1 Corinthians 15:44 Meaning and Explanation
“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The body is sown natural and raised spiritual; there is both a natural and a spiritual body.
What Does 1 Corinthians 15:44 Mean?
Paul names the deepest contrast of all. The body is sown a 'natural' body, suited to this present life, and raised a 'spiritual' body, suited to the life of the age to come. He affirms that both kinds are real bodies; the resurrection is bodily, not a fading into spirit alone.
The 'spiritual body' is not a ghost but a body fully alive to and ruled by the Spirit of God, freed from weakness and decay. For the reader, this is a precise hope: we will be raised as whole persons, body and all, transformed for unending life. The resurrection does not leave the body behind but glorifies it for eternity.
1 Corinthians 15:44 in the Original Language
pneumatikos (πνευματικός), 'spiritual' -- belonging to and animated by the Spirit, not bodiless.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 15:44
What does 1 Corinthians 15:44 mean?
The body is sown natural and raised spiritual; there is both a natural and a spiritual body.