“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #191
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:45–49).
The difference between the Adams is not that one had a body and the other did not. The first man Adam had a body dominated by his living soul; the quickening agent of the last Adam’s body was the Spirit. The first Adam had a spirit, but his body was animated by his soul. The last Adam has a soul but His body was dominated by the quickening Spirit.
The first kind of body is called natural. The second is spiritual. The first is from earth; the last is from Heaven. Those who follow Adam in his earthiness only are following him to the grave. Those who follow the heavenly Adam are a heavenly people. And all who belong to this heavenly people were recruited from the ranks of the earthy people.
So the spiritual man is not ethereal. The spiritual man is a material man—Christ rose from the dead, and appeared to His disciples in such a way as to demonstrate that He was not a spirit, not a ghost (Luke 24:39). He had flesh and bones—but they were flesh and bones that had been brought to life by the Almighty and Holy Spirit of God (Rom. 1:4).
The human body is a battery that was designed to take a much greater charge than it is now, in this fallen state, able to bear.
Pastor Wilson, could you issue a clarification of your understanding of the difference between the soul and the spirit. I know it’s an involved topic, and not to drag you off on a rabbit trail that gets away from other issues here, but at least a summary statement would be much appreciated.
Is there reason to believe that Jesus is “flesh and bones” now? If so, would He be limited to one physical location at at time?
Also, should we not say that those who belong to Him were “conquered” not “recruited” to be consistent with the recent post on Obadiah?
“Is there reason to believe that Jesus is ‘flesh and bones’ now?”
Yep — the Resurrection. They’re glorified flesh and bones that aren’t hindered by things like locked doors, but they’re flesh and bones, indeed.
I was thinking more in terms of the mysterious differences between the earthly body and the heavenly. We know that flesh and blood do not inherit the kingdom and that there is no male/female distinction, in Christ, and there is no marriage in heaven. I question whether Jesus and those who will be with Him in heaven will need earthly food to stay alive or need showers and restrooms. Although Jesus looked and felt the same after His resurrection He did appear to float out of sight! It seems that the permanent heavenly body will be very radically different from… Read more »
Just because there’s no giving in marriage doesn’t mean there’s no male/female distinction. Mary saw a Man in the garden. The disciples on the Emmaus walked and talked with a Man. Galatians 3:28 doesn’t obviate the distinction in the life to come any more than it obviates it in this life. Jesus ate after the resurrection, and He’s invited us to His marriage supper, so whether or not we need food in the same way, we’ll certainly be feasting. Of course you’re correct about there being radical differences, but we don’t know a whole lot about what they’ll be, and… Read more »
Agree with all this. Well said.