A friend asserts that Paul did not believe in the bodily ressurection of Jesus and that Paul’s writings do not specifically reflect any such thing.
Althoug I do not believe with my friend, admittedly a coherent case can be made either way when reading 1 Cor 15.
Thoughts?
Hi, Goout!
…the problem is that when we base our understanding of Scriptures on a single passage/verse/chapter… we tend to make swiss cheese of God’s Revelation… the more holes we encounter the less complete understanding of God’s Word…
St. Paul is speaking of two distinct elements: a) Christ’s Resurrection is the assurance of our Resurrection, and b) the Resurrection of humanity will consist of several facets: 1) Christ, first, 2) those who Believed in Christ, second, 3) then all others, 4) there will be a change (mortality to immortality), 5) there will be differences among the risen as not all will change into un incorrupt body (a body of righteousness), 6) those that have died (or are found alive during the event) in Christ will join Christ in Heaven.
So there is a difference between Christ’s Resurrection and the Resurrection of man.
Christ’s Resurrection ushered in God’s Salvific Plan’s final stage: Judgment…
Man’s Resurrection will witness (be part of) Judgment.
Here’s the swiss-cheese effect: if Christ did not Resurrect in a body similar to ours, how did He eat and drink while amongst His Disciples?
True, Christ’s body was a Glorified Body… but it had particular elements in common with the human body: a) it was visible, as in the same physical entity known to Christ’s Followers, b) it was palpable, c) it was able to communicate in human speech, d) it was able to consume food and drink, e) it was earth bound (walk, sit, stand, do manual labor…); it was also earth bound in that it spent time amongst His Disciples and other Believers before Ascending into Heaven.
…more of the swiss-cheese effect?
Where did St. Paul state that Jesus Resurrected in an incorrupt body or that Jesus’ body was fully spiritual and appearing only as energy/spirit?
Further, the change that will come to us (incorruptibility) could not have taken place with Christ since He is from Above (already incorruptible)–one would have to extrapolate that Christ did not have a human body after all since this particular change would not take place… but Scriptures have already deem that as a sign of the anti-Christ–all who hold that the Word did not come in the flesh is an anti-Christ!
Reading Scriptures in a vacuum (outside of the totality of Scriptures) causes all sorts of erroneous interpretations–it could well lead to heresy!
Maran atha!
Angel