1 Corinthians 15:35-41
God transforms what is sown in death into a new and glorious resurrection life.
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and, “With what kind of body do they come?”
36 You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.
37 That which you sow, you don’t sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind.
38 But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
God transforms what is sown in death into a new and glorious resurrection life.
Paul answers questions about how the dead are raised by illustrating that God gives different kinds of bodies according to His creative design.
Following his defense of the necessity of resurrection, Paul now answers objections regarding its mechanics. Some in Corinth questioned how resurrection could occur and what form the resurrected body would take. Paul responds by pointing to the patterns within creation itself. The diversity of bodies in the natural world demonstrates God's ability to create forms suited to different environments and purposes, preparing the reader to understand the transformation involved in resurrection.
Greek philosophical traditions often viewed the body negatively and rejected the idea of bodily resurrection. Paul's explanation counters these ideas by affirming both bodily continuity and transformation. His agricultural imagery would have been widely understood in the ancient world.
Christ Is Risen, the Dead Will Be Raised, and Death Will Be Destroyed
Because Christ has been bodily raised from the dead as the firstfruits of his people, believers will also be raised, death itself will be defeated, and therefore Christian faith, holiness, suffering, and labor are meaningful and steadfast in the Lord.