The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also 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 Corinthians 15:47-49 ESV
The fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is a defense of the resurrection. Towards the end of the chapter, Paul answered the question of what the resurrection body will be like. While it does not have the kind of detail we might like, he makes it clear that they will be fundamentally different from the bodies we have now.
Paul reminds us that the first man, Adam, was made of dust (Gen. 2:7). And that all who come from him are also made of dust. And being made of dust, we are perishable (1 Cor. 15:42). Our bodies suffer, wear out, and eventually die.
But the second man, Jesus, is not like that. Prior to his resurrection, he had the same perishable body we do now. But his resurrection body is different. It is an imperishable and glorious body. A body that will never age, experience suffering, or die.
And the bodies we will have at our own resurrection will be like his. Rather than being made of the dust of the earth, they will be made of heavenly stuff. That does not mean they are just spiritual bodies. Instead, they are made of better stuff than our old bodies.
At the resurrection, when Christ returns, our mortal, perishable bodies will be raised as immortal, imperishable bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-53). Death will be swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54-56). And we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thess. 4:17).
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
