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Covenant Eschatology - Spirit of the Word - Introductory Note - New Stuff
A Study of the Resurrection
Part 9
by Don K. PrestonWHAT IS RESURRECTION?
A final question and thought: just what constitutes Biblical resurrection? There are several constituent elements. When we examine each of these elements in light of the New Testament evidence it is abundantly evident that there definitely was an "already-but-not-yet" aspect to the resurrection. It also becomes apparent that there is but one resurrection that is the focus of Biblical eschatology. And this correlates perfectly with our posit concerning John 5:24-29.
To help us in this investigation we will list the element of resurrection and then compare 1 Corinthians 15 with Colossians 2-3, with attention to other passages as well, to demonstrate not only the spiritual nature of the resurrection but the already-but-not-yet-aspect as well.
RESURRECTION IS:
1.] Putting off one body; taking another. 1 Cor. 15:35-44; cf. Col. 2:11-12; 3:5-10. In Corinthians the apostle says "you do not sow the body that shall be" vs. 37; in Colossians he says they had "put off the body of the flesh" 2:11; 3:9, and were putting on the new man.
Are these different "bodies"?2.] The change from corruptibility to incorruptibility, 1 Cor. 15:42, 54-56; Col. 3:5; Eph. 4:22-25. In Corinthians Paul says resurrection is the passage from corruptibility to incorruptibility. In Ephesians and Colossians he speaks of their way of life without Christ as the life that was "corrupt according to deceitful lusts"; their new life in Christ was
"a new man" 3:10.This concept is also found in 1 Peter 1. The writer reminded his readers that they had not been redeemed by "corruptible things"; things typical of the Old Covenant cultus of Israel. They had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. In addition, he reminded them that in contrast to those corruptible things they had been "born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever" vs. 18-23. What is the nature of that which is born of incorruptible seed? In Peter therefore we find the idea of the passage from the corruptible to the incorruptible to describe the passage from life in sin to the New Covenant World of Jesus.
3.] Raising from death to life, 1 Cor. 15:42f; Col. 2:13; 3:f; also Ephesians 2:1f. It is very obvious from Colossians that the raising from death to life involved the forgiveness of sin. Many fail to see that in Corinthians Paul is dealing with the same issue when he challenges those who were denying that "the dead ones" would be resurrected. [Those who had fallen asleep before Christ, therefore Old Testament saints, vs. 20]. He challenged them with implications of their doctrine that they did not accept; one of which was that if the dead ones do not raise "you are still in your sins" vs. 17. Now how would the physical raising of dead bodies, or the failure to raise, have any bearing on whether the Corinthians had been forgiven? Further, the apostle says if the dead ones did not raise "those who "have fallen asleep in Christ have perished" vs. 18. What does he mean by perish? They have already died physically! By perish he means they were lost spiritually! Thus, forgiveness of sin is very much the issue in resurrection.
This is corroborated in Hebrews 9:15 where we are told that the eternal inheritance which the Old Testament worthies did not and could not receive under that Covenant was the remission of sin. Yet in chapter 11 we are told that what they desired was spiritual, vs. 13-16 and was "a better resurrection" vs. 36. Thus, even for those who lived before Jesus forgiveness of sin was inextricably linked with and identified with resurrection life. And it was the second coming of Jesus that was to bring to full realization that life that could not be obtained under the first covenant, Heb. 9:15-28. The Hebrew writer is also emphatic in saying that "in a very little while he who is coming will come and will not tarry" 10:37.
4.] Resurrection is removing the Image of Adam and taking the Image of Christ, 1 Cor. 15:48-49; Col. 3:10. We cannot fully develop the issue of the "image of Adam" and the "image of Christ." Suffice it to say that the image of God is what was lost in the Garden and what Jesus came to restore, 1 Cor. 15:21. The "image of Adam" is man in sin, depending on self, separated from God. It manifestly cannot be physical death since Paul in Corinthians says they had already borne that image--remember the death Paul said he had experienced under the Old Law? Once again we are back in the Garden defining the death that Adam died and that is separation from God because of sin-- sin-death.
In Colossians Paul is discussing the same contrast in "Man"; the Old Man and the New Man. In Corinthians he says the "first man," that was to be put off, was "of the earth" vs. 47; in Colossians he tells them to put away the works of the earth "your earthly members," vs. 5 [McCord, NIV, etc]. These things constituted "the old man." Thus, in both Corinthians and Colossians there is the change from the "earthly" to the "heavenly."
In Corinthians Paul says "as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image, [greek, eikona], of the heavenly Man" vs. 49. In Colossians the same apostle says they had borne the image of the Old Man--the man of sin--but were to "put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image [greek eikona] of Him who created Him." For Paul, the "image" of the Old Man was the life of sin; the "image" of the New Man, the one created in Christ's image, was a life of submission to Christ, see Romans 8:29.
We would take special note at this juncture of the "already-but- not-yet" of resurrection life in Colossians 3. In vss. 1, 3 they died and were raised; yet their life was hidden and would be revealed at the parousia of Jesus. The writer then tells them to put to death "the earthly members," the Old Man, because they have put on the New Man. The "already-but-not-yet" permeates the text. There is no contrast between the nature of the present and future; it is simply initiation and anticipation of consummation.
As we have already seen earlier, Paul strongly believed that the transformation from life under the Old Covenant to life in Christ was a change from life to death. But it was also a transformation into the image of Christ! In 2 Corinthians 3:5-18 he discusses in- depth the then present passing of the Old Covenant System. It was not an accomplished fact because he calls it his "hope," vs. 12, a hope that he placed in the present tense! He did not say the Law had passed at the Cross; he said "when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."
The Old Covenant had glory, vs. 9-10; but its glory faded in comparison with the glory of Jesus' New Covenant. In spite of this surpassing glory those who read the Old Covenant were remaining blind to the New Covenant glory, stubbornly refusing to change.
Yet the apostle says those who were turning to Christ from that Old Covenant were in fact "being transformed [present tense] into the same image [greek eikona] from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord" vs. 18. What image were they being transformed into? It was the glory of the Lord! The transition from the Old Covenant to the New was a transformation into the image of Christ--precisely how Paul defined the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:49!
The "already-but-not-yet" is therefore fully established: in 2 Corinthians they were being transformed, present tense, from one image of glory to another; in Colossians they were putting on, present tense, the new man that was the image of Christ, 3:10; in Corinthians they were anticipating, the "not-yet," putting on the "image of Christ."
5.] Resurrection is the state of "no marriage or giving in marriage," Luke 20:35; cf. 1 Cor. 15:50; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11. The literalistic approach to the Lukan text usually says "Since men still get married today this proves the resurrection has not occurred." But that literalism generally is hastily abandoned when the other texts are brought to bear. But why is the literalism that is applied to Luke 20 not applicable when Paul says that in Christ "there is neither male or female," Gal. 3:28; "neither Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised"? If in Christ there is neither male or female, is there any marrying going on? Why is this "sexless" condition that exists in Christ not the condition wherein there is neither marrying or giving in marriage?
This is a particularly pertinent question in light of Colossians 2-3 where Paul is so plainly discussing life and death; death and resurrection; the Old Man and the New. Since Paul's context is resurrection life and he describes that life as in Christ where there are no distinctions, how does one divorce this "distinction free" condition from Jesus' description of resurrection life in Luke 20?
6.] Resurrection produces Sons of God, Luke 20:35; Gal. 3:26-29. In language too clear to misunderstand Jesus said the resurrection would produce Sons of God, Luke 20:36. He also said the "resurrection age," was the age that would follow the age in which the Levirate marriage was practiced, Luke 20:27-34!
Under the Old Law Sons of God were made by physical birth, marriage and giving in marriage; that was how that Old Kingdom was sustained and grew. Jesus told Nicodemus that for him, a man physically born into that Old Kingdom, to enter the kingdom of heaven he would have to be "born again," Jhn 3:1ff. To become a Son of God he would have to be born again!
In contrast to the Old Covenant wherein one was born physically into that kingdom, through the marrying and giving in marriage, Jesus said one would become a child of God by resurrection, Luke 20:35- 35; they would become sons of God, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" John 1:13. In Galatians 3:26-29 the apostle declared that they had become sons of God by faith in being joined with Christ in baptism--and remember, in baptism a person dies with Christ and is raised with him, Romans 6! Here is death, burial, and resurrection resulting in becoming Sons of God!
7.] Resurrection is the reception of everlasting life, Jhn 5:24, 29; Luke 20:35-36. Here is one of the clearest manifestations of the "already-but-not-yet" in scripture if one is willing to open the eyes to what the Bible says. Jesus said the dead who heard his voice would pass from death to life- -everlasting life; and those in the resurrection "cannot die." Thus, resurrection equates to reception of eternal life. As we will see below, herein is revealed one of the inherent problems with the two resurrection interpretation of John 5.
Jesus said "if anyone keeps my Word he shall never see death" John 8:51. This was the "already." The Jews, with the literalistic mindset that still prevails, in discussions of life and death, accused Jesus of being demon possessed for claiming those who believed him would never die, Jhn 8:52ff.
The point is that Jesus said belief in him results in eternal life, cf. also Jhn 20:30-31. John wrote his first epistle telling his brethren "we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren" 1 John 3:14; but the one who refuses to love "abides in death." In comparison he says "everyone who loves is born of God," 4:7. Remember point #6 above: resurrection equals being born as sons of God. Here John says those who love the brethren have passed from death to life and are born of God!
John further says in 1 John 5:1 "whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" and in 5:11-13:
"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life: he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
Now Jesus said that faith in Him resulted in resurrection as Sons of God; John says those who believe in Christ are born of God and have eternal life; and that they had passed from death to life! This is a powerful example of the "already but not yet" of resurrection.
While John wrote of the then present reality of "from death to life and Sonship," he also anticipated the [imminent] parousia in which that Sonship would be fully revealed, 1 John 3:1-3.
And do not forget that they had received the miraculous work of the Spirit, 1 Jhn 2:20-27, as the Earnest of the revelation of Sonship. They were to "abide" faithful until that coming of the Lord, 2:28; just as the miraculous work of the spirit was abiding in them, 24, to bring the promise--the not yet aspect--of eternal life to perfection, 2:25. The anointing of the Spirit was to "abide" with them as they "abided" until the day "when He appears" 2:28.
The "abiding" of the Spirit and their "abiding in Christ" were concurrent, synchronous, and inextricably related. If the Spirit was not to abide until the "Day" then they were under no obligation to "abide in Christ" until that appearing. The Spirit was the "Guarantor" of that eternal life which they had begun to experience; remove the Spirit before His work was completed and there was, [and thus could not be today!], no eternal life.
Yet the traditional amillennial view of John 5 and 1 John emphatically denies that eternal life is a present possession of the believer today; "It is more accurate to view the present possession of eternal life as prospective." But if this is so this means there is not a present "spiritual resurrection" as demanded per the two resurrection interpretation of John 5:24-29. It means that one does not in reality pass from death to life; only "prospectively." It means that if one does not have life he is not in Christ, 1 John 5:12: "no Son, no Life; no Life, no Son"!
Eternal life was "prospective" from the Old Testament perspective, John 5:39f. If Christ has not fulfilled that Old Covenant hope what has he accomplished? Read carefully Hebrews 9:15 and ponder.
We have thus examined seven constituent elements and results of resurrection. We have demonstrated that the New Testament writers stated in unequivocal terms that those things were already present; not in physical resurrection, Sonship, or body, but in the passage from the Old Covenant World of the Ministration of Death to the New Covenant World of the Spirit of Life in Christ; from the death that is "the wages of sin," Rom. 6:23, to the life that is righteousness in Christ. The "already" of resurrection life is therefore undeniably established.
The "not-yet" aspect of these things would be fully revealed at the coming of Jesus. The writers affirmed this was at hand and involved the passing of "the world" 1 John 2:15; and the "last hour" had arrived,
1 John 2:18.All of this evidence for an "already-but-not-yet" resurrection; and the manifest spiritual nature of that resurrection strongly indicates that in John 5:24-29 Jesus was giving the foundational teaching upon which the rest of the inspired penman rested their teaching.
Contents - Part 10 - Don Preston's site - Covenant Eschatology
Spirit of the Word - Introductory Note - New Stuff
Undivided Version
Part 1 - Resurrection From What Death?
Part 2 - Two Resurrections?
Part 3 - It Is the Last Hour
Part 4 - The Hour of His Judgment Is Come
Part 5 - The Hope of Israel
Part 6 - The Kingdom Does Not Come With Observation
Part 7 - Resurrection and the Law
Part 8 - The Prophetic Background of John 5
Part 9 - What Is Resurrection?
Part 10 - Resurrection When?
Part 11 - Problems With Tradition
Part 12 - Objections Considered
Part 13 - Summary and Conclusion