1 Corinthians #32 – Weekly Study Questions
Basic Reminders – Glory to Come
1 Corinthians 15:35-49 (CGS #32)
INTRODUCTION – Like a sunrise, chapter 15 progressively sheds more and more light on the nature of the resurrection to come. We’ve already seen Paul’s insistence that the dead will be raised, his confidence rooted in the resurrection of Jesus. And last week he got a little sharper with the Corinthians, telling them to “wake up from [their] drunken stupor,” because apparently their narrow focus on this life alone was causing them to live and look like the rest of the world. They were forgetting to keep an eternal perspective, and it was having negative consequences in the here and now.
In this week’s passage Paul is addressing a question he anticipates the Corinthians asking: “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” (v 35) You can almost hear the exasperation in his voice, as if he’s already answered this question a hundred times (anyone who has taught children knows the feeling): “You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” (v 36) He begins his answer with an agricultural metaphor, which the original audience would be very familiar with, and probably resonates in our context as well. He essentially asks, “Does a soybean look like a bean plant? If all you’d ever seen was soybeans, could you ever possibly imagine a full-grown bean plant?” Of course not. In the same way, all of us are like seeds, “perhaps of wheat or of some other grain” (v 37), that must be planted in the ground, representing death. Trying to imagine our resurrection bodies is like trying to imagine a bean plant when all you’ve ever known is soybeans. We can’t do it. We know it’ll be better in every way, we know it’ll never die (v 42), it’ll be glorious, powerful (v 43), spiritual (v 44), and made out of “heaven stuff” instead of earthly dust (v 47-49). From elsewhere we know that it’ll be strong enough to carry an incredible weight of glory (2 Cor 4:17), and even approach God’s throne with confidence (Heb 4:16), and all of this is by the design and will of God (v 38). But that’s all we can say with certainty. Beyond that is mere speculation.
But what it means for us today, and the theme of this whole chapter, is that living in light of eternity 1) gives us cause for indestructible hope, and 2) motivates a life spent on mission for Christ. Like we heard last week, eternity matters now…and then. Your eternal destiny matters today and it’ll matter forever. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. CS Lewis, as usual, has a striking way of describing this reality: “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” – CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory, pg 46.
The truth is that you were made for eternity. You’re immortal. Everyone will experience the resurrection, either to eternal life with God or without God. In this life, if you’re in Christ, you will be transformed “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18) until you attain that resurrection (Phil 3:11). The goal of that transformational process, also called sanctification, is hinted at in verses 46-49. It starts with this physical world, being born in the flesh, in the image of “the man of dust,” (a.k.a. Adam), under the dominion of sin. But when we place our faith in Christ, we are united with him, “the man of heaven” (a.k.a. Jesus). That means we’re no longer under the dominion of sin but transferred to the kingdom of Jesus (Col 1:13). As a result, we shed “the image of the man of dust” and begin to bear “the image of the man of heaven.” (v 49) In other words, the more we walk like Jesus (and less like Adam), the more we’ll look like Jesus (and less like Adam). That’s the goal of sanctification, to make us look more like Christ. The good news is that we’re not alone in that process. The Holy Spirit enables and empowers that process, and like a seed, it will grow and bear fruit.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question: What relationships in your life have grown better and better over time? What caused that growth?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It’s important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below (O.P.A.).
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday-Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
DISCUSS – Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following discussion questions:
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Have you enjoyed him? Have you heard his voice and the leading of his Spirit? Big ways or small ways.
- What question is Paul preemptively answering in this passage? Why do you think the Corinthians would ask that question?
- What analogies does Paul use for highlighting the differences between our earthly bodies and our heavenly bodies? Do they make sense to you?
- Why do our bodies need to undergo a change in the first place? Why can’t we go straight into God’s presence in our current bodies?
- List some of the differences between Adam and Jesus. What does it look like to bear the image of Adam? What does it look like to bear the image of Jesus?
- How does it impact your day-to-day life to know that you’ll bear the image of Jesus forever?