1 Corinthians 15:40

[Holly3278]

1 Corinthians 15:40 RSV There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

1 Corinthians 15:40 KJV There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

The Mormons use this verse as “evidence” to support their belief in a Celestial Kingdom and a Terrestrial Kingdom in Heaven. How does the Catholic Church explain this verse?

 

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

Hi

I’m not sure that the Church itself has a specific teaching for this specific verse.

But - in order to understand Scripture, you need to take it in context. Picking a verse out alone and trying to understand it is generally fruitless unless you take it along with the paragraph, or chapter sometimes, as a whole.

Here are the relevant passages (from the NIV just for plain English):

1Co 15:36 You fool! The seed you plant does not come to life unless it dies,
1Co 15:37 and what you plant is not the form that it will be, but a bare kernel, whether it is wheat or something else.
1Co 15:38 But God gives the plant the form he wants it to have, and to each kind of seed its own form.
1Co 15:39 Not all flesh is the same. Humans have one kind of flesh, animals in general have another, birds have another, and fish have still another.
1Co 15:40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of those in heaven is of one kind, and that of those on earth is of another.
1Co 15:41 One kind of splendor belongs to the sun, another to the moon, and still another to the stars. In fact, one star differs from another star in splendor.
1Co 15:42 This is how it will be at the resurrection of the dead. What is planted is decaying, what is raised cannot decay.
1Co 15:43 The body is planted in dishonor but raised in splendor. It is planted in weakness but raised in power.
1Co 15:44 It is planted a physical body but raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 This, indeed, is what is written: “The first man, Adam, became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1Co 15:46 The spiritual does not come first, but the physical and then the spiritual.

Paul here is saying that just as the flesh on earth is different between species, and just as the luminosity and grandeur of the heavenly bodies differ from one another - so will our glorified bodies be different and more resplendent than the ones we have now. That’s the general gist of what he’s saying.

That specific verse might either apply to that idea specifically, or be used as a comparison between what is out in space (heaven) and what is on earth - that each have splendor and glory yet are distinctive.

God has created all with a splendor all it’s own, nothing is left out, nothing is forgotten - all are equally important and all are beautiful in their own way. This is all to the Glory and Honor of God alone.

I rather think that, taken in context this speaks to the eventual heavenly Kingdom being made up of what is now earthly things - namely us.

The earthly Kingdom is already here - that is, Christ within us.

Peace

John

 

[tobinatorstark]

Here is an excerpt from the Haydock Bible Commentary

God can raise our bodies as he pleaseth. He also tells them that there are very different bodies, terrestrial, and celestial, some more, some less glorious, differing in beauty and other qualities, as God pleaseth. As the sun is brighter than the moon, and as one star is brighter than another, so shall it be at the general resurrection. But all the bodies of the elect shall be happily changed to a state of incorruption. (ver. 42.) Here the bodies even of the just are subject to corruption, to decay, liable to death, but they shall then rise to a state of incorruptibility and immortality: And so he answers the second question, that here every one’s body is a weak, sensual, animal body, clogged with many imperfections, like that of Adam after he had sinned; but at the resurrection, the bodies of the saints shall be spiritual bodies, blessed with all the perfections and qualities of a glorified body, like to that of Christ after he was risen. -

Pretty straight forward. I find this commentary to be really helpful, and it pretty much summarizes what I would say.

haydock1859.tripod.com

 

[COPLAND_3]

I don’t recall any Dogmatic interpretation concerning this verse, but St. Thomas Aquinas is purely Catholic and the Church usually is in line with his understanding, or better yet Thomas is in line with the Church’s understanding. St. Thomas says concerning this verse

For the same reason he introduces the diversity of heavenly and earthly bodies, when he says: There are celestial bodies, as the sun and moon and so on, and there are terrestrial bodies, as fire, water and so on. But the glory, i.e., the beauty and splendor, of celestial bodies is one and that of the terrestrial bodies is another: “The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven” (Sir. 44:9). Again, by celestial bodies can be understood contemplatives: “Our commonwealth is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20); by the terrestrial the actives, who are occupied with earthly things. Hence it is said to Martha: “You are concerned about many things” (Lk. 10:41).

1. – For the same purpose he further introduces the diverse qualities of celestial bodies, when he says, there is one glory of the sun and another of the moon. Similarly, there is a difference among the stars, for star differs from star in glory. Furthermore, by the sun can be understood Christ: “But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise” (Mal. 4:2); by the moon, the Blessed Virgin: “Fair as the moon” (S. of S. 6:10); by the stars mutually situated, the other saints: “The stars from their courses” (Jdg. 5:20).

 

[Huiou_Theou]

…
The Mormons use this verse as “evidence” to support their belief in a Celestial Kingdom and a Terrestrial Kingdom in Heaven. How does the Catholic Church explain this verse?

The Mormons are partially correct in stating that there are multiple kingdoms. For even the Catholic church holds that there is heaven and hell (peona damni…sp?).

The one is the kingdom of God, and the other is the kingdom of the damned.

St. Paul, here, is concerned with foolish questions – so, understand, he is contrasting a foolish notion that bodies are NOT raised with a corrected one. The factions in the Jewish community (Sadducee and Pharisee) held opposing doctrines concerning the resurrection – that is, the Sadducee held that the dead are not raised.

see: Matthew 22:23-33

Clearly, some at Corinth had been deceived by the Sadducee apologetic or one very similar to it.
Notice that the topic of St. Paul is that bodies are resurrected and so he must be giving a REASON that the foolish ideas are in fact foolish.

In the last verses of Matthew, Jesus notes to the crowd’s astonishment that God said “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

God’s statement means that, even without a body, the fathers are yet alive.
Because, God says this of the fathers after their earthly bodies are in the grave – eg: that he posses them.
eg:I am the God.

God also says this so very distinctly by NOT referring to “Israel” which could be taken to be the entire nation – rather he uses the curious name “Jacob” – eg: Is-ra-el’s name BEFORE he did evil (Got the better of) God.

This saying is quite mysterious, and is in the indisputable book of Moses which even the anathema Sadducee held as binding. It refers to one of several possibilities – but setting later Thomistic ideas aside for a moment, the proto materialist Sadducee and their pagan equivalent (the Epicuran ) were grappling with the question of “where did God come from” – is “God” made of matter? (pantheistic).

Rather than bring all the details forward, let’s take a look at 1Corinthians again, and recall that St. Paul speaks of the Analogy of the body in other places – that is, we are the body of Christ, and Jesus himself who says "I am the resurrection.

Perhaps you begin to see the consistency?
They are physically dead “in” god to the pantheist, BUT living according to Jesus and the revelation of God to Moses. That God would take on flesh, himself, (to raise it) was simply beyond many of the materialistic listeners. ( … I was listening to my sons science lecture – which stated, “everything is made of matter” – So, It still exists, today…)

This is the difference in necromancy, the calling upon the damned, and prayer to saints alive in the body of Jesus.

Now, look again at 1Corinthians, and the consistency ought to shine forth –

In V:15:32, St. Paul speaks of the Ephesian “beasts” or “animals” – far more than just name calling, St. Paul shows forth his judgment of those who do not believe in Jesus.
Hardly a coincidence, then, that Paul contrasts the flesh of animals with that of man, eg: the necessarily corruptible with that which may be resurrected in verse 15:39.

I think the Douay commentary falls short here, in that it focuses on the Glory of the resurrected body only – and not the eternal shame of those raised to judgment. Those who’s bodies will remain like those of the animals – the dust which the devil may feast on. Satan’s body.

There is also an allusion, which I do not fully understand, to the taxonomy of flesh into four specific kinds. Birds and fish being beyond my understanding at the moment.

But, that St. Paul is classifying bodies is what is important to grasp – not “flesh” when speaking of the resurrection of Jesus.

Note back in 1Corinthians 15:22 that “in Christ shall all be made alive” – His body.
And echoing back to the passage of Moses where the bodies had already died, the mystery of their life is tied again to the body of God. (not pantheistic, though).
That this union is what St. Paul has in mind, that of a man and wife who BECOME one flesh is attested one more time in 1Cori15:25-28 – a passage about subjection to the Lord, as Eve (life) was subject to Adam(Lord).
Eve was told she would return to her man, and also that she would be saved through her children. St. Paul is trying to say the same thing, over and over, in hopes of getting the message across in at least one way.

Thus, there is dirt under Christs feet – whether it be hell under the Jerusalem temple, or (in analogy) from his throne in heaven with his feet standing on the dust of the earth.
St. Paul, I think sums the theology of the body up the most when he says: 1Cori 15:28 – that God will be the all in every thing. The marriage of God with his creation and the obedience of creation to God out of love or, as necessary, out of conquest.

KJV
Revel 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Modified KJV:
Revel 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tent of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

I don’t know what apologetic you have heard from the Mormons, but the images of St. Paul are consistent with his analogy of the body and marriage, and one family. Father, Son, and bride. Perhaps you have specific questions no one has yet answered?