As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.
Parallel translations
- WEB As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
- KJV As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
- NKJV As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
- NASB As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly One, so also are those who are heavenly.
- NLT Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man.
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
Those of dust resemble Adam, and the heavenly resemble Christ. It matters because believers' future likeness is determined by their head, Christ.
Overview
Paul explains that people share the nature of their representative: earthly like Adam or heavenly like Christ. The contrast points to two destinies rooted in two heads of humanity. Those united to the heavenly Christ are assured of sharing His heavenly nature in the resurrection.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gen 5:3When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and he named him Seth.
- Phil 3:20–21But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
- John 3:6Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.
- Job 14:4Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
- Rom 5:12–21Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.
- 1 Cor 15:21–22For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 15:48 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.