1 Corinthians 15:49 (ASV)

Passage

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "borne", "image", "earthy", "shall", "bear", and "heavenly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "borne" and "image", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 48's "As is the earthy such are they..." into verse 50's "Now this I say brethren that flesh...", so "borne" and "image" 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 "borne" and "image" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.