35But someone will say, 'How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?' [15:36] Senseless one — what you yourself sow does not come to life unless it dies. [15:37] And what you sow — you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare seed, it may be of wheat or of some other kind. [15:38] But God gives it a body just as he willed, and to each of the seeds its own body. [15:39] Not all flesh is the same flesh — but there is one kind for men, another flesh for animals, another for birds, another for fish. [15:40] And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. [15:41] There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars — for star differs from star in glory. [15:42] So also the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in decay, it is raised in incorruption. [15:43] It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. [15:44] It is sown a body of the soul-and-life force, it is raised a body of the spirit. If there is a body of the soul-and-life force, there is also one of the spirit. [15:45] So also it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living soul-and-life force.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. [15:46] But the spiritual is not first — the soulish is first, then the spiritual. [15:47] The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven. [15:48] As is the one made of dust, so also are those of dust; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those who are heavenly. [15:49] And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly one.
1CO 15:35-49
The Resurrection Body
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Corinth, a city steeped in Greco-Roman philosophical and religious thought, questions about the afterlife and the nature of resurrection were contentious. Many Corinthians, influenced by Platonic dualism, struggled to reconcile the idea of a physical resurrection with their belief in the immortality of the soul. The speaker addresses this skepticism by invoking agricultural imagery familiar to an agrarian society: a seed must die to produce new life, and the resulting plant differs from the seed sown. This metaphor would resonate with listeners who understood farming cycles and the transformative power of nature. The distinction between (flesh) and (spiritual) bodies reflects a Jewish-Christian worldview that affirms bodily resurrection while transcending the limitations of earthly existence. The mention of heavenly bodies aligns with Jewish apocalyptic literature, which envisioned a transformed, glorified existence. The speaker critiques the (foolish) mindset that dismisses resurrection, emphasizing God’s sovereignty in shaping diverse forms of life.
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How other translations render this
1CO 15:35
- KJV
- But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
- BSB
- But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”
- Koinōnos
- But someone will say, 'How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?
1CO 15:36
- KJV
- Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
- BSB
- You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
- Koinōnos
- Senseless one — what you yourself sow does not come to life unless it dies.
1CO 15:37
- KJV
- 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:
- BSB
- And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else.
- Koinōnos
- And what you sow — you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare seed, it may be of wheat or of some other kind.
1CO 15:38
- KJV
- But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
- BSB
- But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.
- Koinōnos
- But God gives it a body just as he willed, and to each of the seeds its own body.
1CO 15:39
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Not all flesh is the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another.
- Koinōnos
- Not all flesh is the same flesh — but there is one kind for men, another flesh for animals, another for birds, another for fish.
1CO 15:40
- KJV
- There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
- BSB
- There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another.
- Koinōnos
- And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.
1CO 15:41
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
- Koinōnos
- There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars — for star differs from star in glory.
1CO 15:42
- KJV
- So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
- BSB
- So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable.
- Koinōnos
- So also the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in decay, it is raised in incorruption.
1CO 15:43
- KJV
- It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
- BSB
- It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
- Koinōnos
- It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
1CO 15:44
- KJV
- It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
- BSB
- It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
- Koinōnos
- It is sown a body of the soul-and-life force, it is raised a body of the spirit. If there is a body of the soul-and-life force, there is also one of the spirit.
1CO 15:45
- KJV
- And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
- BSB
- So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
- Koinōnos
- So also it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living soul-and-life force.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1CO 15:46
- KJV
- Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
- BSB
- The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.
- Koinōnos
- But the spiritual is not first — the soulish is first, then the spiritual.
1CO 15:47
- KJV
- The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
- BSB
- The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
- Koinōnos
- The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.
1CO 15:48
- KJV
- As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
- BSB
- As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.
- Koinōnos
- As is the one made of dust, so also are those of dust; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those who are heavenly.
1CO 15:49
- KJV
- And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
- BSB
- And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.
- Koinōnos
- And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
1CO 15:36
- Fool:The word translated 'Fool' here refers to someone who is senseless or crazed, lacking sound judgment, rather than merely being silly or unintelligent.
1CO 15:39
- flesh [is]:The term translated 'flesh' often refers to the entire physical body, not just the soft tissue, and can sometimes be used in the plural to emphasize its physical nature.
1CO 15:44
- natural,:The word translated 'natural' describes something pertaining to the soul or life force, often in contrast to the purely physical or the spiritual.
- spiritual.:The word translated 'spiritual' describes something related to the spirit or breath, often implying a non-physical or divine quality, or even something moved by wind.