1 Corinthians 15:47 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

NIV: The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.

NASB: The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

CSB: The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

NLT: Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven.

KJV: The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

NKJV: The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

What is the difference between the bodies of Christians as they are now, compared to the bodies we will be raised with after we are returned to life in the resurrection? Paul has been describing those differences in this section. Now he shows that these bodies are different in both their origin and what they were initially made from.

The first man seems to refer to people, in general, as we first exist. Each of us, as Adam's descendants, are from the earth. Adam was a man "of the dust" (Genesis 2:7), and all born after him are made of "earth stuff" designed to exist on the earth. The second version of us, though—the "second man"—is from heaven. Our resurrected bodies will be made of "heaven stuff" and built to exist eternally as do all who reside in heaven with God.

Another way to read this verse is to see the "first man" as Adam and the "second man" as Christ. The same ideas hold true in either case. All humans follow the pattern of Adam, and all Christians the pattern of Christ.

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.

Accessed 5/4/2024 1:16:45 PM