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About the resurrection of the dead. In close connection with faith in the resurrection of the dead is faith in atonement (1–34). How the dead will be resurrected and in what body they will exist (35–58) 1 Corinthians 15:1–34. From ecclesiastical, moral and liturgical issues of Ap. now moves on to the dogmatic question - the resurrection of the dead. It is very likely that doubt about the resurrection of the dead arose among some of the Corinthians (v. 12) under the influence of Plato's view of matter in general (ύλη) as a source of physical and moral evil and of the body in particular, as a sinful principle in human nature. This view alone can explain why the future restoration or resurrection of the body seemed completely undesirable to the Greeks. Perhaps the Corinthian false teachers who denied the future resurrection, like later heretics (2 Tim. 2:18), said that “the resurrection has already taken place,” meaning by resurrection the spiritual renewal of humanity through the grace of redemption. – In contrast to these false teachers, Ap. first proves that with the resurrection of the dead all redemption stands and falls. First of all, he firmly establishes the fact of the resurrection of Christ, which forms the basis on which the hope of our own resurrection rests (1-11). Then he explains that denial of the resurrection of the dead leads certainly to denial of the resurrection of Christ, and with this together to the denial of the truth of the testimony of the Apostles and all Christianity (12-19), and that, on the contrary, faith in the resurrection of the dead, closely connected with faith in the resurrection of Christ, constitutes the basis on which all the hopes of a Christian are based (20-28). In addition to what was said by Ap. makes a remark about some more consequences that the denial of the future resurrection leads to. It is in this case that “baptism for the dead” and death for Christ is completely meaningless. On the contrary, a life of pleasure constitutes the only correct outcome from such negation (29–34). 1 Corinthians 15:1. I remind you, brethren, of the gospel which I preached to you, which you received and in which you stood, 1 Corinthians 15:2. by which you are saved, if you keep what was taught as I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. “I remind you” - more precisely: “I draw your attention” (γνωρίζω). Ap. had already “evangelized” the “Gospel” to them, but offered it to them only as a historical fact. Now he wants to find out in detail the meaning of this fact. - “If you retain what is taught.” It is not enough to just accept and confess the Gospel: in order to achieve salvation, you need to firmly and correctly hold on to this Gospel, understanding it exactly as the Apex understood it. Paul. - “Unless you believed in vain,” that is, unless, of course - which the Apostle cannot allow - you believed in Christ without purpose and without result (εικῆ). 1 Corinthians 15:3. For I taught you from the beginning what I also received, that is, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:4. and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:5. and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve; Ap. earlier (1 Cor. 11:2) he praised the Corinthians for their firm preservation of the church institutions they introduced, but now, starting to talk about dogmatic traditions, he refrains from praise. It is clear that in this last respect the Corinthians did not deserve praise. On the contrary, he considers it necessary to again bring to their attention the entire teaching about the resurrection that he had previously taught orally. At the same time, he first of all reminds them of a whole series of irrefutable evidence on which faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is based, which constitutes a guarantee of our future resurrection. - “For”. Why Ap. considers it necessary to reveal to the Corinthians the meaning of the resurrection of Christ and the general resurrection of the dead (v. 1)? Because this, during his speech in Corinth, was the most important point of his sermon, and constituted, so to speak, the foundation of his teaching. - “Accepted.” Ap. learned about the facts (for example, about the appearance of Christ to Peter and James) from the Apostles, but as for the meaning of the event of death and resurrection itself, it became clear to him through internal enlightenment, which he received from the Lord Himself (Gal. 1:12). So it became clear to him that Christ died to redeem people from sins and that this death of Christ was in complete agreement with the writings of the Old Testament. - “He was buried.” This fact of burial testifies that death for Christ really came, that He actually died, and did not just seem to die. - “According to scripture.” About the resurrection of Christ on the third day one can find a foreshadowing in the fate of St. Jonah, as well as in St. Hosea (Hosea 6:2). - “He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” Both of these phenomena, which took place on the first day of the resurrection, are mentioned by St. Luke (Luke 24:34, 36), and about the second only - ev. John (John 20:19 et seq.). Ap. obviously speaks here of the bodily appearance of the Risen Christ. Indeed, what purpose did the Apostle have in listing the apostolic testimonies? He, of course, wanted to prove by this the truth of our future bodily resurrection, and this truth could only be based on the bodily appearance of the Risen Lord. It should be noted that Western codes are read not: “twelve”, but “eleven” (like our famous translation). Which reading is more correct? From the point of view of the exact meaning, of course, the latter, because when Christ was resurrected, Judas was no longer among the Apostles, and there were only eleven of them left. But the first reading also has the right to recognition, because the “twelve” remained “twelve” even when one or two were missing in this circle of the first disciples of Christ (for example, Judas and Thomas - at the appearance of the Risen Christ). The expression 12 Apostles was a technical term to designate the dignity of those first disciples called by Christ Himself, just as the term is known in history: “Council of Ten,” etc. In addition, this reading: “To the 12 (Apostles)” is confirmed by the most ancient manuscripts. 1 Corinthians 15:6. then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, and some have died; The phenomenon mentioned here is undoubtedly the same as that reported by Ev. Matthew (Matthew 28:16). If ev. mentions only the “eleven”, leaving out the “five hundred brethren”, this is explained by the fact that he cites the commandments of Christ, which were relevant only to the Apostles (Matthew 28:18–20). - “Alive to this day.” Ap mentions this. in order to indicate to the Corinthians the opportunity to ask about the Risen Christ from those who saw Him after the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:7. then he appeared to Jacob, and also to all the Apostles; “James” is, of course, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was later the bishop of the Jerusalem Church: if Ap. meant another, and not this well-known church figure (Gal. 1:19, 2:9, 22; Acts 12:17, 15:13), then he, of course, would have designated him more accurately. During the life of Christ, Jacob did not believe in Him (John 7:5), but after the Ascension of Christ we find him together with the Apostles and St. wives in the upper room of Jerusalem (Acts 1:14). This sudden transformation of an unbeliever into a believer could only be accomplished by the power of special proof, which was what the appearance of the Risen Himself should have been for Jacob. - “To all the Apostles.” This was an appearance on the day of the Lord’s ascension into heaven, when, of course, by the special command of the Lord, all the Apostles gathered together (cf. Acts 1:4, 6). 1 Corinthians 15:8. and after all, he appeared to me, like some kind of monster. The appearance of the Risen Apex that happened to him personally. puts it on a par with other phenomena. Consequently, this was not an internal event from his personal life, but a real phenomenon. – “Monster” (έκτρωμα) was a child who was born prematurely and, moreover, was removed from the mother’s womb, one might say forcibly, through surgery. The other Apostles fell like ripe fruits from the tree of Judaism and ended up in Christ's treasury, while Apostle. Paul was forcibly torn out of the depths of Judaism, by Christ Himself, without being prepared to become His Apostle. 1 Corinthians 15:9. For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 1 Corinthians 15:10. But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace in me was not in vain, but I labored more than all of them: not I, however, but the grace of God that was with me. His unpreparedness for the apostolic ministry of St. confirms by indicating that he was a persecutor of the Church of Christ. “The least of the Apostles” - this is what Ap says about himself. out of a sense of humility. Moreover, in the last to the Ephesians he calls himself the least of Christians (Eph. 3:8). - “What I am,” that is, I became a Christian, an Apostle and, finally, an Apostle of the entire pagan world. - “More than all of them” - of course, more than all the Apostles taken together. Wed. Rome. 15:19. - “I worked hard.” This expression denotes not only the process of work itself, but also indicates its results (cf. John 4:38). Ap. Even then Paul could say about himself that his preaching had greater results than the preaching of all the Apostles. - “Grace... is with me.” Ap. however, he does not forget that in all his affairs he was helped by the all-effective grace of God. 1 Corinthians 15:11. So, whether I or they, this is how we preach, and this is how you believe. “This is how you believed,” that is, the Church unanimously recognized that both the Gospel of the 12 Apostles and the Gospel of the Apostle. Paul rests on the same foundation - namely, on the events of the death and resurrection of Christ, through which we, according to scripture, received liberation from sins. 1 Corinthians 15:12. If it is preached about Christ that He rose from the dead, then how do some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? Our new life, growing out of communication with Christ, is nothing more than participation in His life. From this it follows that if Christ now has a glorified body, which became so through the resurrection of Christ from the dead, then we must receive the same and in the same way. 1 Corinthians 15:13. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen; 1 Corinthians 15:14. and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:15. Moreover, we would also turn out to be false witnesses about God, because we would testify about God that He raised Christ, Whom He did not raise, if, that is, the dead do not rise; “And Christ was not risen.” Whoever denies the effect (the general resurrection) must also deny its cause (the resurrection of Christ). - “Our preaching is in vain.” The main subject of the apostolic witness is the resurrection of Christ. Therefore, with the denial of the resurrection of Christ, the apostolic preaching loses all its essential content (“vain” - more correctly: “empty”). The faith of the Corinthians also turns out to be tied to an object that exists only in the imagination. - “False witnesses about God,” that is, they would attribute to God something that He did not do. – “They would testify about God” – more correctly: “for” (or: against) “God.” This would be an insult to God. 1 Corinthians 15:16. for if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 1 Corinthians 15:17. And if Christ has not risen, then your faith is vain: you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:18. Therefore those who died in Christ also perished. 1 Corinthians 15:19. And if in this life only we hope in Christ, then we are the most miserable of all people. With the denial of the resurrection of Christ, faith in atonement also declines. If Christ is not resurrected, then He is not the Redeemer. - “Your faith is vain” - more precisely: it is useless, it leads to nothing. - “You are still in your sins.” If Christ had only died and not been resurrected, then He Himself would have remained under the curse of sin and humanity would not have received justification from His sins: and those who died in communion with Christ - those who do not believe in the resurrection of Christ must tell themselves - will not rise to a better life, and His living followers, who have taken upon themselves in this life the heavy cross of suffering, in view of 22 future glorification with Christ, turn out to be the most unfortunate people! 1 Corinthians 15:20. But Christ rose from the dead, the firstborn of those who died. 1 Corinthians 15:21. For just as death is through man, so is the resurrection of the dead through man. 1 Corinthians 15:22. Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive, "But Christ". More correctly: “but now Christ.” Ap. contrasts the state of joylessness with the new state of the human soul, which takes place precisely “now,” since the resurrection of Christ. – “Firstborn” – more correctly: “firstfruits” (απαρχή). The resurrected Christ refers to all those who have to rise at His second coming, like the first ripened ear of corn in the entire harvest. – “For how...” – these words serve to explain why the Apostle called Christ “the firstfruits of the dead.” Both death and resurrection equally come from man: man must heal the evil that is also caused by man. – “As in Adam.” The thought, just expressed abstractly, is now expressed with a certain attitude towards persons - Adam and Christ. - “In Adam - in Christ.” This change of the preposition “through” (διά in v. 21) to the preposition “in” (εν) indicates a close connection, close life communication between humanity on the one hand and Adam and Christ. - on the other. wants to say: “if everyone dies through Adam, then this has its basis in the fact that they are all in him, as in their ancestor, infected with death. If all through Christ must again rise to life, this happens because in Him lies the power by which they are justified and by which one day, by virtue of their fellowship with Him, they will be awakened to new life.” - "All" . Some believe that here we are really talking about “universal” salvation-restoration. But this assumption is contradicted by the teaching of the entire New Testament (cf. Matt. 12:32, 25:46; Mark 9:48, 14:21; 2 Sol. 1:9; Phil. 3:19). Others refer this prophecy only to believers in Christ, but to limit the meaning of the expression “all” (they will come to life in Christ) in this way is a matter of arbitrariness. Moreover, the comparison between the work of Adam and the work of Christ cannot be maintained: Adam leads to the death of all, Christ - many... It is therefore better to accept the opinion of St. John Chrysostom, according to which the expression “everything” in both cases has exactly the same scope. And in John the Theologian, Christ is the author of the resurrection of both the righteous and sinners (John 5:28 et seq.). If Ap. used here the expression “they will come to life” (ζωοποιεῖν) and about sinners, which is more often used about the resurrection of the righteous, he could use it in the meaning of resurrection in general, as in Art. On the 19th, he used the word “life” (ζωή) as a designation for earthly existence in general. 1 Corinthians 15:23. each in his own order: Christ the firstborn, then those of Christ at His coming. "In its own order" (Τάγμα). Each individual or whole class of persons is given his place in the great whole. Christ alone comes first. - “Christ’s”. These are, without a doubt, the righteous who have the Spirit of Christ within them (Rom. 8:9), for whom Christ is the basis of their life (Col. 3:4). They form the second row or department of the resurrected. 1 Corinthians 15:24. And then the end, when He will hand over the Kingdom to God and the Father, when He will abolish all authority and all authority and power. "And then the end". Ap. thus positing a certain gap between the second coming of Christ, which he spoke about in the previous verse, and the end. By “the end” (τέλος) one should understand the end of the present order of God’s economy for the salvation of people. People will reach such a state that final judgment can be pronounced on them (cf. 1 Pet. 4:7). This end will come precisely when Christ “hands over the kingdom to God and the Father.” As can be seen from verses 25 and 28, Christ will place a new kingdom under the authority of the Father, in which a new order of life will be established. – God is called “God and Father” in order to show both the voluntary submission of Christ to Him as God and the unity of Christ with God in essence as with His Father. – Between the second coming and the “end” the abolition of “all principality, power and strength” will be accomplished (instead of: “when he abolishes” it is more correct to translate: “after he abolishes.” First, “abolish”, and then “betray”). By abolished forces one must, of course, understand forces hostile to the kingdom of God (cf. Art. 25 and 28), to which “death” also belongs (v. 26). Thus, the time between the second coming and the end will be the era of judgment. 1 Corinthians 15:25. For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The need for such a judgment over the forces hostile to God is Ap. confirms with the words of Scripture (Ps. 109:1). But when did the “reign” of Christ begin? Since here we are talking about external, and not just internal, spiritual reign (proof of this is the overthrow of enemies by Christ), it is more natural to see the beginning of this reign in the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ for the second time. Then He will appear visibly to everyone as the King and Judge of the world, and this reign will continue until He defeats all the enemies of God. – Doesn’t the Apostle’s statement about the end of Christ’s reign contradict the prophecies of the Old Testament, according to which there will be no end to the Kingdom of the Messiah (Is. 9:6–7). No, because for the prophets the Kingdom of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God seemed identical: for them it was one Kingdom, and speaking about the eternity of the Kingdom of the Messiah, they meant the eternity of the Kingdom of God in general. 1 Corinthians 15:26. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, For Christ's victory over the enemies of the Kingdom of God to be complete, death must be destroyed as the last enemy. This destruction of death will be accomplished through the resurrection of the dead and the associated change in the bodily composition of man, who will no longer be subject to the effects of death or destruction. 1 Corinthians 15:27. for He has put all things under His feet. When it is said that all things are subject to Him, then it is clear that except for Him Who subjected all things to Him. The first words of the verse are taken from Psalm VIII (Ps. 8:7). They actually mean man at the moment of his creation, but since man did not fulfill this purpose - to be the ruler of the earth, but was fulfilled by the Son of God, the Messiah, incarnate on earth, then in the New Testament these words rightfully began to be applied to Him (for example, Eph. 1:22; Heb. 2:8). – “Conquered” – of course, God. – “Besides this” – this remark serves as a transition to the idea of ​​​​Christ's submission to God, expressed in the next verse. 1 Corinthians 15:28. When he puts all things in subjection to Him, then the Son Himself will submit to Him who put all things in subjection to Him, so that God may be all in all. “When will all things be subject to Him?” According to a more accepted reading, it is necessary to translate here not: “will conquer,” but “will submit” or “will be conquered.” - “Then the Son himself will submit.” Here is Ap. returns to the thought expressed in Art. 24. He said there that the “end” must come, then in v. 25–27 gave interjectory remarks regarding what should precede this "end". Now he says even more definitely that the very “end” will consist in the subordination of the Son and with Him the whole world to God. – The subordination of the Son to the Father will be completely voluntary (the Son will “submit”, not “be subdued”). According to the interpretation of John Chrysostom, this subordination of the Son should indicate His complete agreement with the Father. According to Blessed Augustine, there is a hint here that the Son will present the elect to the Father's sight. Other interpreters attribute this subordination only to the human nature of the Son, or to the cessation of Christ's mediation between God and man. The last opinion is more correct. The Son, as the redeemer and intercessor for humanity, is given primacy over the Church and the world for a specific purpose and for a certain period, after which the Son must again take up His former position of “Son.” “Through this, however, He will not lose anything: He will not descend from the throne of God, but His subjects will ascend to this throne with Him... The Son returns again to the position that He left to perform His Messianic ministry - He ceases to be a mediator of the Divine world government, because God Himself enters into direct communication with man (Godet). “To him who submitted to Him.” The Son will thus return to the Father what was given to Him by the Father. - “May God be all in all.” These words serve to explain why the Son will return everything to the Father. Previously, through Him, God was revealed to the world - He is “all and in all” (Col. 3:11). But He uses this position of His in order to bring everything to God and, in particular, so that God is “all” in believers. – It should be noted that Ap. here he says: “God”, not “Father”. It is clear from this that he thinks here of God in all the fullness of His existence - both as the Father, and as the Son, and as the Holy Spirit. – “Everything in everything” is more correct: everything (creative case) in everyone (i.e. people). God will live in all people, in every individual believer, and act through them. They, like Christ during His earthly life, will be bearers of the holiness and love of God, through them God will fill everything with Himself, all things (cf. John 17:21) 23. 1 Corinthians 15:29. Otherwise, what do those who are baptized do for the dead? If the dead do not rise at all, then why are they baptized for the dead? If the truth of the resurrection is not recognized, then baptism for the dead is completely pointless. - “What are they doing?” - according to a more authentic reading: “what will they do?” (future tense), i.e., what profit will they receive? The answer has not been given, but it is clear: they will not receive any profit! - “Those who are baptized for the dead.” This expression is interpreted very differently. Some see here a relation to a ritual that supposedly existed back in apostolic times, when in the event of the death of one of the believers who did not have time to be baptized, one of his relatives or friends was baptized for him. This interpretation is unfounded, because we know of the existence of such a custom only in heretical communities, and nowhere do we see that it exists in the Apostolic Church. Others (for example, I. Zlat.) interpret this passage as a reminder that the person being baptized by the very acceptance of baptism confesses his faith in the resurrection. “Remembering this very thing, the Apostle says: if there is no resurrection, then why are you baptized for the sake of the dead, that is, for bodies? For at baptism you believe in the resurrection of the dead body - that it will no longer remain dead.” This interpretation, accepted by the new interpreters and Bachmann, is the most plausible, since the Apostolic Church undoubtedly recognized the special connection between the sacrament of baptism and the bodily resurrection of the baptized (cf. Rom. 6:3 et seq., Gal. 3:27). The opinion of those who see here an indication not of baptism by water, but of baptism of blood or Christian martyrdom, also seems not incredible. In the Gospel twice we encounter the use of the term “baptized” in precisely this meaning (see Luke 12:50 and Mark 10:38). Under the influence of such sayings of Christ Himself, such a designation of Christian martyrdom as we find here in the Apostle could have appeared in the Apostolic Church. Thus, we can give the following meaning to the Apostle’s question: “if there is no resurrection, then what benefit will those Christians receive who, out of love for Christ and out of faith in the future life, are baptized for the sake of the dead, that is, go to death and thereby become among the ranks of the forever dead”? Closely related to this explanation is the question of verse 30: “Why are we also subjected to calamities every hour?” - “if dead” - this second question is a more thorough repetition of the first. 1 Corinthians 15:30. Why are we subjected to disasters every hour? 1 Corinthians 15:31. I die every day: I am testified of this by your praise, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. From the martyrdom of Ap. moves on to the ordinary life of the Apostles, which poses constant dangers for them. - “We”, i.e. Paul, Silas and Timothy, known to the Corinthians, and then the other Apostles. - “I testify to this by your praise,” that is, as proof of the truth of my words, I can refer to your own confession: you yourself praise me for my exploits, for the fact that I expose myself to mortal dangers. - “In Christ Jesus.” These feats of Ap. accomplishes, however, thanks to the help of Christ, with whom he is in close communion. 1 Corinthians 15:32. According to human reasoning, when I fought with the beasts in Ephesus, what good is it to me if the dead do not rise? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die! “According to human reasoning” (κατά άνθρωπον cf. Rom. 3:5. The verb λέγω I say is missing here), that is, if judged from the point of view of ordinary human ideas, not in the light of Christian teaching. - “I fought with animals.” Almost all new interpreters understand “beasts” to be the fierce enemies of Ap. Paul, who in a crowd rushed at him like animals. Although St. Ignatius also calls his guards ten leopards (Rom. ch. V), with which he fought day and night during his journey, but here it is hardly Ap. meant to designate his pursuers this way. The Epistle to the Corinthians was written even before the indignation that the silver coin Demetrius and Ap. aroused in Ephesus against the Apostle. Even at that time I was not “fighting” crowds of enemies. Then, the very term “fight with beasts” had a clear meaning to everyone and could hardly be interpreted by the Corinthians in a figurative sense. In those days, throughout the Roman Empire, there was a custom of condemning criminals to some dangerous fight on the circus hippodrome, so that the citizens could admire this fight. It is very likely that Ap. Paul was forced, during one of the riots in Ephesus, to act among other criminals as a fighter against wild beasts (bestiarius). The apostle could not be helped in this case by his right to Roman citizenship - the mob, in their excitement, forgets about all rights - and only the power of God delivered him from death. - “What good is it to me,” that is, was it worth it for me to put my life in danger in the name of Christ if I had no confidence in the future resurrection? - “Let’s start eating and drinking.” Interpreters consider these words to be borrowed from the book. Isaiah (Is.22:13). With the denial of the resurrection of the dead, the principle of Epicureanism must reign in life. 1 Corinthians 15:33. Do not be deceived: bad communities corrupt good morals. 1 Corinthians 15:34. Be sober as you should, and do not sin; for, to your shame, I say, some of you do not know God. “Bad communities” - these words appear in the comedy of the Greek comedian Menander “Thais” (in the 3rd century BC). Ap. could know this saying, which has become a walking saying. He cites this proverb, wanting to instill in the Corinthians caution in dealing with pagans, under whose influence, probably, some Corinthian Christians began to doubt the truth of the resurrection of the dead. - “Sober up as you should.” The Corinthians had already awakened from spiritual sleep, but they were not yet fully awake - they could fall asleep again! - “And do not sin” (present time), that is, do not continue your sinful life, because by living like this you will perish. - “They do not know God” - more precisely: they have ignorance (αγνωσία) of God, that is, they do not have proper knowledge of God as a personal Being, as a Judge and a rewarder, and as a result of this they allow themselves to live according to their lusts 24. 1 Corinthians 15:35–38. Ap. gives here an answer to two questions that could be made about his teaching about the resurrection of the dead. The first question is: in what way can a dead body be brought to life? and second: what will be the new body of the resurrected? Ap. answers the first question by comparing the fate of the decaying human body with a grain decaying in the earth, which, however, sprouts from itself, and to the second question he says that new bodies, of course, will not be the same as we have now: they will be more subtle and adapted to the activity of the highest side of our being - the spirit. At the same time, Ap. also gives an explanation of why man did not receive such a higher body at his very creation (35–49). As for those who will live at the time of the second coming of Christ, their bodies will also change into the same higher bodies that those raised from the dead will have, and thus death will be finally defeated (50-58). 1 Corinthians 15:35. But someone will say: how will the dead be raised? and in what body will they come? “How will they be resurrected”? i.e. can this be? How to revive a completely decomposed body? that's one question. – “In what body” – this is another question – about the essence of the new body. 1 Corinthians 15:36. Reckless! what you sow will not come to life unless it dies. Here is the answer to the first question. Ap. draws readers' attention to what is constantly happening in nature. Grain sown in the ground loses its shell, which decomposes under the influence of soil moisture. Through this decomposition, the vital embryo of the plant, which is invisible to the human eye, is released. Thus, through death, life is obtained. The same must happen with the human body. – Readers could draw two conclusions from this. Firstly, the new body will not be a collection of particles of the previous, destroyed body, just as a magnificent oak tree or a beautiful apple tree is not a collection of particles of a decomposed acorn or apple grain. Secondly, there will be an organic connection between the body of the resurrected person and his former destroyed body. If the body of the resurrected did not stand in any connection with the real body, then death could not be recognized as defeated: it would retain its prey. 1 Corinthians 15:37. And when you sow, you do not sow the future body, but the naked grain that happens, wheat or something else; 1 Corinthians 15:38. but God gives him a body as he wishes, and to each seed his own body. Here is the answer to the second question. Saying that the sown seed receives a new robe and new decoration, thus becoming a real plant, Ap. obviously answers the question about the fate of the deceased human body. The latter is also “naked” when it sinks into the ground and is destroyed in it, but then must receive the fullness of the organs necessary for a new life. - “As he wants” - more correctly: as he wanted (καθώς ηθέλησεν). This Ap. indicates the law of development that God put into each individual plant at creation. The Divine will invariably maintains such an order that from a certain grain a certain plant arises ("its own body"). 1 Corinthians 15:39. Not all flesh is the same flesh; but there is another flesh among men, another among beasts, another among fishes, and another among birds. 1 Corinthians 15:40. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of those in heaven is one, and that of the earth is another. 1 Corinthians 15:41. There is another glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another of the stars; and star differs from star in glory. Since those who doubted the resurrection of the dead obviously believed that it was impossible for any new body to appear, different from the present one, then Ap. considers it necessary to draw the attention of readers to the endless variety of organisms that make up the real visible world. - “Not all flesh.” – The word “flesh” here denotes substance, and not just the external form of the organism. (In v. 39, Ap. lists four kinds of “earthly” creatures, and then he talks about “heavenly” bodies). – “There are celestial bodies” - these bodies (stars) differ from earthly ones both in substance and in brilliance. – “Glory” (δόξα) shine, radiance. Earthly creatures also have their own shine, which in flowers consists of their different colors, in animals - in strength or dexterity, in humans - in a noble facial expression. – Pointing to the varied power of radiance among the heavenly forces Ap. thereby instills in readers that they should not doubt the fullness of God’s power. “God,” Up wants to say. “has enough power to give a person a new, better body.” But indirectly Ap. here it also gives the idea that the bodies of the resurrected will be different in dignity (John Chrysostom, Ambrose). 1 Corinthians 15:42. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; 1 Corinthians 15:43. sown in humiliation, raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; These verses answer the second question of verse 35: “In what body will they come?” . Reply Ap. gives this: in a body that is not at all the restored current body, but has completely different properties than your body. - “It is sown.” This verb is used here three times and each time undoubtedly has a special meaning. – “It is sown in decay” - this indicates the burial of the body. – “It is sown in humiliation” - this expression embraces all sorts of disasters in life that prepare for the destruction of the body. – “Sown in weakness” is a designation for the helplessness of a newborn baby. – Incorruptibility, glory and power are the opposite of corruption, destruction and weakness. The first term designates the future body as free from disease, exhaustion and death, the second as free from the usual weaknesses of the present body and emitting from itself the radiance of perfect life, the third as endowed with fullness of strength. 1 Corinthians 15:44. the spiritual body is sown, the spiritual body is raised. There is a spiritual body, and there is a spiritual body. Specified in 42–43 Art. the opposites have their basis in the difference between the “soul” and “spiritual” bodies. The first is intended to serve as an organ of the soul (ψυχή), i.e., the vital force of the human body, the second should serve as an instrument of the highest principle of the human being - the spirit (πνεῦμα). The spirit will influence the vital embryo of a decayed human body, but not so that from this embryo there emerges exactly the same body that existed before - this happens with the decaying grain of a plant - but so that the development of this embryo goes in a different direction and to another, higher form of existence. Thus, the body that appears again will be an obedient instrument of the spirit. - “There is a spiritual body, there is a spiritual body.” This place speaks in favor of the assumption that Ap. believed a significant difference between soul and spirit and did not consider these two elements to be different functions of the same substance. Otherwise, it is unclear why he would so insistently point out the difference between bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:45. So it is written: the first man Adam became a living soul; and the last Adam is a life-giving spirit. The Apostle confirms the existence of a twofold body by reference to Holy Scripture. - “That’s what it’s written.” These words refer only to the first half of the verse. - “He became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). We are talking about the creation of man. Man “became”, became a man or an animated being, after God breathed the breath of life into his body, created from the dust of the earth. With these words Ap. defines a boundary beyond which the first man could never cross. This boundary is indicated by the expression “living soul” (ψυχή ζῶσα). Apparently, this definition given to man equates him with animals, which are also called by Moses “living souls” (Gen. 1:20, 24). But in fact, in relation to humans, this term contains incomparably more than when applied to animals. And according to the book of Genesis, primordial man immeasurably rose above animals with his mind, free will and heart. Then it is known that the primordial man entered into direct communication with God, and this refers to the activity of the highest principle of the human being - the “spirit”. If Moses does not directly attribute a spirit to man, then this shows that by the fact that man became a “living soul,” the goal of the first creation was achieved. The spirit, as the guiding principle of the human being, was to come into action in a later era. Primordial man, according to Ap. Pavel, went through only the initial stage of existence and activity. "The Last Adam". That's what Ap calls it. Christ as the Head of humanity, after Whom there will be no new chapter. - “There is a life-giving spirit.” This is a human state, opposite to another human state - the “living soul”. The Spirit is called here “life-giving” not because it imparts spiritual life (as in John 4:14), but as it revives the body, which serves as its organ. And the soul revives the body and moves it, but the spirit does more - it makes it alive, giving it new strength and youth. But to what point in the life of Christ should the fulfillment of this saying be attributed? It is better to believe that Christ became a “life-giving spirit” gradually - beginning with His miraculous birth and ending with his miraculous ascension into heaven, when His body became completely “spiritual.” But in the full sense, Christ will reveal His life-giving spiritual activity at the time when He glorifies the bodies of those who believe in Him and makes them like His own body (cf. Phil. 3:21). 1 Corinthians 15:46. But not the spiritual first, but the spiritual, then the spiritual. But why didn’t God immediately create a life-giving spirit, that is, something more perfect? To this Ap. responds by pointing to the general law: “first the spiritual, and then the spiritual!” The meaning of the Apostle’s words is this: the life of the spirit is essentially identical with holiness and, therefore, like holiness, could not be given to man in a ready-made form at his very creation: it is a matter of his free will. The primordial man had to either live for himself or for God. In the first case, he had to fall and fall lower and lower, in the second, elevation awaited him, even the improvement of the body itself. Man fell, taking the first path, however, even in the state of fall, man’s desire for the best could not completely disappear, and God kindled this desire of the spiritual man through a special pedagogical influence, which the Jewish people He had chosen was awarded. And other peoples did not completely drown out spiritual aspirations within themselves, so that humanity turned out to be prepared to receive the Spirit of God and to begin a new spiritual life. Yes, humanity could fully appreciate the benefits of spiritual life only when it had passed through the initial stage - spiritual life. 1 Corinthians 15:47. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second person is the Lord from heaven. The law stated in verse 46 applies to the condition of bodies. First, there had to be an “earthly” body corresponding to the “spiritual” state of the first man, and then a “heavenly” body was supposed to appear, corresponding to the new “spiritual” state of the second Adam. – “The one who is dusty” – that is, according to the quality of his body, represents the same particles that are in ordinary dust or dust (cf. Gen. 2:7) – “The second man” – that is, who later appeared (δεύτερος έπειτα in v. 46). - “Lord”. This word is not found in most ancient manuscripts. - “From the sky.” Since in this entire department Ap. aims to answer the question: “in what body will the dead rise?”, then it is most natural to understand this expression as a designation of the body in which the risen Christ will appear at His second coming (there is another opinion, according to which Apostle supposedly means here the pre-existence of Christ in heaven as a heavenly man). And the expressions parallel to this: “will come down from heaven” (1 Thess. 4:16) or: “the appearance of the Lord Jesus from heaven” (2 Thess. 1:7) also denote the second coming of Christ to earth (cf. Phil. 3:20, which says that we are waiting for the Savior, the Lord “from heaven”). 1 Corinthians 15:48. As is the earthy, so are the earthy; and as is the heavenly, so are the heavenly. 1 Corinthians 15:49. And just as we bore the image of the earthly, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. People who descended from the “earthly” ancestor, Adam, should be similar in body to him, and those who have the “heavenly” ancestor should have the same glorified body that He has. - “We will wear it.” Some see a flaw here. future mood time (φορέσομεν), others - subjunctive. aorist (φορέσωμεν). Although the first understanding is confirmed only by the testimony of the Vatican Code and the Pescito, it is nevertheless more consistent with the meaning of the entire passage. With the second understanding, one would need to see an exhortation here (let’s bear it!), and yet a positive teaching is set forth here (cf. Rom. 5:1) with the following content: “the body with which the dead will rise is a heavenly body, similar to the body of the Lord Himself.” 1 Corinthians 15:50. But I tell you this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, and corruption does not inherit incorruption. This verse represents the transition to the next section. “Flesh and blood,” that is, our present bodily organism, cannot remain unchanged when believers are to enter the glorious kingdom of Christ. - “Corruption” is the same “flesh and blood”, but as if already touched by decay. 1 Corinthians 15:51. I tell you a secret: we will not all die, but we will all change. 1 Corinthians 15:52. suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed. "The Secret". The Apostle became aware of what he said next by a special revelation from God (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:15). - “At the last trumpet.” No trumpet can awaken the dead. Therefore, here this expression can only mean the special omnipotent command of God, by virtue of which the dead must be resurrected, and the living must change in body. The very image is borrowed from the signals that the Jewish priests gave when the Jews wandering in the desert had to set off on their journey or gather for a holiday at the tabernacle (Num. X: 2-10). From the fact that the trumpet is called “the last,” one can conclude that even earlier other commands of God will take place, which will have significance for the world of spirits. - “For the trumpet will sound,” that is, the trumpet will sound. Again this is a figurative expression indicating the simultaneity of the resurrection of the dead and the change of the living. - “We”, i.e. all believers who will live to see the second coming. The Apostle did not know whether he himself would live to see this period (cf. vv. 30 and 31; 1 Cor. 6:14; Phil. 1:20, 2:17) and, in view of his inherent hope in the imminent coming of the Lord, he could rather count himself among those who would live to see that time. 1 Corinthians 15:53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:54. When this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then the word that is written will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory. "Put on" . This expression indicates that there will be a connection between the present and the future, changed body. Our body will not be destroyed, but will only take on a new form of existence, as if dressed in new clothes. - “The word will come true.” Ave. Isaiah (Is. 25:8) says that members of the theocratic society, living and dead, will be endowed with immortality at the end of the history of God's economy for the salvation of man. Ap. This prophecy, like many others, apparently relating only to the chosen people, refers to a future change in the bodies of all people. - “Victory”, that is, the complete disclosure of the internal forces of the human being, when any weakening of them becomes impossible. “Death will be swallowed up by eternal life” (Godet). 1 Corinthians 15:55. Death! where is your sting? hell! where is your victory? 1 Corinthians 15:56. The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law. In a feeling of gratitude to God for this liberation from the yoke of death that undoubtedly awaits believers, Ap. speaks in the words of St. Hosea about the complete defeat of death. He gives the words of Hosea approximately according to the text of LXX (Hos. 13:14). – “Sting” (κέντρον). The Prophet imagines death as a poisonous animal, like a scorpion, which becomes harmless through the loss of its sting. - “The sting of death is sin.” Ap. This indicates the internal cause of death. He penetrates, so to speak, into those mysterious refuges where death prepares its poison and shows how the winner managed to put an end to this harmful force. “Sin” and “law” are the internal reasons through which death could assert its dominance over people. The first reason is sin. This is clearly stated in Scripture (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12 and 1 Cor. 15:21, 22). Although man was created mortal in body, he would have escaped death if he had not sinned (cf. Rom. 13:10). But where did sin get this terrible power over man? From the law. Ap. in the last to Rome says that sin is not imputed to a person as a crime worthy of the death penalty unless there is a law (Rom. 5:13). Only the law made sinners who violated it guilty of death. He, so to speak, thrust the sting of death deeply into man, he condemned man to death, and was the driving force for this sting of death. 1 Corinthians 15:57. Thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! The victory over death was won by Christ in this way. Since it was necessary first to defeat sin - the sting of death - the Lord I. Christ accomplished this work, not allowing sin into His own nature, although He had the same flesh as people, excluding sinfulness. Through this, He also disarmed another support of death - the law, since the law could have nothing against the One who fully implemented the law. This double personal victory was a necessary prerequisite for His own resurrection. But, in addition, the activity of Christ was aimed at ensuring that this victory became the lot of all mankind, and He, indeed, achieved this: He delivered us through His intercession from the condemnation of the law and reconciled us with God, and through this reconciliation we received grace-filled strength for victory over sin, which had ceased to be our master. - “To the one who bestowed” - according to a more authoritative reading: “to the one who bestowed”. Apostle, indeed, could not think that victory over sin was won by people once and for all (cf. Rom. Chapter II): The Lord constantly gives us the strength to gain victories over sin. 1 Corinthians 15:58. So, my beloved brothers, be strong, immovable, always abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. This contains a moralizing conclusion from what has been said about the victory of Christians over sin and death. - “In the work of the Lord,” that is, in spreading the Gospel and in one’s own self-improvement. – “Your labor is not in vain,” that is, your work is important. Some see here something humiliating for Christian society, which seems to be guided in its pursuit of virtue by the expectation of reward, and not by the beauty of virtue in itself. But critics of Christianity forget that here we are not talking about fulfilling the moral law in general, but about taking on special feats that are not obligatory for every person. In addition, the reward that Christians expect is the satisfaction of the highest, noblest aspirations of the soul. At this point, adherents of the doctrine of the restoration of all things to their primitive state are looking for a stronghold for themselves. But as for the expression about “all”, although it can be applied to condemned people, it does not mean that “all of them” will be saved. It can only indicate that “all” will be directly and immediately subject to the power of God, which in relation to sinners will manifest itself in the form of justice and omnipotence. Then, if we talk about the universality of salvation, then this salvation must be considered the lot of demons, but meanwhile, verse 25 speaks of the “defeat” of evil forces. Therefore, it is natural to assume that here is Ap. foreshadows the formation of a society of rational and free beings who will be brought by Christ into the closest unity with God and will work for the glory of God, as Christ Himself worked during His earthly life. – Parallels to the doctrine of the general resurrection contained here are: 1 Thess. 4:13–17 and Rev. 19–21. These places also say that at the moment of the second coming only believers will be resurrected. They especially agree with each other; 1 Cor.15:24 and Apoc. 19:20 ; 1 Cor.15:23 and Apoc. 20 ; 1 Cor.15:26 and Apoc. 20:14 ; 1 Cor.15:28 and Apoc. 21:3. – There are many similarities with the teachings of the Ap. Paul about the resurrection of believers is also found in the sayings of the Lord Jesus Christ about His second coming (for example, Luke 17:22–37, which talks about the preliminary judgment to which believers will be subjected at the second coming of Christ. The final general judgment differs from this judgment, to which “all nations” will gather, or more precisely all the pagans (παντα τά έθνη), which is spoken of in Matthew 25:31 et seq.) Some see in verses 32–34 a confusion of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body with the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. They say that Ap. from the negation of the former he draws the same conclusions as are actually drawn from the negation of the latter. – But, it seems, the deniers of the resurrection themselves believed that with the final destruction of the body, personal immortality for a person is not possible (see the last words of verse 32). And then, for Ap himself. For Paul, immortality has absolutely no meaning, since there is no confidence in the resurrection of Christ and in the future resurrection of believers. Such immortality should be feared rather than desired. With whom will a person’s soul be in communion after the death of the body, if there is no risen Christ on the other side of the tomb?! Therefore, naturally, in the view of Ap. Paul identified the resurrection of the body and immortality. You might be interested in: