[Sons to Glory!]

I was driving and listening to my NIV Live audio yesterday and it came to 1st Corinthians 15. I started this thread with the thoughts of "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" still in me. As I heard Paul's words in this chapter about a seed dying before it could come with its new body, it occurred to me that this was certainly applicable to Christ. That is, according to the words of Jesus, the "grain of wheat fell into the ground to die, to bring forth many grains," namely, the church. Consider that as you read these verses below. (below is 1 Corinthians 15:35-49, with verses 39-41 excluded as they seem parenthetical)

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised 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. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving Spirit.

The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.

It's interesting that this passage is where the phrase, "The Last Adam [became] a life-giving Spirit" is used, isn't it? The context, to me, shows that the reason the Last Adam became a life-giving Spirit is for the producing of the church! This is the result of the One Grain dying. The first Adam had a rib taken to produce his wife; similarly, something came out from the Last Adam to produce His wife!

I must declare it again: WHAT HAS GOD WROUGHT!?

Just remembered to add these verses (20-22) from the same chapter:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Again, this whole passage in 1st Corinthians 15 is talking about producing the church!