In the first eleven verses Paul simply reminds them of what he preached, and they believed. Of course, Paul preached Christ crucified, dead and buried and then resurrected. Therefore, as he begins in verse 12 he says “and that’s what is going to happen to us as well”.
Let’s follow his thought here: Instead of Paul simply saying “yes, we will be resurrected…that’s it. Thanks for asking…what’s the next question?” He reasons with them, using the moment to teach them something about their faith. “If Christ hasn’t truly been resurrected, then why should we be expected to be?” he asks. And “if we aren’t going to be resurrected and live forever in heaven….why are we doing this?” He quickly goes on to say “of course we will be resurrected”. After all, Jesus is the model that we follow. One day our human lives in these temporary bodies will end, but that isn’t the end of us…it’s just the beginning!
In vs. 33-34 Paul encourages the church to not allow themselves to be misled by a false teacher. And he warns them to “stop sinning”. I wonder if Paul considered the false teaching they were propagating sin (which it was) or if the people were “casting off restraint” in their behavior because they didn’t believe they would be resurrected and judged at a later date. Either way, Paul cautions them to stop.
Finally, and this is really something: Paul talks a little about the resurrection body. I often refer to this passage when I am preaching a funeral. I use the following illustration to illustrate, in the same way that Paul was doing.
“If you look at a kernel of corn, it doesn’t look like much. It’s hard, and yellow and not easy to digest. Not much to eat, and not much to look at. But if you plant that kernel what do you get….another kernel? No. You get a tall green leafy plant with broad leaves and a tassel on top. It doesn’t look anything like the kernel, but it produces ears of corn that each have kernels within them. So, the one kernel produces many, many kernel in a very different form. Are they both “corn”? sure. But one is much greater than the other. Now, corn is a temporary plant, that produces for one season and then dies. Consider that you and I would be more like a fruit tree. Perhaps an apple tree, where the seen is small and hard, the tree is so much larger, more beautiful and produces much more fruit than you could ever imagine if you were only looking at a single apple seed.”
Your body in heaven will be so much more than your body on earth. If will be more powerful, more fruitful, and so much more perfect. But, you have to be “a seedling” here first. You can’t become a Christian in the next life. That “seed” of the Holy Spirit has to be living and active in us at the time of our death, or the time of Christ’s return…whichever comes first.
Growing in Jesus,
PR