Christianity's Forgotten Hope
Central to the hope of the early church was the bodily resurrection of the dead at the return of Jesus in glory.
The biblical faith is forward-looking and
integral to its teachings on salvation is the future resurrection of the dead, an
event integral to the arrival of the New Creation. And in the New Testament,
this hope is linked to two events: the past resurrection of Jesus and his
future return at the end of the age. Moreover, salvation remains incomplete
without it.
But
over the centuries, this hope has been pushed into the background to make way
for ideas alien to the Bible. This is due to many factors, but especially to
the assimilation of pagan beliefs into Christian teaching, and very often, popular
ideas today about the afterlife have more in common with Neoplatonism and
Gnosticism than with the apostolic tradition.
SUBJECT TO DEATH
Writing
to the Romans, Paul declared that if the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in us, then He that “raised Christ Jesus from among the dead will
quicken even our death-doomed bodies.”
Here, the future “quickening” of our bodies is connected to the past resurrection
of Jesus - (Romans 8:9-11).
At
present, we possess “death-doomed bodies,” not because they are
physical, but because sin has condemned us to bondage, decay, and death by sin.
Even though we are indwelt by the Spirit, because of Adam’s transgression, we remain
subject to death.
If
God is to redeem us and recover all that was lost, salvation must include the
body. Likewise, the creation itself was also condemned by Adam’s sin to
corruption, and therefore, must also be redeemed.
Because
we have the Spirit of God, it attests that we are “coheirs” with His Son.
We, therefore, will be “glorified together with him.” Even the creation
itself is “ardently awaiting” that day, for like humanity, it has been
subjected to “vanity” and longs for deliverance.
PHYSICAL REDEMPTION
On
that coming day, the “creation itself will be freed from the bondage of
decay into the freedom of the glory of the sons of God.” The possession of
the Spirit is the “first fruit” of the future life, therefore, we also “ardently
await the adoption, the redemption of our body.” Paul is talking about the
bodily resurrection and new creation – (Romans 8:15-23).
In Corinth, some believers denied the future resurrection. Paul responded by reminding the Corinthians of the gospel that he first delivered to
them - “How that Christ died for our sins, and was buried, and that he has been raised on the third day.”
But if there is no future resurrection, then “even Christ has not been
raised,” and if not, then the gospel is void, the apostles all lied, and we
are all “yet in our sins,” without hope, and “most to be pitied.”
Thus, once again, Paul links the future resurrection of believers with the past
resurrection of Jesus - (1 Corinthians 15:1-20).
HIS RESURRECTION
The resurrection of Jesus is the “first fruit of them who have fallen
asleep.” Just
as death came through Adam, so the “raising of the dead comes through one
man, and in Christ, all be made alive.” This will occur at the “arrival” of Jesus when he
consummates the kingdom, subjugates all his enemies, and especially, the “last
enemy, death.” With his arrival, death itself will cease – (1
Corinthians 15:20-28).
Resurrection does not mean the resuscitation of “death-doomed bodies,”
nor does it mean living in a disembodied state. Our present body is “sown in
corruption but will be raised in incorruption.” It will be a body fitted
for life in the Spirit.
Paul did not see bodily existence as incompatible with the Spirit. The
difference is the kind of body one has, whether a “body of the soul” or
a “body of the spirit.” And just as we now bear the “image of the man
of the earth,” Adam, so we will “bear the image of the man of heaven,”
Jesus.
And
when he does “arrive,” believers who remain alive will be transformed,
and those who have died will be raised from the dead to receive “immortality…for whenever this
mortal will clothe itself with immortality, then will be brought to pass the
saying, ‘Death has been swallowed up victoriously’,” and death
will cease forevermore – (1 Corinthians 15:50-57).
When the Thessalonians expressed grief over the
deaths of fellow believers, Paul reminded them that we are not without hope. If
we “believe that Jesus
died and rose again, so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through
Jesus.”
At his “arrival,” Jesus will descend from
heaven and the “dead in Christ will rise first.” After that, both the
living and now resurrected saints together will “meet” him as he
descends from heaven, and so, “evermore we will be with the Lord.”
As in Corinth, so also in Thessalonica, Paul connects the future resurrection to the past raising of Jesus from the dead, and to his “arrival” at the end of the age. And again, he portrays a collective event - all believers will be raised at his “arrival” from heaven.
In
his letter to the Philippians, Paul demonstrates just how foundational to the
faith this hope is. Having counted all things as loss for the sake of Christ,
his life became centered on pursuing him - “if by any means
I may attain to the resurrection from among the dead.” If he did
not participate in the future resurrection, his salvation would remain
incomplete – (Philippians 3:10-11).
Thus, the Christian hope of salvation lies in the
future. While upon repentance our sins are forgiven and we become “heirs
with Christ,” the final realization of that hope remains incomplete until
the return of Jesus at the end of the age.
On that day, dead believers will be resurrected,
those remaining alive on the earth will be transformed, and together all saints
will then be with Jesus forevermore. And with the resurrection of the dead, the
New Creation will commence.
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