~5 min read
Ps Paul Cheng
1 Corinthians 15:35-38
“…one does not sow the plant…”
Dear Bethelites,
As Christians, I believe none of us would deny the reality of heaven. But perhaps, like the Corinthians, we may have many questions especially pertaining to the resurrection. How would our bodies be resurrected? How could those dead believers’ bodies which were buried in the graves for so many years, and totally decomposed, be resurrected? What about those believers whose bodies had been lost at sea, or were blown up in an airplane crash, etc? We may have all these questions!
Though the Corinthians were believers, yet they still had a lot of questions regarding the resurrection. Let us recap what we had learnt in our previous pastoral chats. The Corinthians were influenced by the Greeks’ thinking that the body was completely evil, and because of that, there was no way there would be a physical resurrection. They might have believed in Christ’s resurrection since He was perfect without sin, but as far as their own resurrections were concerned, they did not believe they would be resurrected because they were sinful.
Therefore, Paul had to explain to them that Christ’s resurrection was the basis of the believer’s resurrection, and he said, “If you do not believe that Christ rose from the dead, then (1) our preaching is in vain, (2) our faith is in vain, (3) all the Apostles would be liars because they claimed to have seen the risen Saviour, (4) sin would be sovereign, (5) death would have dominion, and (6) the Christians would be the most miserable people on the face of this earth.” Then he emphasised the reality that Christ was risen from the dead; He was the firstfruit of the resurrection, and because of Him, there would be this great harvest of the believers’ resurrection.
Now, Paul had to deal with another question, 1 Corinthians 15:35, But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? There were some who claimed to believe in the resurrection, but they were questioning what kind of body it would be. They believed that the resurrected body would be exactly the same as the earthly body (in other words, it would not be a glorified but an earthly body). Most likely, these were the false teachers, or people who were not asking a genuine question, but rather they were trying to make fun, or trying to make things difficult, like the Pharisees and scribes who tried to entrap the Lord Jesus Christ with their questions. How do we know that? If you notice, Paul began to answer the question with, Thou fool. That was a rebuke to someone who did not understand, and it implies that it was not a sincere question!
To answer the question of these sceptics, the Apostle Paul used three analogies to illustrate the resurrection; (1) the example of a seed, (2) the example of the different bodies, and (3) the example of the first and last Adam. Today, we will only consider the example of a seed!
I. Example Of A Seed
1 Corinthians 15:36, Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: The word quickened means to come to life.
1 Corinthians 15:37, And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: In other words, one does not sow the plant, but the seed.
1 Corinthians 15:38, But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
Paul was using the analogy of a seed; it could be wheat or some other grains. The seed of the wheat has to be placed in the ground, and so firstly, it has to die. What happens when that seed is placed in the ground, and it dies? It becomes a brand-new plant of wheat. That little seed becomes a plant, and it grows into a full-size wheat plant. From the seed to the plant!
Here, there are several things for us to take note of;
- Firstly, the seed has to die. It has to decompose before it can be quickened, or come to life as a plant.
- Secondly, there is a difference between the seed and the plant. The seed loses its identity as a seed, and becomes more and more like the mature plant.
- Thirdly, though there is a difference between the seed and the plant, there is still a connection between the old and the new. The wheat seed does not become a barley or corn plant. It becomes a wheat plant, and there is still this connection.
What is the application here? In a similar fashion, that is what will happen to our bodies.
- Firstly, we will not experience the resurrection, unless we first die. When we die, our bodies are buried in the ground, and it will decay. And in the same way the seed will become a plant and grow into a full-size wheat (harvest-time), there will be a time of resurrection. All those who believed and died in Christ will experience that resurrection unto eternal life (unless the Lord would return before we die, and if that happens, then we would be raptured).
- Secondly, what came out of the grave is different from what went into the grave; just as what went into the ground was a seed, and what came out was a plant, and it was different. Consider the example of Christ’s resurrection - When Jesus was raised from the dead, His glorified body was radically different from the one which died. That glorified body was no longer limited by time and space. After His resurrection, Jesus went from one place to another without travelling in any physical way. He appeared and disappeared at will, and He entered into rooms without opening the door (c.f. Luke 24). The resurrection had changed Jesus’ body in a most marvellous way. Dear friend, one day, all our resurrected bodies will also experience the same kind of change!
- Thirdly, though what came out of the grave is different from what went into the grave, yet it is still the same Jesus. When Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples; they recognised Him, they knew His face, they witnessed His wounded side and His pierced hands. One day, when our bodies are resurrected from the grave to be united with our souls, we will be changed into a glorified body, but it will still be us. It will not be a different person, we will still be recognisable!
Take note of the phrase, But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him. Let us be reminded that it is all God’s doing. If it is all God’s doing, then nothing is impossible with Him. It is no more difficult for God to create the world, than to raise our dead bodies from the grave, right? What about those believers whose bodies are lost at sea, or those believers whose bodies are blown up in an explosion? Do you think God is not able to restore those bodies and give it a glorified body? Most certainly He can, and He will!
For the believers, this one analogy is more than sufficient to make us understand the resurrection. But remember, Paul was answering those sceptics, thou fools, who lacked understanding, or were troublemakers. Therefore, he used two more analogies to make them understand which we will consider in our next pastoral chats.
(To be continued in our next pastoral chat)
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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How The Resurrection Should Motivate Us (Part 1) — Motivated To Believe And Be BaptisedHow The Resurrection Should Motivate Us (Part 1) — Motivated To Believe And Be Baptised1 Corinthians 15:29
How The Resurrection Should Motivate Us (Part 2) — Motivated To Withstand DangerHow The Resurrection Should Motivate Us (Part 2) — Motivated To Withstand Danger1 Corinthians 15:30-31
How The Resurrection Should Motivate Us (Part 3) — Motivated To Endure Suffering And Motivated To Live Godly LivesHow The Resurrection Should Motivate Us (Part 3) — Motivated To Endure Suffering And Motivated To Live Godly Lives1 Corinthians 15:32-34
How Could Our Resurrection Be Possible? (Part 1) — Example Of A SeedHow Could Our Resurrection Be Possible? (Part 1) — Example Of A Seed1 Corinthians 15:35-38
How Could Our Resurrection Be Possible? (Part 2) — Example Of The Different BodiesHow Could Our Resurrection Be Possible? (Part 2) — Example Of The Different Bodies1 Corinthians 15:39-44