1 Corinthians 15:50 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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,

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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brethren", "flesh", "blood", "inherit", "kingdom", "neither", "doth", and "corruption". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brethren" and "flesh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 49's "And as we have borne the image..." into verse 51's "Behold I tell you a mystery We...", so "brethren" and "flesh" 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 "brethren" and "flesh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.