1 Corinthians 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:
1 Corinthians 15:37 nkjv
And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain?perhaps wheat or some other grain.
1 Corinthians 15:37 niv
When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
1 Corinthians 15:37 esv
And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
1 Corinthians 15:37 nlt
And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting.
1 Corinthians 15 37 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 15:36 | What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. | Resurrection principle |
| John 12:24 | "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." | Analogous to Christ's death for many |
| Rom 6:3-4 | Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. | Baptism signifies death and resurrection |
| Phil 3:10-11 | I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. | Imitating Christ’s death leads to resurrection |
| Col 2:12 | having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. | Union with Christ in death and resurrection |
| 2 Cor 4:10 | always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. | Bearing Christ's death for His life to appear |
| Matt 13:30 | Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers: ‘First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.’" | Illustration of separation in the end times |
| Acts 8:2 | Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. | Burial practices |
| Gen 22:3 | Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. He cut the wood for the burnt offering and got up and went to the place of which God had told him. | Sacrifice often involves giving up something precious |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. | Christ’s passive suffering before glorification |
| Mark 8:31 | And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. | Jesus’ teaching on his own death and resurrection |
| Luke 24:7 | saying that this Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise again." | Reinforces the necessity of Christ's death for resurrection |
| Acts 13:33 | and how God fulfilled this promise to us their children by raising up Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” | Resurrection as fulfillment of divine promise |
| 1 Peter 1:3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has regenerated us to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, | Resurrection as the source of new hope |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. | Spiritual death to life in Christ |
| Heb 11:17 | By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promise was in the act of offering up his only son, | Faith and obedience involving sacrifice |
| 1 Cor 15:20 | But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. | Christ's resurrection as the guarantee of ours |
| Gal 6:17 | From now on let someone not trouble me, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. | Marks of suffering as proof of belonging to Christ |
| Rom 8:10-11 | If Christ is in you, then indeed the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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. | Life from the Spirit through Christ's resurrection |
| John 3:8 | The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” | The mystery of spiritual renewal |
1 Corinthians 15 verses
1 Corinthians 15 37 Meaning
The verse asserts that what is sown is not given life unless it dies first. This principle illustrates a fundamental aspect of resurrection and the nature of new life. It implies a necessary process of decay and transformation before a more glorious form can emerge.
1 Corinthians 15 37 Context
First Corinthians chapter 15 is dedicated to addressing the Corinthian believers' doubts and misunderstandings regarding the resurrection of the dead, particularly the resurrection of believers. Paul establishes the foundational truth of Christ's resurrection, arguing that it is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. If Christ was not raised, then Christian preaching and faith are in vain. He then moves to the resurrection of believers, using analogies from nature, like seeds, to explain the process and the transformation involved. This specific verse, 1 Corinthians 15:37, directly follows Paul's statement about the diversity of bodies (e.g., human, animal, birds, fish) and that there are celestial bodies and earthly bodies, leading into the transformation of resurrected bodies. The verse serves as a crucial step in explaining how the physical body, subject to death and decay, can be resurrected to a glorified, incorruptible state.
1 Corinthians 15 37 Word Analysis
Ὃ (Ho): "That which," "what." A neuter singular relative pronoun, introducing the subject clause.
σπείρεις (speireis): "You sow." Second person singular, present active indicative of the verb speirō (σπείρω), meaning to sow, scatter seeds. Highlights the act of planting.
οὐ (ou): "Not." The primary Greek word for negation.
ζωοποιεῖται (zoopoieitai): "Is made alive," "is quickened," "comes to life." Third person singular, present passive indicative of the verb zoopoieō (ζωοποιέω), meaning to make alive, give life. The passive voice emphasizes that life is imparted, not self-generated.
ἐὰν (ean): "If," "unless." A particle introducing a conditional clause, often implying an indispensable condition.
ἀποθάνῃ (apothanē): "It dies." Third person singular, aorist subjunctive active of the verb apothnēskō (ἀποθνήσκω), meaning to die, perish. The subjunctive mood, along with ean, denotes a hypothetical or necessary condition for the main clause.
Words Group Analysis:
- "Ὃ σπείρεις οὐ ζωοποιεῖται ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ": "That which you sow is not made alive unless it dies." This is a powerful and concise conditional statement. The structure emphasizes the logical necessity of death for life. The act of sowing (speireis) is the natural action of life and reproduction, but it paradoxically requires its opposite, death (apothanē), for the promised life (zoopoieitai) to be actualized.
1 Corinthians 15 37 Bonus Section
The analogy of the seed is deeply rooted in Old Testament agricultural imagery and Jesus' own teachings. It is particularly powerful because sowing and reaping were fundamental to ancient Israelite life, making the concept immediately understandable and resonant. This verse directly links to the "kernel of wheat" analogy Jesus used in John 12:24, where His own death was presented as necessary for bearing much fruit, prefiguring the resurrection of many. The concept of sowing implies expectation and hope for a future harvest, reflecting the believer's hope in the resurrection. The contrast between the humble seed and the glorious plant highlights the transformed nature of the resurrection body. Scholars often point to this as a strong argument against any form of Gnostic teaching that might view the physical body as inherently evil and irredeemable, emphasizing instead its potential for glorification through God's power.
1 Corinthians 15 37 Commentary
This verse uses the common experience of agriculture to explain a spiritual reality: resurrection requires a preceding death. Just as a seed must decay in the earth to sprout into a new plant, the resurrected body, though different, emerges from the earthly, mortal body which must first cease to exist in its present form. This is not merely a physical process but also speaks to the spiritual transformation required for believers, dying to sin to live a new life in Christ (Rom 6). It underscores that life in its fullest, glorified form, whether physical or spiritual, often comes through a necessary intermediate stage of death and decomposition. The agricultural analogy also speaks of growth and fruitfulness following the initial decay, paralleling the bountiful harvest of resurrected saints.