In a previous post, I noted and argued that of all the issues the Apostle Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians, the most important is the one he tackles in 1 Corinthians 15: the teaching or claim of some that there is no resurrection. As I noted in that post, Paul addresses the significant error in such a claim by pointing out that if there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ did not rise from the dead – which would mean that our sins are not forgiven and the message that Paul proclaimed and which we have believed is in vain.
Because of the importance of this topic, Paul did not stop his discussion of it there but rather he goes on to connect the reality of Christ’s resurrection with the hope of our resurrection, both of which are contingent upon the idea that there is indeed a resurrection. In fact, Christ’s resurrection is the basis for our hope of resurrection, with his resurrection viewed as the first fruits of the resurrection that reverses the curse of death that came through Adam (15:21-22). If there is no resurrection, Christ did not rise and thus we do not rise; but if there is a resurrection and Jesus rose, then we too will rise.
Not only does Paul mention the hope of this resurrection, but he offers some important information in this passage concerning when it will happen, how it works, and what difference it makes in our lives today.
When We Will Be Raised
The first major point that Paul makes after linking the reality of Christ’s resurrection with the hope of our resurrection concerns the timing of our resurrection. This is seen in 1 Corinthians 15:23: “But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.” Christ brings new life through the Spirit now, but it is only at his return that we will experience the hope of the resurrection. Later on in the passage, Paul notes that those who are living at that time will be transformed and thus “resurrected” without dying (1 Corinthians 15:51-52: “Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.”), but the point remains that this hope of the resurrection is a key element of God’s work in Christ that is “not yet.” The reason Paul points out that the resurrection will happen at Christ’s return may be that some were saying “resurrection” happened when we believe – a spiritual blessing that provides spiritual blessings and a new kind of life – as this seems to be what later is taught by some in Ephesus (2 Timothy 2:18).
Christ’s coming is the time of the resurrection and also leads to what is “…the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power” (15:24). While affirming that the kingdom will come in its fullness at that time, there is also a sense in which Christ is reigning now but the enemy of death is not yet defeated in the sense of being “abolished” (15:25-28). Paul’s discussion of this future hope thus highlights both Christ’s power in the present but also the promise that awaits; we will not experience the fullness of Christ’s victory until his return even though we benefit from the resurrection now.
How We Will Be Raised
Discussion of the promise of resurrection naturally leads to the question about the nature of such a resurrected body – as Paul himself indicates in 15:35: “But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?’”
In light of Paul’s response to this question beginning with the words “You fool” (15:36), it seems that he thinks some would be asking this question not out of general curiosity but rather out of skepticism or scorn about the reality of resurrection, as it was not a widely held or accepted view in the ancient world; this question is less like Mary’s upon hearing the words of the angel that she will have a child and more like Zechariah’s response of disbelief in Luke 1.
Even if not asking for the right reasons, Paul still offers “the fool” an extended description of the nature of the resurrection. This description notes that it is similar to a seed in that something “dies” and then “comes to life” in an even better form (15:36-37). That analogy seems to point to some continuity with our earthly body – as we see in the resurrection of Jesus. However, Paul also notes that there is some discontinuity in terms of this “spiritual body” (15:38-44). Calling it a spiritual body should not mean that we do not view it as being physical, especially since Paul refers to Christ as the “last Adam” who is a “life-giving spirit” (15:45). The contrast is not between physical and spiritual but between natural and spiritual (15:44, 46), noting that this spiritual body has a greater splendor for it is one of glory, power, and incorruptibility (15:42-43, 53). Even the term “raised” is one that points to a similarity in that Christ has been raised and that the plants that emerge from seeds are connected to them but surprise them. Paul’s point is that we will bear the image of Christ (15:49), which means we will be raised like him. Once again, we see the importance of Christ’s resurrection, as that truth not only shows that we will rise but also what our resurrected bodies will be like.
Why It Matters
Paul doesn’t just answer questions about the timing or characteristics of this resurrection but also points to why it matters in light of the denial of it by some. The reality of the resurrection enables us to endure suffering in this life, just as Paul did (15:30-32). In fact, it encourages us to expect suffering in this life, as death still remains our fact; we will get sick and our bodies will break down because the final defeat of death awaits at the resurrection. The reality of the resurrection shows that there is something greater than what is found in this life; we may experience blessings now but there are even greater blessings that await. The discontinuity between the present body and future body gives us confidence that there is something better, but the continuity seen in Jesus’s resurrection and the image of the seed reminds us that this body is also important and that we should live in a holy fashion now (15:33-34). We should live holy lives in honor of the resurrected one and in hope of our resurrection, and we should also labor in working for the Lord and letting others know about this hope (15:58). Therefore, the hope of the resurrection impacts not just our eternal hope but also our present choices.
If there is no resurrection, then our faith is in vain because Christ did not rise (15:14). But if there is a resurrection – established by the fact that Jesus did rise – then we should know that our work is not in vain (15:58) as well as hold fast to the the message that Paul and the others proclaimed (15:2), that Jesus really rose and thus so will those who believe in him. Let us not forget both the reality and importance of the resurrection of the body, a central truth of our faith that we reaffirm every time we read the Apostles’ Creed. It’s my hope that you affirm it with even more gusto in light of this consideration of Paul’s words about its importance in 1 Corinthians 15.
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