Note
on the topic/issue/term "spiritual resurrection."
A1
Definitions:
B1
Spiritual
C1
Not physical
C2
Physical would point to the flesh, the body
C3
Spiritual would be speaking of the non-material of a being
B2
Resurrection
C1
Becoming alive again
C2
Implies
D1
Something that is living
D2
Then dies
D3
Then comes alive again
B3
Spiritual Resurrection then would refer to something that is alive,
then dies, then is made alive again.
A2
Bible
B1
Not taught
C1
Bible teaches that we are dead because of sin. This would be the sin
nature that we are born with (original sin).
C2
Bible teaches that God initiates the salvific process, not any
person.
B2
The most common Bible reference (verses) used for this is Ephesians
2:1-6
C1
Verse 1 in many translations has the words "has quickened".
These words are not in the Greek.
C2
Literally translated the verse reads "and you being dead in
trespasses and sins"
D1
Trespass is going or doing what we must not do
D2
Sin is to violate or break a law
C3
Verse 5: "…even when we were dead in our transgressions, made
us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)."
(Ephesians 2:5, EMTV)
D1
Parallel passages
E1
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all
our trespasses, (Colossians 2:13, EMTV)
E2
For as the Father raises up the dead and gives life, thus also the
Son gives life to whom He wills. (John 5:21, EMTV)
D2
The word for resurrection and used in the sense of raising something
(sleep, sitting, disease, or death, etc.) is egeiro.
D3
The word for made alive is zoopoieo.
D4
The word used in verse 5 is suzoopoieo, that is make alive
together.
D5
Resurrection and made alive are two different concepts.
E1
Resurrection (as mentioned above) is something alive that dies, and
then is raised from death.
F1 The
Lord Jesus as man was alive, died, and raised to life, that is, made
alive again. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
F2
Those who are trusting in God for salvation will be resurrected in
the future, that is, were alive, died (physically), then raised again
to life. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
E2
Make alive is something dead that is, well, made alive.
F1
The saints, God’s people, are made alive, that is, existing as dead
then made alive. (Colossians 2:13)
F2
Jesus was made alive in the sense that in the grave He was dead and
when raised from death is alive again.
E3
They are similar in that
F1
in resurrection and make alive both have dead to being alive again.
F2
in make alive only being dead to being alive.
B3
So while not in error to use the term, it would be better to avoid
especially as Gnostics and others use the term to indicate things as
Jesus did not raise physically only spiritually or some other sense.
Posted
by choco at 10:32 8 Jan 15
Labels: Doctrine, Resurrection, spiritual
resurrection