It is sown in dishonour: it shall rise in glory. It is sown in weakness: it shall rise in power.
σπειρεται εν ατιμια εγειρεται εν δοξη σπειρεται εν ασθενεια εγειρεται εν δυναμει
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
"It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory." For what is more dishonored than a dead body? Yet it will rise in the glory of incorruption, although not all will receive one and the same portion. "It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." For not even five days pass before the flesh cannot withstand corruption. But it will rise in the power of incorruption, no longer subject to any corruption, though for sinners incorruption will serve as a greater punishment.
It is sown in dishonor, that is, when it is placed in the tomb, becomes foul-smelling, and swarms with worms. It rises in glory because it will rise, there will be clear light, and it will endure no sorrow or dishonor.
"It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory." For what is more dishonorable than a dead body? "It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." For what is weaker than this pus or dust? Yet it will receive imperishable power.
Again the divine Apostle says: "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Cor 15:53). And again: "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; 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," that is, coarse and mortal, "it is raised a spiritual body" (1 Cor 15:42-44), unchanging, passionless, and subtle, such as the Lord's body was after the resurrection, passing through locked doors, not becoming weary, and needing neither food, sleep, nor drink.
Both the male and the female sex will remain as they were created. Their glory will differ according to the difference in their good works. Yet all bodies, both of men and of women, that will abide in the Kingdom will also be in glory.
"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God." The Stundists dare to apply these words to the Flesh and Blood of Christ, in order to show their supposed insignificance and ineffectiveness. But from the preceding and following words it is clear that the Apostle here means the body "sown in corruption" (v. 42), "in humiliation and weakness" (v. 43), the "natural body" (v. 44), the body fashioned according to the image of the earthly Adam, not according to the image of the Lord from heaven (vv. 47-49). This is the flesh that does not inherit the Kingdom of God. This is why our present body must be changed (v. 51). But the Flesh and Blood of the Lord in the Mystery of the Eucharist are incorruptible and glorious.
They are inseparably united with the divine, Life-giving Spirit of Christ (v. 45). Therefore to deny them is insane audacity. "Corruption does not inherit incorruption." On the basis of these words, the Stundists reject the incorruption of relics. But this incorruption is undoubted, and to reject it is to dispute against what is evident. It occurs because the body of God's holy servant, through union with the incorruptible Body of Christ and through being filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, already changes its corruptible nature into incorruptibility. This happens even before the universal change and resurrection of human bodies (v. 51).
The image of the resurrection and the diversity of glory in the bodies that are to rise (1 Cor 15:35-46). To those who object against the possibility of the resurrection of bodies, the holy Apostle Paul points to the wondrous process of growth and renewal in seeds cast into the earth. He explains the diversity of the glory of bodies after the resurrection by other comparisons as well. Here earthly bodies of different creatures differ among themselves in relative dignity: men, cattle, fish, and birds. Heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars, surpass earthly bodies. The heavenly bodies themselves differ endlessly from one another in radiance and brilliance. In precisely the same way, at the resurrection of the dead, the risen bodies will be far more excellent than they were on earth. Yet even with certain shared excellent qualities, they will still differ endlessly from one another in the degree of their glorification.
On earth there are different kinds of bodies: of fish, birds, animals, and man. In the visible heaven there are also different bodies: the sun, the moon, and the stars, likewise different in their composition and appearance. So too the bodies of those who rise will differ according to their present dignity. Now our body is corruptible, weak, and natural, that is, filled with sinful passions. Then it will be incorruptible, strong, and spiritual, that is, passionless. "Look at the heavenly bodies," says St. John Chrysostom, "so bright, unchanging, and never growing old. Believe that God can make corruptible bodies incorruptible, and far better than the visible ones." Then, turning attention to the difference between the various earthly and heavenly bodies indicated by the Apostle, St.
John Chrysostom asks: "What, then, do we learn from this? Although all the righteous will be in the heavenly Kingdom, not all will receive the same blessedness. And although sinners will all be in Gehenna, not all will be tormented equally." The features by which the Apostle distinguishes the future body from the present one are concentrated in its spirituality. This is already partly revealed now, namely in the bodies of the saints. In moments of strong excitation of their spiritual life, the bodies of the saints were illumined, like the illumination of the Savior on Tabor. This light was visible to others. Animals were also subject to them, smelling in them the fragrance of Adam's body as it was before the fall. The same is shown in the opening of sight to the ability to see what is distant and hidden, and of hearing to the ability to hear angelic song. "All this, which appears in the grace-filled bodies of the saints, belongs not to this age, but to the age to come" (Theophan).
"It is sown in dishonor." "What is more misshapen than a dead, disintegrating body?" says St. Chrysostom. Even apart from corruption, our body, though more honorable than all earthly bodies, has lost its true honor. Therefore creatures do not give it the honor due to it. It ought to be luminous, but it has grown dim, becoming coarse from the gross substances that enter it. In moments of strong excitation of spiritual life, the bodies of the saints were illumined like the illumination of the Savior on Tabor. This light was visible to others. Animals were also subject to them, smelling in them the fragrance of Adam's body as it was before the fall, as those who recount this explain. This and similar things belong to the same order.
Sight is opened to the ability to see what is distant and hidden. Hearing is opened to the ability to hear angelic song. Smell is opened to the ability to smell in a thing the scent of the passion with which it was given. Movement is opened to the ability to be in another place without leaving one's own. All this and similar things, appearing in the grace-filled bodies of the saints, belong not to this age, but to the age to come. They only testify how diminished in honor and glory our present body is, in its ordinary condition. "It is raised in glory." Glorious means bright and light-bearing. These manifestations of bodily glory in those filled with grace already let us understand how glorious the future body will be, once freed from the coarseness of gross matter. Yet we cannot now fully define or imagine that glory. "It has not yet appeared what we shall be." Writing to the Philippians, St. Paul defined this as follows: He "will transform our lowly body to be conformed to His glorious body" (Phil 3:21). Our lowly, humbled, and dishonored body will be glorious like the body of the Lord and Savior. This is enough for us. "It is sown in weakness." What power can there be when there is neither movement nor sensation? In general, our body is full of weaknesses. A little labor, and it grows weary. A little vigil, and it is overcome by sleep. A slight unfavorable contact with foreign elements, and it is struck by illness. How much time is needed to pass from place to place. How much effort is needed to lift something. How many precautions are needed to be delivered from unpleasant external influences: clothing, shelter. We have grown used to all this, and it seems to us the natural order of things. But no, it is not fitting for the king of earthly creatures to appear in such weakness. "It is raised in power." "Then nothing will overcome it," says St. Chrysostom. "It will receive an imperishable power," says Theodoret. Omnipotence is not promised. What is intelligible to us is the abolition of all that now makes it weak. It will act without fatigue and remain alert without need of sleep. It will not be subject to painful or destructive influences from without. It will move swiftly, like thought. It will be powerful enough that, in fulfilling what is due, it will meet no obstacles from external things and elements, and the like.
Since the body is born from the union of man and woman, dishonor and weakness will naturally belong to it. For it is the body of a corruptible soul and has taken on that soul's qualities. But it rises by the power of God, possessing incorruption, power, and honor, having become a spiritual body.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 12 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS