God lovingly created us as unique and beautiful individuals. Paul says that originality will remain intact, even as God renews us to be perfect reflections of Him
READ | 1 Corinthians 15:35-42
Believers throughout history have raised many questions about the Resurrection. In today’s passage, Paul answers queries about how the dead are raised and what kind of body they will have. (v. 35)
Paul begins with an agricultural analogy. If a farmer places a corn seed in the ground, it dies and sends up a green stalk rather than a giant seed. In the same way, the resurrection body is an outgrowth of a dead earthly body. The two are linked: the child of God doesn’t become an entirely new being after death, but is renewed with a perfected eternal body.
Old friends and loved ones will recognize one another because each Christian retains his or her individuality, just as one star is different from another. But the personality and likeness that distinguishes a person will be perfected in heaven. The bodily resurrection is not a makeover to correct “faults” we might find bothersome—like an image in a mirror, our visible looks will have little importance. The renewed self is meant to uniquely reflect God’s glory and His perfection.
Our rejuvenated body will be adapted to the task of glorification. On earth we see that living creatures are designed for their environment. Human flesh cannot withstand cold like animal hide, and small lungs are ineffective underwater where gills function well. Likewise, our heavenly body will be transformed to be perfectly suited for an eternal home.