RESURRECTION / Part 7

THOSE LIVING WILL HAVE TRANSLATED BODIES—15:50-53

A Vital Principle—15:50

After dealing with those who have died, Paul now turns his attention to those who are alive at the time of the resurrection. He begins with a vital principle—the natural cannot inherit the eternal. “Now I say this brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; not does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Cor. 15:50). Flesh and blood” refers to our mortal, natural bodies; our present humanity. There can be little question that “flesh and blood = the perishable” in this context. It must be changed, because the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable. As Garland notes: “’Flesh and blood’ represents what is corruptible, and what is corruptible cannot stake a claim on what is incorruptible.” [David Garland, BECNT: 1 CORINTHIANS, 740].  This principle states the reason why God must change us from the natural state to the inculpable state.

The Mystery of the Translated Body Revealed—15:51-53.

Paul now reveals the mystery of what will happen to those who are alive at the time of the resurrection and rapture of the church. Four facts are revealed:

• Not all Christians will experience death (cf. 1 Thess. 4:15). Death is not inevitable for the believer.
• All believers will be changed. The Greek word is allosso meaning to “make other than it is, to transform.”
• The change will be swift and complete. It will be in a moment of time.
• This change is a necessity. The word “must” speaks of a divine necessity. The natural must become spiritual. Harry Bultema’s comments on verse 53 are worth repeating:

“The corruptible stands for the saints sleeping in the graves, while the mortal stands for the living who have death in themselves. There is an equal necessity for both to be radically changed. We see time and again that the men of God melted away and dropped to the earth as dead men when a visitor from Heaven met them. The strong and holy men of God like Ezekiel, Daniel and John on Patmos, melted away before the heavenly majesty and glory. The mortal cannot stand the weight of Heaven’s glory [Notes on 1 and 2 Corinthians, 153].

Like the dead, the living will exchange the imperfect natural body for the perfect eternal spiritual body of the resurrected.

BOTH WILL HAVE VICTORIOUS BODIES—1 COR. 15:54-57.

The words “when…then” of verse 54 refer to the time of the resurrection and translation. The word “then” is emphatic and points back to the moment “when” the event happens. At that time we will have victorious bodies. The ultimate triumph will be ours. This victory involves:

Fulfillment of Prophecy—15:54 cf. Isa. 25:8.

The promise of resurrection will be a reality. It is not simply that death is destroyed; for the child of God, death’s destruction is reversed. Our bodies are raised and restored as a spiritual body. We will have victory over death as our Lord did when He came out of the tomb.

Victory over Death—15:55 cf. Hosea 13:14.

Death has a temporary victory; it wins the battle, but not the war. It has an appointment that will be kept by most of us (Heb. 9:27). The resurrection will overcome death. Death is only temporary. We will win the battle, and death has lost the war. We will experience victory over death.

Victory over sin and the Law—15:56-57.

Death is the sting of sin; the law is the power of sin. The law brought condemnation, not life (2 Cor. 3:7). No one could be justified by it; it only brought the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20). Victory over sin and the law comes only “through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

CONCLUDING EXHORTATION—1 Cor. 15:58.

The word “therefore” gives the conclusion to belief in the resurrection. Paul ends the chapter with a practical directive. The words “be ye”; it is the verb ginomai and means “become ye.” It is an exhortation. Doctrinal truth always leads to practical outcome, the exhortation to action which is described by three words:

• First, FAITHFUL, as indicated by the words “steadfast” and “unmovable.” To be steadfast means to be firmly planted, implying a fixed position of faith. It is to be unmovable, not tossed around or turned aside from our faith. The truth of the resurrection should lead us to be faithful to our Lord.
      
• Second, ACTIVE,--“always abounding in the work of the Lord.” We are not to be idle in our faith. We are called to be diligent in the work of the Lord. Vine tells us about the phrase the work of the Lord:
  
  It is to be distinguished from work for the Lord. The Lord’s work is that which He gives us to do. Much may be done for Him which we imagine to be service rendered to Him, but which is not conformed to His will and, therefore, is not His work in reality. The motive may be sincere and the activity constant, but we need to be sure that what is done is according to the Scriptures of truth, for only that can be work given by Him to be wrought” [FIRST CORINTHIANS, 227].
• Third, KNOWLEDGE, knowing their labor is not in vain. Labor that is of the Lord, done in His will, by His Word working through us, will not be in vain. The word vain is the Greek word kenos, meaning empty in quality, as well as in results. Only service that is done “in the Lord” will have true quality and fruitfulness. It will be rewarded in the resurrection