The Body of Our Resurrection

The body of resurrection, primarily and on an absolute level, is the body of the resurrected Christ. In earnest, to be held back from death was impossible; He rose with His flesh, blood, and bones without experiencing corruption, and He is the One of whom it is written that He is the One “in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), His glorious body united with His divinity.

As for our resurrection, it is impossible for it to be with flesh and blood in their present form, and it is impossible for us to pass into resurrection without passing through death and our bodies undergoing corruption:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” — 1 Corinthians 15:50

That is, for us to attain resurrection, this corruptible body must put on incorruption, and this mortal body must put on immortality. Then the word written will come to pass: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). The victory here is the victory of resurrection by the work of the Lord and His Holy Spirit.

And Paul the Apostle answers the perplexing question: How can the mortal corruptible body, after it dies and decays, be changed into a body that does not die nor decay? Paul the Apostle says:

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” — Philippians 3:20–21

Therefore, the body of Christ, risen from the dead, is the origin of the image and the source of the transcendent power that will change the form of our bodies, which will die and decay, to become once again—in the resurrection—conformed to His glorious body. This transcendent work follows the law of Christ after the resurrection: “that He should subdue all things to Himself.”

That is, in the resurrection, our bodies will derive their form and glory directly from the body of Christ. Therefore, the Scripture’s expression concerning Christ’s resurrection is that He is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep—not as an example, but as the origin, source, and bearer of the complete resurrection characteristics for those who will be with Him and are from Him and for Him:

“But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits , afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” — 1 Corinthians 15:23

As for the state of likeness in the body of resurrection between Christ in His glory and the chosen ones whom He will raise to be with Him, its description has been repeated in multiple places:

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” — Romans 8:29

And by the glory of the resurrection, the resurrected bodies will derive it from the body of Christ, like the sun that illuminates whatever falls within its sphere:

“When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” — Colossians 3:4

And though John the Apostle is unable to describe the glories we will share with Christ in the resurrection, yet he is certain of one thing he states:

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” — 1 John 3:2

As for Paul the Apostle, he states that the body with which we will rise will differ from the body we now live in—a fundamental difference in matters he does not specify, but he affirms the difference in its nature and capabilities:

“But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?’ Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow , you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain... But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. So also it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the Second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” — 1 Corinthians 15:35–49

The wonderful and extraordinary connection between the resurrected body of Christ in glory and the bodies of the saints in the resurrection is described by Scripture as an organic connection—as if it were one body for Christ, formed by the union of members, so Christ is not seen without His members, His saints, nor are these members seen alone without Christ:

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit... Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” — 1 Corinthians 12:12–13,27

The Bible once again sheds wonderful and awesome light on this great body of Christ with its majestic members, which God grew for Himself and planted in the body of Christ with a mystery that surpasses understanding. At one point, the Bible considers this great body of Christ with its members to be the Church:

“...which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” — Ephesians 1:20–23

And again, the Holy Scripture considers that the body of Christ with its members is the “House of God”:

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus... but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” — Hebrews 3:1,6

“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” — 1 Peter 2:5

The Apostle Paul returns and sees from now on the great body growing and not ceasing to grow; and it grows in the likeness of Christ the Head, and all parts of the body united with the Head are interconnected, working, serving, and loving in a harmony that surpasses understanding:

“...but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” — Ephesians 4:15–16

It is observed here, both with Saint Paul and Saint Peter, that they steal a glance from beyond the ages at the post-resurrection image—at this great resurrection body with its many holy members. They are greatly amazed and quickly return to the present, to the likeness and the image. Each of them sees that even if everything is now proceeding according to the happy intent and purpose, it is only partially and slowly, so they demand more work, awareness, attention, caution, and sincerity in putting off the old man.

Let us listen to the statement that the resurrection works from now in our souls and paints in our being the image of what is to come:

“...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” — Ephesians 4:22–24

“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” — Colossians 3:9–10

Putting Off the Old Man, and Putting On the New Man — These Are Accomplished Now Partially

Knowing that putting off the old man and putting on the new man, who is in the image of his Creator, is accomplished now only partially.

Firstly, as a mystery of the invisible work of grace:

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” — Galatians 3:27

Secondly, as teaching and instruction:

“My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” — Galatians 4:19

Thirdly, as an act of faith, and will, and tears, and striving against sin even to blood.

And we do not receive the full price, but what we receive here now is only a down payment. Therefore, we groan with anguish for two reasons: The first is that the body is heavy, and its worries are many, depriving us of the requirements of movement and permanent presence with the Lord. And the second is that the promise and the inheritance are depicted before our eyes in the Gospel, preserved for us in the heavenly places; we long for them as if they are happening before us, so they ignite our hearts and call us to more effort to estrange ourselves from this body.

Paul the Apostle magnificently portrays this perspective in two places:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us... For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope.” — Romans 8:18,22–24

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven... For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord... We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” — 2 Corinthians 5:1–2,4–6,8