Resurrection Bodies

1 Corinthians 15:42-49

"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven."

I couldn't resist to explore and share some details of really the most exciting event in history! In my tough schedule lately I find solace in thinking about and researching a bit on the resurrection especially it is what is now in the Living Life devotional. Now, the apostle Paul discusses some details on the nature of the resurrection body. I found out that in v. 44 the Greek word translated as "natural" is "psychikos", or "soulish" from the word "psyche" or soul. The word translated as "spiritual" is "pneumatikos". Paul is not talking of physical vs ethereal bodies, but of "soul-led" vs "spirit-led" bodies. The apostle Paul also uses the same distinction to describe different sorts of people in Corinth (see 1 Cor 2:14). The contrast is not one of materiality but of orientation. On another note, if all the post-mortem appearances of Jesus were originally nonphysical visions, then we would be at a complete loss to explain the rise of the Gospel accounts. The Greek mentality regarded the death of the physical body as "good riddance," since the physical body was an impediment to the soul. The Jewish mentality precluded any physical resurrection to glory and immortality prior to the general resurrection at the end of the world. Both Jews and Gentiles at that time, would have been quite happy to accept stories of unfalsifiable visionary appearances of the deceased, but this one particular report would indeed be "foolishness to Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews." To me it is the most exciting time in history because God touched/kissed the earth with the mightest public display of His awesome power! Much more than that, though, this magnificent tour de force is my personal salvation and only hope! Amazing would be an understatement! No words can describe what God has yet in store for us!

John 20:24-29

"Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

~28.11.2013