Physical resurrection Sandy Grant
At Easter, like many Christian pastors, I had the privilege of
preaching the resurrection. I stated that Christianity was pointless
without the true, historical, physical, bodily resurrection of Christ
(download the mp3 of the sermon). Basing these comments on 1
Corinthians 15, I pointed out that Paul took great care to outline the
early conviction that Christ had died, was buried, rose again and
appeared to many witnesses=97many of whom were still then alive for
cross-examination 20-25 years later.
So imagine my sadness at the Easter message of the Dean of St George's
Anglican Cathedral, Perth, Dr Shepherd said,
Well, what I do believe is that, to be a Christian, to be a member of
the Christian Church, it is not necessary to believe that the
resurrection of Jesus was an extraordinary physical event which
restored to life Jesus=92 original, earthly body. The resurrection of
Jesus need not be understood as a restored physical reality, but as a
new spiritual reality.
As Dr Shepherd continued, he taught that Christians need not believe
that Jesus' resurrection involved his physical body, effectively
making it an optional extra.
Dr Shepherd trades on a perceived opposition between =91physical=92 and
=91spiritual=92 in 1 Corinthians 15=97as if a =91spiritual body=92 must be
n=
on-
physical. However, there is no direct opposition between the two.
Rather, the distinction is between mortal and immortal, perishable and
imperishable.
The =91flesh and blood=92 idiom of 1 Corinthians 15:50 might, at first,
seem to sup****t his non-physical idea, but a close look shows it
should be seen for the clear parallel it is to =91mortal=92 in the second
half of the verse=97apparently also a common Jewish idiom to express
mere mortality (in this current world of sin). There is bodily
continuity in 1 Corinthians 15 as well as transformation, such that
the spiritual will operate in the realm of the body. It is more than
physical, but not less!
The physicality of Christ's body is clear in Luke 24 (where, in verse
39, Jesus says he has flesh and bones and proceeds to eat with the
disciples) and in John 20 (where Thomas can touch Jesus' wounds). Such
unambiguous comments contradict Dr Shepherd's claim that the Gospel
writers' words were just meant to be symbolic of the overwhelming
sense they felt of Christ's spiritual presence.
As an Anglican minister, I am concerned because Dr Shepherd's comments
appear to deny the Apostles' Creed (a key part of section 1 of the
Fundamental Declarations in the Constitution of the Anglican Church of
Australia). As readers may know, the Creed states that:
The third day he rose again from the dead [...]; and
I believe in [...] the resurrection of the body [...].
This latter line refers to our hope for the general resurrection at
the end of the age. But this is, of course, patterned on Christ's
resurrection. And so, by the wide catholic agreement represented in
this Creed, Christ's resurrection is clearly bodily.
Furthermore, Dr Shepherd's comments totally contradict Article 4 of
the Anglican Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, which state, of the
Resurrection of Christ, that:
Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with
flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's
nature [...]
For the sake of many people who are disturbed by these comments, I
wrote to the Archbishop of Perth to inquire whether Dr Shepherd's
views are acceptable for a senior clergyman in the Anglican Church. I
await his reply with interest, although you can guess my own opinion!
Friends, hold to the historical, physical, bodily resurrection with
confidence, because, =93if Christ has not been raised, your faith is
futile; you are still in your sins=94 (1 Cor 15:17).
http://solapanel.org/
Jim
Chapter 3. Christ was possessed of a body after His resurrection.
For I know that after His resurrection also He was still possessed of
flesh, and I believe that He is so now. When, for instance, He came to
those who were with Peter, He said to them, Lay hold, handle Me, and
see that I am not an incor****eal spirit. And immediately they touched
Him, and believed, being convinced both by His flesh and spirit. For
this cause also they despised death, and were found its conquerors.
And after his resurrection He did eat and drink with them, as being
possessed of flesh, although spiritually He was united to the Father.
The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm
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