Heaven is a real place
- Thread starter civic
- Start date
If you think that then you have not followed what I have posted very well. But no matter, I am not interested in being orthodox; rather I am concerned with being biblically correct. With all due respect @civic, it is your beliefs that, while some perhaps being orthodox, are incorrect regarding the Incarnation, the 2nd Coming, heaven, new heavens/earth and many other doctrines. You seem to be pretty close regarding soteriology.
civic
Active Member
I'm sorry but the literal physical bodily Resurrection/Ascension of Jesus effects everything I mentioned most importsantly the gospel and salvation.
If Christ is not raised from the dead then you have some serious problems according to the bible.
1 Corinthians 15:14-18
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Romans 4:25
He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
Romans 10:9
that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
1 Peter 1:21
Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God.
Acts 2:24
But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep Him in its grip.
Acts 17:31
For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
conclusion: if Christ is not raised, ascended bodily one is still dead in their sins, not saved, not justified, no newness of life etc...
hope this helps !!!
FreeInChrist
Active Member
An opinion. MINE. On will we be in body or only spiritual in the end. I AM REFERRING ONLY TO BELIEVERS.........!!!!
Scripture does indicate that the spirits of believers are in heaven NOW.
Before the resurrection, believers are with God in spirit. And before you ask me what I mean by this resurrection I will explain before going on.
When I said “before the resurrection, believers are with God in spirit,” I was referring to what theologians call the intermediate state ..... the period between a believer’s death and the final resurrection.
You see... by careful study... there are two stages after death.
1. At death The body dies and the spirit goes to God.
This is actually told to us in Eccl 12:7 "then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."
2.At Christ's return The body is raised and transformed
So you see, believers are with Christ after death. But they are not yet resurrected. They are alive without their glorified bodies.
The Bible does not teach that our final state is being a spirit in heaven forever.
Paul says “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8)
This must be understood above all...... You simply can’t be bodily in the grave and also with the Lord ...unless your spirit goes to Him.
The Bible furthers this when it says in Heb 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
“The spirits of the righteous made perfect” are in heaven.
(Hebrews 12:23)
Not of angels. Not of metaphors. But of Human spirits.
When Jesus said to the thief in Luke 23:43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." The thief's body went into a grave, While he went to God.
Again Paul confirms in 2 Cor 5:8 "we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord '.
You can’t be bodily in the grave and also with the Lord.... unless your spirit goes to Him.
So what does that mean for our bodies that have been turning back to dust in the ground, or wherever?
Let's look and see.
Jesus is NOT merely " a spirit ."
After His resurrection Jesus has ....
.... A real body!
....A real soul !
.... A real human spirit!
....And the eternal divine nature!
This surely should convince anyone that Jesus was never merely a man.
Jesus is not a spirit only, but He absolutely has a spirit.
John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
You cannot give up something you do not have!!!!
So now we really need to know about the two-stage life after death BEACUSE THAT AFFECTS US ALL.
HERE IS THE BIBLICAL ORDER OF THINGS
1. Death =
Our Body to the Grave
Our Spirit to be with Christ
2. Resurrection =
Our spirit + glorified body reunited.
3. Eternal life in the new creation =
Heaven right now is intermediate. The final state is bodily. that is exactly what Revelation, Paul, and Jesus all teach
The Holy Bible teaches both conscious spirits are with God now... then we will get our glorified bodies forever later.
Hebrews 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and this says heaven contains “the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” not just angels.
Jesus and Stephen both committed their spirits to God at death (Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59), proving conscious human spirits go to Him.
So now finishing up a small recap if I may
Jesus: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
Stephen: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59)
Paul: “To depart and be with Christ is far better.” (Phil 1:23)
IOW, on our death our spirit god back to our Heavenly Father's presence.
And our spirit is Conscious, Personal, With Christ, AND Waiting for our resurrection!!!!!!
Revelation 6:9–11 shows souls in heaven speaking, worshiping, and waiting for their bodies.
They are not asleep. They are not annihilated. They are not unconscious. They ARE alive with God.
Then comes our resurrection.
When Jesus returns: “God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” (1 Thess 4:14)
Those spirits come back and are reunited with glorified bodies.
That is the final, permanent state.
And it is in this state that we have a "new" heavens and "new" earth.....
I could expound more on the spirit and its connection to the soul but that is actually a topic for another thread.... because it is not the soul that goes back to God, but the spirit.
Scripture does indicate that the spirits of believers are in heaven NOW.
Before the resurrection, believers are with God in spirit. And before you ask me what I mean by this resurrection I will explain before going on.
When I said “before the resurrection, believers are with God in spirit,” I was referring to what theologians call the intermediate state ..... the period between a believer’s death and the final resurrection.
You see... by careful study... there are two stages after death.
1. At death The body dies and the spirit goes to God.
This is actually told to us in Eccl 12:7 "then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."
2.At Christ's return The body is raised and transformed
So you see, believers are with Christ after death. But they are not yet resurrected. They are alive without their glorified bodies.
The Bible does not teach that our final state is being a spirit in heaven forever.
Paul says “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8)
This must be understood above all...... You simply can’t be bodily in the grave and also with the Lord ...unless your spirit goes to Him.
The Bible furthers this when it says in Heb 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
“The spirits of the righteous made perfect” are in heaven.
(Hebrews 12:23)
Not of angels. Not of metaphors. But of Human spirits.
When Jesus said to the thief in Luke 23:43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." The thief's body went into a grave, While he went to God.
Again Paul confirms in 2 Cor 5:8 "we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord '.
You can’t be bodily in the grave and also with the Lord.... unless your spirit goes to Him.
So what does that mean for our bodies that have been turning back to dust in the ground, or wherever?
Let's look and see.
Jesus is NOT merely " a spirit ."
After His resurrection Jesus has ....
.... A real body!
....A real soul !
.... A real human spirit!
....And the eternal divine nature!
This surely should convince anyone that Jesus was never merely a man.
Jesus is not a spirit only, but He absolutely has a spirit.
John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
You cannot give up something you do not have!!!!
So now we really need to know about the two-stage life after death BEACUSE THAT AFFECTS US ALL.
HERE IS THE BIBLICAL ORDER OF THINGS
1. Death =
Our Body to the Grave
Our Spirit to be with Christ
2. Resurrection =
Our spirit + glorified body reunited.
3. Eternal life in the new creation =
Heaven right now is intermediate. The final state is bodily. that is exactly what Revelation, Paul, and Jesus all teach
The Holy Bible teaches both conscious spirits are with God now... then we will get our glorified bodies forever later.
Hebrews 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and this says heaven contains “the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” not just angels.
Jesus and Stephen both committed their spirits to God at death (Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59), proving conscious human spirits go to Him.
So now finishing up a small recap if I may
Jesus: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
Stephen: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59)
Paul: “To depart and be with Christ is far better.” (Phil 1:23)
IOW, on our death our spirit god back to our Heavenly Father's presence.
And our spirit is Conscious, Personal, With Christ, AND Waiting for our resurrection!!!!!!
Revelation 6:9–11 shows souls in heaven speaking, worshiping, and waiting for their bodies.
They are not asleep. They are not annihilated. They are not unconscious. They ARE alive with God.
Then comes our resurrection.
When Jesus returns: “God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” (1 Thess 4:14)
Those spirits come back and are reunited with glorified bodies.
That is the final, permanent state.
And it is in this state that we have a "new" heavens and "new" earth.....
I could expound more on the spirit and its connection to the soul but that is actually a topic for another thread.... because it is not the soul that goes back to God, but the spirit.
Darby
Active Member
Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
ACTS 9:8
How strange that Saul of Tarsus was blinded by the very light that would soon light up his life! Journeying toward Damascus to imprison Christians, Saul fell to the ground when a sudden light burst on him. It was the glorified Jesus, which gives us a wonderful picture of our Lord’s current appearance in the heavens.
Psalm 104 says that “the LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment” (verse 2). In 1 Timothy 6:16, we see that He dwells in unapproachable light. We read in Revelation 1 that, when John saw Him, “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” (verse 16). In the Eternal City, there will be no need for sun or moon, because the Lamb is its light.
By faith, we can walk in the light of His presence now. Psalm 34 describes believers: “They looked to Him and were radiant” (verse 5). We can visualize our glorified Jesus, seated on the throne of heaven, and reflect His light today.
I know that the light of His presence with me doth continually dwell.
FANNY CROSBY
David Jeremiah
Doug Brents
Active Member
I did not say they were not physical either. As Paul tells us, when we are resurrected and taken to Heaven, we will be changed as a wheat seed that falls to the ground is changed as it becomes a wheat plant which produces more wheat seeds. We do not know what we will become, but we do know that we will be changed (1 John 3:2, 1 Cor 15:20-58). We could be purely spiritual, or we could have a new physical form. But what we will be will be most closely perceived by our current physical form as being rivers, gems and jewels, having trees and other plants, etc.
civic
Active Member
seed is physical/literal seed that correlates to plants, bodies in 1 Corinthians 15:35-54.
sowing seed is physical
body is physical
dying is physical
flesh is physical
different kinds of flesh are physical
animals are physical
birds are physical
fish are physical
sun is physical
moon is physical
stars are physical
heavenly body is physical
earthly body is physical
1st adam is physical
2nd adam is physical
spiritual body cannot all of a sudden mean non physical regarding the subject of the Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. spiritual means controlled by the spirit, the spirit is its source.
is a spiritual man non physical ? no
he is governed by the Spirit in his life, ruled by the spirit in whom he submits.
the way people try and "spiritualize" the Resurrected body, heaven, the afterlife as if its noncorporeal. its a real place with the real human Jesus that has a real physical human glorified body that is immortal, incorruptible just like all believers will have in the resurrection. Jesus promised to prepare a place for us with many dwellings. A dwelling by definition is a real, literal, physical place where people live. @Jim
hope this helps !!!
sowing seed is physical
body is physical
dying is physical
flesh is physical
different kinds of flesh are physical
animals are physical
birds are physical
fish are physical
sun is physical
moon is physical
stars are physical
heavenly body is physical
earthly body is physical
1st adam is physical
2nd adam is physical
spiritual body cannot all of a sudden mean non physical regarding the subject of the Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. spiritual means controlled by the spirit, the spirit is its source.
is a spiritual man non physical ? no
he is governed by the Spirit in his life, ruled by the spirit in whom he submits.
the way people try and "spiritualize" the Resurrected body, heaven, the afterlife as if its noncorporeal. its a real place with the real human Jesus that has a real physical human glorified body that is immortal, incorruptible just like all believers will have in the resurrection. Jesus promised to prepare a place for us with many dwellings. A dwelling by definition is a real, literal, physical place where people live. @Jim
hope this helps !!!
Does God dwell in heaven?
civic
Active Member
Yes heaven is a real place read the book of revelation and see all the physical things described in heaven. Spiritual does not mean incorpereal.
Natural(psychikos) body
Spiritual(pneumatikos) body
1 Corinthians 15:44
it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritualbody.
Below we see how Paul uses and contrasts the words natural (psychikos) and spiritual (pneumatikos) below;
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.
Paul is clearly contrasting the unsaved with the saved with the natural man and spiritual man. One is controlled by the natural or the flesh while the other is controlled by the spirit/spiritual- Holy Spirit. Just like in 1 Cor 15:44 where Paul is contrasting the natural body that is controlled by the flesh with the spiritual body that is controlled by the Spirit. Both are real physical bodies but the difference is one is controlled by the flesh which is carnal and the other is controlled by the Spirit and is spiritual. One has the appetites and desires of the flesh while the other has appetites and desires controlled by the Spirit. Hence a spiritual body is one that is controlled by the Spirit of God in the Resurrection.
Paul’s usage below of spiritual(pneumatikos) in 1 Corinthians 10 where he calls the rock, food and drink spiritual it does not mean an immaterial rock, food and drink but a real Rock, Manna and Water which were with the Israelites in the wilderness wanderings.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
Now Paul drives home the point of our new literal physical bodies below in heaven from the text in 2nd Cor 5 below;
2 Corinthians 5:1-5
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
You see there is no bodiless spirit men in heaven unclothed (no body) but indeed with a heavenly body (like Jesus) has now in heaven which is flesh and bones like He said His Resurrected body was to His Disciples.
Spiritual is used to describe these physical things:
the spiritual man
he who is spiritual
the spiritual rock
the spiritual food
the spiritual drink
the spiritual songs
the spiritual house
the spiritual things
the spiritual body
1 Corinthians 15:38-41
But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same: Peoplehave one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of theearthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
A summary of the bodies mentioned above are all PHYSICAL in nature
1- people
2- seed
3-animals
4-birds
5-fish
6- heavenly - the sun, moon and stars
7- earthly- all inclusive 1-5
So as we can see BODY above are all PHYSICAL in nature.
These Greek Lexicons agree that soma is physical just like Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15
hope this helps !!!
Doug Brents
Active Member
The bodily physical resurrection of Jesus is well documented and is not controversial (at least not here among us). However, there is NO evidence anywhere in Scripture of the body He has in Heaven post ascension.
I believe that He has (as Jim states) reverted to His pre-incarnation state of being purely spirit, but I will not teach that as truth because there is no evidence either way in Scripture.
I would ask that you not teach that He absolutely has a physical body in Heaven, because again there is no evidence either way in Scripture.
Yours in loving Christian fellowship
civic
Active Member
I'm sorry but both you and @Jim are 100% wrong about Jesus resurrected body. See below from Got ?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the foundations upon which Christianity is built (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). The virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:27), the deity of Christ (1 John 4:15, 5:5; John 10:30), Jesus’ atonement for sin (Romans 5:10–11; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and His crucifixion are non-negotiable truths, without which Christianity could not exist. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was the crowning achievement that forever separates Him from any other religious leader who has ever been or will ever live. No other religious figure in history has ever prophesied His own death and resurrection—and then accomplished it.
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead matters because it fulfilled prophecy. Jesus prophesied His resurrection (Mark 8:31), and so did the Old Testament (Psalm 16:10–11; Isaiah 53:12). Roman rule brought crucifixion as a particularly heinous form of capital punishment. Many people were crucified for their crimes and for insulting Caesar. So the facts of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial are not necessarily outstanding, as many suffered the same fate. However, the bodies of those other people are still in their graves. Jesus’ tomb is empty (Luke 24:24). If Jesus never rose from the dead, there would be no compelling reason to believe that He is who He said He is. But the fact is that He did rise again, confirming His claim to be God (Matthew 27:63; 28:6).
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead also matters because our justification hinges on it. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). A dead Savior cannot save, but we have a living Savior who justifies us and makes intercession for us (see Hebrews 7:25).
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is fundamental to our faith. First Corinthians 15 is a detailed explanation of the importance of Jesus’ resurrection. Verse 14 states, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” In fact, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (verse 17), and believers who have died are “lost” (verse 18).
Jesus rose from the dead, and Paul presents that event as the only thing that gives us hope in this life. Christ was the first to permanently rise from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20), clearing the way for a future resurrection for all who believe (verses 22–23). Jesus’ claim that He has the power to grant eternal life is to be trusted because He Himself conquered death (Romans 8:11; John 3:16–18; 10:28).
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history, providing irrefutable evidence that Jesus is who He claimed to be – the Son of God. The resurrection was not only the supreme validation of His deity; it also validated the Scriptures, which foretold His coming and resurrection. Moreover, it authenticated Christ’s claims that He would be raised on the third day (John 2:19-21; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34). If Christ’s body was not resurrected, we have no hope that ours will be (1 Corinthians 15:13, 16). In fact, apart from Christ’s bodily resurrection, we have no Savior, no salvation, and no hope of eternal life. As the apostle Paul said, our faith would be “useless” and the life-giving power of the gospel would be altogether eliminated.
Because our eternal destinies ride on the truth of this historical event, the resurrection has been the target of Satan’s greatest attacks against the church. Accordingly, the historicity of Christ’s bodily resurrection has been examined and investigated from every angle and studied endlessly by countless scholars, theologians, professors, and others over the centuries. And even though a number of theories have been postulated that attempt to disprove this momentous event, no credible historical evidence exists which would validate anything other than His literal bodily resurrection. On the other hand, the clear and convincing evidence of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is overwhelming.
Nonetheless, from the Christians in ancient Corinth to many today, misunderstandings persist relative to certain aspects of our Savior’s resurrection. Why, some ask, is it important that Christ’s body was resurrected? Couldn’t His resurrection have just been spiritual? Why and how does the resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantee the bodily resurrection of believers? Will our resurrected bodies be the same as our earthly bodies? If not, what will they be like? The answers to these questions are found in the fifteenth chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, a church that he established several years earlier during his second missionary journey.
In addition to growing factions in the young Corinthian church, there was rampant misunderstanding of some key Christian doctrines, including the resurrection. Although many of the Corinthians accepted that Christ has been resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:1, 11), they had difficulty believing others could or would be resurrected. The continuing influence of Gnostic philosophy, which held that everything spiritual was good whereas everything physical, such as our bodies, was intrinsically evil, was essentially responsible for their confusion regarding their own resurrection. The idea of a detestable corpse being eternally resurrected was, therefore, strongly opposed by some and certainly by the Greek philosophers of the day (Acts 17:32).
Yet, most of the Corinthians understood that Christ’s resurrection was bodily and not spiritual. After all, resurrection means “a rising from the dead”; something comes back to life. They understood that all souls were immortal and at death immediately went to be with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Thus, a “spiritual” resurrection would make no sense, as the spirit doesn’t die and therefore cannot be resurrected. Additionally, they were aware that the Scriptures, as well as Christ Himself, stated that His body would rise again on the third day. Scripture also made it clear that Christ’s body would see no decay (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27), a charge that would make no sense if His body was not resurrected. Lastly, Christ emphatically told His disciples it was His body that was resurrected: “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39).
Again, however, the Corinthians’ concern was regarding their personal resurrection. Accordingly, Paul tried to convince the Corinthians that because Christ rose from the dead, they also would rise from the dead some day, and that the two resurrections – Christ’s and ours – must stand or fall together, for “if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised” (1 Corinthians 15:13).
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).
When Jesus Christ was resurrected, He became the “first fruits” of all who would be raised (see also Colossians 1:18). The Israelites could not fully harvest their crops until they brought a representative sampling (first fruits) to the priests as an offering to the Lord (Leviticus 23:10). This is what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Christ’s own resurrection was the “first fruits” of the resurrection “harvest” of the believing dead. The “first fruits” language Paul uses indicates something to follow, and that something would be His followers – the rest of the “crop.” This is how Christ’s resurrection guarantees ours. Indeed, His resurrection requires our resurrection.
And to allay their concerns regarding connecting the spirit to what was deemed an undesirable body, Paul explained to them the nature of our resurrected bodies and how they would differ from our earthly bodies. Paul likened our deceased earthly bodies to a “seed,” and God would ultimately provide another body (1 Corinthians 15:37-38) that would be like Christ’s glorious resurrected body (1 Corinthians 15:49; Philippians 3:21). Indeed, just as with our Lord, our bodies which are now perishable, dishonored, weak, and natural will one day be raised into bodies that are imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Our spiritual bodies will be perfectly equipped for heavenly, supernatural living.
civic
Active Member
continued:
Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus so important ?
The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons. First, the resurrection witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, then He has power to raise the dead. If He does not have such power, He is not worthy of our faith and worship. Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the hideousness that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting of death and gain the victory over the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is also important because it validates who Jesus claimed to be, namely, the Son of God and Messiah. According to Jesus, His resurrection was the “sign from heaven” that authenticated His ministry (Matthew 16:1–4). The resurrection of Jesus Christ, attested to by hundreds of eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3–8), provides irrefutable proof that He is the Savior of the world.
Another reason the resurrection of Jesus Christ is important is that it proves His sinless character and divine nature. The Scriptures said God’s “Holy One” would never see corruption (Psalm 16:10), and Jesus never saw corruption, even after He died (see Acts 13:32–37). It was on the basis of the resurrection of Christ that Paul preached, “Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin” (Acts 13:38–39).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ not only validates His deity, but it also validates the Old Testament prophecies that foretold of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection (see Acts 17:2–3). Christ’s resurrection also authenticated His own claims that He would be raised on the third day (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34). If Jesus Christ is not resurrected, then we have no hope that we will be, either. In fact, apart from Christ’s resurrection, we have no Savior, no salvation, and no hope of eternal life. As Paul said, our faith would be “useless,” the gospel would be altogether powerless, and our sins would remain unforgiven (1 Corinthians 15:14–19).
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), and in that statement claimed to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, no eternal life. Jesus does more than give life; He is life, and that’s why death has no power over Him. Jesus confers His life on those who trust in Him, so that we can share His triumph over death (1 John 5:11–12). We who believe in Jesus Christ will personally experience resurrection because, having the life Jesus gives, we have overcome death. It is impossible for death to win (1 Corinthians 15:53–57).
Jesus is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). In other words, Jesus led the way in life after death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is important as a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike other religions, Christianity has a Founder who transcends death and promises that His followers will do the same. Every other religion was founded by men or prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we know that God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 10:12).
The Word of God guarantees the believer’s resurrection at the coming of Jesus Christ for His church at the rapture. Such assurance results in a great song of triumph as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (cf. Hosea 13:14).
The importance of the resurrection of Christ has an impact on our service to the Lord now. Paul ends his discourse on resurrection with these words: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Because we know we will be resurrected to new life, we can endure persecution and danger for Christ’s sake (verses 30–32), just as our Lord did. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, thousands of Christian martyrs through history have willingly traded their earthly lives for everlasting life and the promise of resurrection.
The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). And He is coming again! The dead in Christ will be raised up, and those who are alive at His coming will be changed and receive new, glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? It proves who Jesus is. It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead but will be resurrected unto eternal life.
Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus so important ?
The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons. First, the resurrection witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, then He has power to raise the dead. If He does not have such power, He is not worthy of our faith and worship. Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the hideousness that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting of death and gain the victory over the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is also important because it validates who Jesus claimed to be, namely, the Son of God and Messiah. According to Jesus, His resurrection was the “sign from heaven” that authenticated His ministry (Matthew 16:1–4). The resurrection of Jesus Christ, attested to by hundreds of eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3–8), provides irrefutable proof that He is the Savior of the world.
Another reason the resurrection of Jesus Christ is important is that it proves His sinless character and divine nature. The Scriptures said God’s “Holy One” would never see corruption (Psalm 16:10), and Jesus never saw corruption, even after He died (see Acts 13:32–37). It was on the basis of the resurrection of Christ that Paul preached, “Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin” (Acts 13:38–39).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ not only validates His deity, but it also validates the Old Testament prophecies that foretold of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection (see Acts 17:2–3). Christ’s resurrection also authenticated His own claims that He would be raised on the third day (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34). If Jesus Christ is not resurrected, then we have no hope that we will be, either. In fact, apart from Christ’s resurrection, we have no Savior, no salvation, and no hope of eternal life. As Paul said, our faith would be “useless,” the gospel would be altogether powerless, and our sins would remain unforgiven (1 Corinthians 15:14–19).
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), and in that statement claimed to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, no eternal life. Jesus does more than give life; He is life, and that’s why death has no power over Him. Jesus confers His life on those who trust in Him, so that we can share His triumph over death (1 John 5:11–12). We who believe in Jesus Christ will personally experience resurrection because, having the life Jesus gives, we have overcome death. It is impossible for death to win (1 Corinthians 15:53–57).
Jesus is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). In other words, Jesus led the way in life after death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is important as a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike other religions, Christianity has a Founder who transcends death and promises that His followers will do the same. Every other religion was founded by men or prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we know that God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 10:12).
The Word of God guarantees the believer’s resurrection at the coming of Jesus Christ for His church at the rapture. Such assurance results in a great song of triumph as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (cf. Hosea 13:14).
The importance of the resurrection of Christ has an impact on our service to the Lord now. Paul ends his discourse on resurrection with these words: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Because we know we will be resurrected to new life, we can endure persecution and danger for Christ’s sake (verses 30–32), just as our Lord did. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, thousands of Christian martyrs through history have willingly traded their earthly lives for everlasting life and the promise of resurrection.
The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). And He is coming again! The dead in Christ will be raised up, and those who are alive at His coming will be changed and receive new, glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? It proves who Jesus is. It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead but will be resurrected unto eternal life.
civic
Active Member
And I would ask that you not teach as a "christian " Jesus is a spirit since that is the false doctrine/teaching of the jehovah witnesses.
civic
Active Member
There is plenty of biblical evidence Jesus now has a physical body in heaven
The physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus is foundational to Christian doctrine and our hope of heaven. Because Jesus rose from the dead with a physical body, every Christian has the guarantee of his own bodily resurrection (John 5:21, 28; Romans 8:23). Now Jesus is in heaven, where He is pictured as sitting in a place of authority, at the right hand of God (1 Peter 3:22). But is Jesus’ body in heaven the same as His body on earth?
The Bible is clear that Jesus’ body was resurrected. The tomb was empty. He was recognizable to those who knew Him. Jesus showed Himself to all His disciples after His resurrection, and more than five hundred people were eyewitnesses to His earthly, post-resurrection presence (1 Corinthians 15:4–6). In Luke 24:16, on the road to Emmaus, two of Jesus’ disciples “were kept from recognizing [Jesus].” However, later, “their eyes were opened and they recognized Him” (verse 31). It’s not that Jesus was unrecognizable; it’s that, for a time, the disciples were supernaturally restrained from recognizing Him.
Later in the same chapter of Luke, Christ makes it plain to His disciples that He does have a physical body; He is not a disembodied spirit: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). After spending forty days with His disciples, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9). Jesus is still human, and He has a human body in heaven right now. His body is different, however; earthly human flesh is perishable, but heavenly bodies are imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50). Jesus has a physical body, with a difference. His resurrected body is designed with eternity in view.
First Corinthians 15:35–49 describes what the body of the believer will be like in heaven. Our heavenly bodies will differ from our earthly ones in type of flesh, in splendor, in power, and in longevity. The apostle Paul also states that the believer’s body will be an image of Christ’s body (verse 49). Paul discusses this subject again in 2 Corinthians, where he compares earthly bodies to tents and heavenly bodies to heavenly dwellings (2 Corinthians 5:1–2). Paul says that, once the earthly tents come off, Christians will not be left “naked”—that is, without a body to live in (2 Corinthians 5:3). When the new body is “put on,” we will go from mortality to immortality (2 Corinthians 5:4).
So, we know that the Christian will have a heavenly body like Jesus’ “glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). At His incarnation Jesus took on human flesh, and at His resurrection His body was glorified—although He retained the scars (John 20:27). He will forever be the God-Man, sacrificed for us. Christ, the Creator of the universe, will forever stoop to our level, and He will be known to us in heaven in a tangible form that we can see, hear, and touch (Revelation 21:3–4; 22:4).
hope this helps !!!
Doug Brents
Active Member
I don't trust anything "Got" produces. Sometimes they get things right, but for the most part they are way off base.
I am not disputing the physical resurrection in any way. Jesus absolutely was resurrected by God, and walked with the Apostles and other disciples for 40 days in a physical body that was evidenced and reported by hundreds.
My only dispute is that you say He is in Heaven still in a physical body. I don't see any evidence for that in Scripture.
Doug Brents
Active Member
Jesus absolutely is God, and as God is a Spirit, so too is Jesus. He had a physical body while He lived here on Earth, but I don't believe He still has one in Heaven. But there is no evidence one way or the other in Scripture, so I won't make a definitive statement either way. And I ask that you don't either, since there is no support in Scripture either way.
Doug Brents
Active Member
You are extrapolating things beyond what Scripture says. Sure, we will have a new body as a tent or dwelling in Heaven, but we do not know the form of that heavenly body. Jesus was still in His physical body while He was here with the disciples after His resurrection. But we do not, and cannot, know what His body looks like or is made of in Heaven. John does not tell us in Revelation. Paul makes it clear that we do not know what the new body will be like, even though He was taken to Heaven (as John was).
Again, you may be right. But the evidence in Scripture does not support you to the point that you can make absolute statements about what is and what is not in this case. I will support you 100% when you are defending absolutes, but this is not one of those cases.
civic
Active Member
Even AI has the bible and christianity correct with the churches orthodox beliefs since the N.T. @Jim
" According to Christian theology, Jesus is both fully God and fully man, having ascended to heaven in a glorified, physical body, not as a disembodied spirit. He retains His human nature, which includes His resurrected body, making Him a unique presence in heaven—both divine and human—and uniquely positioned to intercede for humanity "
Key Points on Jesus' Nature in Heaven:
- Both Divine and Human: Jesus took on a permanent human nature in addition to His divine nature, so He is eternally both God and man.
- Glorified Body: He ascended with the same physical body that was resurrected, though now perfected and imperishable, not a mere spirit.
- Proof of Humanity: The Bible records Jesus showing His physical body (flesh and bones) to His disciples after the resurrection to prove He wasn't a ghost.
- Eternal Priesthood: His continuing humanity is essential for His role as a priest who forever intercedes for believers, a role that requires being a man,
- Return: He will return in the same physical, human form, according to Acts 1:9-11
hope this helps !!!
Doug Brents
Active Member
AI has no business being in a Biblical discussion. All AI does is search the sum total of human writing and regurgitate the most common, most prevalent comments on any topic. AI does not return truth.
The only part of this that is not corroborated in Scripture is His physical presence in Heaven. You can believe He has a physical body in Heaven all day long, but it is not substantiated in Scripture, so it should not be stated as absolute fact.
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