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To be honest, I don't see what the hooraw is either way. I mean that God is spirit, so if we are resurrected like Him in that respect what's the problem?
To be honest, I don't see what the hooraw is either way. I mean that God is spirit, so if we are resurrected like Him in that respect what's the problem?
God is a spirit ... unless he isn't. Some have postulated that God the Father has a body and in many ways this is a better fit. I won't go into it too much though. The "create man in our image" makes more sense. So to does the business in the NT about Jesus "only doing the things I saw my Father do." But the entire notion that having a body is undesirable is also based on another long-held tradition that our physical body is itself mostly or even entirely evil. Well, what if it isn't?
The core of what makes one a fundamentalist is being locked into one point of view based mostly on dogmatic tradition.
So what would be the function of a bodily resurrection? What would be the point of each of us getting a physical body back? Why did Christ redeem and keep his own body? If God the Father has a body, what is its purpose? I have no idea. But why is a disembodied God any better?
This line of theological thinking is in no way inferior and just as scripturally valid, so it's worthy of due consideration.
To be honest, I don't see what the hooraw is either way. I mean that God is spirit, so if we are resurrected like Him in that respect what's the problem?
If you do not believe He was resurrected, then we finally have an answer to the question I asked you before (contradictions between written words of Jesus and what you have heard from other sources).
"And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. "
Last edited by Finn_Jarber; 03-23-2015 at 11:28 AM..
The resurrected Jesus made a point of demonstrating to His disciples that His resurrected body was not spirit but was flesh and bone.
Luke 24:36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be to you." 37] But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38] And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39] "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." 40] And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41] While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" 42] They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43] and He took it and ate it before them.
Either you believe Jesus, or you believe that He deceived his disciples, or you believe the story was made up.
God is a spirit ... unless he isn't. Some have postulated that God the Father has a body and in many ways this is a better fit. I won't go into it too much though. The "create man in our image" makes more sense. So to does the business in the NT about Jesus "only doing the things I saw my Father do." But the entire notion that having a body is undesirable is also based on another long-held tradition that our physical body is itself mostly or even entirely evil. Well, what if it isn't?
The core of what makes one a fundamentalist is being locked into one point of view based mostly on dogmatic tradition.
So what would be the function of a bodily resurrection? What would be the point of each of us getting a physical body back? Why did Christ redeem and keep his own body? If God the Father has a body, what is its purpose? I have no idea. But why is a disembodied God any better?
This line of theological thinking is in no way inferior and just as scripturally valid, so it's worthy of due consideration.
Yes God is spirit but what if all of creation resided within Him? All meaning the physical world as well. There is nothing outside of God. Jesus tasted death so that the physical world, being flawed, is reunited with God. He removes the flaw by His death. He rose again to prove this, to us.
Mike555, yes, some/many/most all of us at times may not get the whole crazy "bodily resurrection" thing but if you believe scripture has any truth at all--apparently Jesus DID and took pains to show His disciples so that they would, too.
also relevant is the story of "doubting Thomas" who wasn't around for the first appearance and therefore (and rather reasonably so by anybody's standards) didn't believe---unless he could "stick his fingers in" the wounds and so have objective evidence. apparently to deal with that concern, Jesus came again and gave him the opportunity to do just that (John 20:24-29). Thomas's response---"my Lord and my God" and Jesus's answer---"blessed are those who have not seen BUT believed" may (or may not) have relevance to our struggles in coming to terms with both our doubts and our faith in just who Jesus REALLY was---inspired teacher but human OR "Son of God" and divine (or BOTH).
St. Paul (right, wrong, or indifferent) does believe this incredible thing and also the implications of NOT doing so---"...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is FUTILE...." (1 Corinthians 15:17). he not only "got" it, he apparently believed it enough to spent the rest of his life spreading that message and he would eventually be killed for trusting in that wacky idea (supposedly the rest of the original disciples were also faithful enough believers or gullible enough fools to also spend their time pushing this story and ALSO ending up being killed for doing same---go figure!!!)
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 03-23-2015 at 11:27 AM..
Reason: more info.
Yes God is spirit but what if all of creation resided within Him? All meaning the physical world as well. There is nothing outside of God. Jesus tasted death so that the physical world, being flawed, is reunited with God. He removes the flaw by His death. He rose again to prove this, to us.
If that were the case then you've just successfully combined Hinduism with Christianity.
Interesting thought actually.
My point is postulating that God is in fact embodied works on the same line of thinking. "What if we got it wrong? What if God is not what we thought He was?"
Mike555, yes, some/many/most all of us at times may not get the whole crazy "bodily resurrection" thing but if you believe scripture has any truth at all--apparently Jesus DID and took pains to show His disciples so that they would, too.
also relevant is the story of "doubting Thomas" who wasn't around for the first appearance and therefore (and rather reasonably so by anybody's standards) didn't believe---unless he could "stick his fingers in" the wounds and so have objective evidence. apparently to deal with that concern, Jesus came again and gave him the opportunity to do just that (John 20:24-29). Thomas's response---"my Lord and my God" and Jesus's response---"blessed are those who have not seen BUT believed" may (or may not) have relevance to our struggles in coming to terms with both our doubts and our faith in just who Jesus REALLY was---inspired teacher but human OR "Son of God" and divine (or BOTH).
That's a good point. Jesus proved that His resurrected body was physical (flesh and bone) and there is excuse for disregarding the plain language of Scripture. Only those who have a low view of the Bible would do so.
again, Paul's statement that "...if Christ has NOT been raised, your faith is FUTILE.." is IMHO what it all may come down to at some point---do we continue wondering about, thinking on, scrutinizing, perhaps doubting the messenger (Jesus, the "Son of God"?) and possibly ultimately the message itself ("believe in me" and the both frightening and hopeful implications in that message) or do we have to swallow our reasonable and unreasonable doubts, take up our sometimes flagging faith (and possibly our cross) and say---"Lord, I believe...help my unbelief"!!!
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 03-23-2015 at 11:56 AM..
Reason: more info.
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