A. 29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead,
B. if the dead rise not at all?
A’. why are they then baptized for the dead?
2A. 30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
2B. 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,
2A’. I die daily.
3A. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me,
3B. if the dead rise not?
3A’. let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
4A. 33 Be not deceived:
4B. evil communications corrupt good manners.
4B’. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not;
4A’. for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
5A. (35-44)(the resurrection body)
(a) But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 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: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
(b) All flesh is not the same flesh:
(c) but there is one (G243) kind of flesh of men, another (G243) flesh of beasts, another (G243) of fishes, and another (G243) of birds.
(d) There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
(c’) There is one (G243) glory of the sun, and another (G243) glory of the moon, and another (G243) glory of the stars:
(b’) for one star differeth from another star in glory.
(a’) So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
5B. (44b) There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
5C.(45) And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
5D. (46) Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
5C’.(47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
5B’.(48-49) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
5A’.(50-54)(the resurrection body)
(a) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(b) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(c) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
(b’) and we shall be changed.
(a’) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
6A. O death, where is thy sting?
6B. O grave, where is thy victory?
6A’. 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
6B’. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
As per our conversation at Whatshan Lake at lunch there is a beautiful poem in 1Cor 15.
cp. Acts 23:8 For Sadducees say that there is NO RESURRECTION—and NO ANGEL or SPIRIT; but the Pharisees confess both.
Meditate on this chapter having all three parts of Sadducee’s false doctrine in mind.
1Cor 15:12 how do some among you say that there is NO RESURRECTION of the dead?
1Cor 15:35 But someone will say,
“How are the dead raised up? [Answered 5 times in the (B) column.]
And with what body do they come?” [ Answered 4 times in alternating-opposites, with a quote from the Law for support, and support using first/last Adam ]
First proof that the creation itself has different ‘bodies’ using 3 examples,
* seed sown: seed=>its own body ( few vs. later sown/body);
* kinds of flesh: men, animal, fish, birds (few vs. later natural/living-being +quote from creation);
* terrestrial/celestial: sun, moon, stars. (few vs. later earthy-dust/heavenly);
[This passage looks best in 2 columns colour code repeating words ‘sown’, ‘raised’, ‘natural’, ‘spiritual’. Bit awkward to express in this text-area]
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead.
(A) The body is sown in corruption, [sown alluding back to the seed above]
(B) it is raised in incorruption.
(A)It is sown in dishonor,
(B) it is raised in glory.
(A) It is sown in weakness,
(B) it is raised in power.
(A) It is sown a natural(living-being) body,
(B) it is raised a spiritual body.
(A) There is a natural(living-being) body, [ now repeated for as a statement for emphasis ]
(B) and there is a spiritual body
And so it is written,
(A) “The first man Adam became a living-being(natural).” Genesis 2:7 [ quote for more proof, alluding back to ‘kinds of flesh’ made in creation above ]
(B) The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
(A)However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural(living-being),
(B) and afterward the spiritual.
(A)The first man was of the earth, made of dust;
(B) the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
(A)As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust;
(B) and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
(A)And as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
(B) we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
It seems Paul is emphasizes the answer to the fool’s question: ‘there is a natural BODY, and there is a SPIRITUAL BODY’ to an audience that does not believe. The Sadducees are known to ask tongue-in-cheek questions:
A) “On that day there came to him Sadducees, they that say that there is NO RESURRECTION: and they asked him … In the RESURRECTION therefore whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.” Mt 22:23,28
B) “But someone will say, ‘How are the dead RAISED up? And with what BODY do they come?’ Foolish one…” 1Cor 15:35 this ‘someone/foolish one’ seems to ask in a similar tongue-in-cheek Sadducee-style questions when they believe in “NO ANGEL or SPIRIT” Acts 23:8