1 Corinthians 15:42,43

a sums up what has been advanced in 1 Corinthians 15:36-41, and presents it in six words: οὕτως καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν, “So indeed is the resurrection of the dead”. It is as possible as that plants of wholly diff [2522] form should shoot from the seed sown by your own hand; and the form of each risen body will be determined by God, who finds a suitable organism for every type of earthly life, and can do so equally for every type and grade of heavenly life, in a region where, as sun, moon, and stars nightly show, the universal splendour is graduated and varied infinitely.

[2522] difference, different, differently.

1 Corinthians 15:42-43. Σπείρεται ἐν φθορᾷ … ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ … ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ : “The sowing is in corruption (perishableness) … in dishonour … in weakness”. It is better, with Cv [2523], Wr [2524] (p. 656), and Hn [2525], to regard σπείρεται and ἐγείρεται as impersonal, since no subject is supplied; the vbs., thrice repeated with emphasis, are contrasted in idea; the antithesis lies between two opp [2526] stages of being (cf., for the mode of expression, Luke 12:48). σπείρεται recalls, and applies in the most general way, the ὃ σπείρεις and σπέρματα of 1 Corinthians 15:36 ff. To interpret this vb [2527] as figuring the act of burial (“verbum amœnissimum pro sepultura,” Bg [2528]; so Cm [2529], Gr [2530], Mr [2531], Bt [2532], El [2533], and many others) confuses the analogy (the “sowing” is expressly distinguished from the “dying” of the seed, 1 Corinthians 15:36), and jars with ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ (a sick man, not a corpse, is called weak), and with ψυχικὸν in 1 Corinthians 15:44; cf. also 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, where ἡ φθορά, τὸ φθαρτόν, τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο are identified with the living ἡμεῖς. Our present life is the seed-time (Galatians 6:7 ff.), and our “mortal bodies” (Romans 8:10 f.) are in the germinal state, concluding with death (1 Corinthians 15:36), out of which a wholly diff [2534] organism will spring. The attributes φθορά (cf. δουλεία τ. φθορᾶς, Romans 8:21), ἀτιμία (cf. Philippians 3:21), ἀσθενεία (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:4) summed up in the θνητὰ σώματα of Romans 8:11 and μορφὴ δούλου of Philippians 2:7 are those that P. is wont to ascribe to man's actual physique, in contrast with the ἀφθαρσία, δόξα, δύναμις of the post-resurrection state: see 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 4:10; 2Co 4:16; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:4; Romans 1:4; Romans 8:18-23. Thus, with variety in detail, Est. (“moritur corpus multis ante mortem miseriis et fœditatibus obnoxium, suscitabitur idem corpus omni ex parte gloriosum”), Cv [2535], Hf [2536], Hn [2537], Ed [2538] Gd [2539] refers the threefold σπείρεται to the three moments of burial, mortal life, and birth respectively; van Hengel identifies it with procreation, quite unsuitably.

[2523] Calvin's In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii.

[2524] Winer-Moulton's Grammar of N.T. Greek (8th ed., 1877).

[2525] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).

[2526] opposite, opposition.

[2527] verb

[2528] Bengel's Gnomon Novi Testamenti.

[2529] John Chrysostom's Homiliœ († 407).

[2530] Greek, or Grotius' Annotationes in N.T.

[2531] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[2532] J. A. Beet's St. Paul's Epp. to the Corinthians (1882).

[2533] C. J. Ellicott's St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.

[2534] difference, different, differently.

[2535] Calvin's In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii.

[2536] J. C. K. von Hofmann's Die heilige Schrift N.T. untersucht, ii. 2 (2te Auflage, 1874).

[2537] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).

[2538] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[2539] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).