However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
Parallel translations
- WEB However that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.
- KJV Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
- BSB The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.
- NKJV However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
- NLT What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The natural comes first, then the spiritual. It matters because it shows God's ordained order from present life to resurrection glory.
Overview
Paul clarifies the sequence: the natural body precedes the spiritual, just as Adam came before Christ. This order reflects God's plan that present earthly existence gives way to glorified life. It assures believers that the spiritual body is the destined goal, not a present possession to be claimed prematurely.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Rom 6:6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.
- Col 3:9–10Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings,
- Eph 4:22–24that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 15:46 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.