What does 1 Corinthians 15:48 mean about the earthy and the heavenly?
First Corinthians 15:48 means that those who are earthy share the nature of the first man, who was created from the dust of the earth. Those who are heavenly share the nature of the second man, the Lord from heaven, who is not a created being but the Creator Himself.
Les teaches that verse 47 establishes two men: the first man is of the earth, earthy, created from the dust; the second man is not a created being but the Lord Himself from heaven, the Creator and Sustainer. Verse 48 then applies this pattern: as the earthy one is, so are those who are earthy; as the heavenly one is, so are those who are heavenly. Les ties this back to Genesis 1:1, saying everything in Scripture connects either to earth and is earthy or to heaven and is heavenly. Israel becomes the earthy, and the Church becomes the heavenly.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
More Questions
Who are 'they that are earthy' and 'they that are heavenly' in 1 Corinthians 15:48?
Les interprets the 'earthy' side in 1 Corinthians 15:48 in connection with Adam's offspring, who are earthy, and the 'heavenly' side with the spiritual realm, whose people are heavenly.
What does the heavenly refer to in 1 Corinthians 15:48?
The 'heavenly' in this passage means the spiritual realm, and as the heavenly one is, so those who are heavenly are also heavenly.