The Hope of a Resurrected Body

February 17, 2022

The Hope of a Resurrected Body

By Brooke Holt

“But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.” - 1 Corinthians 15:35-38

Sometimes the most foolish people in the world are the very people who consider themselves to be most wise. Paul confronted this foolishness hidden behind worldly pride and wisdom. Still on the topic of resurrection, Paul continued in his diatribe. Diatribe is a form of writing in which the writer engages in a dialogue using imaginary questions and answers. In doing so, Paul cut to the heart of the questions about the resurrection as well as the objections held by the Corinthians.

Because the Corinthians could not comprehend how dead bodies would be raised from the grave and given new life, they dismissed the promises of God that indeed all those in Christ would be raised. To put it simply, the Corinthians could not understand the way of God, so they simply dismissed the Word of God.

What arrogance to think that a finite, created man could fully understand an infinite Creator God! Thus, Paul used some harsh words to address that arrogance: “You foolish person!” Underneath the pride and the supposed worldly wisdom was nothing but foolishness. Where does true wisdom come from? According to Proverbs, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10). True wisdom is found in God, from a submission to his teaching, and an acceptance that his ways are higher than man’s ways or understanding.

To help illustrate life coming after death, Paul looked to the life of a seed. It is only in it dying that life is brought forth and so will be your transformed body. Like the seed, there is one body but different modes. Through the work of God, what dies in the flesh will be brought to life—a new life, a resurrected body. This is God’s plan and purpose as well as his promise for those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and redeemer. And this promise of a resurrected body is one of great hope. Paul went on to describe this great hope in his letter to the Philippians: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (3:20-21).

Reflection:

Do you embrace this hope of a glorious body by choosing to believe God’s promises and work in his Son? Or do you embrace a worldly wisdom that dismisses God’s Word when it does not align with your understanding? Spend some time meditating on Proverbs 9:10 today and ask the Lord to teach you his wisdom. 

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