1 CORINTHIANS LESSON 26

 
     We will begin this lesson in I Corinthians 15:35 "But some [man]
will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they
come?"

     In the last lessons, we were going into some believing in life
after death of the body, and some who do not. Now, Paul is bringing up
the question of how they will be raised up. It goes without saying
that he is speaking to those who are proclaiming Christianity, but
still do not believe in the resurrection. The Jews were taught that
man is dust, and to dust he shall return. This is true of the physical
body. This is the same old misunderstanding of the difference between
the flesh and the spirit. Those who look with physical eyes at the
literal message in the Scriptures, can never understand God who is
Spirit or His Word, which is understood by the spirit. There is a body
that rises, but it is not flesh and blood. I Corinthians 15:50 "Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."  We would have
gotten to this Scripture in this lesson, but it explains this very
well right here.

     I Corinthians 15:36  "[Thou] fool, that which thou sowest is not
quickened, except it die:"

     It is a dangerous thing to call someone a fool, so Paul is
indirectly and not directly calling them a fool. He is saying, are you
so foolish to believe that the same seed that you plant grows into a
seed? When you put a little seed in the ground, it actually dies and
then a new plant springs forth from the seed.

     I Corinthians 15:37 "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]:"

     It is so strange for a little acorn to be planted in the ground
and then a short time later in the very spot where you planted the
acorn a little tree pops out of the earth. If you plant a bean, you
will not get corn. The plant that comes from the seed is very similar
to the seed and you will be able to relate it to the seed that you
planted, but it will not be identical. This is the same with our body
that is planted. A new body comes forth, but you would be able to
relate the new body to the old, because Jesus still had the nail
prints in his hands. He was, however, different enough that even His
apostles, looking with physical eyes did not recognize Him. It was
only when their spiritual understanding was opened, that they
recognized Jesus as the risen Christ.

     I Corinthians 15:38 "But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased
him, and to every seed his own body."

     It is not in our power to say what our body will be like. Just as
the Lord created us in the first place, He will give us a new body at
resurrection. When we are resurrected, He will not make a new thing,
but make the old new. II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man [be]
in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new." Notice that He did not recreate man. He
took the old man and changed him. You see He started with the seed and
gave it a new body.

     I Corinthians 15:39 "All flesh [is] not the same flesh: but
[there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of beasts,
another of fishes, [and] another of birds."

     "Flesh" means the body that is opposed to the spirit. This type
of flesh is different to other life, such as in vegetation. Notice
that the flesh of men is mentioned first showing men are to rule over
the beasts, fishes and birds.

     I Corinthians 15:40  "[There are] also celestial bodies, and
bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the
[glory] of the terrestrial [is] another."

     The word "celestial" means above the sky. "Terrestrial" means
worldly, earthy, or of the earth. This just means that God made some
things for use in the heavens and other things for the earth. They are
not the same and cannot be. For us to live in heaven, we would have to
be changed, so that we could function in the heavenly realm. Flesh and
blood do not inherit heaven. We must be changed to a spiritual being
to inherit heaven.

     I Corinthians 15:41  "[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."

     We know that there is great variety in heaven, the same as there
is on the earth. No 2 stars are the same in heaven. None of them have
the same job to do as another, either. They each have their purpose.
There is order in heaven. God did not make any two people on the earth
exactly the same, either. We all, one at a time, have a purpose for
being. God has a plan for each of us. It is not the same plan that He
has for all. One star in heaven is not greater than another, just has
a different purpose for being.

     I Corinthians 15:42 "So also [is] the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:"

     "Corruption" means decay, ruin, destroy, or perish. All of these
meanings fit this Scripture. The body decays, ruins, is destroyed, and
perishes. The seed, within that body, takes on new life, perfection,
restoration, and life everlasting. This new body will never die.

     I Corinthians 15:43 "It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in
glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:"

     The flesh of mankind is like the dust of the earth, in that it
has no honor. The weakness of the flesh is what causes death to come
to the body. It is not the flesh that partakes of everlasting life,
but the spirit. The flesh has caused man much problems. All
temptations and downfalls were because of lust of the flesh. That
flesh must die for the spirit to live. I love the Scripture about the
dead bones. Can these old bones live again? Yes? If the breath of God
revives them.  Ezekiel 37:5 "Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones;
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:"
The breath is the Spirit.

     I Corinthians 15:44 "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual
body."

     The body of flesh {carnal} must die and return to the dust, that
the spirit may be totally born. I have spoken to many people who have
had the near death experience. They nearly all saw themselves leave
that body of flesh. They had a body, very similar to the body of
flesh, but the spiritual body rose out of that carnal body they left
behind. We will someday leave this body that has caused us so much
trouble here on the earth. Even if we are caught up into heaven when
the trumpet sounds without benefit of the grave. This body will be
changed in the twinkling of an eye. We will lay down this earthly body
and take on a heavenly body. This heavenly body will not be controlled
by the gravitational pull of the earth. This heavenly body will know
no pain. It will not age.

     I Corinthians 15:45 "And so it is written, The first man Adam was
made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit."

     Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul."  Notice from this Scripture above, that man was
nothing but a clay doll, before God breathed the breath of life into
him. This breath of life that God breathed in him, is what the life of
man is. The fact of becoming a living soul means, that God gave him
the will to choose. We are a spirit which is housed in a body. The
soul of man determines whether the spirit will rule, or the flesh of
man will rule. The flesh of man is earthy and carnal. The spirit of
man desires to follow God. Adam, in the garden, was a free-will agent.
All of the burden of decisions to follow God, or flesh, was on his own
back. When Jesus quickens our spirit to everlasting life, there will
be no more problems with the flesh, because we will crucify that flesh
and leave that dead body of flesh behind. The spirit man will live on.











                      1 Corinthians 26 Questions


1.  Who is Paul speaking to in verse 35?
2.  What were most of the Jews taught about life?
3.  Those who look with __________ eyes, can never understand the
    things of God, because God is __________.
4.  Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 50.
5.  What does Paul call these unbelievers in verse 36?
6.  What is Paul really saying to them?
7.  Does the same thing you plant come forth, explain?
8.  What does the author believe to be strange about the little acorn
    you plant in the ground?
9.  The plant that comes up is very __________ to the seed planted.
10. A new body comes forth, but it relates to what?
11. What made the body of Jesus that rose undeniably Jesus?
12. Who decides what our new body is like?
13. God does no recreate the man, He took the old man and _______ him.
14. Name some of the different kinds of flesh.
15. What does flesh in verse 39 mean?
16. Why is the flesh of men mentioned first in the list?
17. What does "Celestial" mean?
18. What does "Terrestrial" mean?
19. ________ and _______ do not inherit heaven.
20. We must be changed into what, to inherit heaven?
21. What are some of the things in heaven that are specifically
    mentioned that are different?
22. Why are each of the stars different?
23. What does "corruption" in verse 42 mean?
24. The _______, within that body, takes on new life.
25. The flesh is like the dust of the earth, in that it has no ______.
26. The flesh must die, for the _________ to live.
27. How can these dead bones live again?
28. What two kinds of body do we possess?
29. What has the author been told by people who have had the near
    death experience?
30. Name a few wonderful things about this new spiritual body we
    Christians get.
31. The first Adam was made a ________ _____.
32. The last Adam {Jesus} was made a __________ _______.
33. Describe what the author believes mankind is.