1 Corinthians 15:39. All flesh
is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of
animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
Lest you, hearing of wheat, think
that as all its stalks grow alike, so also in the resurrection all shall be
equal, he now shows that there will be distinctions among those who rise—something
he had hinted at earlier in the words “each in his own order.” Not all will
rise with equal glory. There shall be a distinction between the righteous and
sinners—as between heavenly and earthly bodies. And even among the righteous,
there shall be degrees of glory, as we will later explain—and likewise among
sinners, degrees of punishment. For just as there is a difference between the
flesh of men and that of beasts and other creatures, so shall there be variety
in the condemnation of sinners. All that has been said there pertains to the
distinctions among the ungodly. He will speak of the righteous when he describes
the heavenly bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:40. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies;
but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is
another.
Here, as I said above, he indicates the distinction between the
righteous and the ungodly: the former he calls celestial bodies, the latter
terrestrial, and he affirms that the glory of the righteous differs from that
of sinners—not “glory” in the case of sinners (for that must not be imagined),
but rather the mode of life.
1 Corinthians 15:41. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of
the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another
star in glory.
Just as he spoke earlier of the difference among the wicked, beginning
with men and then mentioning birds, beasts, and fish—since sinners, having been
men, are debased to the level of irrational creatures (Psalm 48:21)—so now he
shows the distinctions among the righteous. All he says, are in glory, but the
light of the sun differs from that of the moon, and likewise among the stars—one
star differs from another in glory. For the brightness of the stars constitutes
their glory. Some have understood the celestial bodies to refer to the angels,
but I believe that is not correct. For by referencing the sun, moon, and stars,
it is evident he speaks of them.
1 Corinthians 15:42. So also is the resurrection of the dead.
In what manner? With much distinction, as is evident from the examples
just given. (The New Testament Commentaries of Theophylact of Ohrid, 3
vols. [trans. Dean Marais; Based Book, 2025], 2:239)
