1 Corinthians 15:40

Verse 40. There are also celestial bodies. The planets; the stars; the host of heaven. See 1Cor 15:41.

And bodies terrestrial. On earth; earthly. He refers here to the bodies of men, beasts, birds, etc.; perhaps, also, of trees and vegetables. The sense is,

"There is a great variety of bodies. Look upon the heavens,
and see the splendour of the sun, the moon, and the
stars. And then look upon the earth, and see the bodies
there--the bodies of men, and brutes, and insects. You see
here two entire classes of bodies. You see how they
differ. Can it be deemed strange if there should be a
difference between our bodies when on earth and when in
heaven? Do we not, in fact, see a vast difference
between what strikes our eye here on earth and in the sky?
And why should we deem it strange that between bodies
adapted to live here and bodies adapted to live in heaven
there should be a difference, like that which is seen
between the objects which appear on earth and those which
appear in the sky?"

The argument is a popular one; but it is striking, and meets the object which he has in view.

The glory of the celestial is one. The splendour, beauty, dignity, magnificence of the heavenly bodies differs much from those on earth. That is one thing; the beauty of earthly objects is another and a different thing. Beautiful as may be the human frame; beautiful as may be the plumage of birds; beautiful as may be the flowers, the fossil, the mineral, the topaz, or the diamond, yet they differ from the heavenly bodies, and are not to be compared with them. Why should we deem it strange that there may be a similar difference between the body as adapted to its residence here and as adapted to its residence in heaven?

(a) "are also celestial" Gen 1:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Verse 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial - The apostle certainly does not speak of celestial and terrestrial bodies in the sense in which we use those terms: we invariably mean by the former the sun, moon, planets, and stars; by the latter, masses of inanimate matter. But the apostle speaks of human beings, some of which were clothed with celestial, others with terrestrial bodies. It is very likely, therefore, that he means by the celestial bodies such as those refined human bodies with which Enoch, Elijah, and Christ himself, appear in the realms of glory: to which we may add the bodies of those saints which arose after our Lord's resurrection; and, after having appeared to many, doubtless were taken up to paradise. By terrestrial bodies we may understand those in which the saints now live. But the glory of the celestial is one - The glory - the excellence, beauty, and perfection. Even the present frail human body possesses an indescribable degree of contrivance, art, economy, order, beauty, and excellence; but the celestial body, that in which Christ now appears, and according to which ours shall be raised, (Phi 3:21), will exceed the excellence of this beyond all comparison. A glory or splendor will belong to that which does not belong to this: here there is a glory of excellence; there, there will be a glory of light and effulgence; for the bodies of the saints shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. See Mat 13:43.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain