Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 15:50
Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul addresses Corinthian believers while concluding his chapter-long argument on bodily resurrection. He delivers this declaration immediately after contrasting the earthly and heavenly likenesses and directly before introducing the mystery of the imminent transformation.
The words — σὰρξ (sarx) means flesh and αἷμα (haima) means blood, together denoting unresurrected human nature. The conjunction καὶ (kai) links them to emphasize the totality of mortal existence that cannot inherit God’s kingdom.
The thread — The phrase “flesh and blood” appears in Matthew 16:17 to denote human origin rather than divine revelation, while John 3:3 and 2 Corinthians 5:1 parallel the necessity of transcending mortal conditions to enter or behold God’s eternal realm.
Why it lands — The text states that unresurrected human nature and perishable bodies are structurally incapable of inheriting the kingdom of God. It requires readers to abandon reliance on physical continuity and prepare for the promised transformation.
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
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Cross-references
- John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
- Matthew 16:17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- Ephesians 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
- Galatians 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
- 1 Corinthians 6:13 “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
- Galatians 3:17 What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:29 What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
- 2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.