I receive tons of emails every day. Occasionally, I like to share some of those with you, our visitors. Below, you will find a recent exchange that I had, on the nature of the post resurrection, pre-ascension body of Christ. This is an important subject and one that is greatly misunderstood, so enjoy!
Mr. … , sorry for the delay in response. I am just swamped with correspondence. I will paste your comments below, and interject my thoughts in the appropriate places. In addition to my brief comments here, in my book Like Father Like Son, On Clouds of Glory, I have an in-depth discussion of the post-resurrection, pre-ascension body of Christ. I think you would find it helpful.
See below.
Don K.
Message: I followed a debate video you were in and the subject in a portion of the debate was, what type of body did Jesus resurrect in? 1 Peter 3:18 says, \" He was put to death in the body[flesh KJ ] but made alive in the spirit. [ King James version, quickened by the spirit], and he went and preached to spirits in prison, disobedient in Noah\'s day. [spirit seeing and talking to spirits]. 1Cor 15:45 says, \"The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam [Jesus] was made a quickening [life giving spirit NIV] Response: I believe that to make 1 Peter a reference to Jesus' body of skin and flesh misses the point entirely. In the Greek the term "In the flesh" is a locative. That means that Peter was saying Jesus was put to death in the realm of, in the location of "the flesh." It is not a reference to his biology, but to the realm in which he was put to death. Like Paul, Peter did not use the terms "flesh and spirit" to refer to the human corpse, except on very, very rare occasions. The passover lamb was to have no bones broken and if all the meat was not eaten by morning, it was to be put in the fire and burned up. Acts 2:27 says, \"...neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption[decay NIV] So it seems that Jesus father burned or disolved Jesus flesly, physical body before the next morning. Response: This does not fit with what John said in 1 John. He said that they knew what Jesus was like after his resurrection, (1 John 1:3f)- prior to his ascension, but that after that they did not know what he was like (1 John 3). Also, if he took back his perfect huiman body off the spiritual alter, there would no longer be a ransom for sinful mankind, that body needed to remain as the perfect sacrifice. Jesus was raised up an invisible spirit creature. Response: I do not think this fits the evidence at all. If it was a spiritual altar, it was a spiritual sacrifice, of which the physical sacrifice was only a visible sign. 1 Tim 6:16 says, \"...whom no man hath seen, nor can see.\" Before the flood, it seems apparent that Angel Sons of God could, materialize human bodies at will and they had sex with women and fathered hybrids, some giants, and they do not seem to be able to materialize now, only angels on missions for God and the resurrected Jesus could materialize flesh and bone bodies and clothes. Jesus first appearance after resurrection, was to Mary in front of the tomb. She thought he was the gardener, apparently, he did not look like Jesus and asked if he knew where they had taken the body, but he said her name Mary, a gardener would not know her name. Another time on the road to Emmaus, he did not look like he did before when he walked beside some disciples on the road and he opened up the scriptures to them and their hearts burned inside themselves, then he went in to eat with them and his manner of breaking the bread and giving thanks, caused them to figure out that it was Jesus, he then disappeared.. For Thomas, he had nail holes and a side hole so he would not doubt he had resurrected. However,it is not easy to believe that he would carry such wounds forever in a glorious spirit body. He even said that a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see me have, and no doubt, clothes, also. Later while fishing, Jesus was on the shore and they did not recognize him until he said to put the nets on the right side of the boat like he had done in earlier years and when they got all the fish, Peter said ,\"it isthe Lord.\" It might be alright to allow so many new ones to preterism, that were raised with the creed of believing in the resurrection of the physical body to initially retain that if they realize they change before going to heaven, flesh and blood cannot inherit God\'s kingdom, later, they may see the full truth in their studies. Response: I fail to see how or why we must think Jesus had an invisible, immortal, incorruptible body after his resurrection, prior to his ascension, due to the fact that: 1. He was not recognized by Mary, or the disciples on the road. Neither Mary or the disciples expected to see Jesus, thus, as is perfectly normal in the human experience, they did not recognize him. After all, if you and I had seen our friend buried two days ago, and he then appeared to us, would we actually recognize him? I have personal experience with people not recognizing me-- their preacher-- when I would be all dirty and greasy from working on an old car. I would be in a parts store, when they would come in. I would say hello, and they did not recognize me at all! When I told them who I was, their eyes were opened and they just said: "Well, you weren't in suit and tie, at church, so we had no idea who you were!" This is a normal human situation. The bottom line is that there is nothing whatsoever in Jesus' post-resurrection / pre-ascension body that demands, or even suggests, that it was not the same, identical, unchanged body that went into the grave. Hope you will check out my book. It has a ton of information on this subject. http://donkpreston.com/product/like-father-like-son-on-clouds-of-glory/ Thanks again for contact me! For His Truth and In His Grace, Don K