The book of 1 Corinthians was written, in part, to instruct confused Christians about the resurrection body. In some ways, the perishable body we have in this world could be compared to an annual plant—it fades and tragically dies. And the imperishable body promised in the new heaven and earth could be likened to a perennial—it lives on and on. However, according to this letter, the comparison breaks down. "The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable." An annual does not become a perennial—or could it? Recent research and experimentation reveal the genetics at work in annual and perennial plants. It seems that some genetic engineering can change an annual into a perennial.