1 Corinthians 15:35

Ἀλλὰ ἐρεῖ τις : this form of interlocution belongs to Jewish dialectic (see parls.); cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12, also ἐρεῖς μοι, Romans 9:19, and the familiar Pauline challenge, τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; “How are the dead raised up? With what sort of (ποίῳ δέ) body moreover do they come?” two distinct questions. δὲ might indeed introduce the same question in an altered form (Mr [2469], Bt [2470], El [2471], Sm [2472]), but the vbs. and the interr [2473] prons. are both different. The first (cf. Luke 1:34; John 3:9; John 6:52; Hebrews 2:3; 1 John 3:17) intimates the impossibility of the thing, and is answered in 1 Corinthians 15:36; the latter, the inconceivability of the manner, answered in 1 Corinthians 15:37 ff. (so Cm [2474], Cv [2475], D.W [2476], Hf [2477], Ed [2478]). The sceptics advance their second question to justify the first: they say, “The resurrection P. preaches is absurd; how can any one imagine a new body rising one of the perished corpse a body suitable to the deathless spirit?” The vbs. are logical pr [2479], as concerned with general truths (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:26); “actio rei declaratur absque significatione temporis” (Er [2480]). ἔρχονται (cf. John 5:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:14, ὁ Θεὸς ἄξει) graphically represents the difficulty of the objectors: “In what bodily form do we picture the dead coming on the scene?”

[2469] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[2470] J. A. Beet's St. Paul's Epp. to the Corinthians (1882).

[2471] C. J. Ellicott's St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.

[2472] P. Schmiedel, in Handcommentar zum N.T. (1893).

[2473]nterr. interrogative.

[2474] John Chrysostom's Homiliœ († 407).

[2475] Calvin's In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii.

[2476].W. De Wette's Handbuch z. N. T.

[2477] J. C. K. von Hofmann's Die heilige Schrift N.T. untersucht, ii. 2 (2te Auflage, 1874).

[2478] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[2479] present tense.

[2480] Erasmus' In N.T. Annotationes.