15:35 或有人問:「死人怎樣復活,帶著甚麼身體來呢?」
15:36 無知的人哪,你所種的,若不死就不能生。
15:37 並且你所種的不是那將來的形體,不過是子粒,即如麥子,或是別樣的穀。
15:38 但上帝隨自己的意思給他一個形體,並叫各等子粒各有自己的形體。
15:39 凡肉體各有不同:人是一樣,獸又是一樣,鳥又是一樣,魚又是一樣。
15:40 有天上的形體,也有地上的形體;但天上形體的榮光是一樣,地上形體的榮光又是一樣。
15:41 日有日的榮光,月有月的榮光,星有星的榮光;這星和那星的榮光也有分別。
15:42 死人復活也是這樣:所種的是必朽壞的,復活的是不朽壞的;
15:43 所種的是羞辱的,復活的是榮耀的;所種的是軟弱的,復活的是強壯的;
15:44 所種的是血氣的身體,復活的是靈性的身體。若有血氣的身體,也必有靈性的身體。
But someone will ask, "How are the
dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" You foolish person!
What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the
body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own
body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another
for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies
and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory
of the earthly is of another. There is
one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the
stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of
the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
**********
這段經文讓我們明白甚麼是「身體復活」,這讓我們清楚必須要先「死亡」,尤其是現在這個屬肉體有罪的身體必須死了,才有將來新的身體的復活。也因為如此,我們不要害怕我們有一天會死亡,因為死亡之後有復活,而那復活的身體是無罪的,而且有上帝的榮光在其上。
也因此,基督徒要接受我們會死的事實,也要接受我們會身體復活,但非屍體復活,而是上帝要賜下一個新的身體,一個屬靈完美的身體。這事我們勝過死亡、罪惡、魔鬼的盼望。而主耶穌的復活,給了我們這樣的保證。我們要為此歡呼讚美!
也因此,福音要說到耶穌基督的復活,他的復活使我們相信上帝的拯救是確實的,更相信我們將來必真正的復活!