Epiphany Season · Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time · Year C
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
The Resurrection Body
February 20, 2028
Overview & Insights
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)
As if to make sure no one will misunderstand and confuse his emphasis on the bodily resurrection with a notion that somehow the flesh that decays in the grave will be reinvigorated (cf. 2 Bar. 49.2; 50.2), Paul concludes his discussion on resurrection with a climactic statement on the nature of the resurrected body. Different from the body that belongs to the age of decay and death, the new body will be fit for the new age in God’s presence, where death and decay no longer exist. Paul sets the stage for his discussion with a question about the nature of the resurrection body (15:35). His answer falls into three sections, concluded by a short concluding “so what” statement (15:58). First, in what reads like an exclamation of frustration (“how foolish!”), Paul profiles the whole discussion as caused by ignorance. His objectors should realize that God always creates bodies that are fit for their purpose (15:36–41).
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Commentary
BibleHub: 1 Corinthians 15:45 Commentaries BibleHub
Aggregated classic commentaries on the first Adam and the last Adam.
Enduring Word: 1 Corinthians 15 Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik's verse-by-verse notes on the resurrection chapter.
Precept Austin: 1 Corinthians 15 Commentary Precept Austin
Verse-level study helps and gathered quotations on bearing the heavenly image.
StudyLight: 1 Corinthians 15 (Barnes' Notes) StudyLight
Albert Barnes' close reading of the man of dust and the man of heaven.
Working Preacher: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 Working Preacher
Luther Seminary exegesis on what a resurrected body might be like.
CEP: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed preaching commentary on Corinthian doubts about the resurrection body.
Catholic Productions: 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C Catholic Productions · Brant Pitre
Brant Pitre's video walk-through of all four Mass readings, including this one.
Background & Word Study
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What is the mystery of 1 Corinthians 15?
At the last trumpet the perishable will be raised imperishable and the mortal put on immortality, so death is swallowed up in the victory given through Jesus Christ.
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