The Creed

[deaconswife]

I hope that some of you might be able to help me. I was asked a question about the creed, specifically the line in it that says He rose again on the third day. The person asking the question had a problem with the word again - which they seemed to think meant more than once. I explained that Jesus was not raised multiple times but they were hung up on the word again. I’m hoping that some of you might have an explanation of the word again in that phrase that will satisfy my questioner. Thank you in advance.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

deaconswife:

I hope that some of you might be able to help me. I was asked a question about the creed, specifically the line in it that says He rose again on the third day. The person asking the question had a problem with the word again - which they seemed to think meant more than once. I explained that Jesus was not raised multiple times but they were hung up on the word again. I’m hoping that some of you might have an explanation of the word again in that phrase that will satisfy my questioner. Thank you in advance.

Human life first arose in Christ at the moment of the Incarnation. When the Divinity of the second person of the Trinity was combined with a human body and was infused with a human soul. That Life arose again after human death had separated the Human body from the human soul, both remaining fully united to His Divinity. After the third day, again that same human body and human soul were reunited in the Resurrection.

That is my best shot.

 

[Della]

The word and the phrase simply mean “rose to life again after having been dead”. I hope that helps.

 

[drforjc]

It’s like saying “If you fall down you must get right back up again.” It’s just idiom-- it doesn’t imply that you fell down, got up, fell down a second time, and got up a second time.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

The word “again” is not found in the Greek of the creed. It is, rather, an attempt to make what sounds reasonable. That is, he was alive, then he was dead, and now he is alive again. In both the orignal Greek from the Nicean Council and the later Greek from the Council of Constantinople we find the word “hEmerai” which means “to reclaim” – and this is the source of the translation of “again.” That is, he “reclaimed his life” would be a more literal translation.

Deacon Ed