Sunday, March 24, 2013

Resurrection of Christ - that little oversight

This year Easter is celebrated in the Western Church at the same time as Jews are celebrating Pesach.  Eastern Church follows another calendar and has Easter during the next full Moon one month later.

Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed has two compact but crucial statements about Christian faith on the resurrection of the dead

ET RESURREXIT TERTIA DIE SECUNDUM SCRIPTURAS
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures 

ET EXPECTO RESURRECTIONEM MORTUORUM ET VITAM VENTURI SAECULI
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

To expand a little, not only has God raised His only begotten Son from death but Christians look for the resurrection of dead of all humans and eternal life or condemnation.


Apostolic Creed 
Apostolic Creed specifies the resurrection of the body

CARNIS RESURRECTIONEM, VITAM AETERNAM
The resurrection of the body: And the life everlasting.


Hard to believe
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”  How foolish!

Foolish yes, dear Paul, but they keep asking.

There are two significant reasons why Christians of our day have difficulty in believing in bodily resurrection of the dead. 

1. Weak and contradictory evidence in the Bible

2. Scientific knowledge says that dead people do not rise again after burial of three days or three hundred years.


That little oversight
One of the principal apostolic witnesses that Jesus has risen from the death, St. Paul, writes highly significant sentences in the famous Chapter 15 in First Corinthians.

It kind of changes everything but is frequently forgotten in our discussions on resurrection of the body

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. 
The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 
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.
1 Cor 15:42-44 NIV 
 

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