1 Corinthians 15:45 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

NIV: So it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

NASB: So also it is written: 'The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING PERSON.' The last Adam was a life-giving spirit.

CSB: So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

NLT: The Scriptures tell us, 'The first man, Adam, became a living person.' But the last Adam — that is, Christ — is a life-giving Spirit.

KJV: And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

NKJV: And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Scripture not only explains differences, but also the connections between the natural-born body of Christians and the resurrection bodies of those same believers in eternity. Paul wrote in the previous verse that if there is a natural body—the one we live in now—then there is also a "spiritual body." In this specific context, he means the one we will be raised into after God transforms us. In other words, there must be a progression from the natural body, built to live on earth, to the spiritual body, which will be built to exist in heaven and eternity.

This was first explained as parallel to how a planted seed dies, only to grow into the ultimate form for which it is intended (1 Corinthians 15:37).

These two bodies are also different-but-connected in that one follows the pattern of the first Adam, while the other follows the pattern of the last Adam, who is Christ. As explained in Genesis 2:7, the first Adam became a living earthly being after God formed him from the dust of the ground. The last Adam, Christ, became a "life-giving spirit" after being resurrected from death to life by God. Jesus was raised as a life-giving spirit in the sense that through Him, and Him alone, those who are born again can look forward to being resurrected as He was.

First Corinthians 15:35–49 describes how the resurrected bodies of believers will be different from our current bodies. Resurrected bodies will not be reanimated corpses or some lesser version of our pre-death frame. The opposite is true. Our current, corrupt bodies are like seeds that are sown to bring to life the plant. These forms are temporary, dishonorable, and weak. Our transformed bodies will be eternal, glorified, and powerful, made from the materials of heaven, not earth, and built for an eternity with God.

Paul provides thorough teaching about the resurrection of Christians from the dead. This is a direct counter to some group of Corinthians who did not believe in such a resurrection. He shows that natural death is not the end of life for Christians; it is the last step before receiving a glorified, resurrected body like that of the risen Christ. That ''spiritual'' body will be as different from our current bodies as a star is from a fish. In that moment, for all who have believed in Christ, living and dead, death will be defeated for good.

In chapters 12, 13, and 14, Scripture focused on the concept of spiritual gifts and how best to use them. This follows several other ideas where Paul corrected errors in the Corinthians' thinking. Chapter 15 contains extensive teaching on one last issue about which some Corinthians were confused or misled. Apparently, they harbored some doubts about the physical resurrection of Christians from the dead. After clearing up these confusions, Paul will address various other items, of a less doctrinal nature, and close out his letter.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.