1 Corinthians 15:49Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But of Christ, on the contrary, he says, "the Lord from heaven." If some conclude from the expression "from heaven" that the Lord has no body, what has already been said is enough to stop their mouths.

Yet nothing prevents us from refuting them now also. What, then, does "the Lord from heaven" mean? Is the Apostle speaking about essence, or about the higher life? Clearly, about life.

For this reason he adds, "and as we have borne the image of the earthy," that is, as we have done evil, "we shall also bear the image of the heavenly," that is, we shall do good (1 Cor 15:49).

Moreover, I should like to ask you whether the words "from the earth, earthy" and "the Lord from heaven" are said of essence. Yes, you say.

Here he reveals more clearly the exhortative tone of the discourse. By the image of the man of dust he means vicious deeds, and by the image of the heavenly Man, good deeds. Therefore, as formerly we lived in malice as sons of the man of dust, thinking earthly things, so now we must live in virtue, in order to preserve the image and likeness of the heavenly Man. The image of the man of dust consists in this: "You are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Gen 3:19). The image of the heavenly Man consists in the resurrection from the dead and incorruption.

Men wonder that God, who created all things from nothing, creates a heavenly body from human flesh. When the Lord was in the flesh, did He not turn water into wine?

Is it more marvelous that He creates a heavenly body from human flesh? Is He who created you when you did not exist unable to restore what has already existed?

Therefore, since our nature sinned in paradise, we now come into being through mortal birth by the same divine providence. Yet this is not heavenly birth, but earthly; not according to the spirit, but according to the flesh.

As in birth we bore the image of the earthly, so in that resurrection we are prepared to bear the image of the heavenly.

Since the Greek sects did not agree among themselves, there were some who denied the resurrection and some who said there is no soul. Therefore he also speaks against them.

If there is no soul, as you assert, and yet righteousness exists in the law, then even in your own law it is testified that there is a resurrection.

Therefore, when you declare eternal corruption for this visible body, and say that, being corruptible, it cannot possess indestructibility, where will those receive recompense who crucified themselves here for God's sake?

For the soul, which according to you could receive recompense, does not exist. On the contrary, only the body exists, and you have made it the prey of eternal destruction.

That is, as we have the mortal form through Adam's transgression, having become slaves of sin, so we also receive the form of life through the justice of the Savior, having become servants of piety. This is not from the world, but from God, when we do what is worthy of immortality.

As we became participants in the curse laid upon our forefather made of dust and sharers in his death, so we shall become partakers of the glory of the heavenly Master. For the Apostle said, "Let us be clothed," as a prediction, not as an exhortation.

The image of the man of dust, Adam, consists in the chief vices, such as irrationality, faintheartedness, lack of self-control, and injustice. The image of the heavenly Man consists in the chief virtues, such as prudence, courage, chastity, and justice. But "as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the heavenly."

Those who bear the image of the heavenly Man, and in whom God has dwelt and walked, may be called heavens (cf. 2 Cor 6:16).

"As we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Cor 15:49). As for what the image of the heavenly is, hear what the same divine Paul says: "Who being the radiance of His glory and the image of His hypostasis" (Heb 1:3), the most exact image of God the Father. Therefore the image of the Father is the Son, and the image of the Son is the Holy Spirit. He who has seen the Son has seen the Father, and he who has seen the Holy Spirit has seen the Son.

"Let us also bear the image of the heavenly." The image of the man of dust consists in weakness, deformity, and mortality, which we received from fallen Adam through natural origin. The image of the heavenly Man consists in glory, power, and immortality, which we receive from Christ through regeneration by the spirit (Rom 6:3-4).

"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 that they are of little importance and without effect.

But from the preceding and following words it is clear that the Apostle means here the body "sown in corruption" (v. 42), "in dishonor and weakness" (v. 43), the "natural body" (v. 44).

He means the body formed according to the image of the earthy 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).

"As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." The Apostle said this as a prediction, not as an exhortation, according to Theodoret. We shall bear it, he says; do not doubt. Take assurance of this from the fact that we were clothed in the image of Adam made of dust through natural birth. Having received in the font of baptism the pledge of spiritual clothing in the Heavenly One, do not doubt that after the resurrection in the age to come you will appear fully clothed in Him, according to Bishop Theophan.

The root of the difference among natural bodies depends on their generative seed. The same law extends to human beings. They came from Adam, who was endowed with a living soul (see Gen 2:7), and therefore their present body is natural.

Their future life they will receive from Christ, the last forefather of life, in whom the Spirit of God always rested (see Isa 11:2-3; 61:1; cf. Lk 1:35). Therefore, as those born from Him, they will have a spiritual body (cf. Rom 8:11).

This is revealed still more clearly by the fact that Adam was created from the earth, while Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, came down from heaven. Hence it is clear that, as by the first forefather we were earthly, so by the second we are heavenly.

Instead of "let us put on," the Greek reads, "we shall put on." This seems more fitting with the flow of the discourse.

The Apostle is not writing moral lessons, but explaining the grounds by which risen bodies must be such as he has described them: incorrupt, glorious, life-active, and spiritual. This is the final word of his explanation in this place.

"We shall put on," he says. Do not doubt. We shall put on the image of the heavenly, that is, we shall become such as He is.

Take assurance of this from the fact that we have put on the image of the earthy Adam. We put on the image of the earthy by natural birth. We spiritually put on the image of the heavenly in the font of baptism.