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1 COR INTHIANS 16
page 1043
and stars each have another kind. And even the
stars differ from each other in their glory.
42 It is the same way with the resurrection of
the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the
ground when we die, but they will be raised to
live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are
buried in weakness, but they will be raised in
strength. 44 They are buried as natural human
bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there
are also spiritual bodies.
45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man,
Adam, became a living person.”* But the last
Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.
46 What comes first is the natural body, then
the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first
man, was made from the dust of the earth, while
Christ, the second man, came from heaven.
48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and
heavenly people are like the heavenly man.
49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we
will someday be like* the heavenly man.
50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters,
is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the
Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot
inherit what will last forever.
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret.
We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the
blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.
For when the trumpet sounds, those who have
died will be raised to live forever. And we who
are living will also be transformed. 53 For our
dying bodies must be transformed into bodies
that will never die; our mortal bodies must be
transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been
transformed into bodies that will never die,*
this Scripture will be fulfilled:
55
“Death is swallowed up in victory.*
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?*”
56 For
sin is the sting that results in death, and
the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He
gives us victory over sin and death through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong
and immovable. Always work enthusiastically
for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do
for the Lord is ever useless.
The Collection for Jerusalem
Now regarding your question about the
money being collected for God’s people
in Jerusalem. You should follow the same pro-
16
15:45 Gen 2:7. 15:49 Some manuscripts read let us be like.
15:54a Some manuscripts add and our mortal bodies have
been transformed into immortal bodies. 15:54b Isa 25:8.
15:55 Hos 13:14 (Greek version). 16:5 Macedonia was in
the northern region of Greece.
cedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On
the first day of each week, you should each put
aside a portion of the money you have earned.
Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you
choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And
if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they
can travel with me.
Paul’s Final Instructions
5 I am coming to visit you after I have been to
Macedonia,* for I am planning to travel through
Macedonia. 6 Perhaps I will stay awhile with you,
possibly all winter, and then you can send me
on my way to my next destination. 7 This time I
don’t want to make just a short visit and then go
right on. I want to come and stay awhile, if the
Lord will let me. 8 In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. 9 There is a wide-open door for a great work
here, although many oppose me.
10 When Timothy comes, don’t intimidate
him. He is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am.
• Death
1 C OR I N THI A N S 15:42
In our spiritual home, heaven, our
physical bodies would be in the way—
clutter in a “clutter free” environment.
What will our new bodies be like? The
Bible does not tell us exactly, but we do
know that a body fit for eternal life will
itself be eternal, free from the disease
and death that plague our physical
existence now. When aches and pains,
fatigue and stress remind you that your
earthly body is frail, thank Jesus for the
promise of resurrection and renewal.
• Giving
1 C OR I N THI A N S 16:2
The Bible makes the purpose of tithing
very clear: to put God first in our lives.
We are to give God the first and best
of what we earn (Deuteronomy 14:22-23).
What we do first with our money shows
what we value most. Giving the first part
of our paycheck to God immediately
focuses our attention on him. It also
reminds us that all we have belongs to
him. A habit of regular tithing can help
keep God at the top of our priority list
and give us a proper perspective on
everything we own.