AN ANALYSIS OF THE WORDS THAT “ALL WHO ARE DYING IN ADAM” WILL GET A RESURRECTION
There are many examples that the members of the Governing Body do not accept what a text of the Bible says. But they try to explain the words away because they do not fit their doctrinal view. One example given above is that they reject the words of Jesus sayng that the inhabitants of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida will be present on Judgment Day. In what follows I will make a detailed study of 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23, verses telling that all who die because of inherited sin will get a resurrection. But this is explained away by the members of the governing Body:
21 For since deathis through a man, resurrectionof the dead is also through a man.22 For just as in Adam all are dying,so also in the Christ all will be made alive.
There are several texts in the Christian Greek Scriptures that can be interpreted in different ways. But the words quoted from Paul are crystal clear. All persons who die because they have inherited sin from Adam, will get a resurrection. The words that all who die in Adam will get a resurrection have only been discussed one time in the 21st century, namely in The Watchtower of December 2020, pages 5, 6:
15Note that Paul said that“in the Christ allwill be made alive.” (1Cor. 15:22) Paul’s letter was written to anointedChristians in Corinth, who would be resurrected to life in heaven. Those Christians were “sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones.” And Paul mentioned “those who have fallen asleep indeath in union with Christ.”(1Cor. 1:2;15:18;2Cor. 5:17) In another inspired letter, Paul wrote that those “united with [Jesus] in the likeness of his death” will “be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Rom. 6:3-5) Jesus was raised as a spirit and went to heaven. So that will be the outcome for all “in union with Christ,” that is, all spirit-anointed Christians.
As we see, the members of the Governing Body claim that the pronoun “all” does not refer to all who die because of inherited sin. But it refers to the members of the 144,000 that will get a heavenly resurrection. They appeal to the context, but the context contradicts this view.
WHY DO THE ANOINTED CHRISTIAN DIE?
The issue here is who are “all” those who die in Adam who will get a resurrection? They do not include the Corinthians to whom Paul gave a detailed description of the resurrection. How can we know that? The position of the Corinthians is described in 2 Corinthians 5:16-19:
16Consequently from now on we know no man according to the flesh. Even if we have known Christ according to the flesh,certainly we now know him so no more. 17 Consequently if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation;the old things passed away,look! new things have come into existence. 18 But all things are from God, who reconciledus to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of the reconciliation,19 namely, that God was by means of Christreconciling a world(kosmos) to himself,not reckoning to them their trespasses,and he committed the wordof the reconciliation to us.
The text mentions two groups, the new creations and the world. the new creations are those who are declared righteous and from God’s point of view do not have sin. The group of 144,000 who will reign together with Jesus Christ in heaven are new creations, and the Corinthian Christians were included in this group. The “world” (kosmos) refers to all human descendants of Adam, whom God had reconciled to himself by means of Christ.
Those who are included in “the world,” Adam’s descendants, “die in Adam,” they die because they have inherited sin from Adam. The “new creations” does not “die in Adam,” they do not die because of inherited sin — they have no inherited sin. But they die because they sacrifice their fleshly bodies in order to get the same resurrection that Jesus got. Let us take a closer look at this.
In The Watchtower of September 1, 1972, page 519, we read:
When Jesus died, he certainly did not die as a sinner. What, then, about those of the Christian congregation, the spirit-begotten sons of God, anointed by his spirit? (1John 2:27;3:1) These, accordingto the Scriptures, number 144,000 and are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, to be kings and priests in the heavens with him. (Rev. 14:1-4;5:9,10) At their death they likewise do not die as sinners. Why not?
As a justification of the words of The Watchtower I quote Romans 6:3-7:
3 Or doYOUnot know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buriedwith him through our baptism into his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father,we also should likewise walk in a newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with himin the likeness of his death,we shall certainly also be [united with him in the likeness] of his resurrection; 6 because we know that our old personalitywas impaled with [him],that our sinful bodymight be made inactive,that we should no longer go on being slaves to sin. 7 For he who has died has been acquittedfrom [his] sin.
The words of Paul are clear. The anointed Christians experience a death like the death of Jesus Christ, and he died because he sacrificed his life. Because they no longer are slaves to sin, they do not “die in Adam,” they do not die because of the sin they inherited.[1]
We have already seen that Paul is showing that the Corinthians are new creations in 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is also confirmed in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Paul presents many arguments showing that Jesus Christ did get a resurrection. Then he shows what would be the situation if that was not true in 15:17-19:
17 For if the dead are not to be raised up, neither has Christ been raised up.17 Further, if Christ has not been raised up,YOUR faith is useless;YOUare yet inYOURsins. 18 In fact, also, those who fell asleep [in death] in unionwith Christ perished. 19 If in this life only we have hoped in Christ,we are of all men most to be pitied.
Paul shows that if Jesus did not be raised up, “you are yet in your sins.” But Jesus has been raised up, and therefore they who have been declared righteous are not “in their sins.” Therefore, they cannot die “in Adam” because they are sinners. They die because they sacrifice their lives in order to get a resurrection like the resurrection of Jesus.
All anointed Christians, in including the Corinthians, have been declared righeteous and have become new creatures. Therefore, they do not “die in Adam,” and therefore they are not included among “all” who will be made alive in the Christ.
TWO DIFFERENT RESURRECTION BODIES ARE MENTIONED IN 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 15
Paul’s words about the resurrection were directed to the Corinthians who were new creations, and the focus in chapter 15 is on the heavenly resurrection where the resurrected ones receive spiritual bodies. However, the setting of the chapter is the ransom sacrifice of Jesus that were effectuated through his death and his resurrection, when he presented the value of the ransom sacrifice to Jehovah God in heaven. (Hebrews 9:24) This is the reason why Paul, while his focus is on the heavenly resurrection, also mentions the earthly resurrection in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. I start with verses 35-38:
35 Nevertheless, someone will say: “How are the dead to be raised up? Yes, with what sort (poios) of body are they coming?” 36 You unreasonable person! What you sow (speiroō) is not made alive unless first it dies; 37 and as for what you sow, you sow, not the body that will develop, but a bare grain it may be, of wheat or any one of the rest.
38 but God gives it a bodyjust as it has pleased him,and to each of the seeds (sperma) its own body (sōma).
The Greek word poios has the meaning, “of what kind, sort of species.” (Mounce), and the verb speiroō has to meaning, “to sow seed.” So, the question Paul poses is the nature of the resurrection body. Paul uses an illustration with sowing a grain in the earth. And already, by pointing in verse 37 to different kinds of seeds (sperma), such as wheat or other seeds, he opens for the possibility that the resurrection bodies will be different. In verse 38, then, he shows this explicitly.
We need to understand the relationship between verb speiroō with the meaning “to sow” and the noun sperma with the meaning, “that which is sown, seed”. In verse 36, Paul uses the verb speiroō in his illustration, and then he continues his illustration in verse 38 by using sperma (“seed”). The important point is that sperma (“that which is sown, seed”) is used for the body that is laid down in death. And God gives different sperma (that which is sown, seed) different bodies (sōma).
When the verb speiroō stands without any expressed subject, the implied subject is sperma, which refers to the body that is laid down in death. This is important to remember because the word sperma only occurs in verse 38. But the verb speiroō occurs four times in verses 42-44 without an expressed subject. This means that sperma (the body laid down in death) is the subject for speiroō in verses 42-44.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead.It (the body laid down in death) is sown (speiroō) in corruption, it (the body laid down in death) is raised up in incorruption. 43 It (the body laid down in death) is sown (speiroō) in dishonor,it (the body laid down in death) is raised up in glory.It (the body laid down in death) is sown (speiroō) in weakness,it (the body laid down in death) is raised up in power. 44 It (the body laid down in death) is sown (speiroō) a physicalbody (sōma),it (the body laid down in death) is raised up a spiritual body (sōma).If there is a physical body (sōma), there is also a spiritual one.
Paul showed which kind of resurrection body the Corinthians, who were new creations, should get. Then he connects the resurrection with the work of Jesus, his ransom sacrifice, and then he points out that there are two kinds of resurrection bodies. I quote verses 45-49:
45 It is even so written: “The first man Adam became a living soul.”The last Adam became a life-givingspirit.46 Nevertheless, the first is, not that which is spiritual, but that which is physical, afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is out of the earth and made of dust;the second man is out of heaven. 48 As the one made of dust[is], so those made of dust [are] also; and as the heavenly one[is], so those who are heavenly [are] also. 49 And just as we have borne (foreō, aorist) the imageof the one made of dust, we shall bear(foreō, future) also the image of the heavenly one.
Paul shows the contrast between Adam, who became a living soul on the earth, and Jesus, the second Adam, who became a life-giving spirit. Regarding resurrection, he draws a conclusion in verse 48. The temporal reference in this verse is generally wrong in all Bible translations of which I know, including NWT84. The problem is that the verse does not have any verbs, so, the temporal reference must be construed from the context. It is clearly not present, but it must be future. I make a word-for-word translation below:
48 just as the earthly one of such kind also the earthly ones and just as the heavenly one of such kind also the heavenly ones.
Who are “the heavenly ones”? According to the context, this expression refers to those who will get a spiritual body (verse 44) in the heavenly resurrection. Because they will get their resurrection in the future, during the presence of Jesus Christ, Paul could not use present reference and describe how they were at the time Paul wrote his letter. This is shown by the use of a future verb in verse 49: “We shall bear also the image of the heavenly one.” Thus, the perspective of Paul in verse 49 is future, and, therefore, the perspective in verse 48 must be future as well. I translate verses 48 and 49 in the following way:
48 Just as the earthly one was, of such kind also the earthly ones will become, and just as the heavenly one is, of such kind also the heavenly ones will become. 49 And just as we have borne the imageof the earthly one, we shall bearalso the image of the heavenly one.
Because “the heavenly ones” refer to those who will get a heavenly resurrection with a spiritual body, “the earthly ones” must refer to those who will get an earthly resurrection with an earthly body, those who will be present on Judgment Day.
I will now show how this understanding corroborates Paul’s words in previous verses, and I start with verses 35-37:
35 Nevertheless, someone will say: “How are the dead to be raised up? Yes, with what sort (poios) of body are they coming?” 36 You unreasonable person! What you sow (speiroō) is not made alive unless first it dies; 37 and as for what you sow, you sow, not the body that will develop, but a bare grain, it may be, of wheat or any one of the rest.
38 but God gives it a bodyjust as it has pleased him,and to each of the seeds (sperma) its own body (sōma).
Paul uses the illustration of sowing a seed (sperma) in the earth. The word sperma represents the body that is laid down in death. And Paul shows that this sperma, the body laid down in death, must die before there can be a resurrection.
Then Paul shows that there are different kinds of sperma (bodies laid down in death). And God gives each kind of sperma its own body. Because Paul shows in verses 48 that there are heavenly ones and earthly ones in the resurrection, we can conclude that there are two kinds of sperma (bodies laid down in death).
What are these two kinds of bodies that die? Those who will get an earthly resurrection have bodies that will die “in Adam,” bodies that will die because of inherited sin. Those who will get a heavenly resurrection have bodies that they sacrifice, in order to get the same kind of death and resurrection that Jesus got. These two kinds of bodies (sperma) are laid down in death, and in the resurrection each sperma will get different bodies, earthly bodies and heavenly bodies respectively.
This is also corroborated by verses 39-42:
39 Not all flesh is the same flesh, but there is one of mankind, and there is another flesh of cattle, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 And there are heavenly bodies (sōma), and earthlybodies (sōma);but the gloryof the heavenly bodies is one sort, and that of the earthly bodies is a different sort.41 The glory of the sunis one sort, and the glory of the moonis another, and the glory of the starsis another; in fact, star differs from star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead.It (the body laid down in death) is sown in corruption, it (the body laid down in death) is raised up in incorruption.
In order to illustrate his point in verse 38 that each kind of sperma (bodies laid down in death) gets different bodies, Paul points out that there are different kinds of flesh. This is an illustration of difference because no one is resurrected as cattle or birds. After pointing out this difference he refers to earthly bodies (sōma) and heavenly bodies (sōma). Because of the use of the Greek word sōma, the mentioned bodies cannot refer to inanimate heavenly objects. But they must refer to the bodies of living persons. Paul continues his illustration in verse 41, showing the different glory of the sun the moon and the stars.
Verse 42 starts with the Greek word hōutos (“in this way”), and we read, “So also is the resurrection of the dead.” The word hōutos (“in this way”) must refer to verse 40. In the resurrection, there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, and these differ in glory, just as the sun, the moon, and the stars differ in glory. This is exactly the same that Paul says about the heavenly ones and the earthly ones in verse 48.
ALL THOSE WHO DIE IN ADAM WILL BE RESURRECTED
Paul’s letters are addressed to those who have the hope of reigning with Jesus Christ in heaven. In chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, Paul has a long discussion of the resurrection where the focus is on the heavenly resurrection. But he also has some words about the earthly resurrection. We read verse 22, 23:
22For just as in Adam all are dying,so also in the Christ all will be made alive. 23But each one in his own rank (tagma): Christ the firstfruits,afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.
The words of Paul tell us that the vast majority of Adam’s descendants but not all of them will get a resurrection.
THOSE WHO DO NOT DIE “IN ADAM”
I have already shown that those who are new creations do not “die in Adam,” because of inherited sin. But they die because they sacrificed their lives in order to get a heavenly resurrection just as Jesus did.
The other group that do not “die in Adam” is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:31:
31“For this reason I say to you, every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. 32For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him;but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.
All those who are sinning because of the sin they have inherited from Adam will get forgiveness of their sins because of the ransom sacrifice, regardless how serious their sins are. However, the cause of the sins of those who are guilty of sin against the holy spirit, are not their inherited sin but their own wickedness. For such sins there is no ransom sacrifice.[2] The Awake! magazine of May 22, 1963, page 28, contained an article with the theme, “Resurrection — for whom?” This article has an excellent description of those whose sins are not caused by their imperfectness, by their inherited sin, but by their own wickedness:
There will not be a resurrection for the willfully, deliberately, incorrigibly wicked, those without the slightest spark remaining of conscience or love of righteousness.
Sin against the holy spirit can be committed by persons who are not serving God, as some pharisees, and by those who have been serving God. I will now make a quotation dealing with the last group indicating that persons who are sinning against the holy spirit, do not die “in Adam,” because of inherited sin. I quote Hebrews 10:26-31:
26For if we practice sin (hamartanō) willfully (ekousiōs) after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, 27but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a burning indignation that is going to consume those in opposition.
28Anyone who has disregarded the Law of Moses dies without compassion on the testimony of two or three. 29How much greater punishment do you think a person will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God and who has regarded as of ordinary value the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has outraged the spirit of undeserved kindness with contempt (enybrizō)?30For we know the One who said: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again: “Jehovahwill judge his people.”31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
The important points here are that servants of God may commit sins that are not covered by the ransom sacrifice because these sins are not committed because of their inherited sin. But they are committed “willfully.” The consequence is that the judgment will consume them as God’s vengeance. These people do not die because of their inherited sin but because of God’s judgment.
These people are in the same situation as Adam was. He was bought by Jesus like all his descendants. But his sin was made “willfully,” and therefore, the ransom sacrifice did not cover his sin. Those mentioned in the quotation above also sin “willfully.” They have been bought be Jesus Christ, and the ransom sacrifice is ready for them. But they have rejected the ransom sacrifice, and therefore it does not cover their sins.
On the basis of the discussion above we understand that the words of the book Knowledge That Leads to Eternal Life, published in 1995, page 88, are true:
By far the majority of those who have died will be resurrected to a paradise earth.
All descendants of Adam, except the group of 144,000 who will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven and the few who have sinned against the holy spirit, will get a resurrection on the thousand-year Judgment Day to get the possibility of getting everlasting life. All of these have died “in Adam,” because of their inherited sin, and the ransom sacrifice will be applied to them.
“EACH ONE IN HIS OWN RANK”
All those who “die in Adam” will get their resurrection on the thousand-year-long Judgment Day. But what do the words “in his own rank” mean? The Greek word is tagma and let us see how this Greek word is used in the Septuagint. I quote Numbers 2:3 (above) and 2 Samuel 23:13 (below) from the NETS translation of the Septuagint:
3 “And those camping eastward toward the sunrising will be the [three-tribe] division (tagma, dægæl) of the camp of Judah in their armies, and the chieftain for the sons of Judah is Nahʹshonthe son of Am·minʹa·dab.
13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band (tagma, hayā) of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim
The Greek word tagma has the meaning “anything placed in order; in NT order of succession, class, group.” (Mounce) In Numbers 2:3, tagma refers to the divisions of the camp of the sons of Judah. The Hebrew word that is translated with tagma is dægæl, and its meaning is “standard, banner — standard, partic. of separate tribes of Isr.” (BDB Lexicon). Each tribe in Israel had a standard (a banner), and both the Greek word tagma and the Hebrew word dægæl refer to the practice of organizing the camp with different tribes under different banners.
In 2 Samuel 23:13, tagma is used of a group of Philistines. The Hebrew word that is translated by tagma is hayā, with the meaning “band, army; people, home.” (Kohlenberger and Mounce). The word hayā comes from a root meaning “life,” and a band or an army consists of many “lives” or living people.
We do not know exactly what Paul had in mind when he used the word tagma, but as shown, in the Septuagint the word refers to different groups.
According to Revelation 7:9, 14 a great crowd of righteous persons will survive the great tribulation. Evidently, these will make the earth ready for the resurrection by building houses, cultivating the land, and store food for those who will be resurrected. Unrighteous persons can cause problems if there are not righteous persons who can check them and help them to follow the laws of God.
In view of this, it is likely that the righteous ones will first get their resurrection. If that is the case, there will be a great number of righteous persons who will take care of the unrighteous ones when they gradually get their resurrection. So, the different “ranks” (groups) may refer to these two groups. We should note that if the meaning of tagma was “order,” this would also fit the situation of the resurrection of the righteous coming first, and the resurrection of the unrighteous coming after that.
Verse 23 in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 says that, “Christ the firstfruits,afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.” The NWT84 has a colon after “rank,” which indicates that what follows — the resurrection of Christ, and the resurrection of those belonging to the Christ during his presence — is a part of the word tagma “rank.” This is misleading. There is no relationship between the first clause ending with “rank” and the next clause beginning with “the firstfruits” in the Greek text.
The following understanding is more likely: Paul refers to the earthly resurrection of all who die in Christ, pointing out that in this resurrection there will be at least two groups. Then Paul refers to the other two kinds of resurrection. Jesus that was the first one to get a resurrection to endless life, and to those who belong to Christ, the new creations, who will get a resurrection during the presence of Jesus.
I have discussed the two kinds of resurrection, the heavenly one and the earthly one in a topical way. Now I will make a chronological table.
Table 1.1 The heavenly and the earthly resurrection according to 1 Corinthians chapter 15
| VERSE | COMMENTS |
| 22 | All descendants of Adam, except the 144,000 and the few who sin against the holy spirit will get an earthly resurrection during the thousand-year-long Judgment Day. |
| 23 | The group of 144,000 will get a heavenly resurrection during the presence of Jesus. |
| 38 | There are two kinds of bodies that are laid down in death, the bodies of those who die because of inherited sin, and the bodies of those who die because they sacrifice their lives. |
| 38 | God gives different kinds of resurrection bodies to the two kinds of bodies that are laid down in death. |
| 40 | The two kinds of resurrection bodies are mentioned, heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. |
| 48 | Those who get an earthly resurrection get bodies that resemble the body of Adam. Those who get a heavenly resurrection get bodies that resemble the body of the life-giving spirit, Jesus Christ. |
This discussion has shown that the comments of The Watchtower of December 2020, pages 5 and 6, that “all who die in Adam” and who will get a resurrection refers to the new creations with a heavenly hope is wrong. This shows that the members of the Governing Body try to explain away the clear words of Paul. They do not believe that “all who die in Adam,” all who die because of inherited sin, will get a resurrection. This is, in reality, a rejection of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, a rejection of the truth that Jesus bought all Adam’s descendants when he died. The members of the Governing Body preach “a Jesus other than the one” preached by Paul.
[1]. I strongly recommend the article “A death that brings gain” in The Watchtower of September 1, 1972, page 517.
[2]. See the article, “Sin against the holy spirit.”
