1 Corinthians 15:35 Commentary and Bible Study

Who would say this? I don’t think Paul is now speaking directly to those in error. He speaking to people who are good people, who are saved people, but they are confused by those who are in error. Some were clearly influenced by their Greek heritage, and the Greek philosophers did not believe in the possibility of the resurrection of the body, because they believed that the body and all matter is intrinsically evil. So who would want to resurrect something that was intrinsically evil? Many people coming from that background took their baggage with them into the church and scoffed at the idea of a resurrection, and certainly this is to be read with a scoffing tone. ‘But some will say’ – and we will put the emphasis on the word ‘how’ – ‘how are the dead raised up?’ The tone here is actually quite mocking – ‘and with what body do they come?’ These resurrection deniers took a Gnostic view. The word Gnostic literally means ‘knowing ones’. There were people among the Greeks who were Gnostics. They thought they knew about spiritual things. They were not saved, but they got into the churches. It was soon evident however that they were really very Greek in their thinking. That is why it warrants the rather sharp response of the apostle.