Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 15:49
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian church while detailing the mechanics of the resurrection. He speaks to believers who are questioning how dead bodies will be raised and what form they will take.
The words — The Greek εἰκόνα (eikona) means "image" or "likeness," and χοϊκοῦ (choikou) translates to "earthly" or "dusty." Paul uses these terms to state that believers currently carry the physical nature of Adam before receiving a transformed nature.
The thread — The text's claim of bearing an image runs to Genesis 5:3, where Adam fathers a son in his own likeness, and Romans 8:29, which states believers are predestined to be conformed to God's Son's image. It also connects to 2 Corinthians 3:18, which describes the ongoing process of being transformed into divine likeness.
Why it lands — The verse states that believers will transition from an earthly, perishable condition to a heavenly, imperishable one. It requires a reader to abandon reliance on present physical limitations and align their identity with the future resurrection reality.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Cross-references
- Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- Genesis 5:3 When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and he named him Seth.
- 2 Corinthians 4:10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
- 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.
- Matthew 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.