Yes — believers must be changed because their present corruptible, mortal bodies cannot inherit God's kingdom and are unfit for eternity.
The present human body is corruptible and prone to death, so it is not suited for glory or eternity in God's presence. Both believers who have died and those who are alive must be changed — the dead raised incorruptible and the living transformed. This change clothes the corruptible with incorruption and the mortal with immortality so that death is swallowed up in victory and believers can live forever before God.
1 Corinthians 15:53 — This verse states the divine necessity behind the believer's change: corruption and mortality must be replaced with incorruption and immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:50 — This verse explains that the present flesh-and-blood, corruptible body cannot inherit God's incorruptible kingdom, making a change essential.
First Corinthians 15:50 gives the foundational reason: "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." The believer's present body is corruptible and mortal, and God's kingdom is incorruptible — so the body must be changed to match its eternal inheritance. Verses 51–53 explain how this happens: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." The reason is a divine necessity: the corruptible body cannot enter the incorruptible kingdom, and the mortal body cannot live forever. Verse 54 shows the glorious result: when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, "then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
Les Feldick explains that believers must be changed because the present body is simply not fit for eternity. The body believers now have is corruptible — it is prone to disease, decay, and death — and this mortal body cannot survive forever. As Les puts it, the corruptible body that is prone to death has to put on incorruption because believers are going to live for eternity, and the mortal body that is prone to die must put on immortality so that believers can never die again (Clip 1, Clip 2). Les also emphasizes the scriptural principle that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. Since believers have borne the image of the earthy Adam, they must also bear the image of the heavenly — which means receiving a whole new body fashioned after Christ's resurrection body (Clip 3, Clip 4). This is why even believers who are alive when Christ returns must be changed: they will not die and be resurrected, but they will be changed from a body of corruption to a body of incorruption in a split second at the trumpet call (Clip 2, Clip 6). When that change takes place, Les teaches, death is finally swallowed up in victory — the very picture given in the Old Testament when Aaron's serpent swallowed the serpents of the Egyptian magicians (Clip 0, Clip 1). Believers will never again face the prospect of death, and they will receive bodies like Christ's own glorious resurrection body — flesh and bone, activated by the Spirit, and perfectly suited for eternity in God's presence (Clip 5, Clip 7).
The Bible states plainly that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption" (1 Corinthians 15:50). Les Feldick explains that believers have borne the image of the earthy Adam — they are flesh and blood under the curse — so they must also bear the image of the heavenly when they are changed (Clip 3). The body that goes into the grave is already corrupt; it is prone to disease and failures of one sort or another, and that corrupt body cannot be put into a tomb as a spiritual body like Christ's (Clip 4).
Les Feldick teaches that believers who are alive and remain will not all sleep or die, but they must be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, the dead in Christ will be raised incorruptible, and living believers will be changed along with them. They will go from this body of corruption to a body of incorruption in that split second at the trumpet call (Clip 2, Clip 6). Paul himself expected to be alive for this event, and Les emphasizes that the change applies to every believer — whether dead or living (Clip 1).
Les Feldick says believers will not be invisible spirit beings or angels — they will exist eternally in a body. It will not be the same flesh-and-blood body, but it will be on the same order as the Lord Jesus in His forty days after resurrection (Clip 5). At the change, the body must lose the flesh-and-blood concept and become flesh and bone activated by the Spirit (Clip 2). As Philippians 3 teaches, the Lord will change believers' bodies so that they are fashioned after His own glorious body, and Christ's forty days after resurrection give the perfect picture of how believers will function in eternity (Clip 7).
When the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality, the saying written in Scripture is fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54). Les Feldick connects this to the Old Testament picture of Aaron's serpent swallowing the serpents of the Egyptian magicians — just as Aaron's serpent consumed them, so death is consumed and done away with at the believer's change (Clip 0). Les says believers will never again have to face the prospect of death (Clip 1).
Aaron's Serpent Pictures Death Swallowed Up
Les uses the Old Testament picture of Aaron's serpent swallowing the Egyptian magicians' serpents to illustrate how death will be swallowed up in victory when believers are changed at the resurrection.
Why the Body Must Change: A Body Fit for Eternity
Les directly answers why believers must be changed: the corruptible, death-prone body must put on incorruption and the mortal body must put on immortality so believers can live for eternity and never die again.
From Corruption to Incorruption at the Last Trumpet
Les teaches that believers are changed from a body of corruption to a body of incorruption in the split second at the trumpet call, losing the flesh-and-blood concept and becoming flesh and bone activated by the Spirit.
Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit God's Kingdom
Les explains that since believers have borne the image of the earthy Adam and are under the curse, they must bear the image of the heavenly — requiring a whole new body because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
The Buried Body Is Already Corrupt
Les points out that the body placed in the grave is already corrupt, prone to disease and failure — which is why corruption cannot inherit incorruption and a spiritual body cannot be returned to the tomb.
The Resurrected Body Is Like Christ's
Les answers that believers will not exist as invisible spirits or angels but will eternally have a body — not the same flesh and blood, but on the order of Christ's resurrected body during His forty days after resurrection.
Living Believers Must Also Be Changed
Les emphasizes that even believers who do not die must still be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, when the dead are raised incorruptible and living believers are changed with them.
Changed to Be Fashioned Like Christ's Glorious Body
Les points to Philippians 3 for the promise that the Lord will change believers' bodies to be fashioned after His glorious body, with Christ's forty days after resurrection as the perfect picture of the change.
1 Corinthians 15:49: And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Believers now bear the image of the earthy Adam, but at the change they will bear the image of the heavenly — Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:50: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
This verse gives the foundational reason the body must be changed: the corruptible, flesh-and-blood body cannot inherit God's incorruptible kingdom.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Paul reveals that not all believers will die — but every believer must be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This verse describes how the change happens — suddenly, at the last trumpet, when the dead are raised incorruptible and living believers are changed.
1 Corinthians 15:53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
This is the direct statement of why the change is necessary: corruption and mortality must be replaced by incorruption and immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:54: So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The change fulfills the promise that death is swallowed up in victory — the result of the believer's transformation.
Philippians 3:21: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Paul promises that the Lord will change the believer's humble body to be like His own glorious body — the pattern for the resurrection change.
Because the present body is corruptible and mortal — it is prone to death. First Corinthians 15:50 says 'flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.' Believers must be changed so that the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53).
Yes. Les Feldick explains that believers who are alive when Christ returns will not all sleep, but they will all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. The dead in Christ are raised incorruptible, and living believers are changed to meet them (Clip 6).
It means that this present body, which is subject to decay, disease, and death, must be replaced with a body that cannot decay or die. Les Feldick teaches that believers need a body fit for eternity — one that is incorruptible and immortal so they can live forever in God's presence (Clip 1).
Les teaches that believers will have a body like Christ's resurrected body — flesh and bone, activated by the Spirit, not the same flesh-and-blood body they now have. Christ's forty days after resurrection are the perfect illustration of how believers will exist and function in eternity (Clip 5, Clip 7).
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