THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

by Mary 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  Mary

  OK, I know that the Watchtower teaches that when Jesus was resurrected, He was resurrected as a spirit creature, while most churches teach that He was raised with His physical body.

  What I don't understand, is why the WT puts so much emphasis on this, or why they would say it was not His physical body, He just "materialized" before all His disciples.

  This is really a 360 turn around isn't it? After all, the churches generally teach that when a person dies, they are resurrected as a spirit creature, whereas the Society teaches that 99.99% of everyone will be given a physical resurrection.

  Can anyone explain to me the difference here? Was Jesus resurrected physically, or spiritually?
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  Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice.

  Firstly you have to determine whether there was a Jesus, and then, if there was a resurrection, much less what form it may have taken.

  Just accept that cheeses is here.
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  Jessica Rabbit

  I have wondered why they teach this as well. Jesus showed Thomas the marks on his hands from the NAILS (plural - which is what tells me the Cross must be what he was hung on) and the piercing wound on his side. Why would he be so anxious to show Thomas physical wounds if he was a spirit? He could have always performed another miracle if that was the case.

  JR
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  Jessica Rabbit

  Mary,
  I don't know which Bible translation you prefer but I wanted to share with you one of my FAVORITE scriptures of truth regarding this subject. Please read 1 Corinthians 15:35-51 and tell me what you think. It is really awesome.

  JR
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  Mary

  Yes, I remember when I first read this when I was about 12 years old. I was shocked. It describes the resurrection as being spiritual and the one verse says "If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one."

  Naturally, when I asked the elders about it, they said that that only applied to the 144,000 (surprise, surprise), but I found that hard to believe. It doesn't say "If there is a physical body, then there is a spiritual body for some", but it indicates that everyone has both a physical body AND a spiritual body.

  That's why I don't understand why most churches teach that Jesus was raised with his PHYSICAL body. Did He take his physical body to heaven? Doens't the bible say "flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom"??
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  Jessica Rabbit

  Maybe it was in order to prove to all of the ones that witnessed his resurrection the REALITY OF HIM COMING BACK TO LIFE. Maybe there would be no question as to whether Jesus was really back from the dead, rather than his followers saying they spoke to him in spirit but never actually saw him again. Just my opinion.
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  Brummie

  Watchtower teaches that when Jesus was resurrected, He was resurrected as a spirit creature,

  Actually Mary, they do not teach this at all. The Watchtower doesnt teach Jesus "Spirit" was resurrected so their use of 1stPeter 3:18 is just lip service and an attempt to make out they have some sort of Scriptural basis.

  They teach that a brad new spirit was created (not resurrected) on the 3rd day, it didnt exist until that day, into that brad new spirit was put Jesus information (life pattern), hence the new spirit could be identified as Jesus on the basis of it having his information installed.

  Confused yet?

  They do not believe that Jesus had a spirit while he walked on the earth, according to them, Jesus was just like Adam (Adam didnt have a spirit that survived after the body). They teach Jesus fleshly body was disolved and no longer existed (it didnt transform into a spirit according to the WT), hence what was resurrected? Not his spirit, he didnt have one remember? Not his body, it was disolved into gases etc...So they only give lip service to the resurrection, in reality they totally deny it. Its one of the biggest hoaxes I've ever heard!

  Therefore I do believe in the bodily resurrection now, John 2:19-21 (read it, Jesus himself prophesied he would be raised bodily). His flesh did not see corruption and his body was not abandoned to the grave (Acts 2:31-32). hence it wasnt disolved into gases

  I Corinth 15:50 "Flesh & Blood Cannot inherit.." Is talking about the natural man, (a similar thought is found in Romans 8:6-12). the very context of Corinth (vs53) says the perishable must cloth itself with impershable, and the MORTAL must cloth itself with IMMORTALITY. so the "mortal man" ie flesh and blood, must clothe itself with the Immortal. This is saying the "mortal" still exists but it is clothed with something else. You cant clothe something that no longer exists right? (Romans 8,23 talks about the redemption of our "bodies")

  Here is the crux of the matter and the answer to your question. The reason the Watchtower makes a big issue over this is because if Jesus wasnt raised as a Spirit then their invisible return doctrine is proven false. As is their docrtine concerning the resurrection of the anointed during the years 1918-1919. as is many other of their doctrines. It is a big issue and one they need to keep punching. The irony is that they dont believe he was raised as a spirit so they have no scriptural support anyway!

  Brummie (why say somethning in 20 words when you can say in 2000 huh, sorry it got lengthy)
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  Mary

  Ooooooh Brummie, I'm now more confused than ever!! So they're saying what?..................that Jesus was turned into a spirit creature when he was resurrected?? How does that affect the whole 1914, 1918-1919 bullshit doctrine??
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  Brummie

  that Jesus was turned into a spirit creature when he was resurrected??

  No Mary, Jesus wasnt turned into anything, he ceased to exist as a person, it was just his "life pattern" in other words his "information" that was transferred into a brad new spirit that had been created on the third day for Jesus information to be put into. THAT is official Watchtower doctrine, a lot of JWs havent thought it through. Nothing was raised from the dead, if JWs think it through they will see it is a hoax, "information" cant die and doesnt need a resurrection.

  How does that affect the whole 1914, 1918-1919 bullshit doctrine??

  Because they originally taught that Jesus would come to earth in 1874/1914, when he didnt show they claimed he came back as an invisible spirit creature, you couldnt see him without the eye of understanding. Nowadays they say he is "present" or he has come back. If Jesus was raised bodily then that invisible return doesnt make sense...you can see a body.

  They claim the anointed are just like Christ, they would die in the flesh and after 1919 will be resurrected as "spirits" as soon as they die, this is exactly what they taught happened to Christ on the 3rd day. Yet if Christ was raised bodily then the resurrection hasnt happened yet for any of the "anointed" or we would all have seen them.

  Go figure I will confuse you even more.

  Brummie
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  hooberus

  Here is my resurrection thread.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/51559/1.ashx