A) OUR LORD’S BODY.

B) A SPIRITUAL BODY?

C) THE NATURAL BODY.

D) OUR RESURRECTED BODIES.

E) TO THE BODY.

 

 

A) OUR LORD’S BODY

 

 

See my Bible Study:  “RECOGNIZED IN HEAVEN.”

 

The best way to understand our “Resurrected Bodies,” would be to study that of our Lord’s resurrected body, since He is the express representation of those who are to be “the firstfruits of them that slept,” First Corinthians 15:20.  And from Christ’s resurrected body we learn that It was certainly physical, since He was touched (Luke 24:39; John 20:17 & 27), and He ate food (Luke 24:41-43).

 

However, I do not believe we will carry throughout eternity the marks of our degenerated bodies, for at the Second Coming, “when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,” First Corinthians 15:54, we will have obtained new ones.  By contrast, our Lord will not.  He will carry His marks of crucifixion throughout eternity for all to look upon and reflect.

 

 

B) A SPIRITUAL BODY

 

 

However, some have argued that some sort of “Spiritual Body” is going to be different from that of our present “Physical Body.”  One of the verses used to argue this line of reasoning is First Corinthians 2:14-15.  However, Paul’s use of the same two words, “physical,” Greek, “psychikos,” and “spiritual,” Greek, “pneumatikos,” can be clearly seen not to mean a difference in “bodily” structure, but in attitude and Christian growth.

 

Let’s read it together:  “(14) But the natural [or unspiritual / physical -- “psychikos”] man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:  for they are foolishness unto him:  neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he that is spiritual [“pneumatikos” -- judging righteously] judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”

 

It is obvious that the “spiritual man” in this passage is not a nonphysical person.  Rather, it is someone who is guided by the Holy Spirit, in contradistinction from someone who is guided by natural impulses (non-Spiritually guided).  Thus, the resurrected body is called “spiritual” because it is ruled not by carnal impulses, but by the Holy Spirit (Spiritual impulses).  This is not an anthropological dualism between “physical -- psyche” and “spiritual -- pneuma,” but a moral distinction between a life led by the Holy Spirit and one controlled by sinful desires.

 

C) THE NATURAL BODY

 

 

In a similar fashion, the “natural body” is described in First Corinthians 15:44:  “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”  This “spiritual body” is one in which is part of this present, sin-cursed existence, and is subjected to death.  Because of that; but the “spiritual body” of the resurrection is one, will be totally, not just partially, dominated and directed by the Holy Spirit.  Our Lord makes this Bible principle clear in Matthew 26:41:  “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:  the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak [see also Mark 14:38].”

 

All of this Biblical reasoning is made so very clear when one understands that the Scriptures are designed around one supposed to be understanding and learning about the character of God and mankind becoming (emulating) that character in one’s self.  In other words, once you understand that the Bible is teaching you all about “character,” God’s and yours, passages such as these are speaking of “character,” and not “physical bodies.”

 

This insight helps us also to understand Paul’s statement a few verses later in First Corinthians 15:50:  “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God [explained later]; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”  It is evident here that Paul is not saying that the resurrected body will be a nonphysical entity, because, writing to the Romans (8:9-11), he states:

 

“(9) But ye are not in the flesh [By the phrase “not in the flesh” Paul obviously did not mean that Christians who were led by the Holy Spirit had already discarded their physical bodies.  Rather, he means that already in the present physical life they were guided by spiritual values, and not worldly values, ones “character”], but in the Spirit [spiritually minded, still surely in their “flesh”], if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

 

(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead [obviously not physically speaking, but spiritually speaking; “dead” to sin] because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

 

(11) But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies [you see, the fleshly bodies are still alive, but “mortal,” not “immortal” yet] by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

 

John carries this same spiritually minded man and fleshly minded man Bible principle “character” continued on in his Epistle, as found in John 3:6:  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh [unrighteous character]; and that which is born of the Spirit [righteous character] is spirit.”  And our Lord backs him up with His statement in John 6:63:  “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.”  Also, note our Lord’s use of the word “flesh” in John 8:15:  “Ye judge after the flesh,” as opposed to “spiritually” discerning things (1Co. 2:14).

 

 

D) OUR RESURRECTED BODIES

 

 

Now here is something important to notice in regards to our eventual “Resurrected Bodies.”  According to Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20, we are saved in our “flesh.”  And according to Luke 3:6, “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”  However, there is a difference (obviously) between our physical bodies now, and those that will be our Heavenly bodies.  This is not explained by our Lord, but is hinted at by His explanation in Luke 24:39:  “for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.”  Notice that our Lord uses the phrase “flesh and bones,” as opposed to the usual phrase, “flesh and blood.”  Thus, in our Lord’s statement we receive an indication of what the difference will be.

 

Christians, going back to the “Apostles’ Creed,” used to believe what was stated in it:  “I believe in. . . the resurrection of the flesh,” rather than, “of the body.”  Tertullian (B.C. 160-225), who is regarded as the Father of Latin Christianity, argues at great length in his treatise “On the Resurrection of the Flesh,” that God will resurrect the very “flesh which has been consigned to the ground.”  He appeals to Jesus’ Words, “the very hairs of our head are all numbered,” to prove that they will all be restored at the resurrection.  “If they were to be lost,” Tertullian reasons, “where would be the use of having taken such a numeral care of them?”  This has carried throughout Christendom too long and has caused only confusion.  Plus, do you want the same about of hairs you had at 20 years-of-age, or at 80?

 

It is also important to note that our Lord originally created our physical bodies in the beginning to be able to live forever.  See my Bible Study:  “HUMAN BODY LIVES FOREVER.”  This is noted by observing that in the creation account, God seven times expresses His satisfaction over the perfection of His material creation by saying “it was good,” Genesis 1:4 & 10 & 12 & 18 & 21 & 25 & 31, and that it adequately reflected “His Own image,” Genesis 1:27.  The only thing that changed was that death was added.  In other words, something we may not totally grasp here, has changed physically from what Adam and Eve used to own.  Thus, what will be changed at our Lord’s Second Coming will be to take away the death sentence, which, if you re-read two paragraphs above, might just be in our “blood.”

 

Some may retort, “Did not Jesus say,” “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in Heaven,” Matthew 22:30?  Does this passage not indicate that at the resurrection all gender distinctions will be abolished and our bodies will no longer be physical?  This conclusion cannot be drawn legitimately from Jesus’ statement.  Here He refers to the angels, not in order to teach the nonphysical nature of the resurrected body, but simply to explain that the pro-creational function of marriage (see Mat. 22:24) will no longer exist.  In that aspect, we will be “as the angels of God in Heaven.”

 

This misunderstanding of the meaning of “the resurrection of the body” could have been avoided by recognizing the simple truth that for Biblical writers, the term “body,” is simply a synonym for “person.”  For example, when Paul writes, “we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body,” Romans 8:23.  Here, he simply means the redemption of our total being.

 

This meaning is evident later in the same Epistle where Paul makes the appeal “that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service,” Rom. 12:1.  Here the presenting of our “bodies” to God is explicitly defined as the rendering of our “spiritual worship” through our total being (it also mean to take care of your physical bodies).  Thus, when Paul speaks of the resurrection of the body, he is clearly thinking of the whole person.

 

 

E) TO THE BODY

 

 

Indeed, “soma,” the Greek word for “body,” is the nearest equivalent to our word “personality.”  It means that I will not be someone different from whom I am now when resurrected.  I will be exclusively myself.  In short, it means that God has committed Himself to preserving my individuality, personality, and character.  This Biblical principle is carried out in the preservation of our identity through the suggestive imagery of our “names [being] written in the Book of Life,” Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12.

 

Each believer develops his or her own unique character as a result of the temptations, struggles, defeats, disappointments, victories, and growth in grace that each one experiences.  And they will be preserved by keeping their names listed in the “Lamb’s Book of Life,” as opposed to being “blotted out.”

 

It is important to note that in all of Paul’s writings, he always speaks about the resurrection of persons.  There is no reference to the reattachment of resurrected bodies to spiritual souls.  In fact, the “soul,” Greek, “psyche,” is never mentioned.  If the resurrection involved the reattachment of the body from the soul, would it not be very strange for Paul to fail to mention it altogether in his discussion of the nature of the resurrection?  After all, this teaching would be fundamental to this false concept for the understanding of what happens to the body and soul at the resurrection.  The absence of any reference to the “soul” clearly indicates that Paul believed in the resurrection of the whole person, body plus God’s breath, equaling a living soul (see Gen. 2:7).  A better understanding of this would indeed be helpful by seeing my Bible Study:  “DEATH, THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT.”

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