Scripture Blog

This weblog is my personal online scripture journal. I try to read the scriptures each morning as I exercise on my cross-trainer. It has a great impact on my life and my testimony of the Savior and his restored church. The journal is really for my own benefit but I have set it up as a web log in hopes to benefit anyone else that may be interested. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." 1 Nephi 10:19

Thursday, April 02, 2015

1 Corinthians 15

As Paul seems to be challenging some saints in Corinthians who may not believe in the resurrection, he teaches some important doctrine writing -

"...if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:14)

In other words, the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the core essential doctrine of our faith  -

"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:21 - 22)

Paul quoting Isaiah followed with -

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:55)

The true doctrine is the day will come when all will be resurrected.  The Corinthians asked an interesting question -

"...How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?"  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:35)

Paul answered the truth of the matter -

"...God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body."  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:38)

Then explaining -

"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory."  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:40 - 41)

Obviously, one of the differences between these different types of resurrected bodies is glory.  But we learn much more as Paul writes -

"...There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:44)

A natural body being one that is dependent of flesh and blood to live.  A spiritual body (not spirit body) that relies on the spirit to live forever.  Elder Howard W. Hunter explained -

“There is a separation of the spirit and the body at the time of death. The resurrection will again unite the spirit with the body, and the body becomes a spiritual body, one of flesh and bones but quickened [made alive] by the spirit instead of blood. Thus, our bodies after the resurrection, quickened by the spirit, shall become immortal and never die. This is the meaning of the statements of Paul that ‘there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body’ and ‘that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.’ The natural body is flesh and blood, but quickened by the spirit instead of blood, it can and will enter the kingdom.” (General Conference, April 1969)

Knowing this -

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."  (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:58)