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No doubt portions of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul's famous treatise on the resurrection, are read most frequently in the pastoral context of offering hope and sympathy to those who are grieving the death of a loved one. Church orders for funeral services regularly include quotations as part of the assigned ritual or as recommended lessons. In such cases the rhetorical strategy is to provide consolation, not unlike Greco-Roman epideictic Ep`i`deic´tic

a. 1. Serving to show forth, explain, or exhibit; - applied by the Greeks to a kind of oratory, which, by full amplification, seeks to persuade.

Adj. 1. ..... Click the link for more information. letters and speeches of condolence.

Alternatively, 1 Corinthians 15 is read liturgically in the context of the church's celebration of the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord. Surprisingly, however, the Revised Common Lectionary's three-year cycle includes texts from this chapter only twice during Eastertide--on Easter Day itself in Years B and C. Elsewhere, also in Year C, pericopes from this chapter are appointed for the Fifth through Eighth Sundays after Epiphany Epiphany (ĭpĭf`ənē) [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night.  and for a Sunday in late May. (1) In this case the rhetorical strategy is to promote acknowledgment of the reality of Christ's resurrection, not unlike ancient judicial or forensic speeches. Such attempts to prove the resurrection are largely misplaced mis·place  tr.v. mis·placed, mis·plac·ing, mis·plac·es1. a. To put into a wrong place: misplace punctuation in a sentence.

b. , however, since this was not Paul's goal.

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Rather, in the context of his correspondence with the Corinthians, Paul's resurrection treatise serves the purposes of neither consolation nor celebration. Rather, it is argumentative Controversial; subject to argument.

Pleading in which a point relied upon is not set out, but merely implied, is often labeled argumentative. Pleading that contains arguments that should be saved for trial, in addition to allegations establishing a Cause of Action or . (2) It is clearly intended to refute those who denied what is now known as the doctrine of the resurrection. Paul's tone is in turn controversial and polemical po·lem·ic  

n.1. A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine.

2. A person engaged in or inclined to controversy, argument, or refutation.

adj. . He wonders out loud whether his work or the Corinthians' response are pitiful pit·i·ful  adj.1. Inspiring or deserving pity.

2. Arousing contemptuous pity, as through ineptitude or inadequacy. See Synonyms at pathetic.

3. Archaic Filled with pity or compassion.  and wasted efforts (vv. 2, 14, 19), and he does not shy away from Verb 1. shy away from - avoid having to deal with some unpleasant task; "I shy away from this task"avoid - stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something; "Her former friends now avoid her"  calling them "fools" (v. 36). In this contentious context, his rhetorical strategy is to persuade those who hold an erroneous opinion to change their minds and adopt his position. This is not unlike the purpose of ancient deliberative de·lib·er·a·tive  adj.1. Assembled or organized for deliberation or debate: a deliberative legislature.

2. Characterized by or for use in deliberation or debate.  discourse.

The purpose of this study is to identify more clearly the rhetorical outline and strategy of 1 Corinthians 15 and to clarify more precisely its likely impact on Paul's auditors as well as its potential impact on modern readers. Good historical scholarship requires that we attempt to understand as clearly as possible how the ancient text would have been read and understood by its first-century recipients. But good biblical scholarship also requires that we attempt to understand how the text can continue to be appreciated and endorsed by twenty-first--century readers.

First, I introduce the components of an effective address, based on the guidelines of three representative ancient rhetoricians: Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian. Next, I give a history of research and summarize the conclusions of a handful of scholars who have proposed similar rhetorical strategies during the past twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights.     2. . Third, I offer my own proposal for modifying and sharpening our understanding of Paul's rhetorical strategy.

Ancient rhetorical strategies

The prospect of analyzing Paul's arguments according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.

2. In keeping with: according to instructions.

3. ..... Click the link for more information. the standards of ancient rhetorical practices hinges on several key assumptions. One is that 1 Corinthians 15 "is a self-contained treatise on the resurrection of the dead

This article concerns itself with the belief in the final resurrection at the end of time, commonly found in the Abrahamic religions. For other meanings, see Resurrection (disambiguation)

," (3) in other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke"put differently , that it is a discrete, stand-alone item that can be considered independent of its immediate context in the epistle epistle (ĭpĭs`əl), in the Bible, a letter of the New Testament. The Pauline Epistles (ascribed to St. Paul) are Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and . This is less problematic than assuming that Paul deliberately kept this issue until the end of his letter "because of its vital importance" (4) and in order that it could form the climax and therefore the theological grounding of all the subjects treated in 1 Corinthians. If that were the case, one would have to consider not only the rhetorical impact of the chapter by itself but also its force as part of the overall rhetorical logic of Paul's entire epistle. (5)

However, it is not clear that 1 Corinthians 15 must carry this weight, simply because it is not certain that 1 Corinthians originated as a unified whole. One clue that 1 Corinthians may be a composite epistle, edited from two or more originally separate pieces of correspondence, is the way its various subjects are introduced. Of the ten or eleven problems treated in this letter, five are introduced with the phrase [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII ASCII or American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a set of codes used to represent letters, numbers, a few symbols, and control characters. Originally designed for teletype operations, it has found wide application in computers. ] ("now concerning"). This suggests that Paul learned of these issues from written correspondence he had received directly from the Corinthian congregation (cf. 1 Cor 7:1, [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], "now concerning the things you wrote about"). This letter most likely was sent and/or delivered by those identified as Chloe's people (1 Cor 1:11).

The issue of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 is one of the subjects that is not introduced by [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]. One reconstruction of the Corinthian correspondence suggests that Paul learned of the other five or six controverted topics, including the issue about the resurrection, from the visit of Stephanus and his friends (1 Cor 1:16; 16:17-18) and that he responded to those concerns in a separate letter. In that case, we would have no way of knowing in what order Paul originally treated the various subjects. (6)

Whether or not that reconstruction is accurate (and the majority of scholars, even those who partition 2 Corinthians into two or more sources, are inclined to affirm the unity of 1 Corinthians), (7) it suggests the possibility that placing the resurrection treatise at the conclusion of 1 Corinthians may be the work of the redactor re·dact  tr.v. re·dact·ed, re·dact·ing, re·dacts1. To draw up or frame (a proclamation, for example).

2. To make ready for publication; edit or revise.  of Paul's letters rather than the rhetorical intention of the apostle himself. Consequently we will treat 1 Corinthians 15 as an independent treatise, apart from its immediate context and penultimate pe·nul·ti·mate  adj.1. Next to last.

2. Linguistics Of or relating to the penult of a word: penultimate stress.

n.The next to the last.  position within the canonical book.

A second assumption is that Paul himself had been schooled in or at least become familiar with the conventions of Greco-Roman rhetoric as practiced by orators and authors in his day. The mere fact that Paul could write persuasively is not in itself sufficient evidence that he was familiar with the methods of classical rhetoric. In other words, the fact that his letters were preserved and shared beyond the circle of his original addressees proves that he was effective but not that he was a skilled rhetor rhe·tor  n.1. A teacher of rhetoric.

2. An orator.

[Middle English rether, from Latin rh . Furthermore, Paul's seemingly negative assessment of "the debater of this age" (1:20) and "lofty words of wisdom" (2:1, 4) suggest that he would not have valued a rhetorician's skills too highly. (8)

Nonetheless, several factors increase the probability that Paul had more than a passing acquaintance with rhetorical praxis prax·is  n. pl. prax·es1. Practical application or exercise of a branch of learning.

2. Habitual or established practice; custom. : He was not only (and obviously) well read in the Jewish literature Jewish literature: see Hebrew literature. , as evidenced by his ability to quote and discuss biblical texts, but he could also allude to allude toverb REFER TO, suggest, mention, speak of, imply, intimate, hint at, remark on, insinuate, touch upon see see, elude  nonbiblical authors such as Menander (in 1 Cor 15:33). He frequently used such commonplace devices as rhetorical questions and other characteristic elements of diatribes. As a result, in recent decades scholars have found enough parallels between Paul's style and other ancient authors that they have warranted exploring Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon, and Romans, as well as the Corinthian correspondence, from the perspective of rhetorical conventions. (9) In other words, while one cannot prove that Paul studied classical rhetoric, it seems more than likely that he consciously used common rhetorical devices in his writings. (10)

A third assumption at work here is that rhetorical analysis originally intended for oral discourse can legitimately be applied to written texts. In other words, is it fair to treat letters as though they were speeches? For it is not necessarily self-evident that epistles EPISTLES, civil law. The name given to a species of rescript. Epistles were the answers given by the prince, when magistrates submitted to him a question of law. Vicle Rescripts.  and orations function in the same way. (11) Nevertheless, the broad spectrum of ancient letters ranges from those that are purely personal and occasional (some of which are "popular" in the sense that they exhibit the grammar and style of a less educated populace) all the way to those that are clearly meant to be read by a wider public (some of which are "literary" in the sense that their diction is highly sophisticated). Whether Paul's writings should be placed nearer the "popular letter" end of the continuum or more toward the "literary epistle" end may be debated. But the current consensus rightly holds that scholars are justified in using ancient rhetorical categories to interpret his letters. (12)

Since this is the case, the next step is to determine more precisely the genre within which Paul's argument(s) can reasonably be categorized cat·e·go·rize  tr.v. cat·e·go·rized, cat·e·go·riz·ing, cat·e·go·riz·esTo put into a category or categories; classify.

cat . From the time of Aristotle virtually all of the rhetorical handbooks replicated his threefold distinction between deliberative [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), epideictic ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), and forensic ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) oratory oratory, the art of swaying an audience by eloquent speech. In ancient Greece and Rome oratory was included under the term rhetoric, which meant the art of composing as well as delivering a speech.  (Rhetoric to Alexander 1.7-15; Art of Rhetoric 1.3.1-6). (13) Judicial or forensic speeches are oriented to the past; they function in courtroom settings and answer questions of fact: "What has happened?" Their purpose is to argue for a guilty verdict or for an acquittal The legal and formal certification of the innocence of a person who has been charged with a crime.

Acquittals in fact take place when a jury finds a verdict of not guilty. . The orator ORATOR, practice. A good man, skillful in speaking well, and who employs a perfect eloquence to defend causes either public or private. Dupin, Profession d'Avocat, tom. 1, p. 19..     2.  accuses or defends someone; the auditors play the role of judges. Ceremonial or epideictic speeches are oriented to the present; they function in public rituals and answer questions of moral value: "What is this worth?" Their purpose is to assign honor or dishonor To refuse to accept or pay a draft or to pay a promissory note when duly presented. An instrument is dishonored when a necessary or optional presentment is made and due acceptance or payment is refused, or cannot be obtained within the prescribed time, or in case of bank collections, . The orator praises or blames someone; the auditors play the role of spectators. Persuasive or deliberative speeches are oriented toward the future; they function in political assemblies and answer questions of expediency ex·pe·di·en·cy  n. pl. ex·pe·di·en·cies1. Appropriateness to the purpose at hand; fitness.

2. Adherence to self-serving means: : "What shall we do?" The orator persuades or dissuades

someone, to argue for or against adopting a proposed opinion or course of action; the auditors play the role of critics.

Paul's resurrection chapter clearly belongs in the deliberative category, as does most of 1 Corinthians, even though it contains elements of the other two genres. Although the bulk of the verbs in the chapter are not cast in the future tense future tensen.A verb tense expressing future time.

Noun 1. future tense - a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the futurefuture , the entire outlook of the subject is future-oriented. The chapter begins with a narration of sorts (15:3-11), which is a typical feature of forensic speeches, but in this case the narratio is necessary to establish the essential basis of Paul's argument. In the context of a deliberative speech, Paul's purpose is to move his auditors from the position they hold to the position he espouses. Both Paul and some of his auditors--it may not be accurate to refer to them as his "opponents"--apparently agree on the proposition that Jesus rose from the dead; what they disagree on is whether others will also be raised. Paul's task is to convince them to conclude that the resurrection of Christ's people logically follows from affirming the resurrection of Christ himself. But more about that later. Here it is important to place 1 Corinthians 15 within the genre of deliberative rhetoric.

Within the deliberative genre it is then necessary to consider more precisely how such an argument is to be structured. One must determine the logical steps an orator should pursue in order to be convincing. Three representative rhetoricians will demonstrate how effective deliberative arguments are structured. These are Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.), Marcus Tullus Cicero (106-43 B.C.E.) and Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (c. 35-c. 95 C.E.). Aristotle holds pride of place among the instructors in rhetoric; his principles, though not necessarily followed by later orators, were largely replicated by succeeding generations of instructors. Cicero, the famous Roman politician and orator, set the tone for Latin rhetoric in the century before Paul. Quintilian, a younger contemporary of the apostle, summarized and elaborated the subject in seven volumes. We use Latin sources such as Cicero and Quintilian because their Hellenistic models are now lost; both of them based their work upon Greek originals. (14)

Unlike the Sophists Sophists (sŏf`ĭsts), originally, itinerant teachers in Greece (5th cent. B.C.) who provided education through lectures and in return received fees from their audiences. The term was given as a mark of respect. , for whom the art of rhetoric was primarily a matter of using words skillfully skill·ful  adj.1. Possessing or exercising skill; expert. See Synonyms at proficient.

2. Characterized by, exhibiting, or requiring skill.  to persuade an audience, Aristotle (and his mentor Plato) grounded his rhetorical theory in his philosophical understanding of what is good and true. If it is correct, as he argued, that "rhetoric is useful, because the true and the just are naturally superior to their opposites," it follows that "generally speaking, that which is true and better is naturally always easier to prove and more likely to persuade" (Art of Rhetoric 1.1.12). According to him, deliberative and forensic rhetoric employ essentially the same methods

(1.1.10, 2.1.1-4), the aim of both is persuasion (1.2.1), and the two most persuasive types of proofs are enthymemes or syllogisms, which argue deductively de·duc·tive  adj.1. Of or based on deduction.

2. Involving or using deduction in reasoning.

de·duc tive·ly adv. , and examples, which argue inductively in·duc·tive  adj.1. Of, relating to, or using logical induction: inductive reasoning.

2. Electricity Of or arising from inductance: inductive reactance.  (1.2.8, 2.20.1).

Essentially there are only two necessary parts to an effective speech: the statement of the case, followed by its proof. If an introduction and a conclusion are added as aids to memory, a good speech has four parts: (a) an introductory exordium ex·or·di·um  n. pl. ex·or·di·ums or ex·or·di·aA beginning or introductory part, especially of a speech or treatise.

[Latin, from ex , or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], (b) the statement of the thesis, or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], (c) a demonstration of proof, or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], and (d) a concluding epilogue ep·i·logue also ep·i·log  n.1. a. A short poem or speech spoken directly to the audience following the conclusion of a play.

b. The performer who delivers such a short poem or speech.

2. , or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]. Additional elements may include (e) a narrative, or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], (f) a comparison, or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], and (g) a refutation ref·u·ta·tion   also re·fut·aln.1. The act of refuting.

2. Something, such as an argument, that refutes someone or something.

Noun 1. , or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (in the sense of "reproof"), but these merely augment the demonstration of proof and are not properly considered separate parts of the speech (3:13.1-5).

Cicero's earlier and most extensive discussion of rhetoric, De Oratore De Oratore ("On the Orator") is a discourse on rhetoric written by Cicero in 55 BC. It contains the second known

description of the method of loci, a mnemonic technique (after the Rhetorica ad Herennium). , written by 55 B.C.E., does not treat the subject in the customary categories. (15) Instead, in the form of a symposium with other orators, he elaborates on the qualities of an effective speaker and an effective speech. Nevertheless, in several places he names and deals with the various parts of a speech. In two or three short paragraphs he acknowledges the customary three types of orations--in courts of law, in deliberations, and for praising or reviling re·vile  v. re·viled, re·vil·ing, re·viles

v.tr.To assail with abusive language; vituperate. See Synonyms at scold.

v.intr.To use abusive language.  others (Oratore 1.31.141)--and lists these six parts of a speech: (a) an introduction, which gains the good will of the auditors, (b) a demonstranda, which states the case, (c) a controversia, which defines the issues in the dispute, (d) a confirmanda, which establishes proofs for the case, (e) a refellenda, which disproves the opposing side, and (f) a closing, which summarizes the argument (1.31.143).

Later in the dialogue Cicero expands on a few of these ideas (2.76.307-2.83.340). He suggests that a speech should not be structured according to a rigid formula, that more important arguments should be placed first, and that one can use any of three methods of convincing an audience: instruction in matters they do not already know, logical persuasion, and appeals to emotion (309-313). Also, he elaborates at some length on three of the standard parts of a speech, the exordio (315-325), the narratio (326-330), and the statement of the case (331-37).

Cicero's later De Partitione Oratoria, written around 46 B.C.E., is in the form of a dialogue in which he answers his sons's questions with more conventional advice suitable to a 19-year-old beginning his formal education. He acknowledges that well-constructed speeches have four parts (Partitione 8.27). First comes (a) an introduction, or exordium, designed to secure a favorable hearing (8:28-30). Second is (b) the narratio, a clear statement of the case, which is to establish the basis for believing the subsequent argument (9.31-32). The third section consists of two moves: (c) a confirmatio, which presents proofs for the argument that are based on probabilities, definitions, and the quality of the proposed action (9:33-12:43), followed by (d) a reprehensio, or refutation of opposing arguments (12.44-14.51). Finally comes (e) the peroratio, which concludes by arousing the auditors' emotions; it may include enlargements (amplificatio) of the theme or summaries (enumeratio) of the main points, as well as exhortations (cohortatio) to hold fast to the speaker's conclusion.

Quintilian deals with the practical aspects of outlining a speech in Books 3-7 of his massive Institutio Oratoria, which were written under contract to a benefactor ben·e·fac·tor  n.One that gives aid, especially financial aid.

[Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin benefacere, to do a service; see benefaction. over the space of several years. (16) There he proposes that a successful oration, particularly one

delivered in a court of law, should be ordered in the following fivefold fivefoldAdjective

1. having five times as many or as much

2. composed of five parts

Adverb

by five times as many or as much

Adj. 1.  fashion (3.9.1-5). First, (a) a proemium or exordium will prepare the audience to give the speech a careful and sympathetic hearing (4.1.1-5). Then (b) a narratio, or statement of facts, will relate all the pertinent issues and evidence (4.2.1-4). This will be followed by (c) a probatio or propositio, which will offer a series of proofs that confirm and verify the truth of the case (4.3.1-5; 4.4.1-4). Next, (d) a refutatio or partitio will list the arguments of the speaker and/or the opponent (4.5.1-3). Finally, (e) a peroratio will conclude the speech by summarizing the argument or by appealing to the emotions of the audience (6.1.1-8). In addition, (f) an egressio, or digression, may occasionally be inserted for rhetorical purposes but, strictly speaking Adv. 1. strictly speaking - in actual fact; "properly speaking, they are not husband and wife"properly speaking, to be precise , is not to be considered part of the overall structure (4.3.12-17).

At the risk of constructing a list of rhetorical moves that none of the classical orators would have recognized en toto, the items named above fall into a recognizable pattern. Accordingly, a well-outlined persuasive speech would include these steps:

(1) An exordium (or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or proemium), designed to attract the audience's attention and gain a sympathetic hearing.

(2) A narratio (or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) that relates the events leading to the situation at hand.

(3) A propositio (or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or demonstranda), which presents the thesis or states the case.

(4) A probatio (or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or confirmatio), which presents a series of proofs that confirm the thesis. These may include enthymemes or syllogisms ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), examples ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or exempla ex·em·pla  n.Plural of exemplum. ), comparisons ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), digressions (eggressio), and other rhetorical strategies.

(5) A refutatio (or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or refellenda or reprehensio) to forestall fore·stall  tr.v. fore·stalled, fore·stall·ing, fore·stalls

1. To delay, hinder, or prevent by taking precautionary measures beforehand. See Synonyms at prevent.

2.  objections or refute an opponent's arguments.

(6) A peroratio (or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), which concludes the speech by emphasizing the main point (amplificatio), or by summarizing the arguments (enumeratio), or by appealing to the auditors' emotions, or by exhorting them to action (exhortatio). (17)

Now it remains to be seen whether these moves appear to underlie Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 15.

Previous reconstructions of Paul's resurrection rhetoric

Burton Mack's 1990 handbook on rhetorical criticism Rhetorical criticism is an approach to criticism which is at least as old as Aristotle. Rhetorical criticism studies the use of words and phrases (in the case of visual rhetoric, also visuals) to explicate how arguments have been built to drive home a certain point the author or  avers Coordinates:  Avers is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.  that "Paul's famous chapter on the resurrection of the dead is a perfect example of rhetorical argumentation" that interweaves elements from judicial or forensic arguments into an essentially deliberative speech. (18) According to his outline, each section except the conclusion includes both a positive argument and a negative refutation.

A particular value of Mack's analysis is his penchant for noting where Paul's argument is less than adequate. The series of examples--proxy baptisms, daily dying, fighting beasts--is a weak link; they work better as questions than as proofs. The citations of Adam are nearly self-contradictory; first he is the harbinger har·bin·ger  n.One that indicates or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner.

tr.v. har·bin·gered, har·bin·ger·ing, har·bin·gersTo signal the approach of; presage.  of death, then he is the bringer of life. The analogy of the seed is logically inconsistent insofar in·so·far  adv.To such an extent.

Adv. 1. insofar - to the degree or extent that; "insofar as it can be ascertained, the horse lung is comparable to that of man"; "so far as it is reasonably practical he should practice  as a plant's "resurrection" is a natural phenomenon, whereas the resurrection of a dead person would be an eschatological es·cha·tol·o·gy  n.1. The branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind.

2. A belief or a doctrine concerning the ultimate or final things, such as death, the destiny of humanity, the Second  miracle.

Duane Watson made a major move to clarify more precisely the rhetorical arrangement of 1 Corinthians 15 in his 1992 contribution to a conference in Heidelberg. (19) He concludes that Paul incorporated a sophisticated arrangement that includes double refutatio-confirmatio-peroratio sequences.

Insawn Saw's 1993 dissertation (21) agrees with the common understanding that 1 Corinthians 15 is deliberative speech, that Paul sought to persuade the Corinthians to agree with him, and that the issue was primarily a matter of fact: Is there or is there not resurrection of the dead? "Thus Paul sought to prove that there was the resurrection of the dead throughout the chapter." (22) His proposed arrangement includes these steps:

Saw notes the effective ways Paul built up his own ethos, primarily by calling the Corinthians his [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] and by citing his own experiences. Similarly, he also impacted the pathos of his auditors by arousing them to emotions of anger, fear, pity and shame.

Clinton Johnson Jr.'s 1994 dissertation may be the most extended discussion to date of Paul's rhetorical strategy in 1 Corinthians 15. Specifically, he attempts to show "how the words of the text act to move the implied audience [Paul] constructs from one place to another." (23) Both Paul and "some of the Corinthians," according to Johnson, share a belief in the past resurrection of Christ. What they do not agree on is whether there will be a future resurrection for anyone else. From a strictly logical standpoint, one simply can not infer from theresurrection of one person the future resurrection of others. Therhetorical problem Paul faces, then, is constructing the middle term/connection between Christ's resurrection and a future embodiedresurrection that will compel the 'some' to transfer the adherencethey grant to the thesis that Christ is raised to the conclusion thatthere will be a future bodily resurrection. (24)

Johnson emphasizes that 1 Corinthians 15 is a species of practical argumentation. That is, Paul's discussion is not merely a sequence of theological propositions but a skilled piece of persuasion that argues from common assumptions and leads to real-life consequences for Christian praxis. Regrettably, however, Johnson does not explicitly base his analysis of the chapter's structure on the familiar categories of classical rhetoric. Rather, he uses a topical approach to outline the argument: 1 Corinthians 15

1-11 The basis of the argument12-19 The issue and its consequences20-28 Firstfruits and warfare29-34 Futility of action and bad morals35-49 The "how" of the resurrection50-58 Transformation, victory, and labor with a purpose

These four proposed reconstructions of Paul's rhetorical outline show that no clear consensus has yet surfaced that adequately accounts for the effectiveness of his logic and argumentation. (25)

Clearly there is room for another proposal.

Proposal for a more sophisticated rhetorical strategy

The following proposal maintains that v. 12 provides the key to understanding the strategy of the entire chapter. "If Christ is proclaimed that 'he was aroused from [the] dead ones,'" he asks rhetorically, "how do some of you say that 'there is not a resurrection of dead ones'?" In an unusual but effective fashion, Paul uses a rhetorical question to state his thesis. (26) The obvious rejoinder The answer made by a defendant in the second stage of Common-Law Pleading that rebuts or denies the assertions made in the plaintiff's replication.

The rejoinder allows a defendant to present a more responsive and specific statement challenging the allegations made , of course, is that what "some of you say" is an illogical and illegitimate conclusion.

The crux of the matter Noun 1. crux of the matter - the most important pointcrux

alpha and omega - the basic meaning of something; the crucial part

point - a brief version of the essential meaning of something; "get to the point"; "he missed the point of the joke"; "life , as others have acknowledged, is not a debate about the reality of Christ's resurrection. All parties are apparently agreed on the facts narrated in vv. 3-7/8, which establish the resurrection of Jesus and his post-resurrection appearances. What is at stake is whether any one else, particularly those who believe in and who follow Christ, will also experience a resurrection and life after death. The burden of Paul's argument is to prove that those who deny the future resurrection of Christians are wrong. Note this subtle but important distinction: Paul is not initially arguing for the resurrection of believers; rather, he is arguing against the denial of their future resurrection.

Speaking logically, of course, the results are the same. To prove A, or to disprove disprove,v to refute or to prove false by affirmative evidence to the contrary.  not-A, amounts to the same conclusion; in either case, A stands affirmed. But rhetorically the practical effects of the two approaches can be strikingly different. If Paul had said, "I will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt Adv. 1. beyond a shadow of a doubt - in a manner or to a degree that could not be doubted; "it was immediately and indubitably apparent that I had interrupted a scene of lovers"; "his guilt was established beyond a shadow of a doubt"  that there will be a future resurrection for us who are Christ's people," when he had concluded it would have been all too easy for his auditors to nod their heads in agreement, yawn yawnv.To open the mouth wide with a deep inhalation, usually involuntarily from drowsiness, fatigue, or boredom.

n.The act of yawning. , and listen for the next reading. But because he in effect says, "I will prove that those who deny the resurrection are wrong," he virtually compels his auditors to draw the

positive conclusion for themselves. "If those who deny the resurrection are wrong," they are forced to admit, "then there must be a future resurrection for us." The rhetorical impact of refuting the negative may in this case be stronger and more effective than merely affirming the positive.

Accordingly, the resurrection treatise may be structured according to the outline on the following page.

To appreciate more fully Paul's rhetorical logic, several items need additional comment. First, considerations of vocabulary and translation: Nuances in the terminology related to death and resurrection are not replicated as easily in English as in Greek. Paul uses both [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] ("to die, be dead," "death," "mortal") and [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] ("to kill, make dead," "dead"), as well as his favorite euphemism eu·phe·mism  n.The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive: "Euphemisms such as 'slumber room' . . . , [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] ("to sleep, fall asleep"). Likewise, he uses two terms for the reversal of death--[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] ("to wake, arouse, raise") and [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] ("to raise up," "resurrection")--as well as [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] ("to make alive").

In the context of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul uses the "fall asleep" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) metaphor only to refer to Christians who have died (15:6, 20, 51). He uses the [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] stem to refer to a person's cessation of life (15:3, 22, 31) and to the power of death, Death-with-a-capital-D (15:21, 26, 53-56). But he uses [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] to refer to what remains after a person has died, that is, a "dead body" or "corpse" (15: 12-21, 29, 32, 35). (One difficulty with translating [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] as "corpse" is the fact that another New Testament term, [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], is almost a technical term for "corpse," cf. Mark 15:45.)

Furthermore, Paul uses "awaken" or "arouse" or "raise" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) first in reference to the past for Christ (1:4, 12-17, 20) and then in reference to the future for Christians (15:16, 29, 32). But he uses "resurrection" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) only in reference to the general principle of the "resurrection of dead ones" (15: 12-13, 42).

Consequently, an overly literal translation This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.

Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.This article has been tagged since September 2007.  of the thesis and the first proof (15:12-19) would look like this: (12) If Christ is proclaimed that "he was raised" from [the realm ofthe] dead ones, how do some of you say that "there is not a resurrectionof dead ones"? (13) If there is no resurrection of dead ones, neitherwas Christ raised. (14) If Christ was not raised, then our proclamation,

too, is vain; vain also [is] your belief. (15) We are recognized asfalse witnesses, since we witnessed about God that "he raised theChrist," whom he did not raise, if [it is] such [that] "dead ones arenot raised." (16) For if dead ones are not raised, neither was Christraised. (17) If Christ was not raised--your belief [being]worthless--you are still in your sins. (18) And consequently thoseasleep in Christ are lost. (19) If only in this life we are hopers inChrist, we are of all people most pitiful.

Second, the precise nature of what it is that "some" of the Corinthians deny is not entirely clear. Did they deny the possibility of any future existence after death? Did they affirm that the resurrection has already occurred, perhaps at baptism? Did they maintain that any future life after death pertains only to the "soul," not to the "body"? The fact that Paul's refutatio (15: 35-49) goes to such lengths to affirm a bodily resurrection, of whatever sort, suggests that the chief point of contention for "some" had to do with what happens after a "body" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) dies and the person becomes a "dead one," a "corpse" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]). (27)

People in the Greco-Roman world The Greco-Roman or Graeco-Roman World, as understood by medieval and modern scholars, geographers and miscellaneous writers, refers to those geographical regions and countries who were directly, protractedly and intimately influenced by the language, culture, government and  of Paul's day held an almost bewildering be·wil·der  tr.v. be·wil·dered, be·wil·der·ing, be·wil·ders1. To confuse or befuddle, especially with numerous conflicting situations, objects, or statements. See Synonyms at puzzle.

2. ..... Click the link for more information. variety of views about what could or could not happen after death. Some gave credence to stories about resuscitated re·sus·ci·tate  v. re·sus·ci·tat·ed, re·sus·ci·tat·ing, re·sus·ci·tates

v.tr.To restore consciousness, vigor, or life to. See Synonyms at revive.

v.intr.To regain consciousness.  bodies; some imagined the souls of the dead existing as shades in the underworld; some held to the extinction of both soul and body. But for all educated inhabitants

:This article is about the video game. For Inhabitants of housing, see ResidencyInhabitants is an independently developed commercial puzzle game created by S+F Software. DetailsThe game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. ..... Click the link for more information. of the Roman Empire, one point was clear: any notion of a resurrection of the body would have been not only ridiculous but objectionable on philosophical grounds. (28) If the self-styled "wise" members of the Corinthian community (cf. 1:18-31) are identical with the "some of you" with whom Paul is dialoguing (15:12), the argument about the resurrection of bodies is not just about hopes for life after death. It is also about the class divisions within the Corinthian church.

According to a common line of Greek thought, later adopted by the Gnostics, the body ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) is the prison of the soul ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]); at death the soul shakes off the confining clothing of the body and in a "naked" state ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) enjoys eternal life and freedom. Paul stands that logic on its head. In his analogy of bodies and seeds, it is the seed that is "naked" (15:37), not the soul. Furthermore, "soul" is associated with the body that is "sown sown  v.A past participle of sow1.

Adj. 1. sown - sprinkled with seed; "a seeded lawn"seeded

planted - set in the soil for growth " or buried; the body that is raised, on the other hand, is associated with "spirit" (15:44). This results in an antithesis between the earthly "soul-directed body" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) and the heavenly "spirit-directed body" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]). (The NRSV NRSV New Revised Standard Version (Bible)  translation of the former as a "physical body" is misleading.)

The concept of a "spiritual body," of course, is an oxymoron, which Paul apparently uses effectively to underscore the radical eschatological nature of his resurrection teaching. This explains why "flesh and blood" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], 15:50) are not able to "inherit" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) God's kingdom. To inherit something implies a natural order of things, whereby one receives something as a matter of course. What is required for a resurrection, however, is not the normal process of inheriting but a radical moment of alteration and changing ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], 15:51).

Third, the conceptual context of Paul's argument must be clarified. He was not arguing in a general way about the possibility or likelihood that all human beings will experience a resurrection from the state of death. Rather, he was more of a narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete.  than a philosopher. That is, he was not so much concerned to establish a belief in life after death as a kind of universal truth as he was to insist that for those who are "in Christ" there will be a raising of their bodies, a resurrection of their corpses. In other words, the story of Christ will be replicated in the stories of those who belong to him: both move toward resurrection.

Consequently, Paul's hope for resurrection is anchored in his eschatological perspective: everything is moving toward an ultimate goal, in which God is the consummation (15:20-28). This eschatological perspective also accounts for the way he describes the conclusion of the story in apocalyptic terms (15:50-56): This is all a "mystery," which will be signaled by trumpet blasts and will result in the ultimate victory over Death. The point is that "immortality" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], literally "non-deadness") will be predicated of believers' bodies after the resurrection, when all are to be "changed" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]). By implication, immortality is thus not a natural quality of souls, which enables souls to exist even after death. (29)

To summarize, the rhetorical impact of 1 Corinthians 15 derives from the way it follows the conventional strategy of a Greco-Roman deliberative treatise or speech. After narrating the events of Christ's resurrection, about which both Paul and "all" of the Corinthians are in agreement, he uses a rhetorical question to establish his thesis, namely, that "some" who deny the possibility of a resurrection of dead people are wrong. This is followed by a series of proofs: A syllogistic syllogistic

Formal analysis of the syllogism. Developed in its original form by Aristotle in his Prior Analytics c. 350 BC, syllogistic represents the earliest branch of formal logic. Syllogistic comprises two domains of investigation.  argument shows that such a denial leads to a pitiful predicament for all concerned; a comparison between Adam who brings death and Christ who brings life shows that Christ's rising is the "firstfruits" for all his people; a citation of Ps 8:6 supports the contention that death will be the last enemy destroyed by Christ; and a pair of ad hominem [Latin, To the person.] A term used in debate to denote an argument made personally against an opponent, instead of against the opponent's argument.  examples suggest that the Corinthians' vicarious vicarious /vi·car·i·ous/ (vi-kar´e-us)1. acting in the place of another or of something else.

2. occurring at an abnormal site.

vi·car·i·ousadj.1.  baptisms (30) and Paul's own risk taking would be pointless without the prospect of resurrection.

At that point the argument turns into a refutation of a potential objection. In the style of a diatribe di·a·tribe  n.A bitter, abusive denunciation.

[Latin diatriba, learned discourse, from Greek diatrib  Paul rebukes an imaginary opponent who implies that one cannot define the kind of bodies which resurrected dead people would have. An analogy from nature compares seeds that are sown to bodies that are buried; in both cases an "earthly sowing" is followed by a "heavenly raising." An extended comparison asserts that "ensouled" bodies will be raised as "inspirited" bodies, and a contrived citation of Gen 2:7 continues the comparison to affirm that those who bear the image of the "second man" who is spiritual and heavenly are no longer in the realm of the "first man" who was merely "ensouled" and earthly.

The conclusion is a positive argument, based on conflated citations of Isa 25:8 and Hos 13:14, that uses the images of apocalyptic mysteries to affirm that in the end those who are in Christ will be changed and will put on immortality, and the victory will be Christ's. So the final exhortation is an appeal for the auditors to remain faithful in "the work of the Lord."

The continuing rhetorical impact of 1 Corinthans 15

No additional evidence exists to determine whether Paul's rhetorical strategy worked. Both he and those who are merely identified as "some of you" apparently were in agreement in asserting that Christ had been "raised on the third day" after he had died. Some of his auditors, however, did not share his belief that those who are in Christ will also experience a resurrection at some point in the future after they have died. His goal, then, was to argue in such a way that they would change their minds and agree with his belief. Whether his strategy was successful remains undetermined.

However, the fact that his resurrection treatise was retained as part of the redaction See redact. of his correspondence indicates that Paul's rhetoric was persuasive, at least to some members of the Corinthian community. (In fact, if 2 Corinthians 5--with its language about "putting off this earthly tent" in order to "put on the heavenly building"--is to some degree a corrective to the way the Corinthians understood 1 Corinthians 15, Paul may have been too persuasive!) (31) Furthermore, the fact that these heavily redacted Pauline epistles were included within the canonical collection of Christian scriptures indicates that his resurrection beliefs have validity beyond the immediate situation in Corinth that occasioned the apostle's response. The question is whether Paul's arguments remain persuasive today.

On the one hand, because portions of 1 Corinthians 15 continue to be quoted both at funerals and at Easter celebrations one may assume that contemporary communities still resonate res·o·nate  v. res·o·nat·ed, res·o·nat·ing, res·o·nates

v.intr.1. To exhibit or produce resonance or resonant effects.

2.  with Paul's words and find them helpful. These quotations are usually of the sections that affirm the resurrection, whether of Christ himself or of Christians in general, or describe the nature of the believers' resurrection bodies, or anticipate the eschatological victory over death. They are quoted because they support and affirm conventional hopes for life after death.

On the other hand, it is not clear that Paul's rhetoric would persuade anyone who did not already agree both with his premise (namely, that Christ was raised) and with his conclusion (namely, that Christians will also be raised). In today's modern world rigorous historical research rightly questions whether Jesus' purported resurrection can be in any sense considered a factum [Latin, Fact, act, or deed.] A fact in evidence, which is generally the central or primary fact upon which a controversy will be decided.  in history. Likewise, more sophisticated biomedical research Biomedical research (or experimental medicine), in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research or applied research conducted to aid the body of knowledge in the field of medicine.  into cell structure, DNA DNA: see nucleic acid.

DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid

One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all

living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes.  and the human genome The human genome is the genome of Homo sapiens, which is composed of 24 distinct pairs of chromosomes (22 autosomal + X + Y) with a total of approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs containing an estimated 20,000–25,000 genes. , and the electrochemical electrochemical /elec·tro·chem·i·cal/ (-kem´i-k'l) pertaining to interaction or interconversion of chemical and electrical energies.

e·lec·tro·chem·i·caladj.  workings of the human brain questions whether it makes any sense to imagine that the materiel ma·te·ri·el or ma·té·ri·el  n.The equipment, apparatus, and supplies of a military force or other organization. See Synonyms at equipment.  of a physical human body could ever be made alive again after heart, lung, and brain functions have ceased. If human personality is a function of the thought processes This is a list of thinking styles, methods of thinking (thinking skills), and types of thought. See also the List of thinking-related topic lists, the List of philosophies and the .  encoded in the neurons NeuronsNerve cells in the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord that connect the nervous system and the muscles.

Mentioned in: Speech Disorders  of the brain, in what sense can it reasonably be said that a "person" somehow survives the cessation of life, the experience of death? And in what sense could such a survived or revived personality be "embodied"? (32) The likelihood that Paul's rhetoric could be persuasive in such a context is no doubt minimal.

Nevertheless, it may be that Paul's rhetorical strategy can still be persuasive on another level. To the degree that one can use descriptive language in an "illogical" yet compelling way to express personal resolve or commitment, Paul's resurrection language may be the most effective way of expressing one's determination to live as if Christ has been raised and as if his people can anticipate their own resurrection(s). The fact that Paul used apocalyptic analogies to discuss this subject indicates that straightforward scientific description is not adequate to the task. Thus, resurrected bodies will be like seeds sown and sprouting, only more so, and with a difference. In the present condition human bodies are inferior, earthly, physical, etc.; in the eschatological transformation they will be superior, heavenly, spiritual, etc. As a way of affirming both the continuity between life in the here-and-now and life in the hereafter, as well as the radical difference between the two states, resurrection-of-the-body language may be the best alternative available.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Furthermore, because Paul structures his entire argument within an existential narrative context (rather than framing it in philosophical ontological terms), and because he limits his focus to the future of those people who are "in Christ" (rather than discussing the after-death fate of all people in general), his rhetoric remains persuasive to those who at some level share his affection for Christ and his commitment to the radical impact of the gospel. The result is that Paul's

argument may not be "persuasive" in the sense that it would compel nonbelievers to change their opinion and to adopt a posture of faith. Nevertheless, his discussion may serve to inform and support those who are inclined to affirm or who want to believe in the hope of life after death. In this case, his treatise would serve to emphasize the "embodied" character of that future life and thereby give such hope a greater degree of substance.

Hermeneutical postscript

This study is a project inspired by the 2001-2002 Pastor-Theologian Program of the Center of Theological Inquiry at Princeton. The theme for the year's discussions was a "Theological Reading of Scripture--Especially Its Witness to the Resurrection." The choice of 1 Corinthians 15, the only chapter in the Christian Scriptures that discusses the resurrection at significant length, is obvious. The choice of a rhetorical analysis of this chapter (rather than an overtly theological analysis, for example) invites an explanation.

The theme was occasioned by what some would call a "crisis of faith in the contemporary church," which in large part is due to a significant loss of biblical literacy, both within the church as well as throughout our so-called post-Christian and postmodern society. One imagines that in previous generations Americans generally had a working knowledge of the narrative flow of the Bible. They may not have believed the stories or even held to traditional doctrinal systems, but by and large they knew the Scriptures' leading characters and many of the key stories.

Conventional wisdom has it that members of the Baby Boomer baby boomer also ba·by-boom·ern.A member of a baby-boom generation.

Noun 1. baby boomer - a member of the baby boom generation in the 1950s; "they expanded the schools for a generation of baby boomers"boomer  generation (born roughly between 1945 and 1965) abandoned the churches of their parents' Builder generation (born before 1945), although they retained a memory of the church and its traditions. However, the Boomers' children, popularly called the Baby Busters (born between 1965 and 1985), have grown up without significant involvement in the church and consequently have little memory of the church's beliefs or its biblical heritage. No one realistically expects conditions to improve for the emerging Bridge generation (born between 1985 and 2005). As a result we no longer possess the two key ingredients necessary for forming a cohesive society, namely, a heritage of stories and songs we all share in common.

Furthermore, within the span of fifty years, from the end of the World Wars to the turn of the new century, academic biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures.  themselves have undergone a significant evolution. Using the techniques of source criticism and form criticism, historical-critical scholarship analyzed biblical pericopes and looked through them to reconstruct the history of the traditions that lay behind the canonical documents. In reaction, the synthesizing approaches of the 1960s and 1970s used redaction-critical analysis to bring the

focus back onto the broader scope and the theological impact of the scriptural scrip·tur·al  adj.1. Of or relating to writing; written.

2. often Scriptural Of, relating to, based on, or contained in the Scriptures.  documents. Within the past twenty years the techniques of narrative criticism and rhetorical criticism have led to a true literary-critical brand of scholarship that allows us to focus on the aesthetic world created by the texts themselves. Such literary analysis, especially the subspecies subspecies, also called race, a genetically distinct geographical subunit of a species. See also classification.  known as reader-response criticism Reader-response criticism is a group of approaches to understanding literature that emphasizes the reader's role in creating the meaning and experience of a literary work. More specifically, reader-response criticism refers to a group of critics who study, not a literary work, but readers , holds great promise for helping contemporary Americans recapture the vision that comes from a sympathetic reading of the Bible.

Furthermore, understanding how narratives and rhetorical arguments work helps us better appreciate how the biblical documents function in an authoritative way in the life of the church. A good story well told has an inherent power for capturing an auditor's imagination and taking hold in one's life. Similarly, the logic in a well-crafted discourse has the innate capacity to affect one's way of thinking. In the present case, paying closer attention to the rhetorical strategy of the argument in 1 Corinthians 15 helps us understand how this biblical treatise continues to instil in·still also in·stil  tr.v. in·stilled, in·still·ing, in·stills also in·stils1. To introduce by gradual, persistent efforts; implant: "Morality . . .  in us the assurance of a bodily resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15

1-2 Exordium How the Corinthians received the gospel3-11 Narratio How the resurrection kerygma came to them 12-19 Issue Some deny the resurrection 20 Fact & Thesis Christ was raised, the firstfruits of the dead21-50 Argument 21-28 Paradigms As Adam brought death, so Christ brought life Opposite Each in their own order 29-34 Examples Baptizing for the dead; dying for the gospel; fighting beasts at Ephesus 35-44 Analogies Seed dies and comes alive; different kinds of bodies 45-50 Citation Genesis account of creation of Adam51-58 Conclusion Narrative of eschatological resurrection; scriptural citation; thanksgiving; exhortation

1 Corinthians 15

1-2 Exordium introduces the topics to be developed in the remainder 3-11 Narratio recites past events to facilitate decisions about future events12-34 First Refutatio-Confirmatio/Probatio 12-19 Refutatio denies the "fact" proposed by the opposition 20-28 Confirmatio uses a "complete argument" to amplify the main

theme 29-34 Peroratio summarizes the main points and arouses pathos for the case35-37 Second Refutatio-Confirmatio/Probatio 35-44a Refutatio begins with two rhetorical questions of the opponents 44b-49 Confirmatio 1st Part--proves with examples based on the Adam vs. Christ 50-57 Confirmatio 2nd Part--another "complete argument" proves the theme58 Peroratio again summarizes and arouses emotion (20)

1 Corinthians 15 An Argument for the Resurrection of the Dead

1-2 Exordium preparations for the proof: the shared gospel 3-11 Narratio of the resurrection of Christ12 Partitio arguments13-32a Probatio for the resurrection32b-34 Exhortatio of the dead35-49 Refutatio refutation of the difficulties of arguing for the resurrection50-57 Peroratio final argument based on the necessity of our change58 Exhortatio conclusion

1 Corinthians 15 A Refutation of the Denial of the Resurrection of the Dead

1-2 Exordium Introduction appeal Remember the Gospel I preached and you received. 3-11 Narratio Statement of the facts 3-8 narration Christ rose from the dead and was seen by many people. 9-11 example I [Paul] was the last to whom Christ appeared.12 Propositio Thesis expressed in negative terms question If Christ rose, how can there be "no resurrection"?13-34 Probatio Demonstration of proofs 13-19 syllogism If Christ were not raised, our religion and life are futile and pitiful. 20-25 comparison As all died "in Adam," so all "in Christ" will be raised. 26-28 citation At Christ's coming, "death" will be the last enemy to be destroyed. 29-34 examples You would not "baptize for the dead" and I would not risk my life if we didn't believe in a resurrection.35-49 Refutatio Refutation of potential objections 35-38 diatribe It is foolish to try to figure out what kind of body we will have after the resurrection. 39-41 analogy We will be "sown terrestrial" and "raised heavenly." 42-44a comparison What is sown perishable, dishonored, weak and "ensouled" will be raised imperishable, glorious, powerful and "inspirited."

44b-45 citation The "first Adam" was physical and earthily; 46-49 comparison the "second Adam" is spiritual and heavenly, and we are in his image.50-57 Peroratio Conclusion expressed in positive terms 50-53 amplification At the end, God will change us; we will put on immortality. 54-57 citation Then death, sin and law will be overcome through Christ.58 Exhortatio Final appeal exhortation So keep on working confidently.

1. Indexes for Worship Planning: Revised Common Lectionary The Revised Common Lectionary is a lectionary of readings or pericopes from the Bible for use in Christian Worship, making provision for the liturgical year with its pattern of observances of festivals and seasons. , Lutheran Book of Worship, With One Voice, comp. M. K. Stuliken and M. A. Seltz (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Augsburg Fortress is the official publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and also publishes for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) as Augsburg Fortress Canada. , 1996), 182.

2. An obvious but often overlooked point underscored by Prof. Charles B. Cousar at the Central Seminar of the Pastor-Theologian Program at Galena galena (gəlē`nə) or lead glance, lustrous, blue-gray mineral crystallizing usually in cubes, sometimes in octahedrons. It is the most important ore and the principal source of lead. , IL, on Oct. 21, 2001. See also the chapter, "Jesus' Death and Resurrection," in his A Theology of the Cross The Theology of the Cross (Theologia Crucis) is a term coined by the theologian Martin Luther to refer to theology which points to the cross as the only source of knowledge who God is and how God saves. : The Death of Jesus in the Pauline Letters (OBT OBT Oregon Ballet TheatreOBT Optimized Background TherapyOBT Orange Blossom TrailOBT Organically Bound TritiumOBT On-Board TrainingOBT Oakbrook TerraceOBT On-Board TrainerOBT Optical Burst TransportOBT Objective-Based Training ; Minneapolis: Fortress, 1990) 88-108.

3. So H. Conzelmann, I Corinthians Noun 1. I Corinthians - a New Testament book containing the first epistle from Saint Paul to the church at CorinthFirst Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, First Epistle to the Corinthians , trans. J. W. Leitch, ed. G. W. MacRae; Hermeneia, ed. H. Koester (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1975), 249.

4. So A. Robertson and A. Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical ex·e·get·ic   also ex·e·get·i·caladj.Of or relating to exegesis; critically explanatory.

ex  Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Paul St. Paul

as a missionary he fearlessly confronts the “perils of waters, of robbers, in the city, in the wilderness.” [N.T.: II Cor. 11:26]

See : Bravery  to the Corinthians, 2nd ed.; ICC ICC

See: International Chamber of Commerce  (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1914), 328.

5. M. M. Mitchell, Paul and the Rhetoric of Reconciliation: An Exegetical Investigation of the Language and Composition of 1 Corinthians, HUT 28 (Tubingen: J.C.B. Mohr/Paul Siebeck, 1991), undertakes such a holistic task and argues that 1 Corinthians is deliberative rhetoric designed to counteract the factionalism within the Corinthian community. According to her, 1 Cor 1:10 is the [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]; 1:11-17, the [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]; 1:18-15:57, the [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]; and 15:58, the [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]. R. D. Anderson Jr., Ancient Rhetorical Theory and Paul, Biblical Exegesis exegesis

Scholarly interpretation of religious texts, using linguistic, historical, and other methods. In Judaism and Christianity, it has been used extensively in the study of the Bible. Textual criticism tries to establish the accuracy of biblical texts.  & Theology 18 (The Haag: CIP-Gegevans Koninkluke, 1996), 238, argues against Mitchell that 1 Corinthians "cannot be analyzed in terms of sustained rhetorical argumentation." B. Witherington III, Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians (Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, city (1990 pop. 189,126), seat of Kent co., SW central Mich., on the Grand River; inc. 1850. The second largest city in the state, it is a distribution, wholesale, and industrial center for an area that yields fruit, dairy products, farm produce, : Eerdmans, 1995), also offers a rhetorical outline of the entire epistle: 1:10 is the propositio; 1:11-17, the narratio; 1:18-16:12 the probatio, with nine topics and two eggressiones (i.e., chaps. 9 and 13); and 16:13-18, the peroratio.

6. W. Schmithals, Gnosticism in Corinth: An Investigation of the Letters to the Corinthians, trans. J. E. Steely steel·y  adj. steel·i·er, steel·i·est1. Made of steel.

2. Resembling steel, as in color or hardness: steely eyes.  (Nashville: Abingdon, 1971), 87-113, argues that the Corinthian correspondence originally consisted of six individual letters. R. Jewett, "The Redaction of I Corinthians and the Trajectory of the Pauline School," JAARSup 44 (1978): 390-435, offers a revision of Schmithals' hypothesis that posits seven original Corinthians letters. E. S. Fiorenza, "Rhetorical Situation and Historical Reconstruction in 1 Corinthians," NTS NTS National Technical SystemsNTS National Trust for ScotlandNTS Nevada Test SiteNTS NT Server (Microsoft Windows)nts Not the Same

NTS National Traffic System (amateur radio)  33 (1987): 386-403, agrees that Chloe's people were the official representatives and brought the letter to Paul and that Stephanus brought the oral gossip; she notes, however, that many other scholars reverse the two, with Stephanus as the letter carrier and Chloe's group as the oral reporters. For a significantly different reconstruction see J. M. Gilchrist, "Paul and the Corinthians--The Sequence of Letters and Visits," JSNT JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament  34 (1988): 47-69.

7. J. C. Hurd, Jr., The Origin of 1 Corinthians, new ed. (Macon, GA: Mercer, 1983), offers a comprehensive survey of all previous partition theories and then argues that 1 Corinthians is a unified whole. As such it responds to information Paul received in both written and oral forms, from several parties--Stephanus, Fortunatus, Achaicus, and Chloe. They, in turn, were responding to a previous letter, now lost, which Paul had sent to the Corinthians to supplement his original preaching when he had founded the congregation.

8. H. D. Betz, "The Problem of Rhetoric and Theology according to the Apostle Paul," in L'Apotre Paul: Personnalite, Style et Conception du Ministere, ed. A. Vanhoye (Leuvenz, 1986), 16-48.

9. For a summary of such attempts see S. E. Porter, "Paul of Tarsus and His Letters," chap. 18 in Handbook of Classical Rhetoric in the Hellenistic Period The Hellenistic period (4th - 1st century BC) is a period in the times in world history history of the Mediterranean region usually considered to stretch from the death of Alexander the Great to the defeat of Cleopatra. ..... Click the link for more information. 330 B.C.-A.D. 400, ed. S. E. Porter (Leiden: Brill Brill or Bril, Flemish painters, brothers.

Mattys Brill (mä`tīs), 1550–83, went to Rome early in his career and executed frescoes for Gregory XIII in the Vatican. , 1997), 533-85. Also C. J. Classen, "Paul and the Terminology of Ancient Greek Noun 1. Ancient Greek - the Greek language prior to the Roman EmpireGreek, Hellenic, Hellenic language - the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages ..... Click the link for more information. Rhetoric," chap. 2 in Rhetorical Criticism of the New Testament, WUNT 128 (Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2000), 29-44.

10. Anderson concludes, "It would seem rather unlikely that Paul enjoyed a formal rhetorical training," but adds, "Even if Paul himself did not consciously think or write in rhetorical categories, his letters may still, with profit, be analyzed in terms of relevant aspects of rhetorical theory" (Ancient Rhetorical Theory, 249, 255).

11. The question was debated in ancient times; see J. T. Reed, "The Epistle," chap. 7 in Handbook of Classical Rhetoric, 171-93. Two volumes in Fortress Press's popular Guides to Biblical Scholarship series illustrate the difference between the two approaches. W. B. Doty's Letters in Primitive Christianity (GBS See GB/sec. :NT Series, ed. D. O. Via, Jr., 1973) places Paul's correspondence within the realm of "epistolary e·pis·to·lar·y  adj.1. Of or associated with letters or the writing of letters.

2. Being in the form of a letter: epistolary exchanges.

3.  literature in Hellenism." Burton L. Mack's Rhetoric and the New Testament (GBS:NT, ed. D. O. Via, Jr., 1990) places Paul's argumentation within the tradition of classical Greek oratory. The seventeen-year hiatus between the two illustrates the belated interest in rhetorical theory.

12. J. T. Reed, "Using Ancient Rhetorical Categories to Interpret Paul's Letters: A Question of Genre," in Rhetoric and the New Testament: Essays from the 1992 Heidelberg Conference, ed. S. E. Porter and T. H. Olbricht, JSNTSup 90:292-324. Also, W. Wuellner, "Greek Rhetoric and Pauline Argumentation," in Early Christian Literature Christian literature is writing that deals with Christian themes and incorporates the Christian worldview. This constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing. Scripture  and the Classical Intellectual Tradition: In Honorem Robert M. Grant, ed. W. R. Schoedel and R. L. Wilken; Theologie Historique 54 (Paris: Beauchesne, 1979): 177-88.

13. References are to Aristotle: Rhetoric to Alexander, trans. H. Rackham; LCL 1. LCL - The Larch interface language for ANSI standard C.

[J.V. Guttag et al, TR 74, DEC SRC, Palo Alto CA, 1991].2. LCL - Liga Control Language.

Controls the attribute evaluator generator LIGA, part of the Eli compiler-compiler.  (Cambridge: Harvard, 1965), and Aristotle: Art of Rhetoric, trans. J. H. Freese; LCL (Cambridge: Harvard, 1926).

14. For summaries of other ancient rhetorical outlines see W. Wuellner, "Arrangement," chap. 3 in Handbook of Classical Rhetoric, 51-87.

15. References are to Cicero: De Oratore and De Partitione Oratoria, trans. E. W. Sutton and H. Rackham, 2 vols.; LCL (Cambridge: Harvard, 1942).

16. References are to The Institutio Oratoria of Quintilian, trans. H. E. Butler, 4 vols; LCL (Cambridge: Harvard, 1921-1922), and Quintilian, The Orator's Education, trans. D. A. Russell, 5 vols; LCL (Cambridge: Harvard, 2001).

17. Mack (Rhetoric and the NT, 42) summarizes a standard speech that includes seven or eight items in a four-point outline: (1) exordium, (a) the introduction; (2) narratio, with (b) a proposition and (c) the rationale or reason; (3) confirmatio, with (d) opposites or contraries, (e) analogies or comparisons, (f) examples, and (g) citations of authority; and (4) conclusio, (h) the conclusion. G. A. Kennedy (New Testament Interpretation through Rhetorical Criticism [Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures

Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. , 1984], 23-25), lists these eight components of a

judicial speech: (a) a proem pro·em  n.An introduction; a preface.

[Middle English proheme, from Old French, from Latin prooemium, from Greek prooimion : pro-, before; see pro-  or exordium, (b) a narration, (c) a proposition, (d) a partition, (e) the proof, (f) a refutation, (g) a digression, and (h) an epilogue or peroration per·o·rate  intr.v. per·o·rat·ed, per·o·rat·ing, per·o·rates1. To conclude a speech with a formal recapitulation.

2. To speak at great length, often in a grandiloquent manner; declaim. . See also Kennedy's historical surveys of the subject: A New History of Classical Rhetoric (Princeton University Princeton University, at Princeton, N.J.; coeducational; chartered 1746, opened 1747, rechartered 1748, called the College of New Jersey until 1896. Schools and Research Facilities, 1994) and Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times, 2nd ed. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1999). C. Perelman and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca (The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation, trans. J. Wilkinson and P. Weaver [Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame , 1969], 495), summarize the traditional but not rigid order of a speech with these moves: (a) exordium, (b) narration, (c) proposition, (d) proof, (e) refutation, (f) conclusion, and (g) epilogue. H. Lausberg (Handbook of Literary Rhetoric: A Foundation for Literary Study, trans. M. T. Bliss et al., ed. D. E. Orton and R. D. Anderson [Leiden: Brill, 1998], 112-208), elaborates on four essential rhetorical moves: (a) exordium, (b) narratio, (c) argumentatio, and (d) peroratio, but he also discusses several optional or subordinate moves, including (e) proemium, (f) insinuatio, (g) initium, (h) digressio, (i) transitus, (j) amplificatio, (k) exempla, and (l) recapitulatio.

18. Mack, Rhetoric and the NT, 56-59.

19. D. F. Watson, "Paul's Rhetorical Strategy in 1 Corinthians 15," in Rhetoric and the New Testament: Essays from the 1992 Heidelberg Conference, ed. S. E. Porter and T. H. Olbricht (JSNTSupp 90; 1993), 231-49.

20. A. C. Thiselton (The First Epistle to the Corinthians Noun 1. First Epistle to the Corinthians - a New Testament book containing the first epistle from Saint Paul to the church at CorinthFirst Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, I Corinthians  [NIGTC NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary ; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000], 1169-1313), replicates Watson's outline with minor modifications. 1 Cor 15

1-11 Narratio35-49 Second Refutatio12-19 First Refutatio50 Second Propositio20 First Propositio

51-57 Second Confirmatio21-34 First Confirmatio58 Peroratio

21. Later published as I. Saw, Paul's Rhetoric in 1 Corinthians 15: An Analysis Utilizing the Theories of Classical Rhetoric (Lewiston, NY: Mellen, 1995).

22. Saw, 279.

23. C. A. Johnson, Jr., "Resurrection Rhetoric: A Rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 15" (Th.D. diss diss  v.Variant of dis.

dissVerb

Slang, chiefly US to treat (a person) with contempt [from DISRESPECT]

Verb 1. ., Luther Seminary Luther Seminary is the largest seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Located in the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood of St Paul, Minnesota, its mission is to prepare students for service in rostered ministry and leadership positions within the ELCA and its , St. Paul, MN, 1994), 18. See also his "Firstfruits and Death's Defeat: Metaphor in Paul's Rhetorical Strategy in 1 Cor 15:20-28," Word & World 16 (1996): 456-64.

24. Johnson, "Resurrection Rhetoric," 308.

25. Saw (Paul's Rhetoric, 31-63) and Johnson ("Resurrection Rhetoric," 4-18) both review several additional analyses, some of which outline 1 Corinthians 15 in accordance with familiar classical rhetorical terms.

26. W. Wuellner ("Paul as Pastor: the Function of Rhetorical Questions in First Corinthians," in L'Apotre Paul: Personnalite, Style et Conception du Ministere, ed. A. Vanhoye [Leuvenz, 1986], 49-77), observes that "Paul is not so much answering questions as questioning answers" (p. 73)." Unfortunately, Wuellner analyzes every rhetorical question in 1 Corinthians except 15:12, which is never even mentioned!

27. See inter alios INTER ALIOS. Between other parties, who are strangers to the proceeding in question.  J. S. Vos, "Argumentation und Situation im 1 Kor kor  n.See homer2.

[Hebrew kôr, from Akkadian kurru, from Sumerian gur, a unit of measurement.]

Noun 1. . 15," NovT 41 (1999): 313-33.

28. D. B. Martin, The Corinthian Body (New Haven New Haven, city (1990 pop. 130,474), New Haven co., S Conn., a port of entry where the Quinnipiac and other small rivers enter Long Island Sound; inc. 1784. Firearms and ammunition, clocks and watches, tools, rubber and paper products, and textiles are among the many : Yale, 1995), 114, avers that "whatever one believed about life after death, promises of resurrected bodies were not to be given any credence. Such gullibility GullibilitySee also Dupery.

Big Claus

foolishly falls for Little Claus’s falsified get-rich-quick schemes. [Dan. Lit.: Andersen’s Fairy Tales]

Emperor  was reserved for the uneducated--that is, for the vast majority of the inhabitants of the Empire."

29. In addition to the commentaries and studies cited previously, the following studies offer valuable insights into the content of 1 Corinthians 15: M. E. Dahl, The Resurrection of the Body: A Study of 1 Corinthians 15, SBT SBT Symplastin bleeding time  (London: SCM (1) (Software Configuration Management, Source Code Management) See configuration management.

(2) See supply chain management.  Press, 1962), 74-89; B. A. Pearson, The Pneumatikos-Psychikos Terminology in 1 Corinthians, a Study in the Theology of the Corinthian Opponents of Paul and Its Relation to Gnosticism, SBLDS 12 (Missoula: Society of Biblical Literature The Society of Biblical Literature is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies with the stated mission to "Foster Biblical Scholarship". Membership is open to the public, including 7200 individuals from over 80 countries. , 1973); H. C. C. Cavalin, Life After Death: Paul's Argument for the Resurrection of the Dead in I Cor 15: Part I, An Enquiry into the Jewish Background (Lund: CWK CWK CourseworkCWK ClarisWorks (PC ClarisWorks file extension)CWK Cold War Kids (band)CWK Continuous Wave KeyingCWK Appleworks File ExtenstionCWK Crossword Kit  Gleerup, 1974); E. H. Pagels, "'The Mystery of the Resurrection': A Gnostic Reading of 1 Corinthians 15," JBL JBL James Bullough Lansing (audio/speaker engineer)JBL Journal of Biblical LiteratureJBL John Bradshaw Leyfield (wrestler)JBL Jonathan Bell Lovelace (investment research)  93 (1974): 276-88; C. H. Talbert, "The Human Transformation Yet to Come," in Reading Corinthians: A Literary and Theological Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians (New York New York, state, United States

New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : Crossroad, 1989), 96-104; J. N. Vorster, "Resurrection Faith in 1 Cor 15," Neotestamentica 23 (1989): 287-307; A. C. Wire, "Women Risen to New Life in Christ," chap. 8 in The Corinthian Women Prophets: A Reconstruction through Paul's Rhetoric (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1990), 159-80; J. Moiser, "1 Corinthians 15," IBS IBS Irritable bowel syndrome, see there  14 (1992): 10-30; B. Witherington III, "Rising to the Occasion," in Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 291-312; J. Holleman, Resurrection and Parousia: A Traditio-Historical Study of Paul's Eschatology eschatology

Theological doctrine of the “last things,” or the end of the world. Mythological eschatologies depict an eternal struggle between order and chaos and celebrate the eternity of order and the repeatability of the origin of the world.  in 1 Corinthians 15, NovTSup 84, ed. C. K. Barrett (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1996); S. Brodeur, The Holy Spirit's Agency in the Resurrection of the Dead: An Exegetico-Theological Study of 1 Corinthians 15, 44b-49 and Romans 8, 9-13 (Rome: Gregorian University Press, 1996); R. B. Hays, "The Resurrection of the Body," in First Corinthians, Interpretation, ed. J. L. Mays (Louisville: John Knox, 1997), 252-82; S. M. Lewis, "So That God May Be All in All": The Apocalyptic Message of 1 Corinthians 15, 12-34 (Rome: Gregorian University Press, 1998); R. A. Horsley, "Argument(s) for the Resurrection," in 1 Corinthians, ANTC ANTC Advanced Networking Test CenterANTC Alliance for a New Transportation CharterANTC Adjusted Net Tax CapacityANTC Antennapedia ComplexANTC Advanced National Technical Certificate (Nigeria)ANTC Anticipated Net Tax Capacity  (Nashville: Abingdon, 1998), 197-220; and W. Schrage, "Die Auferweckung Jesus Christi und der Toten 15,1-58," chap. 6 in Der Erste Brief an die Korinther, EKKNT (Dusseldorf: Benzinger/Neukirchener, 2001) 4:3-421; P. Lampe, "Paul's Concept of a Spiritual Body," in Resurrection: Theological and Scientific Assessments, ed. T. Peters et al. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 103-14; N. T. Wright, "Resurrection in Paul," part 2 in The Resurrection of the Son of God (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003), 207-398.

30. R. E. DeMaris, "Corinthian Religion and Baptism for the Dead Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is a religious practice of baptising a living person on behalf of an individual who is dead; the living person is acting as the deceased person's .  (1 Corinthians 15:20): Insights from Archaeology and Anthropology," JBL 114 (1995): 661-82; and J. R. White, "'Baptized on account of the Dead': The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:29 in its Context," JBL 116 (1997): 487-99.

31. My thanks to Richard I Richard I, Richard Cœur de Lion (kör də lyôN`), or Richard Lion-Heart, 1157–99, king of England (1189–99); third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. . Pervo for drawing my attention to this possibility and for offering helpful suggestions after reading an earlier draft of this study. See also J. Gillman, "A Thematic Comparison: 1 Cor 15:50-57 and 2 Cor 5:1-5," JBL (1988): 439-54.

32. Lampe ("Paul's Concept," Resurrection, 105) summarizes the issue appropriately from the

theological side: "... God's salvation, including the raising of the dead, grasps more than just parts of a human being, than just a soul or a spirit. It grasps the entire person and subjects this person to a transforming and newly creating act called 'resurrection.' Consequently, the resurrected person will have a bodily existence." Peters ("Resurrection: The Conceptual Challenge," Resurrection, 307-8) clarifies the issue from the scientific side: "This theological commitment to a resurrected body appears to be dissonant dis·so·nant  adj.1. Harsh and inharmonious in sound; discordant.

2. Being at variance; disagreeing.

3. Music Constituting or producing a dissonance.  with scientific understandings of present embodiment. This is especially the case for contemporary scientists who reduce all that we as persons are to our biological substrate. Molecular biologist Francis Crick Noun 1. Francis Crick - English biochemist who (with Watson in 1953) helped discover the helical structure of DNA (1916-2004)Francis Henry Compton Crick, Crick , famed for his role in the discovery of the double helix double helixn.The coiled structure of a double-stranded DNA molecule in which strands linked by hydrogen bonds form a spiral configuration. Also called DNA helix, Watson-Crick helix. ..... Click the link for more information. structure of DNA, flies the flag of reductionism reductionism(rē·dukˑ·sh ·niˑ·z : 'You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, you sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules'" (The Astonishing a·ston·ish  tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·esTo fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise.  Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul [New York: Scribner's, 1994], 3).

Mark I. Wegener

Woodlake Lutheran Church

Richfield, Minnesota Richfield is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. An inner-ring suburb of the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, it is bordered by Minneapolis on the north, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to the east, Bloomington to the south, and Edina to the west.

woodlake@unidial.com COPYRIGHT 2004 Lutheran School of Theology and MissionNo portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder. Copyright 2004, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/4923/3606.html

THE NEW BODY -- WHAT IS IT LIKE?

by Ray C. Stedman

We have now come to what is, for many people, the key question of Chapter 15, the great resurrection chapter of First Corinthians. The Apostle Paul says,

But some one will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" {1 Cor 15:35 RSV}

It is obvious that skepticism oozes from those questions. In Verse 12 of this chapter, Paul had already recognized that some among these Corinthians were saying that there is no resurrection from the dead. "We do not understand how it can happen," they were saying, "therefore, we do not believe it will happen." So these questions were expressions of that unbelief.

For twenty centuries now the skeptics of all ages have asked these same questions. Of course, they amplify them by imposing various obstacles they see. They say, for instance, "We can understand, perhaps, that a body that has been carefully embalmed and placed in a grave might possibly be brought back to life, but what about those that have been destroyed? What about all the people that have been cremated?"

Just last week a friend of mine died. His body was cremated and his ashes were taken and scattered by an airplane out over the Pacific Ocean. "How are you going to restore a body like that?" the skeptics would ask. "What about those that are eaten by animals or by marine life? Those animals in turn have died; their bodies have returned to ashes and they have been taken up as parts of plants or other animals. How can God sort it all out?"

These questions always arise when unbelief faces this question of the resurrection of the dead. "How can it be?" That is what some of these Corinthians were asking. The clear implication was, "It cannot be; it is impossible." The Greeks, of course, were teaching that it was a good thing, an advantage, to lose the body. The body was a prison-house, they taught, where we are limited and restricted. The Oriental religions, on the other hand, were teaching that many bodies were needed in a process of salvation, that you return to earth many times. Their question would be, "Which body is raised from the dead? Is it the 'cow' body you once had, or the 'gorilla' body you may have had, or the one you are walking around in now?" Reincarnation would, for them, pose an entirely different question concerning the resurrection of the body. Well, Paul now answers these two questions the skeptics were asking, "How are the dead raised?" and, "With what kind of body do they come?" His answer to the first question is in Verses 36-38:

You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. {1 Cor 15:36-38 RSV}

Notice what he is saying: First, "To ask how this can be is a foolish question," he says. Why did he say that? It is a normal question, almost everybody asks it, and yet Paul immediately brands it as a foolish question. The reason, of course, is evident in what he says next. It is foolish, he says, because everywhere around you are examples of what is happening in resurrection. He is referring to the normal process of plants growing from seeds or bulbs that are placed in the ground. They die, they lose their consistency, and out of them emerges another kind of body which is yet identical to the seed that was placed in the ground.

I do not think it is any accident at all that Easter comes in the height of the spring season. We do not know when our Lord was born -- Christmas is a debatable date -- but there is no question about the date of Easter. For centuries it has been pegged to the movements of the moon, and tied to the ancient Jewish celebration of the Passover, so that everyone knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that Easter Sunday is indeed the very day that our Lord rose from the dead. Easter, therefore, always falls in the midst of the awakening of earth from its death in winter and the coming to life again of things that once were dead. Thus Paul is pointing out that we have ample evidence in the processes of nature itself to believe in a resurrection of the body. Nature teaches us two obvious lessons.

First: Death is a necessary part of the process. Far from being an obstacle to resurrection, death is essential to it. You can put that in the form of an axiom: Nothing that has never died shall ever be raised from the dead. Obviously if it is going to be raised from the dead it has to die. Therefore, death is not an obstacle to resurrection. It is an ingredient of it and necessary to it. To balk at the fact that people die and the body loses its ability to function and its form and consistency as a body, ought never to be any hindrance to believing that life will emerge from it. The body must die just as the seed must die.

The second lesson that nature teaches us is this: The body that emerges from the seed that dies is different from the one that was planted. Put a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn into the ground and what comes up? Another grain of wheat or another kernel? No! What comes up is a green stem which does not look at all like what you put into the ground. Nevertheless it is tied to it; it is continuous from it; it has an identity with it. There is an undeniable tie with that which you put into the ground, and yet it is not the same; it is the "same" without being similar. Now, if you had never seen that process before, would you have believed it if somebody had said that that is what would happen? You would have looked at him as though he were mad and said, "How can that be?" because you can put almost anything else into the ground and that will not happen. It is one of those miracles that is so familiar to us that we miss the miraculous part of it. But Paul says it happens so frequently there should therefore be no struggle with believing in the resurrection of the dead.

On the occasion reported in the book of Acts where Paul is defending himself before King Agrippa, he says to the king, "Why should it be thought a thing incredible that God should raise the dead?" {cf, Acts 26:8}. And why should it, when we have the testimony of nature all around that this kind of thing can and does happen? If it was not incredible in the 1st century how much more should it be believable today, when, by the efforts of science, we know a great deal more about the processes of transferring energy and of retaining life. We are now familiar with a process called "cloning." Scientists say that it is possible to take a single cell of the human body,

any cell, it does not have to be a sex cell, and by a process now known in theory, though not yet in practice, to restore that body completely as a human being. Why then should it be thought incredible that God can do it, that all he needs is a single cell from a body to restore the body exactly as it was? Man can do it; surely God will catch up with man one of these days.

Some of the other things that science is facing as possibilities are even more remarkable and confirming of this. Dr. Dirks, who is in this congregation, is in many ways the inventor of the great electronic computers we are so familiar with. Several years ago he told me that it is possible to take the genetic structure of any human being and reduce it to an electronic signal which could then be bounced off the moon and returned to earth and reconstructed as the human being again. If that is possible to science, surely it is possible to God. So why should there be this strange unbelief about the process of resurrection from the dead? Paul says it is foolish to talk that way when there is such a wealth of evidence from nature that this very kind of thing happens all the time.

Paul now faces the skeptics' second question, "With what kind of body do they come?" All right, supposing there is a resurrection, they said, "What is the resurrection body like? How will it differ from the one we have now?" Paul's answer is found in the next ten verses, Verses 39 through 49. He takes it in three movements: First, he goes back again to the lessons which are visible in nature itself; then he draws the parallel with the reality of resurrection; finally, in a great theological argument, he establishes the absolute certainty that this is going to happen. First, the lesson from nature (Verses 39-41):

For not all flesh is alike, but there is one kind for men, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 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. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. {1 Cor 15:39-41 RSV}

Paul is still back in the world of nature, of observable phenomena, which are designed to teach men spiritual lessons. Here is the first truth that he brings out. All bodies are not alike. Human bodies are different from bird bodies and animal bodies are different from fish bodies. Even the very nature of their flesh is different. If you do not believe that, you are going to have difficulty when you go to a restaurant because you would order beef and they would serve you fish and you would never know the difference. But there is a visible difference. In fact, science confirms this. There is such a difference that a trained scientist can tell whether a single cell comes from a human, an animal, a bird, or a fish. This is a wonderfully truthful and accurate scientific statement of that fact.

The second part of Verse 38 suggests that this difference is a result of the inner difference of nature, or personality, that these beings have. It says, "to each kind of seed its own body." In other words there is a correspondence between what the body looks like and what the being inside is like. That is why animals have various natures. For this reason, animals are used in Scripture as symbols of corresponding qualities about human beings -- wolves are always ferocious and dangerous, sheep are always helpless and needing protection, and pigs are always dirty. All these qualities are there because God wants to demonstrate to us truth about ourselves that we see reflected in the natural world. This is a great truth which I have not time to enlarge

upon here. The second thing the apostle says is there are two major divisions of bodies, Verse 40:

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 Cor 15:40 RSV}

Now, "celestial bodies" are heavenly bodies. Paul goes on to list them -- the sun, the moon, the stars. There are also "terrestrial bodies," which are earthly bodies. He has already said what they are -- men, animals, birds, and fish. The point he makes is that there is a marked and deliberate difference between heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies shine. That is their function -- to shine, to have a glory about them. Earthly bodies, however, do not shine: They function, they articulate and coordinate in various says. That is the glory of an earthly body.

Heavenly bodies move in limitless space, which we measure in light years, but earthly bodies are limited. They have to function within a very tightly compressed time-space sphere. Heavenly bodies control and influence and affect other things. The sun affects this planet in every way. We are dependent upon it. The moon affects us too. It controls the tides and the seasons and much of our life, in ways we hardly understand. And the stars also affect the earth. So it is the nature of heavenly bodies to control and affect; and it is the nature of an earthly body to respond, to follow, to adapt. Thus Paul is pointing out a very important distinction which nature would teach us if we had the eyes to observe.

The third thing he says here is that there is a difference in the glory of celestial bodies. There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, "for star differs from star in glory." You know how obviously true that is. The sun shines with a tremendous power. All of earth is dependent upon it. Solar power is far and away the greatest power known to man, and though we have only touched a fraction of its use, all energy in life, basically, comes from the sun. There is a different glory of the moon, but it has a profound effect, even upon lovers. Out together on a moonlit night they will do things they would not have done otherwise. Then the stars differ in glory. As some of you know, I have been enjoying the gift of a hot tub. While lying in it at night, studying the stars in perfect comfort, I have noticed the difference in their magnitude. Some shine brilliantly, while others are very faint and dim. What is Paul saying about all this? Well, he is saying that all this has its parallel in the truth of the resurrection. If you would only read the lessons of nature you would have a panorama of theological truth about the resurrection spread before you. Just open your eyes and see it, he says.

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. {1 Cor 15:42a RSV}

And then he goes on to draw the parallel for us:

What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. {1 Cor 15:42b RSV}

What is there about me that is perishable? Well, it is my body. My body is losing its ability to function. It is perishing; it is decaying; it is gradually slowing down. So are your bodies. They are going to perish one of these days, so do not look at me that way! Just as the seed buried in the ground becomes a beautiful plant, so an earthly body put into the ground in death, or scattered

across the oceans, will become a body designed for the heavens, an imperishable body, no longer subject to decay. That is what Paul is teaching us here.

It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. {1 Cor 15:43a RSV}

What is it about you and me that is dishonorable? Well, it is the body, isn't it? Let me tell you a secret about mine: It sags; it groans; it even smells. When it dies it will become foul, loathsome. One of the ugly things about the story of Jonestown was what to do with those corrupting bodies that no cemetery now wants to receive. When put into the ground, or in any other way disposed of, the body ends its existence in dishonor. But it will be raised, Paul says, in glory. It will be clean, sweet, fragrant, eternally fresh, and able to function in a marvelous way.

It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. {1 Cor 15:43b RSV}

Isn't it amazing how we boast about our strength as human beings, yet just a tiny, invisible microbe can carry us away and end it all? A gnat so small you can hardly see can choke you to death. Human life is really very fragile and very easily ended. Muhammad Ali boasts that he is "the greatest," but a half-sick gorilla with one hand tied behind his back could whip him. There is nothing very impressive there. No, what you see up here, walking around before you, is a body that, Paul says, is suited to the soul:

It is sown a physical [soulish, literally, not physical] body, it is raised a spiritual body. {1 Cor 15:44a RSV}

There is a "soulish" body. It is designed to function by the control of my soul -- my mind, my emotions, my will. I like to think of it as a kind of an "earth suit" designed for time, a "time suit" that I live in. It is not me. I live in it. And that is what your body is. I am standing up here wiggling the lips of my "earth suit," and you hear sounds coming out of it. You say that is me speaking to you. Well, yes, you are right. Behind the "earth suit" is me. I could not talk to you without it, but the "earth suit" is designed only for this life. It is not designed for anything else. It works fairly well in this life, but something could happen to this "earth suit" while I am talking to you and I would fall over and somebody would walk up here and say, "He's dead!" But it would not be so. I would not be dead. The "earth suit" would have died, but I would be as alive as I have ever been, and already enjoying the new body, the "heaven suit," the "eternity suit." There is also a body designed for the heavens, as well as the earth, and what the apostle is saying throughout this whole chapter is that there is a definite link between the two.

You see it so wonderfully in the resurrected body of Jesus. He rose from the dead, and yet upon his body still were the marks of crucifixion by which his apostles could be absolutely sure that it was the same Jesus in the same body. And yet what a difference! His body had been glorified, transformed. It was functioning at a different dimension and level of existence. It was able to pass through doors, able to appear and disappear, to eat or not to eat. It was able to function in fellowship with people in their "earth suits" and yet it was able to disappear from the earthly scene and still function in an "eternity suit," a "heaven suit" that God had provided for him. What a marvelous truth this is!

Now we come to the statement of certainty about it in the closing section, beginning in the middle of Verse 44. Paul argues:

If there is a physical [soulish] body [designed to be operated by the soul], there is also a spiritual body [designed to be operated by the spirit]. {1 Cor 15:44b RSV}

And then he proves it:

Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being [soul]"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. {1 Cor 15:45-49 RSV}

How certain it is! Paul says there are really only two men who have ever lived in all of history, and both of them he calls "Adam." There is the first Adam and the last Adam. Do not call him "the second Adam" because that would allow for a third and a fourth and a fifth. There are only two -- the first Adam, and the last Adam, Jesus. The only other human being to head up a race is Jesus.

The first Adam, Paul says, was made a living soul. He had a body made from the dust, and into that body of dust God himself, a Spirit, breathed a breath, and the joining together of spirit and body produced another phenomenon called the "soul," the personality. It is the presence of a spirit in a body that creates the soul and allows a person to function as a human being with mind, emotion, and will. That is what the first Adam was. Now, in the fall, the Holy Spirit that dwelt in the human spirit of Adam was withdrawn, and the human spirit was as though it was lifeless and dead. Man, therefore, was governed by his soul, the highest part of his being, which can feel and touch and taste and reason and think, but it has no contact with anything beyond and above. It is "dead in trespasses and sins," {cf, Eph 2:1}. We were all born that way. Every human being is a son or daughter of the first Adam by nature.

But then there came a last Adam. Jesus, a life-giving Spirit, came, and as a Spirit he indwells, by faith, our human spirits when we receive him, when we open up our life to him. He regenerates our human spirit, and he is now, from that vantage point within us, beginning to impart life to the soul again, to recapture the mind, the emotions and the will and bring them back under subjection to his Lordship. So we begin to experience in our life, right now, the joy of being once again in right relationship with the God who made us. He is a life-giving Spirit, and he is waiting to impart life to the "earth suit" as well and to make it into a "heaven suit," designed for the heavens. And the order is determined by God:

... it is not the spiritual which is first {1 Cor 15:46a RSV}

The Mormon church teaches that we were once spirit beings who then came to earth and became men, but this verse flatly contradicts that. It is not the spiritual which is first, it is the physical. We came into existence on a physical level, but designed by God, beyond that, is the spiritual. That is next, and death is but a stop in that process, and necessary to it. So now we are in a state of transition, as Paul goes on to describe,

The first man was from the earth, a man of dust [and we share that nature from Adam]; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is [notice the change of tense] the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. {1 Cor 15:47-48 RSV}

Let me ask you a question: Are you "of heaven"? Having been born into this race, part of Adam's race, have you gone on to become also a part of the Kingdom of God? Have you opened your heart to him? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ into your human spirit so that you have the hope expressed here of becoming body, soul, and spirit, a man or woman as God intended a man or woman to be? That is the great question of all time. Are you also of those who are "of heaven?" For the promise is,

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust [we look and act and talk and think like Adam], we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. {1 Cor 15:49 RSV}

I love the way John puts it. He says,

...it does not yet appear what we shall be. [The sons of God do not look any different than anybody else, do they?] But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. {1 Jn 3:2 RSV}

What a hope! What a difference that makes to everything in life! It transforms the way you act, the way you think. It transforms your dreams, your aspirations, what you do with your time. Everything is changed if you are a man of heaven as well as a man of the dust.

Title: The New Body: What is it Like? By: Ray C. Stedman Series: Studies in First Corinthians Scripture: 1 Cor 15:35-49 Message No: 36 Catalog No: 3606 Date: April 8, 1979