Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna
Friday, May 27, 2016
Topic: The empty tomb 52
Reading: Matthew 27:57-66, 28:1-15
Scripture: He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee. (Luke 24:6)
Note: The 4 gospel narratives on the resurrection of Jesus clearly described a literal, physical and tangible body of Christ as the reason for the empty tomb experience. Paul held to a literal bodily resurrection of Jesus. What the proponents of the objective vision hypothesis sought to do was to try to drive a wedge between Paul and the 4 Gospels.
What the proponents of the objective vision hypothesis did was to take advantage of a horrible mis-exegesis of what Paul means by “spiritual body” as seen in 1Cor.15:44 in which Paul said, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
Paul was speaking of a _soma pneumatikon_ which is a “body spiritual”. He contrasts this with a natural body or a _soma psychikon._ Psychikon comes from the Greek word _psuché_ which means soul. A _soma psychikon_ literally means a ” soulish body” and by that Paul didn’t mean to imply that our bodies were made out of the soul. _Psychikon_ is used to describe the corruptible body that we possess, animated by the soul. The soulish body is naturally oriented towards human nature. Similarly, _pneuma_ from which we get _pneumatikon,_ meaning spirit, is oriented towards things of the Spirit.
When Paul says we will be raised with a spiritual body, he means a body that is free from corruption, effects of death, sin and mortality. Paul didn’t mean to say that materially that body will be intangible, but merely oriented towards things of the Spirit.
Food for thought: The proof of materiality and tangibility of the resurrected body of Jesus was the verification and validation of his crucified body by Thomas.
Declaration: Then saith he to Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said unto him, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:27-28)
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
