1 Corinthians 15:35-38
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Paul doesn't just dismiss the doubters; he hears their genuine, even if perhaps misguided, curiosity. The question isn't meant to be a hostile attack, but rather an honest grappling with the profound mystery of resurrection. He's acknowledging that the physical, earthly details of how it all works are indeed puzzling to our current understanding.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is deep in his argument about the resurrection of believers, explaining that just as Christ was raised, so too will we be. Before this question, he uses the analogy of a seed dying and growing into a new plant to illustrate the transformation involved. This question arises from the Corinthians' confusion and doubt about the nature of the resurrection body, prompting Paul to elaborate further on the physicality and continuity of our future existence.
Imagine standing in ancient Corinth, a place buzzing with philosophy and a healthy dose of doubt. Someone pipes up, challenging the very core of the Christian message: resurrection. They're not just curious; they're demanding an explanation.
This verse isn't just a random question; it's the voice of genuine intellectual struggle. Paul anticipates the logical hurdles Christians would face, especially in a culture that often viewed the physical body as a prison.
The Challenge
The question, 'How are the dead raised?' probes the mechanism. It’s like asking, 'What are the physics of it?' The second part, 'With what kind of body do they come?', questions the form. 'Are we talking about the same old body, just reanimated? That seems impossible!'
Paul doesn't dismiss these questions. He acknowledges their validity and then, in the verses that follow, dives deep into answering them, using analogies from nature to illustrate God’s power and the transformed nature of the resurrection body.
The question isn't just 'if' we'll be raised, but 'how' and 'with what'. This points to a transformation, not a mere resuscitation. Paul uses a powerful analogy to explain this.
Paul’s answer, unfolding in the subsequent verses, hinges on the idea of continuity and transformation. The resurrection body is not the same body in terms of its earthly limitations and corruption, but it is a body, gloriously transformed.
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Seed to Plant Analogy
He compares it to planting a seed. A seed buried in the ground dies, but from that decaying material, a new plant emerges – a completely different form, yet undeniably related to the original seed.
This analogy teaches us:
Understand the original words
sōma · Greek Noun
The physical and spiritual identity of a human being. In theology, it refers to the tangible vessel of existence, which is subject to death but promised transformation at the resurrection.
aphrōn · Greek Adjective
Referring to a lack of spiritual discernment or understanding regarding God's truth, often used in Scripture to describe those who fail to see divine wisdom behind natural phenomena.
speirō · Greek Verb
The act of planting seed in the ground, used metaphorically in Scripture to describe both the burial of the physical body and the spreading of the word of God.
sōma · Greek Noun
In this context, the physical form or material substance, often contrasted with the spirit or the transformed, resurrected state of a believer.
Job powerfully expresses a future hope of seeing God with his own eyes, even after his body has been destroyed, echoing the same theme of bodily resurrection.
Psalm 16:10This psalm is quoted in the New Testament as a prophecy of Christ's resurrection, directly supporting the idea that the dead will not remain in the grave and will be raised.
John 11:23-27Jesus' conversation with Martha about her brother Lazarus is a profound moment where He declares Himself the resurrection and the life, directly addressing the possibility of resurrection.
Romans 8:11This passage highlights the power of the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead residing in believers, assuring us that the same Spirit will bring our mortal bodies to life.
Philippians 3:20-21Paul speaks of our future citizenship in heaven and the transformation of our lowly bodies to be like Christ's glorious body, emphasizing the nature of our resurrected form.
Paul doesn't just dismiss the doubters; he hears their genuine, even if perhaps misguided, curiosity. The question isn't meant to be a hostile attack, but rather an honest grappling with the profound mystery of resurrection. He's acknowledging that the physical, earthly details of how it all works are indeed puzzling to our current understanding.
Paul is deep in his argument about the resurrection of believers, explaining that just as Christ was raised, so too will we be. Before this question, he uses the analogy of a seed dying and growing into a new plant to illustrate the transformation involved. This question arises from the Corinthians' confusion and doubt about the nature of the resurrection body, prompting Paul to elaborate further on the physicality and continuity of our future existence.
Paul is deep in his argument about the resurrection of believers, explaining that just as Christ was raised, so too will we be. Before this question, he uses the analogy of a seed dying and growing into a new plant to illustrate the transformation involved. This question arises from the Corinthians' confusion and doubt about the nature of the resurrection body, prompting Paul to elaborate further on the physicality and continuity of our future existence.
"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 whea…" — Paul doesn't just dismiss the doubters; he hears their genuine, even if perhaps misguided, curiosity. The question isn't meant to be a hostile attack, but rather an honest grappling with the profou…
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Last reviewed October 2026
