1 Corinthians 15:46
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Corinthians 15:46
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
Chapter Context
1 Corinthians 15 is a pastoral epistle chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of truth, sacrifice, mercy. Written during Paul's third missionary journey (c. 55 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: The church existed in a prosperous, cosmopolitan, morally permissive Roman colony.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-58: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it defends the resurrection as central to Christian faith. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within 1 Corinthians and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
1 Corinthians 15:46
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
Analysis
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural (ἀλλ' οὐ πρῶτον τὸ πνευματικὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ ψυχικόν)—Paul establishes God's temporal order: psychikon ("natural") precedes pneumatikon ("spiritual"). This refutes any view that spiritual realm is inherently superior or prior to material creation. Creation begins with physical/natural realm (Genesis 1-2), not Platonic eternal forms. God's plan unfolds in stages: natural first, spiritual afterward.
And afterward that which is spiritual (ἔπειτα τὸ πνευματικόν)—The adverb epeita (ἔπειτα, "then, afterward") indicates sequence, not replacement. The spiritual doesn't negate the natural but perfects it. Resurrection is not escape from embodiment but transformation of embodiment. This is anti-Gnostic: matter is not evil to be transcended but good creation to be redeemed.
Historical Context
Gnostic and proto-Gnostic movements taught matter was inferior or evil, created by a lesser deity, and salvation meant escaping materiality for purely spiritual existence. Paul's sequence (natural then spiritual) affirms matter's goodness and God's intentional creative order. The spiritual age perfects, not negates, the natural.
Reflection
- How does the natural-then-spiritual order refute Greek dualism and Gnosticism?
- What does this teach about God's valuation of material creation and embodiment?
- How does understanding redemption as transformation (not escape) from natural to spiritual shape Christian earthly life?