I CORINTHIANS XV

I Corinthians v

Now some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come? Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened, except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that is to be, but the bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind; but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed 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 fishes. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a physical body; it is raised a spiritual body. For as there is a physical body, so also is there a spiritual body. Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is physical; then that which is spiritual. The first is of the earth, earthy: the second is of heaven. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, so shall we also bear the image of

the heavenly. For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL

TO THE CORINTHIANS

II CORINTHIANS III, IV

I Corinthians iv

Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

For if the ministration of death, written and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to pass away: how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory! For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. Yea, that which was counted glorious is now seen to have less glory, by reason of the glory that surpasseth. For if that was glorious which was to pass away, much more is that glorious which abideth for ever. And having such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And we all, with unveiled face reflecting as a

mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them whose mind the god of this world hath blinded, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should dawn upon them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for his sake. Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

II CORINTHIANS IV, V

I Corinthians iv, xv

Now if in this life only we have hope, then are we of all men most pitiable. For unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place. Yea, we have within us as it were sentence of death; that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead. We are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet

not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, knowing that he that raised up Jesus shall raise up us also.

For this cause we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. And I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. For our light afflicttion, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked! For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life. Now he that wrought us for this very thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

Therefore we are always of good courage, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by appearance); we are of good