1 Corinthians 15:42 kjv
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1 Corinthians 15:42 nkjv
So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:42 niv
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
1 Corinthians 15:42 esv
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
1 Corinthians 15:42 nlt
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
1 Corinthians 15 42 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 15:20 | Christ has been raised—the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. | Resurrection as firstfruits |
| 1 Cor 15:23 | But each in turn in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those belonging to him. | Order of resurrection |
| Phil 3:21 | who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. | Transformation of the body |
| Rom 8:29 | For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. | Conformed to Christ's image |
| John 5:28-29 | Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. | Resurrection for all |
| 1 Cor 15:44 | It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. | Natural vs. Spiritual body |
| 1 Cor 15:49 | Just as we have borne the image of the earthy man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. | Bearing image of heavenly man |
| Rev 21:4 | He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be any mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. | Absence of decay and death |
| Matt 22:30 | For at the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. | Changed state in resurrection |
| 2 Cor 5:1 | For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. | Eternal dwelling |
| Col 3:4 | When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. | Appearing with Christ in glory |
| Acts 24:15 | having a hope in God which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. | Resurrection of the unjust |
| 1 Thess 4:16-17 | For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. | Resurrection of believers |
| Ps 16:10 | For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. | Anticipation of resurrection |
| Job 19:26 | And after my skin is thus destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God. | Seeing God after destruction |
| Dan 12:2 | And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. | Widespread awakening |
| 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 as resurrection and life |
| Rom 6:5 | 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. | Union with Christ's resurrection |
| 1 Cor 6:14 | And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. | God's power in resurrection |
| 1 Pet 1:3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. | Born again to living hope |
1 Corinthians 15 verses
1 Corinthians 15 42 Meaning
The verse describes the transformation of the body after death. It transitions from a corruptible, decaying state to an incorruptible, undecaying state, mirroring the resurrection of Christ. This transformation is from a natural, physical body to a spiritual, glorified body.
1 Corinthians 15 42 Context
First Corinthians chapter 15 is Paul's comprehensive defense of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and, by extension, the resurrection of believers. The Corinthian church had issues concerning their understanding of the resurrection, with some possibly denying it altogether. Paul addresses this by demonstrating that the resurrection of believers is intrinsically linked to Christ's resurrection. If Christ did not rise, their faith is futile. He then moves to the nature of the resurrected body, explaining that it is not a reanimation of the exact same earthly body but a transformed, incorruptible body. Verse 42, "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body," directly speaks to this transformation, using the analogy of planting a seed which dies and then brings forth a new, different plant.
1 Corinthians 15 42 Word Analysis
it is sown (Greek: speiretáion - present passive participle of speírō, meaning to sow)
- Refers to the process of burial; the body being planted in the ground like a seed.
- Highlights the death and decay of the physical body.
a natural body (Greek: sōma psuchikón - body of the soul, or life, indicating a body animated by the soul or spirit of life, not necessarily a sinful body but the natural, earthly body as distinct from the spiritual, resurrected body.)
- Relates to the body as it is in its present earthly condition, governed by natural laws, including mortality and corruption.
- Connected to the idea of "the first man Adam," who became a "living soul" (Gen 2:7).
it is raised (Greek: egeíretaí - present passive indicative of egeírō, to rouse, awaken, raise up)
- Active raising by God's power, not a self-generated resurrection.
- Links directly to Christ's resurrection.
a spiritual body (Greek: sōma pneumatikón - a body of the spirit or the Holy Spirit; a body empowered or animated by the Spirit, reflecting its heavenly origin and nature)
- Contrasts with the "natural body," indicating a transformed body, renewed and glorified, suited for the spiritual realm.
- This body is like the resurrected body of Christ, who is the "last Adam" becoming a "life-giving Spirit" (1 Cor 15:45).
natural body... spiritual body: This duality points to two distinct states of existence for human beings – the earthly, mortal, corruptible form and the heavenly, immortal, incorruptible form. The transition is not erasure but resurrection and glorification.
sown... raised: The metaphor of sowing and reaping vividly illustrates the continuity between our present existence and the future resurrected state. The decaying seed gives way to the new plant, just as the perishable body yields to the imperishable.
1 Corinthians 15 42 Bonus Section
The concept of the spiritual body emphasizes its heavenly origin and nature, patterned after Christ's resurrected body, which was recognizable yet possessed new capabilities (Luke 24:15-31, John 20:19, 26-29). It is a body suited for an incorruptible existence, free from the limitations and frailty of our present mortal frame, and intimately connected to the divine presence. This spiritual dimension signifies a life sustained and energized by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15 42 Commentary
This verse is pivotal in explaining the transformation that occurs at the resurrection. The "natural body" is the earthly, mortal body that dies and decays. The "spiritual body" is not a disembodied spirit, but a transformed, immortal, incorruptible body capable of existing in God's presence, a body empowered by the Spirit. This is precisely what happened to Christ and will happen to believers. It reassures believers that their future resurrected state is a glorious, imperishable reality, not merely a return to a former earthly state. The focus is on the qualitative change enabled by God's power.