Happy Easter! The verse below is Paul's description of and argument for resurrection.
The Resurrection Body
1Cor. 15:35 But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"[e]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As 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. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
To me, this is an argument for a physical-body resurrection, and referring, in particular, to the church, or the ecclesia (assembly) of believers in Christ.
Specifically, Paul is talking about a change that takes place when the dead are raised. In later verses in this chapter he says this change is mysterious and that it will take place in an instant (kind of like Big Bang).
The picture right now is that we are presently in an "earthly" body that will be raised as a "spiritual" or "heavenly" body. He also says that the mortal will become immortal.
I could go on about what scriptures suggest that body might be like, but this is enough for now. Suffice to say, immortal man is coming. The human being idealized, in the exact image of God, like Jesus. And to whom will this happen? To the followers of the Lamb.
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I ponder how many have partaken of our Passover Lamb? We like the Israelites have been made partakers of the Lamb. Do we truly eat His flesh and drink His blood. Are we buried with Him that we might be resurrected from our sinful dead life to His glorious sinless like. Do we emulate to this world both the crucified life and the new man it creates? The Passover is a great time for self-evaluation. Making our calling and election sure.
What is His flesh and blood that we eat? Not the bread and wine. That is a symbol. Actually, we live off of Him. His Spirit sustains us and His word is our meat. We hunger for it. We don't go wandering long until we return for it. In case you were wondering, dude, you are definitely dining at His table. Not that you have all your ducks in a row. But you pine for Him.
We used to think the "crucified life" was fasting and giving up things and groveling. But that looks weird. That's not what He's looking for. You believe, and that crucifies you to this world. You are in identification with the cross. The world hates you because of Him.
Self-evaluation is right. "Examine yourselves, to see if you are in the FAITH." What faith? The faith of Jesus. Well, Pat, you are in that faith. You were in it even when you were going the other way.
You tried to wiggle out but couldn't. Relax. Go with the flow. He's in control (even if it doesn't look like it).
Some people get into grave introspection, like Watchman Nee. Maybe they have to go through that. But ultimately, it is an exercise in futility. It was the way of Freudian psychology. It was part of modernism, but it was medieval, too. Remember Madam Guyon? Great lady, sure. But too self-obsessed. Legalistic quagmires that make people look beatific, but doesn't really cause God to give the Brownie points. Isaiah 58. Not necessary. Maybe it is a form of morbid entertainment, like horror movies. Where did Jesus model that?
Nice Owl, Al. Man you really are jumping off the boat when you question Madam Guyon. Sometimes it does help to re-examine our old looks. The road of the cross has many detours but eventually it still brings you to the foot of the cross. That is where we lay our burdens down. It is not a bad place to return to occasionally. Perspective is good when it comes from a broken and contrite spirit.
Sorry. I wasn't dissing her. I studied her. I remember when someone close to us was obsessing on her. But she was a prime example of fussy asceticism. She is now influencing only very few people who, like her, think they are going all the way for Jesus by extremes of self-mortification. Yes, they are hungry, but are being led down alternate paths. That doesn't mean she didn't experience God in ways most people don't. But most people aren't built for that kind of speed. They don't need to get into those ultra-holy places. They need to tend to their children, and do honest work, and be faithful in the day-to-day stuff. I've seen some Madam Guyon shipwrecks. In fact, I think I am one. Think: Normal.
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