AGUEST SAIDMay you all have peace!
In another place the issue regarding the resurrected body has been raised (
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/frie ... -or-Christ) and, quite unfortunately, some very erroneous statements regarding that have been made. Because it is topic of interest to some, I am moved to address some of what was stated there here, if you will indulge me - thank you!
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after His resurrection Jesus showed Thomas that He had flesh
He did and the flesh will take part (briefly) in the second resurrection; however, that is in fulfillment of the words of our Lord, to fear Him that can kill the body AND the spirit in Gehenna. Such ones are either (1) resurrected to life (and thus, first to flesh... then after, due to having their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, they receive "white robes"... bodies that can go in AND out and so are INcorruptible)... or (2) resurrected to judgment (and so to the flesh, but because of no white robe due to having no "covering" for their sins and so no name in the Lamb's Book... judgment, then destruction of the body AND spirit in the Lake of Fire ).
Flesh with IT'S blood... which is the vessel we have NOW... cannot enter into the kingdom of God. NOW, we can only enter IN SPIRIT... through Christ, the Door. Only the body gained in the REcreation... that has been born AGAIN (and so, must have died/changed FIRST), with the result being flesh with GOD'S blood... holy spirit... can enter (go in and out)... and do so through the "12 gates", not Christ... who is in the MIDDLE and, along with God, is now the temple.
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(Jesus didn't look any different than He did before His death)
Of course he did, initially, else Mary (of all people - she helped prep his body for burial and so saw more than most!) would have recognized him! She did not recognize him, though, by his appearance... until he changed that appearance so that she could. She DID, however, recognize... his VOICE. THAT's how she knew who he was! NOT by what she SAW. Unlike the fleshly body, which is BOUND and so can't go in/out or change its shape/appearance... the spirit body isn't BOUND... it is FREE. So not only can "go in and out"... but it can change. It can transform/transfigure! "Like" the angels!
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and Paul says that we will be changed like unto Him.
Indeed, he did. In fact, he wrote JUST that - that we would change "unto Christ" (who is a SPIRIT)... NOT "unto Adham" (who was a man of flesh... with IT'S blood):
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But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 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. If there is a natural body,
there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being (soul)”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.[/u]
And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man." 1 Corinthians 15:42-49
That is with regard to BOTH resurrections, though, as to those who DIE and must BE resurrected. Regarding the FIRST resurrection, however, PAUL also wrote about those who do NOT die ("I am the resurrection... AND the life! He that has died will be brought back to life; he that has NOT died... will NEVER die!"):
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Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that [Jesus] died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with [Jesus] those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, [i]we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, [color=red] and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
He reiterates this in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians:
"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:50-54
That "clothe(ing)" is with the WHITE robe... the body that doesn't have sin (and thus, death) IN it... and so CANNOT die, but must be destroyed - by fire. Which is why those spirit beings who sinned have been bound: they don't die - they are awaiting destruction.
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I can see where confusion comes from though, as your lord has been described quite differently by AGuest:
I described my Lord AS HE IS... as he has PLAINLY shown himself to me, which is what he promised:
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Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and s[color=#FF0000]how myself to them. [/color]
Judas(not Judas Iscariot) said, 'But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” [Jesus] replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and [u]we will come to them and make our home with them." [b] John 14:21-23
That he hasn't shown himself to EVERYONE, even some others who might believe he SHOULD... plainly or otherwise... is his business, not ours. Some might consider that their denial of him might be the reason.
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what we do in the flesh counts for nothing if it isn't done with a corresponding God honoring spirit/attitude...luke 18:11-13...
Unfortunately, the poster goes further in the misapplication of verses as well as her presumptions here. The MOST Holy One of Israel is merciful. Peter's denial of Christ was not done with a "corresponding God honoring spirit/attitude"? Nor was his hypocritical treatment of the nations when in the presence of Jews. Nor was Paul and Barnabas' sharp words with one another. More than that, SIN never honors God. When, please tell us, does sin EVER honor God? Yet, John wrote that we have sinned, do sin, and would sin... else God is a liar. And that if we are in union with Christ we are under obligation to obey HIS commandments, including releasing, forgiving, and so NOT judging. 1 John 1:5-2:6'
The MOST Holy One of Israel wants MERCY from us... not sacrifice... and we HONOR Him... when use our bodies to obey Him in THIS... when we observe HIS "fast", show tender compassion toward our fellow man, speak TRUTH with one another, manifest the "fruits" of HIS spirit, and things like these. Things that Christ set the example for us to follow!
So what do WE care if another sins (with the exception, perhaps, of blasphemy)? We either forgive and overlook the error... or we speak to that person alone, if necessary, and if he/she doesn't listen, take one or two others with us, and if he/she still doesn't listen, speak to the Body, and if he/she STILL doesn't listen... consider them as part of the world. We must remember, though, that God LOVED the WORLD... which includes these... and so, as Christ directed us, pray for [our enemies]. He did not say to judge such a one.
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we are to love God with our WHOLE spirit, mind and body...the body is the temple of God.
Here, the poster misstates more verses. The word used in this statement presented as "body"... is, in Greek, psyche... which is NOT the body... but the breath. We must love God... the MOST Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies... with our whole HEART (kardia, or seat of motivation)... SOUL psyche - or breath/life force)... and MIND (dianoia - thoughts/understanding). Even if these Greek words were incorrect (due perhaps to the false stylus of the scribes), the body is not mentioned in loving God... because we cannot love God with our bodies. Because He is a SPIRIT. True, we are called the "Bride" of Christ and are promised in marriage to him, but to love Him with our imperfect, soiled, corruptible bodies would be like the angels who took wives from among the daughters of men. It is when we are "changed"... and put on WHITE "robes"... that our marriage to him will take place! In the meantime, we are given a TOKEN of that promise... that betrothel... in the form of an anointing with holy spirit!
The body of flesh is merely a temporary dwelling place for God (i.e., tabernacle)... which will be replaced by the permanent dwelling. It is not something we can love God WITH, per se. Just as the temple at Jerusalem wasn't something Israel could love God WITH. Such a teaching about the body flies in the fact of God's mercy, through Christ. If the body of flesh was as important as some believe... then Christ would NOT have cleansed the flesh of those whose infirmities profaned the Law. He certainly wouldn't have touched them. But he did touch them... and so cleansed them. And yet, they died... AGAIN. NOT because they sinned again... but because they were still clothed in the SOILED garment, the CORRUPTIBLE body, the unclean vessel... the body of flesh (with IT'S blood).
Many undertake to throw about "what Paul (and the Bible in general) says" but fall short - far, far short. Because they truly do not understand the UNdeserved kindness and mercy of God... and shown to mankind by Christ. They don't... because they are leaning upon their OWN understanding, rather than relying on the Holy Spirit, Christ, the Fine Shepherd... and the blood of God, holy spirit... to lead them "into ALL truth." If they would only condescend... bring themselves down, rather than trying to bring God and Christ down. But this would require a modicum of faith, just a mustard seed's portion... which, sadly, is not the possession of all [men].
Again, peace to you all!
A slave of Christ,
SA