1 Corinthians 15:36 kjv
Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
1 Corinthians 15:36 nkjv
Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
1 Corinthians 15:36 niv
How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
1 Corinthians 15:36 esv
You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
1 Corinthians 15:36 nlt
What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant unless it dies first.
1 Corinthians 15 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 15:35 | But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” | Argumentation for resurrection |
| John 12:24 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." | Analogy of death and fruitfulness |
| Romans 6:3-5 | "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." | Baptism as symbolic death and resurrection |
| 2 Cor 5:1-2 | "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house not made with hands, in the heavens. For in this present groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling," | Earthly tent versus heavenly dwelling |
| Phil 3:21 | "who will transform our lowly 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." | Transformation of our bodies |
| Gen 3:19 | "by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”" | Origin and return to dust |
| Job 19:26 | "And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God," | Faith in resurrection |
| Psa 16:10 | "For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." | Messianic prophecy of resurrection |
| John 3:3 | "Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”" | Need for spiritual rebirth |
| John 11:25 | "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live," | Jesus' authority over death |
| Rom 8:11 | "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to mortal bodies through his Spirit dwelling in you." | Spirit's role in resurrection |
| 1 Cor 15:42-44 | "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." | Detailed comparison of sown and raised bodies |
| Gal 6:8 | "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." | Sowing to flesh versus Spirit |
| Heb 11:19 | "He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back." | Faith in God's power to raise |
| Rev 21:4 | "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." | Final elimination of death |
| Matt 13:37-38 | "He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one," | Parable of the sower, sons of the kingdom |
| Col 2:12 | "having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead." | Burial and resurrection in baptism |
| Acts 2:24 | "But God raised him up, loosening the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." | God raising Jesus |
| 1 Cor 15:53 | "For this perishable self must put on the imperishable, and this mortal self must put on immortality." | Necessity of incorruptibility |
| Rom 8:23 | "And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." | Groaning for redemption of our bodies |
| John 11:30 | "Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Mary had met him." | Jesus' timing |
1 Corinthians 15 verses
1 Corinthians 15 36 Meaning
The verse states that what is sown is not made alive unless it first dies. This principle applies to the resurrection of the dead, where the physical body, like a seed, must decay (die) to be resurrected into a new, glorified spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15 36 Context
This verse is found within 1 Corinthians chapter 15, a foundational chapter for understanding Christian beliefs about the resurrection of the dead. Paul is addressing skepticism and questions within the Corinthian church regarding the resurrection, particularly how the dead can be raised and with what kind of bodies. The preceding verses have already established that Christ's resurrection is the bedrock of Christian faith; if Christ was not raised, then Christian preaching and faith are futile. This verse, therefore, serves as a response to the philosophical or common-sense objections that arise when contemplating the resurrection of a body that has decomposed. Paul uses a biological analogy, a principle understood in the natural world, to illustrate a theological truth.
1 Corinthians 15 36 Word Analysis
σπείρω (speirō): This is the present active indicative verb meaning "to sow." In this context, it refers to the act of planting a seed in the ground. The implication is that the seed must be placed into the earth, seemingly to be lost, for new life to emerge.
οὐ ζωοποιεῖται (ou zōopoieitai): "is not made alive." The verb ζοποιέω (zōopoieō) means "to make alive," "to give life." The negative particle οὐ (ou) negates this. This signifies that the process of becoming alive does not happen in its current state.
ἐὰν μὴ (ean mē): "unless," or "if not." This introduces a condition. The resurrection (being made alive) is conditional upon the preceding death.
ἀποθάνῃ (apothanē): "it dies." The aorist subjunctive active verb from ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnēskō), meaning "to die," "to perish." The subjunctive mood is used because it's a condition in this hypothetical scenario. The death here refers to the physical decay and dissolution of the seed or the body.
Group of words: "What is sown is not made alive unless it first dies." The structured phrase presents a universal law observed in nature. Paul takes this natural principle and applies it analogously to the spiritual realm, specifically the resurrection of believers. The natural process of sowing a seed – planting it, it decaying, and then sprouting – serves as a visible, tangible illustration of the invisible spiritual reality of resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15 36 Bonus Section
The analogy of the seed is a powerful rhetorical tool that would have been readily understood by Paul’s audience, many of whom were likely familiar with agriculture. It preempts the Corinthian objection that a body, once decomposed, cannot possibly be reconstituted. Paul points to the daily experience of planting seeds, which are lost to the soil yet yield a harvest. This natural cycle demonstrates God's creative power, assuring the Corinthians that the resurrection of the dead is within His capabilities. Furthermore, it hints at the transformation involved – the resurrected body will not be a mere reanimation of the corpse, but a new creation, like the plant that emerges from the seed is fundamentally different in form and function.
1 Corinthians 15 36 Commentary
Paul utilizes the simple, observable process of seed germination to demystify and validate the concept of resurrection. A seed buried in the earth appears to perish. Its outer casing breaks down, and its form is lost. Yet, this very "death" or decay is the necessary precursor to new life, a sprouting plant with a different, more glorious form than the original seed. This natural phenomenon directly parallels the resurrection of believers. The body, sown in death, will be raised incorruptible and glorious, reflecting God's power to transform and bring life from apparent lifelessness.