1 Corinthians 15:48 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Corinthians 15:48

Comments

If you have never been converted you are earthy. Your body is adapted to this earth and will never be adapted to heaven. ‘And as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.’ If you are converted, the Spirit of God is in you. Now you have spiritual life, and when Christ comes you will receive resurrected bodily life. Our souls are immortal; but our bodies are mortal, composed of earthly ingredients only, with no spiritual dimension in the body. Even if we are in Christ, even if we walk with him, our bodies are still of the earth. But, all that is to change with the coming of Christ and the resurrection of our bodies. ‘And as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.’ Paul speaks as though the receiving of a resurrection body is as good as done. We haven’t had it yet; that will come with the return of Christ at the end of the age, but nevertheless, in Christ that resurrection body is as good as possessed; it is future, and it is certain.Read ‘likeness’ for image if it helps – ‘as we have borne the likeness of an earthy person, we shall also one day bear the likeness of the heavenly.’ We have borne the likeness of Adam because we were born into the covenant of works and he was our representative head. His first sin brought death on himself, and on all of us. We inherited sinful flesh from him, and not just in its outward likeness – as Christ did (Romans 8:3) – but in all its reality, possessing a sinful nature which began to express itself early in our lives. But if we have by faith been united with Christ and brought into the covenant of grace, then at conversion the Spirit of God came and created a new nature within us. Now the kingdom of God is in our hearts, but when Christ returns it will be seen visibly in our bodies also. God does not start anything which he does not finish. We shall bear the image of the heavenly man, not in his lowly form, but in his glorified form as he was seen briefly after his resurrection.

Application

What reassuring words. The apostle Paul doesn’t say, ‘As we have borne the likeness of the earthy, so we will bear the likeness of the heavenly.’ The resurrection body we receive for eternity won’t only be like Christ’s heavenly body; it will be the image of it. Of course, we won’t have his Godhead; we won’t be divine. But that glorious resurrection body, which Christ assumed and took, ascended with into heaven, and wears for all eternity; our bodies will be like his. We will bear the image of it, like a reflection in olden times in water, because they didn’t have very good mirrors.

That is why it is so encouraging for us to consider the appearances of Christ, and to consider the wonder of his resurrection body; because ours will be the same and as wonderful and as glorious. Christ appeared to the apostles on two consecutive Lord’s days, on the first day of the week. He came into locked rooms with no trouble; and just appeared suddenly and stood in their midst. And yet he was tangible, he could be touched; it was a physical, definite, physical, tangible aspect to the body in the way was it composed. It was quite unlike our present body, altogether above it and higher; and of course, spiritual and immortal.

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Introduction

1 Corinthians 15:48 Commentary and Bible Study