An Alphabetical Analysis
Volume 7 - Doctrinal Truth - Page 152 of 297
INDEX
In the resurrection there will be some raised to sit at the right hand of God
far above all; some will walk the streets of the New Jerusalem; some will
inherit the earth, and for each sphere of blessing an appropriate body will
be given.  'How' God preserves the identity and individuality of each soul is
not emphasized; possibly the explanation would not have been intelligible to
us even if it had been revealed.  Then as to the differing 'ranks':
'There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in
glory.  So Also is the Resurrection of the Dead' (15:41,42),
that is, the believer too is raised with a different body, and the glory of
one will differ from that of another, 'every man in his own rank'.  The
contrasts between the body which we have 'in Adam' and that which God will
give 'in Christ' are given:
Corruption
contrasted
with
incorruption.
Dishonour
contrasted
with
glory.
Weakness
contrasted
with
power.
A natural body
contrasted
with
a spiritual body.
The 'sowing' here in each of the four instances must not be translated
as of the death and burial of a believer.  When seed is sown it must be
alive, or nothing will come of it.  If living seed be sown, it dies, and
lives again.  That is the teaching here.  The 'sowing' is our birth into the
life of the Adamic race, the 'raising' is our new birth into the life of
Christ.
Following this statement the apostle says, 'There is a natural body,
there is also a spiritual body'.  This is a revelation.  The conception which
is formed of the life after death by the religions of men is that of
disembodied spirits, or of souls, but resurrection necessitates a
body.  The word 'natural' is psuchikos and occurs in 1 Corinthians 2:14;
James 3:15 translates it 'sensual'.  The word 'spiritual' (pneumatikos) is
contrasted with 'natural' in 1 Corinthians 2:13-15; and with 'carnal'
(sarkikos) in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.  The English language does not contain a
word that allows us to see the contrast clearly.  If we could use the
expression 'soul-ical' we should the better see the intention.  'There is a
soul-ical body, there is also a spirit-ual body'.  Now the soul-ical body is
one of 'flesh and blood'; such, however, cannot inherit the kingdom of God
(see verse 50); and the fact that the verse continues 'neither does
corruption inherit incorruption' is confirmatory of the interpretation of
verse 42 given above.
This reference to the 'soul-ical'* body which we now possess and the
spiritual body which we shall possess in that day, introduces the next
amplification, viz.,
*
We do not suggest that such a cumbersome word be adopted into our
everyday speech.
(2)
The nature and relation of Adam to the race (15:21,22; amplification
15:45,47 and 49)