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Matthew 22:23 |
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The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
Note 1 at Mt 22:23: The Greek word used here for "resurrection" is "ANASTASIS," and it means "a standing up again, i.e. (literally) a resurrection from death" (Strong's Concordance). The Resurrection is a major theme of New Testament teaching. Out of the thirteen sermons in the book of Acts, eleven stress or imply the Resurrection.
A person consists of three parts: a spirit, a soul, and a body (1Th 5:23). The body is mortal, while the spirit and soul are immortal. At death, a person's body goes through the decomposition process and returns to its original elements. At the resurrection, a person's departed soul and spirit (Jas 2:26) are called forth from either heaven or hell. The material elements of the body are raised up, reassembled, and united again to the spirit and soul. Thus the complete personality of the individual is reconstituted. Everyone will be resurrected, some to life and some to damnation (Joh 5:24-25 and 28-29).
The hope of the believer is the resurrection unto life in which the mortal body is said to be raised (1Co 15:44), to be put on (1Co 15:53-54), changed (1Co 15:51 and Php 3:21), fashioned (Php 3:21), quickened (Ro 8:11), redeemed (Ro 8:23), and waiting for the adoption and manifestation of all that it means to be a son or daughter of God (Ro 8:19 and 23). The natural, earthly, terrestrial, corrupt, weak, mortal, vile body is said to be raised, changed, and fashioned into a spiritual, heavenly, celestial, incorrupt, glorious, powerful, and immortal body (Ro 8:11; 1Co 15:40, 42-44, 49, 51, 53-54; and Php 3:21). This is the completeness of all that has been purchased for the believer in Christ (Ro 8:23-25).
Paul said in 1Co 15:12-17 that if there is no resurrection, then our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins. It is the resurrection life of Jesus that brings spiritual life into us (Joh 11:25 and 1Co 15:17) and the resurrection of the body that brings physical regeneration, reconstituting us into the very image of God (1Co 15:44 and 1Jo 3:2, see note 15 at Joh 5:29 and note 3 at Lu 7:15).
