1 CORINTHIANS 15:50 : Walang Physical Bodies Sa Heaven?
By Bro. Nathan
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Cor. 15:50) NKJV
Ang passage na ito ay often understood again na ang material body daw cannot enter Heaven or God's presence, but this however is a bad misundertanding of the context in the way na it was understood litrerally at hindi contextually. this is often ginagamit ng mga JW at ng mga MCGI para ideny ang physical bodily resurrection ni Jesus Christ—and was even used as a proof-text against divine embodiment by saying na "if flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, paano ngarod maru-rule ng Dios at ni Jesus Christ ang kanilang sariling kingdom kung sila mismo ay may physical body?".
if we take the theme of the chapter as a whole, "flesh and blood" refers to a corruptible body, a mortal body that can die later a resurrected body however is uncorruptible (Phil. 3:1; cf. Rom. 6:9; Rev. 1:18). reading in the light of the context, vv. 42-54 reads with breakings :
“So also is the resurrection of the dead.
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; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed ” (1 Cor. 15:42-52) KJV
First, in verse 42, ay sinasabi na ni Paul kung ano yung thought ng section na ito, wherin ang corrupted bodies ay mararaise sa incorruption. in v. 44, Paul provided two classifications of bodies; a natural body, at ang spritual body. now, oftentimes ay ina-out of context ng mga cults ang "spiritual body" by saying na naraise daw sila as a spirit. but we should know first what is a natural body. paul defined what a natural body is sa v. 50—that it is in fact composed of flesh and blood. notice the word blood here, and we know blood makes the mortal body live. ito yung life support niya (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11-14). but however, in the scriptures ay nadedefine ang resurrected body much more different than a mortal body does. the Savior said to His disciples :
“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”" (Lk. 24:39) NKJV
He said flesh and bones, with blood excluded. ang blood again as said is a substance ng corruptible body dahil dito umaasa ang corruptible body, ang resurrected body—being uncorruptible, ay raised in spirit (cf. 1 Pt. 3:19-20). Steven Tsoukalas wrote :
" In 1 Pet. 3:18 we read that Christ was “put to death in the flesh” [Gr. sarki, σαρκι], but made alive in the spirit [Gr. pneumati, πνευματι].” They interpret this to mean that Jesus’ body died, but His spirit was raised (thus He was raised a spirit creature). Rather than speaking about the parts of Christ that died and rose, i.e., His body and His spirit, this verse speaks of the spheres (or realms) in which Christ died and was made alive. In the Greek text we have two datives, datives of sphere. That is to say, Christ was put to death in the fleshly sphere (the fleshly realm, the physical realm where the soldiers nailed Him to the cross), but was made alive in the spiritual sphere (the spiritual realm). Verse 19 follows: “in which [Gr. en hō, εν ω] also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.” The preposition en with the dative relative pronoun hō (“in which”) refers back to the spiritual sphere “in which” Christ was made alive (end of v. 18). Consequently He made proclamation to the spirits in this spiritual sphere (v. 19). Taken this way the verse makes perfect sense." (Steven Tsoukalas, Knowing Christ in the Challenge of Heresy: A Christology of the Cults A Christology of the Bible [Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1999], 211-12 n. 54)
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