Albert Barnes Commentary 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 15:50 (ASV)

Now this I say, brethren. "I make this affirmation in regard to this whole subject. I do it as containing the substance of all that I have said. I do it in order to prevent any mistake in regard to the nature of the bodies which will be raised up." This affirmation is made respecting all the dead and all the living, that there must be a material and important change in regard to them before they can be prepared for heaven. Paul had proved in the previous verses that it was possible for God to give us bodies different from those which we now possess; he here affirms, in the most positive manner, that it was indispensable that we should have bodies different from what we now have.

Flesh and blood. Bodies organized as ours now are. "Flesh and blood" denotes such bodies as we have here—bodies that are fragile, weak, liable to disease, subject to pain and death. They are composed of changing particles; to be repaired and strengthened daily; they are subject to decay, and are wasted away by sickness, and of course they cannot be fitted to a world where there will be no decay and no death.

Cannot inherit. Cannot be admitted as heir to the kingdom of God. The future world of glory is often represented as an heirship. See the notes on Romans 8:17.

The kingdom of God. Heaven; appropriately called his kingdom, because he will reign there in undivided and perfect glory forever.

Neither does corruption, etc. Neither can that which is in its nature corruptible, and liable to decay, be adapted to a world where all is incorruptible. The apostle here simply states the fact. He does not tell us why it is impossible. It may be because the mode of communication there is not by the bodily senses; it may be because such bodies as ours would not be fitted to relish the pure and exalted pleasures of an incorruptible world; it may be because they would interfere with the exalted worship, the active service, and the sleepless employments of the heavenly world; it may be because such a body is constituted to derive pleasure from objects which will not be found in heaven.

It is adapted to enjoyment in eating and drinking, and the pleasures of the eye, the ear, the taste, the touch; in heaven the soul will be awake to more elevated and pure enjoyments than these, and, of course, such bodies as we have here would impede our progress and destroy our comforts, and be ill-adapted to all the employments and enjoyments of that heavenly world.