1 Corinthians 16:1-24, Part 37:

This is the closing of the letter which Paul says, he writes with his own hand in affection (16:21).

Having come from just a beautiful chapter 15 about our hope of the resurrection and the victory which we possess in Christ, he ends chapter 15 giving the church a charge to stand steadfast (15:58). This means our future certainty of victory should change our diligence and determination today. These changes and labor of love Paul will now present in this last chapter as

1) Giving faithfully and cheerfully (1-4),

2) Being diligent in missions as seeing opposition as opportunity as Paul did (5-9),

3) The church should encourage its leaders, as he sends young Timothy to them (10-12),

4) The church should stand firm in the faith and gain courage.  A lighthouse does both standing firm and sending light to help others (13-14),

5) The church should honor the laborers among them (15-18) and finally,

6) The church should maintain their love by being in fellowship (19-24). 

The overall beauty of 1 Corinthians teaches us that we can avoid so many problems if we re-focus our love to Christ and love to the redeemed among us.

March 11, 2026

1 Corinthians 15:35-50. Part 36:


From Dust to Glory:
As we look at the 2nd part of the text of 1 Corinthians 15:35-50, the earlier portion Paul argued how our bodies would be raised by God in the resurrection and the second part explaining, why this must be. In summary, it is because corruption cannot inherit incorruption. Coming from Paul’s list of the variety of bodies which God has made, being, mankind, animals, planets and stars, man was made from the dust of the earth in whom God gave life (“…and he became a living soul”). However, the body that must inherit the incorruptible Kingdom to come cannot be a natural body, which we derived from Adam, but the spiritual body which we will receive from Christ.


Even Christ, when He was born, received a human body, earthly. And once He sowed His body in death, what came forth was a spiritual body, glorified. He being the firstfruits of the resurrection, He has sealed and pledged that all who are in Christ, will too, receive the new glorified body at the resurrection when God makes us new.
So we see it is an order that God has designed. And He has not only designed it for us, but He has also designed a new heavens and a new earth upon our resurrection. If you reference Rom 8, Paul goes into detail of how, even the creation is under the curse of their present ‘body’ and travails in birth pains, as we do, waiting for the manifestations of the Sons of God – when we receive our new bodies. Because, at that time, God after He has sent fire and destroyed the earth, 2 Peter 3 and Rev 19, He will restore and create a new heavens and a new earth. This is a new earth, which God will bring heaven (His throne) down to in Rev 21:1 and dwell with His people.
This is the everlasting Kingdom on the redeemed earth and creation with God’s redeemed people with new bodies enjoying the presence of our Lord forever.
So the last two chapters of the Bible relate to the first two chapters of the Bible. God’s people dwell with Him, new, in a new Eden.