Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: De 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; Ro 2:29; 6:6; Eph 4:22; Php 3:3; Col 3:8-9
The spiritual body is often misconstrued as a dwelling place after death but is actually the “inspirited” body of the individual while they are on earth. This is evidenced by 2 Corinthians 5: 6 and 8 … to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. If a person is present with the Lord they are not in the body. Jesus also said that the Father prepared a body for Him when he came into the world – “A body thou has prepared for me” – Hebrews 10:5. Meaning that the body on earth at the very least is not what He had before. Also in view of the statement concerning Christ after His ascension it is unlikely that a person with a body would fill all things (Ephesians 4:10).
1 Corinthians 15
The Fact of Christ's Resurrection
1. Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
In verse 1 Paul is telling us that He is going to explain in the following verses the message that He preaches. In verse 2 He further tells us that He is going to explain how the reader is saved. This salvation is conditioned on the reader holding fast to the preached message. This chapter is a summary of the mechanics of the process of salvation.
2. by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4. and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5. and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
This is the first mention of the word “sleep” in the chapter and refers to the Christians who have physically died.
7. then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
8. and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
9. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
11. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
I think it is very important to remember that Jesus was crucified and died on earth. Jesus is an example for His followers. He was resurrected while on earth and then He ascended to heaven. Jesus was crucified for our sins and rose for our justification, Romans 4:25. If that is an example then His follower’s will also undergo a resurrection on earth and then ascend to heaven to be with Him. The following verses illustrate this resurrection.
13. But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
14. and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
15. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
16. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
17. and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
18. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
Here is the second use of the term “sleep” and Paul speaks of the dead as being asleep because the death is not a permanent condition. It also shows that this is indeed physical death by using the word “perish”. It can be seen here that a non-Christian will not be resurrected but will ultimately perish.
19. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. The Order of Resurrection
20. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
Here is the third use of the word “sleep” in this chapter. The physical death of Christ was not permanent. It was a temporary condition from which He would wake.
21. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
23. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,
Verse 23 identifies the Coming of Christ as the time of the resurrection of the believer. More properly it is when the process of mankind’s spiritual resurrection begins. Prior to Jesus coming to the individual they would be alive physically but dead spiritually. The spiritual resurrection, the point at which time the individual is made alive spiritually, takes place when Jesus comes into the person’s life through the agency of the Holy Spirit. This would then be the beginning of the person's spiritual resurrection. This happens when a person originally turns to Christ. At that time God sends Jesus into the believer’s heart, Acts 3:19-21.
24. then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
27. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
28. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.
In this chapter Paul does not mention Jesus ascension. Jesus death and resurrection referred to happened on earth. In this summery of the message of man’s salvation Paul does not mention the ascension.
29. Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead (attempt to die to sin)? If the dead (referring to physical death) are not raised at all, why then are they baptized (into Christ’s death to sin) for them?
Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death (to sin): that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Paul died daily, and it can be seen that this is not a physical death. The Christian undergoes a resurrection on earth while they are alive, Colossians 3:1.
In trying to identify with Jesus Christ a person is baptized into Jesus death to sin. Paul went through a process of mortifying the flesh on a daily basis, Romans 8:13. This is also referred to in Philippians 3:10-14. In Philippians Paul is trying to attain the resurrection in this earthly lifetime and identifies the “resurrection” as the cessation from sin.
This is a case where the New American Translation is misleading. Instead of the NAS translation cited above the last part of the verse reads baptized for “the dead”. It should not be translated as baptized “for them”. The correct translation is seen in the following verse.
1Co 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
If the wording “baptized for them” is used it can convey the impression that the living are baptized on behalf of the dead instead of being immersed into Christ’s death to sin as is seen in Philippians 3:10.
-- New American Standard Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Jesus never sinned; He was totally dead to sin.
Php 3:10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death;
The resurrection we experience on earth is a resurrection from the spiritual condition of being dead in sins and transgressions. The operative term now becomes – “being conformed to His death”. Before Jesus died physically He died to sin while He was alive on earth as Romans 6:10 illustrates. So it can truthfully be said that Jesus died to sin while on earth and He died physically as a result of the sin of mankind.
-- New American Standard Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
30. Why are we also in danger every hour?
31. I protest, brethren, by the boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Here Paul, using himself as the example, begins to refer to death as an experience of the living. As He dies daily as He stops sinning or dies to sin.
Jesus died to sin so we must as well. Of course we ask for forgiveness if we do sin and then we are sinless at that point.
Paul is “buried” in this baptism into the death of Christ or “sown” as the following verses illustrate.
Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Again it is seen here that Christians are to follow Jesus example and die to sin so that they can walk in newness of life on earth.
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (KJV)
32. If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead is not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
33. Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
34. Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
35. But someone will say, "How are the dead (those who die to sin daily) raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"
Paul had just told them that the living are being baptized for the dead ro into Christ's death. It is said that the individual is absent from the body when they die and go to be with the Lord. The disciples were not following the conversation if they asked this question. If (as Paul illustrates) the students still think he is referring to the physical death of the Christians they are mistaken and Paul calls them fools.
36. You fool! That which you sow (buried in baptism) does not come to life unless it dies (to sin);
A person cannot sow either to the flesh or spirit, if they are dead physically. Again showing that physical death is not being referred to here.
Paul is being buried in baptism while He is corrupt as verse 42 is translated in the KJV. He is at the same time being raised to incorruption. The death to sin occurs when Christians are corrupt and in this mortal body. The resurrection to incorruption or immortality happens simultaneously and in this body during the earthly lifetime.
A person does not “come to life” spiritually or experience a resurrection unless the living person experiences the same type of death that Paul experiences daily. This would be the first resurrection as mentioned in Colossians 3:1.
37. and that which you sow, (bury the seed in the earth) you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
38. But God gives it a body (clothes it with righteousness) just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
39. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
Here Paul clearly shows that He is speaking of flesh bodies. Some bodies are spiritual and some are earthly bodies. Jesus clearly had a spiritual body while He was on earth and this is available to His followers as well.
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
40. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
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.
The phrase concerning differing glory has to do with the differences between believers. This difference is because of the various levels of devotion that exist in the body of Christ.
-- New American Standard 1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you.
42. So also is the (spiritual) resurrection of the dead. It is sown (buried in baptism as the person dies to sin) a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; (refer to verse 50 – the imperishable body is one that has inherited the kingdom of God).
43. it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44. it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Paul is speaking about sowing a natural body or being baptized for the dead while He is alive and in the natural body. The resultant body of the living person is a spiritual of heavenly body.
45. So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
47. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
The term “from heaven” removes all doubt as to where the heavenly man comes from. Verse 48 illustrates that even though Jesus came from heaven, He is referred to as heavenly while He was on the earth.
48. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
49. And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
The process of our being conformed to the image of Christ can happen during our lifetime on earth.
The Mystery of Resurrection
50. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
The kingdom is inherited by our Spirit during this lifetime, John 3:5.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Verse 50 teaches that inheriting the Kingdom of God is equivalent to inheriting the Imperishable. Which happens to some believers during this life.
51. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we (Christians) shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed (to incorruptibility),
All Christians, (sleepers and non-sleepers) will be changed towards incorruptibility. Not all of them will have to die to have this happen to them.
52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead (physically dead) will be raised (resurrected) imperishable, and we (the living) shall be changed.
The first word on verse 53 is the word “for” which assigns a reason to what has happened in the preceding verses. Meaning that the subject of the mystery of verses 50 through 53 is the “putting on” of the imperishable (condition) while in the perishable body. Meaning that the “perishable person” of verse 53 is not physically dead but represents mortality being clothed with immortality.
53. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory.
55. "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
56. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
When a person stops sinning death loses it’s sting.
57. but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
