In this chapter, Paul first affirms the bodily resurrection of Christ. He lists all the witnesses in order beginning with Cephas (Peter), then the disciples, the larger group of 500 followers, James, the apostles and then himself, counting his vision of Christ. He acknowledges himself the least of the fellowship because of his participation in the persecution of the early church. Paul says there are still many living eye-witnesses to Jesus. (Scholars calculate this letter to be from about 55, about two decades after the life and ministry of Christ.)

Paul goes on to argue for the belief in the resurrection of the dead, so we can assume that there was a faction in his audience that denied it. His logic starts with the importance of Christ’s death and resurrection to clearing our sin. Without death and resurrection, there is no redemption, so those who believed in Jesus and have already died should be pitied. 

Paul then talks about the first man, Adam, being born from dust and bringing death because he sinned. Jesus, by comparison was born from heaven and did not sin, therefore offers a way of renewal. We bear the image of dust and of heaven.

Paul also talks about the practice of baptism, a cleansing ritual going down into the water and coming up. Baptism, he says, is only meaningful if you believe in new life. He then pivots, and talks about being raised to new life every day. He encourages his listeners to leave behind the life of drunkenness and sin and truly know God. We don’t have to wait to the end of your life to experience new life in Christ. 

Paul then considers the questions of how are the dead raised and what is the new body like. He says that it’s the wrong way of thinking. Just as each seed brings a different plant, God has a different body for each soul. Just as animals, birds and fish are all different, and the sun, moon, stars and planets are different so is the new body. 

Paul uses a seed as a metaphor, it must die and shed its hull to make room for the new plant the comes out from it. Just as the seed is perishable the body is perishable, but the plant that comes from it grows like our spirit grows. It is sown in dishonor and raised in glory. 

This is encouraging for a perimenopausal body where more parts of me showing wear and tear every day. No one wants to hear about that, especially the person experiencing it. I dye my hair and apply moisturizer to salvage what I have left. Yet this daily indignity of slow physical death is promised an eternal, spiritual reward. 

At the last trumpet, Paul states, we will be changed. This is a reference to Matthew 24 where Jesus says he his return will be announced with trumpets. Paul then quotes Isaiah, “O death, where is your victory, O death where is your sting.” He then interprets the sting of death to be sin, and the power of sin is the law. Our victory is through Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and resurrection to new life. 

Paul concludes that we can be steadfast, immovable and abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain