1 corinthians 15:42-44 50-54

• 1 corinthians significance

  pauls purpose was to intervene in disputes that risked splitting he community. one of these was resurrection

  1 corinthians 15:12 - now if christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

  1 corinthians 15:20 - in fact christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died

  in other words, the raising of christ is the beginning of the resurrection of all humankind
• 1 corinthians 15:42-44

  So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
• 1 corinthians 15:50-54

  I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
• 1 corinthians 15:50-54 part 2

  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.''
• the importance of 1 corinthians 15

  1 . it is an early piece of christian theology, 20-25 years after the death of jesus. paul uses his certainty that jesus was raised physically from the dead, to argue belief in the resurrection is both rational and essential for members of the church

  2 . basis of christian teaching. not a one off, new relationship between humankind and god, one no longer damaged by adam and eves sins. death isnt the end - hope of eternal life

  3 . hope during periods of persecution.
• hope during periods of persecution

  roman emporer nero, theological justification for martyrdom

  blamed christians for causing fire that damaged rome

  it would be easy for christians to give up their faith, rather than risk imprisonment, torture or death

  belief in resurrection to eternal life was so attractive that rather than giving up faith, christians were prepared to die bearing witness to jesus christ as lord.

  without these martyrs, christianity may have died out all together
• burial rituals

  underline the importance of a body in defining a person

  mummification for the spirit to return to (egypt)

  the christian concept of bodily resurrection expressed by augustine make sense if you take this into account

  until 1963, cremation was forbidden and its seen as a disbelief in resurrection of the body. burial is still recommended
• protestant ideas about resurrection

  body/soul dualism of descartes. the human soul doesnt have parts so it cannot be destroyed and is therefore immortal

  protestants may view resurection as spiritual
• martyrdom

  martyr - killed for religious beliefs

  stephen was the first christian martyr, he upheld a vision of the resurrected jesus standing at the right hand of god before death (Acts)

  god may reconstitute the bodies of martyrs killed