1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Bodies of the Translated Dead

Well, today we're finally getting to the last section in chapter 15. It's a good section. So I'd like to basically go back and... Well, first of all, I'll show you the outline, then we'll do some reading. So let's look at this outline, which I've been using from a colleague.

So we start off with the Gospel, and then basically the proof of the Gospel, and the way he kind of divided it up was that this is the resurrection appearances of the Lord Jesus. And then the objectors, we saw a lot of objectors. We kind of saw objectors in two phases, in 12-19. Then we saw the affirmation of the resurrection, the wonderful verses about that Christ was raised from the dead. And then we kind of had a return to the denial of the resurrection, and then answers concerning the resurrection.

This is what Randy did last week. Last week we talked about how the dead raced and we found out that It's like the sower and the seed situation, and that death is involved. A seed or a plant isn't going to grow unless it dies, unless the seed dies. That analogy with the believer, how we need to die our death, and that produces new life. Then we talked about what kind of body.

We're going to read these verses again here, in the second part of that. Today there's two sections. I'll just go ahead and put it all out here. There's a section which I'm calling, which I think rightfully is called the mystery. And this is this isn't it. We're going to find out what this mystery is. And it's pretty obvious from the text, I think, what the mystery is.

But we want to kind of go through that. And a change was required. Our bodies are perishable bodies. We're not suited for heaven. We need to have. immortal bodies or imperishable bodies. And then the last part is a wonderful statement of the victory that we have over sin and death and the law. And then the victory is ours. And so the mystery first and then the victory.

So that's kind of the two sections we'll talk about today. So I'd like to have someone, actually it's a long section. In fact, maybe a couple people. I'd like to read a section that Randy did last week. And then that would be 1 Corinthians 15, 35-49 and then maybe someone else could read 50-58. So a couple of volunteers or if you have one volunteer that wants to read it all, I'm good with that too.

Starting at 34? Starting at 35. You get extra points for this tonight. We get brownie points? Yeah. But someone will say, how are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come? You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

But God gives it a body just as he wished. and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for stars differ from stars in glory.

So also is the resurrection of the dead, It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body. 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.

So also it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul, the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual was not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth and earthy, the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy, and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we will be changed.

For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on the immortal. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O Death Where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Let's just look at his last verses. I kind of went through, in 50-58, I kind of highlighted the places where we had, if you notice when Randy was reading back up in 42, it compared perishable and imperishable. Those show up. smattered all through this section until we get down to the victory section. Constantly comparison the perishable, and we are going to find out what perishable is about and what imperishable is about, and it is pretty obvious from the context that it is the imperishable body that can inherit the kingdom of God, not the perishable body. Let's look at the first verse.

I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. That little phrase, now I say this, is kind of like a review And if you think of this section in some ways, this section is a review of what's kind of gone before, not a total review, but a partial review of what's gone before. And actually, we can look at other other times when I say this or it's actually sometimes it's now now these things. And Paul, as you use that in other places, I just want to point it out. I'm not going to spend a lot of time going in and looking at how. how these other places summarize it.

Let's just look at 1 Corinthians 4.6 and if you look at that, 1 Corinthians 4.6 says, In this passage here, in chapter 4, it talks about, let a man regard us in this manner in the service of Christ, and so on. Then it comes down to verse 6, and it says, Now these things, brethren, I have fearfully applied to myself and to Apollo for your sake, that in us ye might learn not to exceed what is written, and so on. And I found it a little bit hard to see how these was a summary statement.

But in looking through it and looking at what I've said about this, this phrase, now I say this or now these things kind of is a. an indicator that there's going to be some summary information that follows, and it also occurs in 1 Corinthians 10.6 and 1 Corinthians 10.11, and I won't go there for right now, but just something I kind of came across that I pointed out.

So he says, Now I say this, brethren, fellow believers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So, flesh and blood, I believe here, and we're going to look at all these other places too, refers to the body of living believers. It's our mortal bodies. Actually, that word is going to be used too. We'll see that in these verses here, he's going to talk about our mortal bodies, he's going to talk about our dead bodies, and he's going to talk about how God has to change them both. God is interested in every believer, whether the believer is living or has gone to be with the Lord. I was thinking about Ben, he's gone to be with the Lord. He's now in a condition, we're going to talk about his condition right now.

We're going to see from Thessalonians that the dead in Christ will rise first and so on. Paul's constantly going back and making sure that the people that a believer Either what a dead or alive is not forgotten not left out. There's not a loophole apparently It seems like there were questions about that people were concerned Well, if a fellow believer is dead He's not going to make it or will I make it until the Lord and there's some concerns both ways whether I was dead or alive Live long enough. Well, I'd be you know, I'd be ready when the Lord comes some people are very concerned that they're not they're not appropriately suited when the rapture occurs?

Well, the Lord tells us they are suited because He made them suited. Okay, so let's look at a couple of these passages here that use flesh and blood. The first one is in Matthew 16. So, because I'm going to read Matthew 16, and I just have verse 17 here, Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barth, Jonas, for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. Okay, so he's contrasting that people here on this earth, human beings, people that have moral bodies, didn't reveal this, but my Father in heaven did. So they're using a very similar context to here.

How about Galatians 1.16 To reveal his son in me, so that I might preach him among the Gentiles. I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood. Right, so Paul says, hey I didn't go to other fellow believers initially. And then in Ephesians, and we don't have to go there right now, but our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

Let's look at Hebrews 2.14 talking about our Savior.

Therefore, since the children shared flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. So we see in this verse, this is one of the verses that we use to see the humanity of Christ. We see that he is the God-man because it says Christ partook of flesh and blood. So that's one of the many verses that talk about his humanity. He called himself the son of man and many other places.

So flesh and blood definitely refers to our mortal bodies here on this earth. So he starts off right at the beginning that our bodies are not suited for the Kingdom of God. Basically it is cannot, are not able, or do not have the power. They are not suited for the Kingdom of God Earth. Inheritance is to possess to oneself, to receive to obtain, and then Kingdom of God I did spend a lot of time, I kind of thought the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, and there's some difference of opinion about whether those are synonymous, some vertexes being synonymous, and I don't really have a problem with that.

I think in this context, let's first read 1 Corinthians 6.9, and I'll tell you a few thoughts about the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6.9. Knowing not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.

Okay, great, thank you. So, it seems like in this context the kingdom of God probably refers to the millennial kingdom. But I think it could go beyond that. Because in a context like this one we just read here, it seems like it could be broader than that. It probably certainly includes a Millennial Kingdom plus. So I'd say at least a Millennial Kingdom plus, being with the Lord forever. And the new heaven is a new earth. All right. OK. Thoughts on this first part of this?

So he's first going to say, now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot, are incapable, do not have the power to inherit the kingdom of God. So, if you will, this seems to refer to living believers. And I noticed as I went through, he's constantly referring, he's covering both bases, living believers, and now he's going to transition and talk about dead believers. And we're going to see that the way he talks about dead believers is by this word perishable. And it wasn't immediately obvious to me when I started into this, but the more I looked at it, the more I thought, well perishable, I'm going to give a definition here, I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

Nor does a perishable inherit the imperishable. He just said that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, and he says nor, or in addition, the perishable inherit the imperishable. Parish was this word, I won't try to pronounce it at the moment, corruption, destruction, ruin, decay, and actually what you'll see, I'm not sure of some of your Bibles, they'll use the word corruptible and incorruptible.

Does someone have translations like that that use for this passage? Yeah, go ahead and read yours. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. OK, so. So sometimes you'll see. Sorry, that's King James. Right. So, you know, New Yorkers consistently use perishable and imperishable.

And actually, this refers back to the verse that that we read earlier. I'll just read that again. So actually, Paul's already stated this once, but this certainly is a summary and expansion of that. Back in 42, which Randy read forth, he says, so also is the resurrection of the dead.

It is sown a perishable body. It is raised an imperishable body. So right here, looking right here, you kind of say, well, it's an analogy. it's going to die, it's dead. So perishable seems to talk about believers, and in fact actually, I think I used Macaulay here, the word perishable refers to the body of dead believers.

These bodies, due to sin, are neither fit nor qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. So the body that is put in the ground is not qualified. Soul and spirit are going to be with the Lord, like with brother Benjamin. But his body is not qualified to be with the Lord. And what Paul is going to tell us is, not to worry. The Lord hasn't forgotten you. He hasn't forgotten the believers in the ground with these perishable bodies. He is going to give them a new glorified body.

And the same with you. In the first part of the verse, your flesh and blood can't inherit the kingdom of God. He's going to tell us that a little bit later. I'm getting a little ahead of myself. So he covers both bases and he does that consistently through these passages. Imperishable, I'm not going to pronounce that one either. It's incorruption. incapacity for corruption.

And it shows up in all those verses there. So we're going to see it in 53 and 54. Strictly refers to the resurrected body of believers compared with their present body. And the Amplified kind of picks up on that. And actually, the emphasis there is from the Amplified.

Nor does the perishable, that which is decaying. So you can see it's dying in the ground, if you will. inherit or share in the imperishable or immortal bodies. So we're going to see imperishable, immortal, kind of used synonymously to this. More like side by side. Well actually we're going to see a place where it will show up and he'll use it in the same verse. We'll see in a bit here. Alright, so if you're good with that, we'll go on. Behold, I tell you a mystery.

We will not all sleep, but we all will be changed. Has anyone worked in the nursery at all? That part of the verse is used in the nursery. I'll leave that here. Hopefully I won't have to explain that one. Keep thinking about that. If you have a question, come and see me or talk to somebody in the nursery. They'll explain it to you too. That's some good theology. Yeah, it is excellent theology. Especially with kids. Alright. Behold, I tell you a mystery.

This is Verne's famous moose, musterion is the word. This is Verne's chart, he had a moose flying through the overhead. I have one for the main server. The moose returns. So it's a back not previously revealed. OK. Actually, there's a mistake there that actually have a wrong address, as they say. That should be. That should be. Yeah. OK, I do. So let's look at it.

Actually, it's Colossians 1.26.

Colossians 1.26. So let's look at that. Colossians. And this kind of explains Mysterion, if you will.

And can someone read Colossians 1.26? Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but it now is made manifest to his saints. Right. So in a way that kind of explains what that word is, Mysterion. OK. So the question is, what is a mystery not previously revealed? There are probably multiple parts to this mystery. We will not all sleep. And actually, I was thinking about that. The resurrection, remember when... It must have been Mary. Was it Mary who said, Lord, I know that in the resurrection we'll be with you? Martha. Was it Martha? I'm sorry. I know I get it wrong.

Anyway, so it seemed like the fact that they were going to be resurrected was understood. But the part that they didn't understand was the part about the rapture part of this. That seems to be the part. So we've covered this before. The word sleep, novel sleep, is a euphemism for death. Let's just look at one.

This is the Acts passage. Someone read the Acts passage, Acts 7, 59-60. It went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against Having said this, he fell asleep. Okay, I tell you a mystery.

Behold, we will not all sleep, but we all will be changed. So it's a future fact, and God's going to accomplish it. And change is to make other than it is or to transform. So the analogy doesn't quite fit with the nursery. Different kind of change there. OK, so let's look at. So here's the rapture passage, which is we're looking at a couple of times. So let's turn there.

1 Thessalonians 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not perceive those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. So when you combine that with what we are learning now, we kind of get the full stereo effect of what is going to happen.

We need to be changed. We need to be made, other than what we are, to be in the presence of the Lord. So that seems to be, a change needs to happen. That really wasn't addressed, it seems like, in the Old Testament, and I haven't gone through that and verified that exactly, but it seems like, that seems to be the centerpiece of the mystery, that we all will be changed. The fact that there was going to be a resurrection was kind of understood, but the fact that it needed to be changed to be acceptable to God wasn't understood.

You can see that. Other thoughts on this before we go to the part about how quick it's going to be? And see, and this is the part where, you know, men of science, you know, they're in there and they're choosing the Greek alphabet to call different things. And they chose the wrong thing. They decided to call something the Greek word, but they didn't realize that down the road they would be able to negate what the Greek word means. So we'll see this in a second. OK. Behold, I tell you a mystery that will not all sleep, but will all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumps, for the trump will sound. I'll just do that section.

Okay, so here's a word that we're talking about here. Okay, so it's a word We get our word atom from it, basically. But actually, it's a compound word. It's a-tomos. T-O-M-O-S, if that's how you pronounce it. And actually, the A negates it. So it's a negative. It's a negative of tomas. And tomas means to cut or divide. So this is the opposite. That's a negative of that.

It means not to be able to cut or divide. So that's what the Greek word meant. So unfortunately, unfortunately, our scientists decided to call I think they call it Adam undivisible part. Well, what scientists didn't realize that we'd be able to divide it eventually. And then the definition would kind of apply anymore. But, you know, that's, you know, that's what happened. But the idea here is.

It's an instant that can't be divided. The Lord conveyed this through Paul, through the Greek language. This is an indivisible amount of time. This word, fortuitous Adam, is derived, that which cannot be divided. When we refer to time, it means an indivisible point of time, an instant. So how long is the instant?

You can't divide it, so it's pretty small. Well, functionally, only God can do that. Exactly. I like that. Can you say, you know, you have something that can't be divided? I mean, I don't know. It's so small that it can't be divided. Right, you can't divide it.

And that's right, only God can do that. That's good. In nanoseconds. Yeah, well then there's... Not even that. Pico and Pico and keep going. It's funny, he has an instant of time, and then he says, well maybe that's too hard for you, you can't divide it. How about something that maybe you can understand?

So a twinkling of an eye, or actually at least I like the blink of an eye. The blink of an eye you can kind of see us, and actually you can kind of, okay, that's pretty quick. How many times have you blinked your eyes? In fact, if you don't blink your eyes, you're going to have serious problems, especially in this climate here. You want to get the fluids flowing in your eyes. So blinking your eyes is pretty important. So it's pretty quick.

At the last trump, for the trumple sound, I'm just going to stop there. And then basically, I just repeated verse 16, but I did it in the Weiss translation, which I kind of like, and it kind of points out a few things. Because the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with an archangel's voice, with a call of a trumpet sounded, at God's command shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall be raised. So I like what Macaulay kind of observed here.

It seems like there is some kind of simultaneity here. There is a shout, a voice, and a trumpet. And it all happens like BOOM! Obviously a voice takes some time to say that. I am not sure I can put it all together. But all those things seem to occur at the point of the rapture. The shout, the voice, and the trumpet.

God declares now, and all of his army responds. That's pretty good. It's going to be pretty spectacular. When he told Lazarus to come forth, if he just said, just come forth, all the dead would come forth. We try to bring across the original, so the cry of command. God is able to just speak and things will happen. He is going to speak, and with the archangel's voice, the trumpet will sound.

So it's pretty cool, pretty cool stuff. All right. So then the last part I kind of left for another chart. And the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. So here's where I kind of went back in and I said, well, OK. We've been talking about perishable and imperishable. So to kind of keep the train of thought, the dead or perishable will be raised. and we the living will be changed.

I kind of missed that when I first read through that, I missed the we. I said, oh, he's doing this again. He's going to cover the dead and the living. He's going to cover both of them here, but I missed that. Reading through it here again, I thought, well, he's just repeating it. No, he's covering both categories.

The perishable ones in the ground and the living will be changed. and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and as for us it's a little more I like what he did because it kind of pulls it out and you know Paul and here here Paul seems like Paul saying that could happen while Paul was living that's a long time ago right he was expecting the rapture to happen he was going to be with the Lord if anybody understood those passages you know he did so he was expecting it So then I use gospel too.

Gospel says, not every Christian will die before he or she receives a new body. But everyone must experience this change. And I believe that's a mystery. Whether we are alive or dead, when the rapture takes place, we will all receive spiritual bodies at that moment. For this perishable must put on imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

He's reiterating, he comes back around, and we're going to do it again. Make sure you understand this. We're going to cover all of it. I'm going to say it five different ways. You've probably done that. You explain it to your kids. You explain it this way. You look at their eyes. Let's try it this way. Then we'll try it this way. We'll keep going until something registers.

Make sure that they understand this. where the perishable must put on the imperishable. And must is a really strong word here. It's the idea that it's an absolute necessity. And the definition I kind of pulled out of my vines had a necessity arising from the determination, the determinate will and counsel of God.

So let's see how that's used here. Let's turn to John. Actually I have another bad address here. I apologize. It's actually John. You probably know it without even one turn. John 3 7. Does anyone read John 3 7? I do not be amazed that I said to you, you must be born again. OK. And it's the same word, right?

It's an absolute necessity. He's telling Nicodemus, it's an absolute necessity. You must be born again. Of course, Nicodemus, he's just reeling. He says, I have to go back to my mother's womb? I don't understand this. But it's the same word. That must is a very strong word of absolute necessity.

And in the Matthew passage, can someone read that? Matthew 26, 54. I don't think it seems quite as forceful there, but it's the same word though. How then will the scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must happen this way? Right, so if the scriptures are going to be fulfilled, it must happen this way. The perishable, through absolute necessity, must put on the imperishable. So he's just reiterating the point. This must happen. It can't be any other way. Put on, the idea of clothing, put on as clothes, in dude, furnished with.

And let me just write a verse that, let's look at, I'll read Colossians 3.12. 3.12 says, And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. So it's the idea that you must have the appropriate attire for heaven, for it is necessary in the nature of the case.

So actually, what Lise has done here is, he's taken, and I find this kind of neat, maybe it's a little geeky point, He'll try. We will try to take. He's trying to expand that word must. So he he kind of comes back around. He says for it is necessary in the nature of the case. That's his. That's his expanded translation of that single word. So he's put a lot of words in there to try to bring it across. I find that it lacks a little bit of the impact. of the absolute necessity, I'd rather see him say, it is absolutely necessary in the nature of the case. It's got to be. It's got to be. No buts about it. It's a little bit softer in what he does.

But that's one of the things that if you kind of have looked a little bit at the original, you don't have to be a Greek scholar, you can see what the translators do. And when you can do that, I mean, that opens up, we talk a lot in the elders meeting, that's what makes Bible study wonderful because you can look at it and say, oh, I see what's going on here. Because you see a little bit of the original, and then you see, well, here's how the translators are any smarter than us.

At least it would probably be akin to Perry Mason when he was trying to argue a case. Anyway, back to the, you know, they're flesh and blood, right? And the Lord wants to show us through his word. So when you can see, oh, I see what they're trying to do, then you can with the Holy Spirit, you can judge, you can say, well I think that's pretty accurate.

You can make an assessment of that by going that little level deeper. For it is necessary in the nature of the case for that which is corruptible, so here we use a different word, perishable in this case, but same idea, corruptible, to invest itself, put on, within corruption.

And this mortal, so here he uses a word for the living person, living being, must put on immortality. And I kind of picked up, it seems to me that the original doesn't have the other must in there. And they usually put it in italics, they didn't, maybe it's a typo, I don't know.

And that which is mortal, to clothe itself with immortality. So, once again, he's come back around and he's going to cover both bases here again. He's going to cover the ones that are in the grave, the perishable ones, the imperishable. And then he's going to say very similar phraseology, but he's going to use mortal and immortal. So he's just reiterating the point again.

Well, I feel like I didn't mention this last week, and I should have, based on this. But in Genesis, Adam, by his very type, was corruptible. That's why God warned him, don't eat of this tree. Good point. You are corruptible. Christ has no corruptibility. That's not in his nature. He cannot, by his makeup, the fabric of who he is, be destroyed or decayed or corrupted in any way.

That's remarkable. Yeah, that's great. So here he's using mortal and immortal versus perishable and imperishable. Once again, he's covering both bases. The living believers versus the dead believers. The first section we covered was the mystery. The fact that we'll be changed. Now he's going to go to what's called the victory lap. This is the victory lap. These verses follow the victory lap. It is pretty amazing that we're going to be free at last.

So basically 54-58 talk about the victory of the resurrection. Both the perishable and the mortal will put on eternal bodies. But when this perishable, dead believers, will put on imperishable, and this mortal, living believers, will have put on immortality, Then will come the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. As you might guess, many times a lot of the statements in the Old Testament are quotes from the Old Testament, so this is no exception. So let's look at Isaiah 25. I want to read back a little bit. Isaiah 25, and let's read 6-8.

And the Lord of Hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all the peoples on this mountain, and the banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with morrow, and refined aged wine. And on this mountain he will swallow up the covering which is over all the people, and even the veil which is stretched out over all nations. And he will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and he will remove the reproach of his people from all the earth. For the Lord has spoken."

So now I see he's speaking to Israel, but it applies to us too. Of course it's repeated here. So actually we see in here the one about wiping away every tear. I find that very comforting too. Because in your life a lot of tears have been had, a lot of tears have fallen. So it's kind of neat. That's all to be taken care of.

The word swallowed up is kind of a cool word. It's the idea to drink down, and it's kind of two parts, to drink and catalyze down. And actually, literally, it's the idea to gulp entirely. I mean, it's just like, boom, it's gone, gulp entirely, or actually one had drowned. I mean, it's just, it's an overwhelming word. Swallowed up, gulped entirely, Let's look at 2 Corinthians 5.

Can someone read that? For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed. but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. And it's also used in Revelation, too, in that passage. So what I've observed here is that imperishable and metallic express different aspects of our eternal body. Imperishable, we can't perish. Immortal, He uses them both in this passage. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

Could someone read that? Hosea? I wish I could find it. I find that with electronic Bibles I've lost it. At one time I did a much better job. I just can't do it. The problem is you don't You know, there's something about, you can almost do it without ever seeing no tabs, you can do it, but if you find vitals, you push. So that's one of the downfalls of that. You might have Hosea, Hosea passage. Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from my sight.

Okay, now let's also read about this victory. We covered it earlier, Acts 15. I'll read that part. The last enemy will be abolished is death, for he has put all things in subjection under his feet. when he says, all things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is expecting to put all things in subjection to him. So basically the idea here was the abolishing of death. So now let's talk about the sting of death. instead of hurt or referring to death. Sting of death, actually, we see that. The fatal sting of death touches human through sin.

And actually, in Romans 6.23, a very familiar verse, it says, for the wages of sin as death, that's a just payment. So that's the sting. The sting of death is sin. So that's the just wages of sin.

And then, the power ascended as the law. And we see that kind of comes out. Let's turn to Romans here, and we'll just read part of that. And this is pretty, you know, without the law, and I think that Randy mentioned that, without the law, you know, let's just read the passage. Something to say there. I thought I'd just repeat the passage. So I'll just repeat the passage. Let's see if I have my chronic Bible. OK. OK.

7. 7-7.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be. On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the law. So he's going to say this multiple ways. Unless it was the law, for I would not have known about covening if the law had not said, You shall not covet. But sin taking opportunity through the commandment produced in me covening of every kind. For apart from the law, sin is dead." So he goes on, he makes his case all the way through here. What makes sin sinful is the law of God.

So basically, there will be victory over death, sin, and the law. Here's the last two verses. But thanks be to God, who gives us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be... I stop right there. You may wonder why I stop right at be. I'll show you that. But thanks be to God. Making us conquerors, we're more than conquerors.

In fact, that's what Romans 8.37 says. We're overwhelmingly conquerors through Him who loves us. We aren't conquerors in ourselves. I'm not going to go out and storm the gates of hell. Some people say that rather foolishly. But He's making us conquerors. Therefore, my beloved brethren.

This word be is one of these words that you kind of pick up on. I came to love this one through Hal, Brother Hal. He focused on this word genoai. and its essence for a change, coming into a new state of being, to become. So the word be is ginomai, which means to become, and points to the growth in the area about to be mentioned. The continuous growth in the aspect is emphasized by the present tense.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be is going to be steadfast and movable. We're going to grow in these We aren't steadfast and never have to be steadfast and that's it. No, that's an ongoing process. As we take in God's Word, as we trust Him, as we walk by faith, we grow in our steadfastness, our immovableness, and abounding in the work of the Lord. That's an ongoing, present activity of the believer. So that my beloved brother, keep on becoming. So see, here's where we, I keep harping on this, keep on becoming, that's how he brought across that word hinwai. Being steadfast and movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain. So three things here, steadfast, settled, steady, steadfast.

Let's just read Colossians 1.23. It talks about steadfastness. If indeed you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which I Paul was made a minister. established and steadfast. Second point is immovable, firm, not able to be moved away.

Thirdly, abounding, so we are steadfast, immovable, and this is not us being that, the Lord is doing that through us as we walk by faith. Abounding, be abundantly furnished, Note that this is the work of the Lord. There is a verse in there that talks about Colossians 2.7, overflowing with gratefulness. Overflowing is a word for abounding here. Overflowing with gratefulness to the Lord. Summing it up, knowing and being continually aware that your labor is in the Lord, is not futile, is never wasted, or of no purpose.

So many times you think, well, something won't turn out as you expected. And you think, well, that seems like it was a waste. But what God saw, nothing is a waste. Even our failures are a waste. He'll use those failures for his purposes. That's really kind of super. So we don't have to second guess and say, well, this turned out bad. Say, well, Lord, that wasn't what I thought it was going to be. But I guess you had a different idea. And we trust Him for that.

Any last thoughts on these passages? So actually, the two sections remaining, chapter 16, and Bob is going to do the next one, then Randy is going to finish it up here. And then we'll start at the 2nd Corinthians. Actually, 2nd Corinthians is going to talk about the resurrection too. It's going to talk about our bodies some more. We're going to learn some more about our bodies.

Our body is not being unclothed. So there is a section, a point in here where you say, well let's see. The dead believer, his body, his perishable body is in the ground, but so is the spirit of the Lord. So is he unclothed? 2 Corinthians is going to talk about that whole idea of being unclothed. Is that something that happens when the soul and spirit are within? So we're going to address that point in 2 Corinthians.

Actually, I didn't realize that that's going to work out pretty well. That's a reason for coming back. A little motivation there, right? Come back and find out what happens to our brothers and sisters or with the Lord. What's happening now there? Are they unclothed? Well, it's been great for you guys. Actually, this is my last class here Please come on Christmas Day, because actually Bernie's going to be gone and you're going to have me. I have a cool message I've been thinking about working on, so please come if you're in town. So let's close here.

Dear Father, we thank you so much, Lord. We thank you for the blessings we have, Lord. We look forward to you, Lord. We thank you for our brother Ben going to be with you. We rejoice in his soul and spirit being with you. We thank you that nothing is amiss in your world, Lord. You've taken care of the living believers and the dead believers and we're going to be changed and we'll be like your glorious body. We ask this in Christ's name. Amen.