Resurrection Then and Now

Then and Now

Then and Now

Tell story about taking a trip and returning different than when I left. Even though I came back to where I started.

Taking a trip. Tell story about taking a trip and returning different than when I left. Even though I came back to where I started.

Paul in this chapter gives one of the most fully developed idea of Resurrection for those that have put their trust in Jesus.

The key to understanding the next fifteen verses tis to realize that they, like verses 20-28, are built on the foundation of and 2.

1 Corinthians 15:35–49 ESV

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:35-

We can quickly jump to the conclusion that the distinction between Spirit/Natural is one that denotes a dis-embodied existence with God in a heaven far away.

This is far from the theology that Paul has in mind.

For Paul, the Spiritual was always tied to a physical reality.

See the gifts in the spirit.

Although all together new.

The point comes together at the end of this chapter.

English Standard Version Chapter 15

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Paul again makes this point to the church in Philipi.

Philippians 3:17–4:1 ESV

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Philippians 3:17-

Paul is very invested in what we do here and now.

For Paul, there is a direct connection between what happens now and what will be.

or Paul, there is a direct connection between what happens now and what will be.

This cannot be overstated. In some mysterious way what we do now matters for what will be then. This is not simply conversion and salvation, although it is that. It is more about what we do here making a difference for the day to come.

To understand HOW, we must take off from here and make our journey.

Quest for Wisdom ()

English Standard Version Chapter 3

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

We see in vs 6 the inclination of the heart of humanity.

Two things:

Saw that it was good for food.

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) 3176 טָבַב

טָבַב (ṭā·ḇǎḇ)

ii. to make one wise.

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) 8505 I. שָׂכַל

(śā·ḵǎl)

What is the problem here?

Humanity desired to be the one’s to determine what is good and desired to lean on their own understanding to do so.

What was the plan?

God defines what is good.

He imparts his own wisdom to see it come into reality.

God’s desire was for humanity to go and continue to cultivate God’s earth, bringing good to wherever they go.

Genesis 1:28 ESV

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

What did God create?

Was the creation of the earth perfect?

No where does it say what God did was perfect. Nor is there any reference to the making of humanity used in connection with perfection.

What word is used?

Good. (Towb)

When God imparts the vocation of humanity, they are told to grow and SUBDUE.

The word subdue means to bring into control.

What was on the earth before the garden?

Void chaos.

What does God bring to the void chaos?

Order

He plants a garden.

Then he tells humanity to go plant more gardens. The word Subdue is used in the way one would weed and cultivate a garden to bring about food.

God’s intent for humanity was to continue on bringing his good to chaos.

The downward spiral of humanity.

Humanity on a downward spiral. Leading to Babal. Which is the founding of Babylon.

Babylon along with Pharaoh all throughout the rest of scripture become the archetype for evil. The ways in which the inward turning of humanity is personified externally into the world.

God chooses to intervene through the person of Abraham.

Culminating in the establishing of the covenant relationship with His people at Sini.

6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

In Moses epic farewell speech he tells the people.

English Standard Version Chapter 30

For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

There is a choice. What will you do?

There is a choice. What will you do?

Prophets and Re-Creation.

As we see the spiral continues downward until the Prophets recognize and call out the root of the problem.

and 36

Ezekiel 11:17-

Ezekiel 11:17–21 ESV

Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel 36:16–29 ESV

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you.

Ezekiel 36:

What will bring people into the place where they can be the image bearing people God intended?

Something NEW.

A new heart.

Back to the beginning.

Through Jesus own death and resurrection, Paul says that we too will be recreated in his image (likeness).. Being born again.

. Being born again.

What does this mean for you?

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Wait what? Abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain.

Remember, Paul correlates what Jesus did and will do through you, as a call to continue bringing His good to the earth. What you do now matters.

Here we have Paul encouraging this community to continue in God’s work. What work is that?

One might argue salvation. This is an oversimplification. For Paul the work of God is God’s redeemed people living as images of God bringing order and good out of chaos.

What does this mean for you?

When coming into relationship with the risen Jesus, the real you begins.

Remember, Paul correlates what Jesus did and will do through you, as a call to continue bringing His good to the earth. What you do now matters.

Remember, Paul correlates what Jesus did and will do through you, as a call to continue bringing His good to the earth. What you do now matters.

The you that brings good into the earth through God’s wisdom.

The day is coming when we will be fully like him in all His glory. But until then live as the image of the living God here and now.