in a general resurrection of all persons on the last day?
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:13
εἰ δὲ ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται·
But if a resurrection of the dead is not, neither has Christ been raised.
Paraphrase: But how can you believe in the resurrection of Jesus and still hold the belief that people are never raised from the dead? Let’s be frank here; if people are not raised from the dead, then neither is Jesus raised from the dead. This is the only logically consistent position you can take.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:14
εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται, κενὸν ἄρα [καὶ] τὸ κήρυγμα ἡμῶν, κενὴ καὶ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν.
And if Christ has not been raised, vain then even our preaching and vain your faith.
Paraphrase: And if Christ was not raised from the dead, then the gospel we preach is a delusion and a fraud. Your faith is founded on a lie.
Comments:
This is a good place to note the meaning of a first class condition. The condition here is first class which does not mean that Paul believes the truth of the protasis; otherwise, Paul would be saying here that he believes that Christ was not raised. In a first class condition, the author assumes the truth of the protasis for the purpose of his argument. It does not necessarily imply that the author actually believes the protasis.
1 Corinthians 15:15
εὑρισκόμεθα δὲ καὶ ψευδομάρτυρες τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐμαρτυρήσαμεν κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἤγειρεν τὸν Χριστόν, ὃν οὐκ ἤγειρεν εἴπερ ἄρα νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται.
And we are found even liars of God because we testified from God that He raised Christ who is not raised if then the dead are not raised.
Paraphrase: Furthermore, we are breaking the ninth commandment by bearing false witness and preaching things as true which we know to be false. We make the claim that God Himself taught us these truths by direct revelation. (Galatians 1:11-12) We claim that God raised Christ from the dead on the third day after He had died. Now how can we make this claim if there is no such thing as a resurrection from the dead?
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:16
Εἰ γὰρ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται·
For if the dead are not raised, neither is Christ raised.
Paraphrase: I say it again, please hear me. If there is no such thing as a resurrection, then Christ Himself is still in the grave and our preaching is all based on a falsehood.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:17
εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται, ματαία ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν (ἐστίν)· ἔτι ἐστὲ ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν.
And if Christ has not been raised, useless is your faith; still you are in your sins.
Paraphrase: What’s worse, if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then your faith is to no purpose. It accomplishes nothing; your trespasses are still counted against you. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
Comments:
The resurrection of Jesus figured very large in the first preaching, especially the fact that the apostles were eyewitnesses of it; see Acts 2:24, 31-32; 3:15; 4:2, 10, 33; 5:30; 10:40-41. In this verse, note the connection between Christ’s resurrection and His death. Billroth quotes Ruckert (p90): The sins of men were atoned for by the death of Christ, but that atonement would have been of no avail to them if they could not have believed it. Now faith is produced by the resurrection, and accordingly this also is necessary to the δικαίωσις [justification], and has been prepared by God that men might be brought to the enjoyment of those blessings which the death of Christ has procured for them.
1 Corinthians 15:18
ἄρα καὶ οἱ κοιμηθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ ἀπώλοντο.
Then, even those sleeping in Christ are lost.
Paraphrase: This means that all our beloved brothers and sisters who are now sleeping in Jesus are lost forever.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:19
εἰ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ, ἐν Χριστῷ ἠλπικότες ἐσμὲν, μόνον, ἐλεεινότεροι πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐσμέν.
If in this life, in Christ, we are hoping, alone, more miserable then all men we are.
Paraphrase: If our hope is simply in a dead Jesus, then we are more miserable than any living person.
Comments:
ἐλεεινότεροι is in the comparative degree.
1 Corinthians 15:20
Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων.
But now Christ is raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are sleeping.
Paraphrase: But if Christ is risen, then our hope is built on an unshakeable rock. We know Jesus did rise from the dead, and we ourselves saw Him alive with our own eyes. (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 13:31) Now why is this such a solid foundation for our hope? Because Jesus is the first fruits of the harvest. What do I mean by this? You know that every harvest begins with those crops which are harvested first. These first fruits are a promise, as it were, that the full harvest will eventually be brought in. Now in the same way, Jesus is like those first fruits. His resurrection is the first fruits; the resurrection of all believers is the full harvest. He rose from the dead, and His resurrection is a guarantee that we too will one day rise from the dead just as the farmer knows when he harvests the first fruits, that the rest of the harvest is sure to follow.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:21
ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι’ ἀνθρώπου θάνατος, καὶ δι’ ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν.
For since through man, death, even through man, resurrection of the dead.
Paraphrase: The reason there is such a close connection between Christ’s resurrection and ours is simple. You can see this same connection between the entire human race and the sin of the first Adam. Clearly, God deals with the human race as a single unit, and Adam’s sin was credited to every human person. To stick with my metaphor; you might say that Adam’s sin was the first fruits, and the subsequent death of all men was the full harvest. Again, this same connection is seen in how we are rescued from death. All those who are one with the second Adam are reckoned to be a single unit and are saved from death because of Christ’s perfect obedience. (Romans 5:18)
Comments:
I am assuming here that ἐπειδὴ is giving the reason for the connection between Jesus’ resurrection and ours.
1 Corinthians 15:22
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, πάντες ζωοποιηθήσονται—
For just as in Adam, all die, in this manner even in Christ, all will be made alive.
Paraphrase: Now this is the same connection that exists between Jesus’ resurrection and the resurrection of every believer. You know my favorite expression. In Adam, all died; in Christ, all are made alive.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:23
Ἕκαστος δὲ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι· ἀπαρχὴ Χριστός, ἔπειτα οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ·
But each in his own order. Christ the first fruits, then those of Christ at His coming.
Paraphrase: But back to my point (1 Corinthians 15:20b). There is an order here. Christ is raised first; that’s why I call Him the first fruits. After Jesus’ resurrection, comes the resurrection of those who are in union with Him which won’t happen until He comes back.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:24
εἶτα τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδιδῷ τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί, ὅταν καταργήσῃ πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν.
Then the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God, even the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and every authority and power.
Paraphrase: At that time then, when Jesus returns, the mission will be complete, and the work finished. Jesus will come off His throne (Psalm 110:1) and stand before the Great God, our Father. He will give back the keys of the kingdom to the Father announcing that every ruler, every earthly authority which opposed Him, and every power of darkness which tried so hard to disrupt the mission has been terminated. The serpent’s head has been crushed (Genesis 3:15); the great Babylon has been thrown down (Revelation 18:21); the beast and the false prophet have been thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20); and the devil has also been thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone. (Revelation 20:10)
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:25
δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ.
For it is necessary for Him to reign until which [time], He might place all enemies under His feet.
Paraphrase: For this was God’s plan. In the never begun ages of eternity past, God had purposed that Jesus would be given all authority in both heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18), and that Jesus would continue to wield this sovereign power until that time when the last enemy was subdued and all enemies were brought under subjection. (Psalm 110)
Comments:
See principle 23.
1 Corinthians 15:26
ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος.
Death is destroyed, the last enemy.
Paraphrase: Many enemies have already been subjugated; some still remain to be defeated. The very last enemy which Christ will crush under His feet is death itself.
Comments:
θάνατος is articular; see principle 10.
Consider καταργεῖται; GGBB says, “The present tense may be used to describe a future event, though (unlike the conative present) it typically adds the connotations of immediacy and certainty.” p535–536 This certainly fits the context here.
1 Corinthians 15:27
Πάντα, γὰρ Ὑπέταξεν, ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ ὅτι πάντα ὑποτέτακται, δῆλον ὅτι ἐκτὸς τοῦ ὑποτάξαντος αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα.
Paraphrase:
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:28
ὅταν δὲ ὑποταγῇ αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς ὑποταγήσεται τῷ ὑποτάξαντι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, ἵνα ᾖ ὁ Θεὸς [τὰ] πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν.
1 Corinthians 15:29
Ἐπεὶ τί ποιήσουσιν οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι ὑπὲρ τῶν νεκρῶν; εἰ ὅλως νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, τί καὶ βαπτίζονται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν;
1 Corinthians 15:30
τί καὶ, ἡμεῖς κινδυνεύομεν πᾶσαν ὥραν;
1 Corinthians 15:31
καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀποθνῄσκω, νὴ τὴν ὑμετέραν καύχησιν, ἀδελφοί ἣν ἔχω ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.
1 Corinthians 15:32
εἰ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον, ἐθηριομάχησα ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, τί μοι τὸ ὄφελος; εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνήσκομεν.
1 Corinthians 15:33
Μὴ πλανᾶσθε· Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ, ὁμιλίαι κακαί.
1 Corinthians 15:34
ἐκνήψατε δικαίως καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε· ἀγνωσίαν γὰρ Θεοῦ τινες ἔχουσιν· πρὸς ἐντροπὴν ὑμῖν λαλῶ.
1 Corinthians 15:35
Ἀλλὰ ἐρεῖ τις, Πῶς ἐγείρονται οἱ νεκροί; ποίῳ δὲ σώματι ἔρχονται;
But someone will say, “How the dead raised? and with what kind of body will they come?
Paraphrase: Now at this point, some of you might scoff and laugh at such an idea. How can a dead person possibly return to life again? Everyone knows that a person’s body decays and returns to the dust of the earth. What kind of body can we possibly have after our actual body has moldered in the earth? What will these people look like when they come out of their grave?
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:36
ἄφρων σὺ! ὃ σπείρεις οὐ ζωοποιεῖται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ.
You fools! What you sow, does not come to life unless it dies.
Paraphrase: But you know, brothers and sisters, that such ridicule comes from a place of darkness. They do not understand the truth because their eyes have never been open to the light of God’s revelation. Let me use an illustration to help you understand what God will do when He raises us from the dead. When you plant seeds in the ground, you know that such seeds will produce nothing unless they are buried in the dirt. To all appearances, the seed is irrecoverably lost. (John 12:24) If you wanted to get the seed back, you probably couldn’t even find where it was buried. The seed is as good as dead.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:37
καὶ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ τὸ σῶμα τὸ γενησόμενον σπείρεις, ἀλλὰ γυμνὸν κόκκον, εἰ τύχοι σίτου, ἤ τινος τῶν λοιπῶν.
and what you sow, not the body being sown but naked seed, as it happens wheat or some others.
Paraphrase: Now it is absurd to think that you would place the full plant, with its roots, stalk, and leaves, in the ground and bury it. Of course, not; but the bare seed, whether wheat or barley or corn, etc. is buried in the ground in the hope that it will one day grow up to be a full plant and bear fruit.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:38
ὁ δὲ Θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ σῶμα, καθὼς ἠθέλησεν, καὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν σπερμάτων, ἴδιον σῶμα.
Then God gives to it a body even as He willed, even to each of the seeds his own body.
Paraphrase: Then, at the appropriate time and according to His perfect plan, God gives to each seed a body. When the full plant grows, we can easily recognize what kind of seed was planted. Each seed, in a sense, receives its own unique body.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:39
Οὐ πᾶσα σὰρξ ἡ αὐτὴ σάρξ, ἀλλὰ ἄλλη μὲν ἀνθρώπων, ἄλλη δὲ σὰρξ κτηνῶν, ἄλλη δὲ σὰρξ πτηνῶν, ἄλλη δὲ ἰχθύων.
Not all flesh is the same flesh, but, different, on the one hand, of men, and another flesh of animals, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
Paraphrase: Now just as we see that each seed has its own unique and different kind of full plant once it is full grown; in the same way, God gives to each of His creatures a different kind of body. Humans have one kind of body and animals another. All of us are all able to distinguish the bodies of birds from fish, and so on.
Comments:
For αυτη, see BBG 12.11 or §105.2.
1 Corinthians 15:40
καὶ σώματα ἐπουράνια, καὶ σώματα ἐπίγεια. ἀλλὰ ἑτέρα μὲν ἡ τῶν ἐπουρανίων δόξα, ἑτέρα δὲ ἡ τῶν ἐπιγείων.
And bodies celestial and bodies terrestrial, but different, on the one hand, the glory of the celestials and the terrestrials.
Paraphrase: Furthermore, we know that God has given to the sun, moon, and stars their own body, so to speak, which fits their purpose, just as He has given a unique body to those of His creatures who dwell on this earth. Each has its own unique purpose and in keeping with this, God has given to each a body which enables them to do the thing which God has created them to do.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:41
ἄλλη δόξα ἡλίου, καὶ ἄλλη δόξα σελήνης, καὶ ἄλλη δόξα ἀστέρων· ἀστὴρ γὰρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ.
One glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars for star differs from star in glory.
Paraphrase: We also notice that each of the heavenly bodies differs in brightness. The sun is vastly brighter and more glorious than the moon which is itself brighter than the stars. Even among the stars, we note that one star is brighter than another.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:42
Οὕτως καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν. σπείρεται ἐν φθορᾷ, ἐγείρεται ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ.
In this manner, even the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.
Paraphrase: Now these illustrations help us to understand the resurrection of the dead. Just as that little seed is buried in the ground and lost to us, so the dead bodies of our loved ones are buried in the ground. We grieve their loss; the separation is so painful. Nevertheless, what is buried in the ground as a decaying, perishable body, will be raised, one day by the power of God, as an imperishable body not subject to any decay.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:43
σπείρεται ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ, ἐγείρεται ἐν δόξῃ. σπείρεται ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ, ἐγείρεται ἐν δυνάμει.
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
Paraphrase: How we grieve to see our loved ones laid in the grave. Their bodies are cold and dark, and we shudder even to look at them. For all that, beloved, their bodies will be glorious and radiant when they are raised from that dreadful grave. Their bodies are weak and lifeless, but this same body will be powerful when raised.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:44
σπείρεται σῶμα ψυχικόν, ἐγείρεται σῶμα πνευματικόν. Εἰ ἔστιν σῶμα ψυχικόν, ἔστιν καὶ πνευματικόν.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, then there is even a spiritual.
Paraphrase: A physical body, which was controlled and animated by a human soul, is buried in the earth; a body animated and controlled by the Holy Spirit is resurrected out of the grave. Do you remember how I said that there are different kinds of bodies? There is the human body, animal bodies, fish bodies, etc.? Well now you see the point of this illustration. The merely natural, physical body, which is buried, is one kind of body. The radiant, powerful, imperishable, Holy Spirit controlled body which comes out of the grave is an altogether different kind of body.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:45
οὕτως καὶ γέγραπται· Ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν· ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν.
In this manner, even it is written, “The first man, Adam, was made into a living soul; the last Adam into a life-giving Spirit.
Paraphrase: Recall what God did when He created the first human person. Adam was created by God, but he did not become a living person until God breathed into him the breath of life. Only then, did he became a truly living person. In a similar way, the last Adam also received life. He too had a body; but, in the same way as the first Adam, God breathed into Him a life-giving Spirit. Yes, Jesus received the Holy Spirit in a large measure (Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 4:18; Acts 2:33; 10:38) such that He not only is living but has the ability to give life to others. (John 5:21, 26; 6:33, 39, 40, 54–57; 11:25)
Comments:
Owen writes (p105) that even the first Adam received something of the Holy Spirit to make him a living person:
This God breathed into him, as giving him something of Himself, somewhat immediately of His own, not made out of any procreated matter. This is the rational soul, or intelligent spirit. Thus man became a middle creature between the angels above and the sensitive animals below. His body was formed, as the beasts, from the matter made the first day, and digested into dry land on the third day; his soul was an immediate production of and emanation from the divine power, as the angels were. So when, in the works of the new creation, our blessed Savior bestowed the Holy Ghost on His disciples, He breathed on them, as a sign that He gave them something of His own. This celestial Spirit, this heavenly breath, was unto man a quickening principle; for, thirdly, the effect hereof is, that man became לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּח, a “living soul.” His body was hereby animated, and capable of all vital acts. Hence he could move, eat, see, hear, etc.; for the natural effects of this breath of life are only intended in this expression.
Grotius and Gill want to say that Christ became a life-giving Spirit after His resurrection and ascension into heaven. Based on John 5:21, 26, I believe that Jesus was always a life-giving Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:46
Ἀλλ’ οὐ πρῶτον τὸ πνευματικὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ψυχικόν, ἔπειτα τὸ πνευματικόν.
But not first the spiritual but the natural, then the spiritual.
Paraphrase: Another thing to bear in mind here is God’s perfect plan. He has so ordered I that imperfect precedes the perfect. We know that this glorious spiritual body which God will give to His people is not first. No, first we have to suffer with the physical and perishable bodies. We have to face the suffering and pain of a physical death, but take hope, my dear brothers and sisters. After this time of suffering, God will give us our new, resurrection bodies which we be imperishable.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:47
ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐκ γῆς, χοϊκός· ὁ δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ.
The first man from the earth; of dust. The second Man from heaven.
Paraphrase: This same order can be seen in the first Adam and the second. The first Adam had an imperfect and perishable body which was made from the dust. The second Adam came after, and He had the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit given Him.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:48
οἷος ὁ χοϊκός, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ χοϊκοί· καὶ οἷος ὁ ἐπουράνιος, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ ἐπουράνιοι.
What is dust, such even the dusts and what is celestial, such even the celestials.
Paraphrase: Now those who received their bodies from the first Adam are earthly. Their bodies are controlled by a human soul and, as a result, are weak and perishable. Over time, they will decline and will eventually die. Those, on the other hand, who have their bodies from the second Adam, have received their body from God Himself. These are heavenly bodies and are controlled and animated by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, their bodies never die.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:49
καὶ καθὼς ἐφορέσαμεν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, φορέσομεν καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου.
And even as we wore the image of the dust, we will wear also the image of the heavenly.
Paraphrase: Now the order is clear. First, we suffer in these bodies which we received from our father, Adam. Our bodies are like his, and we long, with the entire creation, to be released from this bondage. (Romans 8:18-25) We know that a time is coming when we will put off these bodies and receive a new body. This body will be patterned after that of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a body from heaven and which fits us to live in the heavenly glory.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:50
Τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα, βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ, τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομεῖ.
And this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood the kingdom of God to inherit is not able, neither perishable inherits the imperishable.
Paraphrase: Now all this is to say, brothers and sisters, that the bodies, in which we now live, are not able to function in the kingdom of God. Perishable bodies cannot survive life in a place made for imperishable bodies. If we are going to receive the gift of life in the kingdom of God, we must have a different body suited for life in a world that is entirely different.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:51
Ἰδοὺ, μυστήριον ὑμῖν λέγω. πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα· πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα—
Behold, a mystery I say to you. We all will not sleep, but all will be transformed.
Paraphrase: Now here’s the great truth which our Lord taught us. Indeed, no one knew this before He said it. On that last great day, everyone of us will receive this new body of which I have been speaking. It is true, that not every person is going to die before the glorious return of Christ. Every child of God will, however, be transformed and given a body fit for life in the eternal kingdom of our God and Father.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:52
ἐν ἀτόμῳ, ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι. σαλπίσει γάρ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀλλαγησόμεθα.
In a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet, for it will blast and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we will be transformed.
Paraphrase: Yes, this transformation will happen in an instant. The moment the last trumpet sounds (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the dead are raised, our bodies will be transformed from bodies that decline and grow weaker to bodies that are imperishable.
Comments:
For ἀτόμῳ and ῥιπῇ, see p285.
1 Corinthians 15:53
δεῖ γὰρ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο, ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν· καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο, ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν.
For it is necessary, for this perishable to cloth itself with the imperishable and for this mortal to cloth itself with the immortal.
Paraphrase: Now I argued previously (1 Corinthians 15:50) and I say it again now; if we are going to enter God’s city, then we must be transformed from perishable to imperishable. We must become immortal if we are going to live forever with our eternal God.
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:54
Ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται (τὴν) ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος· Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος.
Now when this perishable clothes itself with the imperishable and this mortal clothes itself with the immortal, then the written word will be, “Death is devoured unto victory!“
Paraphrase: When this happens, dear brothers and sisters, then the word God gave to Isaiah will be fulfilled, “And on this mountain, He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 25:7-8) Yes, we could say that death, the last enemy which swallowed up all people, is now itself swallowed up and utterly destroyed. The victory has been obtained.
Comments:
Premillennialists read Isaiah 25 as a reference to the millennium. Paul sees it as the final, climactic end of the old order of things and the beginning of the eternal state. Death is swallowed up completely.
Dispensationalists understand this to be the end of death only for the righteous. Those who survive the seven year tribulation will enter the millennium and eventually die in that time period. In their doctrine, there’s lots of death in the millennium including the great battle at Armageddon which is a strange way of reading that death has been swallowed up.
1 Corinthians 15:55
Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ νῖκος; ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον;
Where, oh death, is your victory? Where oh death is your sting?
Paraphrase: Come death! Stand up! Where have you gone?! Where is your dreaded sting by which you terrified the people of God? Where is the victory which you boasted of so much? Who got the last word, oh death? Who is afraid of you now? Where is all your strength?
Comments:
1 Corinthians 15:56
Τὸ δὲ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία· ἡ δὲ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὁ νόμος·
1 Corinthians 15:57
τῷ δὲ Θεῷ χάρις, τῷ διδόντι ἡμῖν τὸ νῖκος διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί, ἑδραῖοι γίνεσθε, ἀμετακίνητοι, περισσεύοντες ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ Κυρίου πάντοτε, εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ κόπος ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔστιν κενὸς ἐν Κυρίῳ.