1 Corinthians 15:38 (ASV)

Passage

but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:36 Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:

1 Corinthians 15:37 and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind;

1 Corinthians 15:38 but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

1 Corinthians 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one [flesh] of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes.

1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial is another.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "giveth", "body", "even", "pleased", "each", and "seed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "giveth" and "body", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "and that which thou sowest thou sowest..." into verse 39's "All flesh is not the same flesh...", so "giveth" and "body" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "giveth" and "body" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.