Question: Dear Greg,

I was wondering if there is any biblical evidence as to what type of glorified body Christians will receive. Will it be flesh and bone without blood to give it life as its life is not in its blood but in God? I always thought it would be an immortal spirit body but now I am not sure. Is there evidence one way or the other on this in the Bible? I know Paul addressed this issue but I can’t remember exactly what he wrote. I know he mentioned that a seed is planted and another plant completely different from the seed comes up, so maybe we have no idea what kind of body glorified saints will receive.

Thanks!

Dave

Answer: Dear Dave,

The key passage to which you refer is 1 Corinthians 15. Paul here says that the resurrection body is a "spiritual body" (vs. 44) – so we are left wondering what a spiritual body means. 1 John 3:2 adds that we will see Jesus when he returns, and we will "be like him." We know that Jesus’ resurrection body was of "flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39) – so Jesus’ resurrection body was not like Casper the ghost, a vapor of some sort – but a real body. Jesus’ post-resurrection body of flesh and bones was no longer able to perish, age, or corrupt. It was glorified, as opposed to being what we have – "non-glorified" – i.e. perishable, corruptible, able to grow old and wear out.

It would seem that a spiritual body means immortal and eternal, not immaterial. Spiritual bodies seem, from this evidence and other biblical passages, including all of 1 Corinthians 15, to be immortal, unable to perish, corrupt or age – rather than immaterial, invisible, and "ghostly". Paul contrasts our physical bodies with the resurrection body – see verses 40, 42, 43, 44, and 53 of 1 Corinthians 15.

It does not seem that "spirit" has to do with the nature of the resurrected body, but rather its origin, power, and source. Luke does say "flesh and bones" and not "flesh and blood" – and we know that the old covenant underlined the importance of blood in terms of life, and that the cross gave new life because of the blood of our Savior. We simply don’t know the answer to all of these details because they are not provided – "flesh and bones" may not be a specific reference, but a metaphor like "flesh and blood" which means human life.

At the bottom line we humans are now limited by time and space, we are corruptible, we age and die, we are earth-bound. All of these limitations are overcome by the resurrection body – how exactly we do not know.

Hope this helps. Glad to see you are thinking and studying the Bible – that’s great. May God bless you as you do. Take care, and keep studying!

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht