Summary:
Paul responds to questions about how the dead are raised and what kind of body they will have. He explains that what is sown does not come to life unless it dies, and that what is sown is a perishable seed that God gives a different body as He wills. He points out that not all flesh is the same and that there are earthly bodies and heavenly bodies with different glories.
He states that the resurrection follows the same pattern: the body is sown perishable, in dishonor, in weakness, and a natural body; it is raised imperishable, in glory, in power, and as a spiritual body. He contrasts Adam, the first man who became a living soul and was made of dust, with the last Adam, who became a life-giving spirit and is from heaven. As people have borne the image of the earthly man, they will also bear the image of the heavenly One.
Teaching:
By being clothed with the life-giving Spirit of Christ, we can live vibrantly while still in this body. It is not only after death that we enter heaven; through Christ’s life-giving power, we can overcome sin and faults and live out God’s righteous Word.
“For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Here, “perishable” refers to the body that dies. When a body that is destined to die instead puts on what does not age or die, it means that the word of God is fulfilled in such a way that death cannot consume us and we rise beyond it.
God has given victory over death to those who are in Jesus. He has given us victory so that we can overcome sin. Since He grants us this victory through Jesus Christ, we must continue doing what builds up the church and brings benefit. When we do so, our labor in the Lord is not in vain. The risen Lord—who keeps us from perishing and dying - makes our lives not be in vain.
Excerpt from the sermon by Pastor Lee, Nov 27, 2025
1 Corinthian 15:50-58