1 Corinthians 15:48-50
The Voice
48 The earth man shares his earth nature with all those made of earth; likewise the heavenly man shares His heavenly nature with all those made of heaven. 49 Just as we have carried the image of the earth man in our bodies, we will[a] also carry the image of the heavenly man in our new bodies at the resurrection.
Redemption is not merely forgiveness of sin’s guilt so our souls can go to heaven someday. Our true hope is to be free from physical death just as Jesus was raised from the dead. Accordingly, this hope of bodily resurrection stands against the expectation that souls escape from their mortal bodies (as if your soul is the real “you” and your body is a disposable external space suit) and merely float up to heaven. Rather, Paul presents resurrection as a new creation; and this restored bodily existence affirms and fulfills the original intent of creation. Believers don’t have to wait until the future to experience this Spirit-enabled life because living in obedience to God through the Spirit is a foretaste of the total experience that will come when all is restored later.
50 Now listen to this: brothers and sisters, this present body is not able to inherit the kingdom of God any more than decay can inherit that which lasts forever.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 15:49 Other manuscripts read “so let us.”
1 Corinthians 15:48-50
New International Version
48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.(A) 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,(B) so shall we[a] bear the image of the heavenly man.(C)
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood(D) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,(E) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.(F)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 15:49 Some early manuscripts so let us
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