I appreciate your concern. I really do, and I understand that sometimes it may be difficult to hear an opposing view. This is who we are. This is what we do. Most people live in a happy little bubble and do not even care to look outside until their little bubble bursts.
Jesus said the well do not need a physician. He did not come to call the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance. If we simply preach to those who already believe, who are we helping? How do we know what someone else believes? We are called to share the Gospel. Be sowers of the seed, tellers of the Truth, and showers of the way. That is why I try to be as open and lenient as possible.
Of course, we are here to live together as the family of God that God calls us to be. Of course, we are here to teach, comfort, learn from, and grow in faith together as children of God. This is what we are doing great at. Do I keep an eye on excessive disruptive behaviour? Of course, notice Servant1 is no longer around. But I say we give others a chance from time to time because;
"For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13=15
So far, I believe that Gospel has been polite and has not created an issue. I appreciate the opportunity for open discussion, even when it involves differing viewpoints. Within reason, of course. Please feel free to flag a post or PM me or others here if you have any questions or further concerns.
Peter
I was interested in your response to @PeterC, @Gospel. What sticks to me is that you use the phrase “makes sense” a lot. The problem I have is that the Jehovah’s Witnesses started in reaction in the 1800s to the doctrine of the Trinity. You have expressed your disagreement with that belief as well.
The Trinity is a mystery that no human mind can solve; we Trinitarians have submitted our reasoning (in making sense) to God’s thoughts, which are far superior to ours. Do you think that you can “make complete sense,” that is, figure God out fully? If so, why?
Isa 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
Isa 55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
This passage in the light of the previous context says that God’s free grace is beyond our ability to understand the fact that he offers us his rescue through Jesus freely and that we can never earn it with any of our efforts. Do you believe that truth?
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but the brother also mentioned Messiah’ ressurrection was “spiritual” and not physical.
I have a problem with this and his stance since it is not biblical.
The Bible is very clear about the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it’s a cornerstone of our Christian faith.
The Apostle Paul addresses those who deny it directly in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. He asks, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
He goes on to explain the profound implications if Christ was not raised. “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.” (1 Corinthians 15:14-15).
This shows how central the resurrection is to the entire message of the Gospel.
Furthermore, Paul emphasizes that without the resurrection, our faith is futile. “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17). This is a sobering thought, as it means our hope for salvation and forgiveness is rooted in this very event.
The eyewitness testimony is also crucial. The Scriptures are filled with accounts of people who saw Jesus after His resurrection. Peter, in his sermon in Acts 2:24, declares, “But God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” The disciples themselves were transformed from fearful followers to bold proclaimers of the resurrection, a testament to its reality.
If any, including this JW, wrestling with questions about the resurrection, remember that the evidence is abundant, and the early church faced similar doubts.
The resurrection is not just a historical event; it’s the powerful proof of God’s victory over sin and death, and the assurance of our own future resurrection with Him.
But sadly, it seems that this event no longer enjoys a prominent place for many Christians, often being relegated to the topic of the sermon only on Easter Sunday. And I’ve been to churches where it doesn’t even get that much attention. Some focus so much on the crucifixion and what Jesus accomplished there that the resurrection is treated like an afterthought.2
Please don’t misunderstand me. The crucifixion is absolutely essential, and we must never shy away from discussing the cross, but the resurrection is the flip side of that coin. Without the resurrection, Christ’s death would be the end of our hopes, and of course, without the crucifixion, Jesus could not have risen from the dead. Both are necessary for the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 15:17).3 In fact, Paul told the Corinthians that the gospel he preached was “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” and that he was seen by numerous people (1 Corinthians 15:1–8).
For the past few years as I have read through the New Testament, I have paid special attention to the resurrection and have been amazed at just how frequently the writers mention the topic. Paul devoted an entire chapter to the subject and discussed its significance to the Christian faith.
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:14–19)
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christianity would be a false religion, we would have no hope, our loved ones would be gone for good, and we would still be in our sins. I appreciate Philip Schaff’s summary on the importance of the resurrection based on Paul’s words.
The Christian church rests on the resurrection of its Founder. Without this fact the church could never have been born, or if born, it would soon have died a natural death. The miracle of the resurrection and the existence of Christianity are so closely connected that they must stand or fall together.
Everything hinges on the resurrection.
Everything hinges on the resurrection. If Jesus rose, he is the Son of God and Christianity is true. Consequently, critics and skeptics have tried desperately to develop alternative theories to explain away the resurrection. In their vain search for a legitimate alternative, they have demonstrated that they understand the centrality of the resurrection better than some Christians or, at least, that they are more concerned about it. Ironically, as will be demonstrated in future articles in this series, the critical and skeptical arguments have actually strengthened our confidence in the truth of the resurrection.
JEHOVAH’s Witnesses do believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ.
We believe that he was resurrected with a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42–44),
or that he was “put to death in the flesh” but resurrected “in a glorified body” (1 Peter 3:18),
while his fleshly life was offered once for all time (Hebrews 7:27),
since the human Jesus “gave himself as the redemption price for all” (1 Timothy 2:6), or as “a substitutionary sacrifice“ or as “a ransom in the place of every person”,
and thus we believe that he would never take back the human life he had sacrificed; which couldn’t have inherited God’s Kingdom anyway (1 Cor 15:50).
But, again, we do believe that he was bodily resurrected, which is the cornerstone of Christianity (1 Cor 15:14, 15), and that he is alive in heaven, with God (Acts 7:55).
I hope this answer helps others to understand our honest beliefs a little better.
The Bible shows that you must have works, or acts of obedience, to prove that your faith is alive. (James 2:24, 26) However, this does not mean that you can earn salvation. It is “God’s gift” based on his “undeserved kindness,” or “grace.”—Ephesians 2:8, 9
I also believe that after the death of the apostles, the Church embarked on a “Great Apostasy”, diverging from the original teachings of Jesus on several major points.
In the 19th century, Charles Taze Russell and his associates formed a Bible study group in Pennsylvania, developing teachings that they considered to be a revival of the great truths taught by Jesus and the Apostles.
Both the Great Apostasy and the Bible Students’ subsequent restoration of original Christianity were a fulfilment of Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds at Matthew 13:24-30,36-43.
“So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.” 1 Corinthians 15:42–44
Nowhere, in any translation other than the NWT, does it say “spiritual.” Zero. Imperishable does not necessarily mean spirit. As I just learned yesterday, not joking, Jellyfish are immortal. Therefore, are they spirits? Of course not. This is another addition for the personalization of the NWT for the JWs.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18
Most scholars and theologians argue that this verse does not describe what Jesus is (his substance) but rather the mode of his existence after the resurrection. Death in the “Body” (Flesh): This refers to his earthly, mortal life, which ended at the cross. Alive in the “Spirit”: This refers to his resurrection life. In this view, “spirit” doesn’t mean he became a ghost; it means he was raised by the power of the Holy Spirit into a glorified state.
I already discussed with you all the evidence that He was flesh, and all you said was He is the Son of God, and He can do whatever he chooses
“He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” Hebrews 7:27
Nothing about spirit here.
“who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:6
Nothing to do with spirit.
“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” 1 Cor 15:50
We discussed that imperishable does not mean spirit. Yes, our sinful flesh cannot enter; however, Jesus is not sinful.
Wait what? Did you and have you NOT been arguing that Christ did NOT rise bodily?
Peter
And that group eventually became the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Charles Taze Russell and his associates were part of a broader trend in America where people felt that traditional church dogmas had drifted too far from the original teachings of the first-century Christians. They wanted to strip away centuries of tradition to find what they called “Bible Truth.”
Like some of the arguments you put forward, they CHANGED the Bible to become suitable for your belief system. The Trinity: They viewed Jesus as the son of God, but a separate and created being (similar to the ancient Arian view).
Hellfire: They argued that the “soul” is the person itself and that death is a state of non-existence, rather than eternal torment. The Nature of the Resurrection. They taught that Jesus was raised as a divine spirit person, not in a physical body.
In 1881, they formed Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society, which became the legal and publishing engine for their beliefs. This emphasized the role of the “faithful and discreet slave” (a term from Matthew 24:45) in providing spiritual food, which remains a central pillar of the organization today.
I found this interesting. Transition to “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” While the group initially called themselves “Bible Students,” the name Jehovah’s Witnesses wasn’t actually adopted until 1931 under the leadership of the second president, Joseph F. Rutherford. He wanted to distinguish the main group from several offshoots that had formed after Russell’s death in 1916. So, like Christianity, JWs broke off several denominations?
Either way, to argue you are right based on the facts that people in the past changed the Bible (wrote their own) to agree with their beliefs? Not sure I can see the rationale. That would be like me, it’s not, but I’m deciding that the Bible is too exclusive. That leaves out all these other religions. So I go in and add “A” Jesus said I am “A” Way, Truth, and Life. I go through and rewrite the Bible, adding, subtracting, changing, until I have my own Bible. That does not make it true.
Peter
The Focus on Chronology and Prophecy
Russell was deeply influenced by Adventist thinkers like Jonas Wendell and Nelson Barbour. This led the early Bible Students to focus heavily on biblical chronology, particularly the “Gentile Times” and the expectation that 1914 would be a pivotal year in human history.
Rejecting Traditional Creeds
The group famously challenged several mainstream Christian doctrines, arguing they weren’t supported by the Greek and Hebrew scriptures. These included:
It’s a clear example of how a small, private study group in Pennsylvania can grow into a global organization with millions of members. Are you looking into the history of the movement itself, or more into how they interpret specific verses like the one from Peter?
The Scriptures say the resurrected Jesus was given a spirit body: “He being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit.” (1 Pet. 3:18) “Whom not one of men has seen or can see.” (1 Tim. 6:16) Paul merely caught a glimpse of the glory of Jesus’ spirit body and was blinded. (1 Cor. 15:8; Acts 9:17, 18) At the resurrection of his faithful followers in whom God has cultivated heavenly hopes they will be given, not fleshly, but glorious spirit bodies. We all know what a fleshly body is like. But John says: “Beloved ones, now we are children of God, but as yet it has not been made manifest what we shall be. We do know that whenever he is made manifest we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is.”—1 John 3:2.
When Jesus was on earth he was said to be “lower than the angels”. Man is lower than angels. Certainly one who is in the flesh is lower than one who is in the spirit. God often contrasts flesh and spirit. (Ps. 8:4, 5; Heb. 2:9; Isa. 31:3) Could you believe that Jesus Christ, the majestic King of the new world, made higher than all other creation, would remain in a body of flesh? He would be inferior to a spirit and far too limited to accomplish the marvelous things required of such King, among them the destroying of the mighty spirit person Satan the Devil.
A human body requires earthly elements for its continued existence. It is made for the earth and must subsist upon the things produced from the earth. (1 Cor. 15:40, 47; Isa. 45:12, 18) God does not violate his own laws that he has established to govern natural things. Therefore he would not take a human body out of its proper habitation and transfer it to the heavens, the realm of spirit persons.
The modern-day organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses began at the end of the 19th century. At that time, a small group of Bible students who lived in Pennsylvania began a systematic analysis of the Bible.
They compared the doctrines taught by the churches with what the Bible really teaches. They began publishing what they learned in books, newspapers, and the journal that is now called The Watchtower—Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom.
Among that group of sincere Bible students was a man named Charles Taze Russell. While Russell took the lead in the Bible education work at that time and was the first editor of The Watchtower, he was not the founder of a new religion.
The goal of Russell and the other Bible Students, as the group was then known, was to promote the teachings of Jesus Christ and to follow the practices of the first-century Christian congregation. Since Jesus is the Founder of Christianity, we view him as the founder of our organization.—Colossians 1:18-20.
I will give someone else a chance. A Couple of your points are new, like Paul being blinded. which is an interpretation, it was from the light. For three days, Saul was completely blind and did not eat or drink anything. This period is often seen as a symbolic “death” of his old life as a Pharisee before his “resurrection” into his new life as an apostle.
If you remember, a disciple named Ananias was sent by God to find Saul. When Ananias laid his hands on him:
“Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.” Acts 9:18
Then you have the fact that Paul spent three years with Jesus following this. Was Jesus in the Spirit, as you say, would Paul not have been blinded again? Or was He in His imperishable body? But we can go back and forth, round and round, and perhaps we will again in the future, but there is no point in my continuing this today. Here is an example.
I said,
Yet you just posted,
We could probably do this all day. 1 Timothy 6:16 is talking about God the Father; we all know that people have seen the Son. 1 John 3:2 “We shall be like him” suggests that whatever Jesus’ “glorified body” is, that is the blueprint for what his followers will eventually receive. Jesus was physical enough to eat fish and show his wounds after the resurrection. Perhaps being “like him” means having a physical body that is no longer subject to pain, aging, or death. A “spiritual body” rather than just a “spirit.”
See how easy it is to get drawn in? As I said, I will give someone else a chance to ask you some questions.
Spirit creatures can take on human form. For example, angels who did this in the past even ate and drank with humans. (Genesis 18:1-8; 19:1-3) However, they still were spirit creatures and could leave the physical realm.—Judges 13:15-21.
After his resurrection, Jesus also assumed human form temporarily, just as angels had previously done. As a spirit creature, though, he was able to appear and disappear suddenly. (Luke 24:31; John 20:19, 26) The fleshly bodies that he materialized were not identical from one appearance to the next. Thus, even Jesus’ close friends recognized him only by what he said or did.—Luke 24:30, 31, 35; John 20:14-16; 21:6, 7.
When Jesus appeared to the apostle Thomas, he took on a body with wound marks. He did this to bolster Thomas’ faith, since Thomas doubted that Jesus had been raised up.—John 20:24-29.
Gospel,
re: “1. ‘Day and night’ can still function as a single idiom
In Jewish usage, ‘day and night’ often forms a merism (a pair expressing a whole), like ‘heaven and earth.’”
So, if someone told their parents that they would be staying with them for a day and a night - that because it was a merism - that the parents wouldn’t have to think that they would be staying with them at least for a part of a daytime and at least a part of a night time?
re: “2. The Book of Jonah parallel matters
Matthew 12:40 echoes Jonah 1:17. In Hebrew narrative style, ‘three days and three nights’ there is widely understood as a stock expression for a period covering three days, not a stopwatch-like statement. The phrase shows up in contexts where strict literalism creates tension with parallel wording elsewhere.”
Your post seems to suggest that it was common practice to state that a specific number of daytimes as well as a specific number of night times would be involved with an event when at least a portion of each one the day times and at least a portion of each one of the night times couldn’t be. You say that that type of usage shows up in contexts where “strict literalism creates tension with parallel wording elsewhere.”
I wonder if you might show a couple of examples where that has been the case.
re: “3. Internal Gospel evidence leans ‘inclusive,’ not segmented
Jesus repeatedly says He will rise ‘on the third day’ (e.g., in the Gospel of Luke 24:7, 21). Those same disciples say, ‘it is now the third day since these things happened.’ That wording naturally fits inclusive counting, not a requirement for three separate night periods to pass.”
Instead of trying to fit Matthew 12:40, Luke 24:21 and Mark 8:31 with “on the third day”, why not try to fit “on the third day” with the Matthew, Luke and Mark references since they are more specific?
re: " 4. About E. W. Bullinger’s claim
Bullinger’s rule (‘days + nights = always literal’) isn’t universally accepted. Many Hebraists point out that even when both are mentioned, the phrase can still be idiomatic—because Hebrew often uses paired terms for emphasis rather than precision. So his conclusion is one interpretive choice, not a linguistic necessity."
Fair enough. It of course is just one Biblical scholar’s opinion.
re: “5. Your Samuel point is fair—but not decisive
You’re correct: 1 Samuel 30 doesn’t exclude three partial days and nights. But the text also doesn’t require that level of precision; it comfortably reads as “three days ago” ≈ “for three days and three nights.” That equivalence is exactly what proponents of the idiomatic view rely on.”
It’s just that it’s not really a good account as an example for supporting where a day or a night is said to be involved with an event when no part of a daytime or no part of a night time could have been.
re: “So where does that leave it
Your argument: the mention of both ‘days’ and ‘nights’ implies at least part of each → could support a longer timeline.
The common counter: ‘day and night’ is a set expression for a span, and parallel phrases like ‘on the third day’ control the interpretation → supports the traditional Friday–Sunday view.
It’s not a slam dunk either way—you’re right about that. The real question is which principle you prioritize: Literal segmentation of time units, or Idiomatic usage + cross-text consistency.”
The scribes and Pharisees asked the Messiah for a sign. It doesn’t say what they wanted the sign for, but I think the general consensus is that was for proof of His Messiahship.
I cannot prove that of course, but I have heard it preached that by Jewish tradition, a person was not considered legally dead until they had been dead for at least 72 hours. If this is so, I don’t think the Messiah being in the tomb for less than 40 hours would be convincing evidence for the Pharisees that He had actually died.
By the which you mean “spiritual, glorified body”, Am I correct brother?
The resurrection of Jesus’ physical body is attested to by many witnesses and is central to the Gospel message. For example, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” This passage highlights that His death, burial, and resurrection were all part of God’s plan, and His resurrection was a tangible event.
Consider also the testimony of the women who went to the tomb early on the first day of the week. In Matthew 28:6, the angel tells them, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” The empty tomb itself is powerful evidence that His physical body was no longer there, but had been raised.
When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He showed them that He was indeed in a physical body.
In Luke 24:39, Jesus says to them**, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”**
This direct statement and invitation to touch was to dispel any notion that He was merely a spirit.
The apostle John also bears witness to the physical reality of the resurrection. In John 20:27, Jesus speaks to Thomas, saying**, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and reach out your hand, and put it into my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”**
This encounter was specifically to confirm the reality of Jesus’ resurrected body to a doubting Thomas.
The disciples’ initial reactions often indicate their understanding of a physical resurrection. In Luke 24:41-43, it says, “And while they were still disbelieving for joy, and wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.”
Eating a meal is a clear indication of a physical body.
Peter, in his sermon recorded in Acts 2:24, proclaims, “But God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
The language of “loosing the pangs of death” implies a victory over the physical reality of death.
Furthermore, the ascension of Jesus into heaven, as described in Acts 1:9, also points to His physical body being taken up. “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” This is not something a disembodied spirit would do.
The Apostle John, in his first letter, emphasizes the importance of believing in Jesus’ physical coming.
In 1 John 4:2-3, he writes, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.”
This passage directly addresses the belief in Jesus’ physical incarnation and, by extension, His physical resurrection.
The book of Revelation also provides a vision of Jesus in His glorified, physical form. In Revelation 1:12-18, John describes seeing Jesus, who has eyes like flames of fire and a voice like the roar of many waters, holding seven stars. This is a powerful depiction of His physical presence in glory.
Finally, the promise of our own resurrection is directly linked to Jesus’ bodily resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:20 states, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Our hope of being raised bodily like Christ is contingent on His own bodily resurrection.
These scriptures, and many others, consistently affirm the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, a truth that gives us assurance and hope. It’s a cornerstone of our faith that He overcame death in its entirety, body and spirit, and lives!
The apostles knew that Jesus’ resurrection was different from all others before it. People who were resurrected earlier were given human bodies but later died again. Jesus was given a spirit body that can never be destroyed. (Acts 13:34.) Peter wrote that Jesus “was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” Also, “he is at God’s right hand, for he went to heaven, and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him.” (1 Peter 3:18-22) Other resurrections were outstanding miracles, but Jesus’ resurrection was the greatest miracle ever.
Jehovah’s Witnesses often argue that Jesus was raised only as a spirit creature, citing passages like 1 Peter 3:18 and 1 Corinthians 15:45.
But the Greek text itself undermines this claim. In 1 Peter 3:18, the phrase θανατωθεὶς μὲν σαρκί, ζῳοποιηθεὶς δὲ πνεύματι (“put to death in the flesh, made alive in the spirit”) uses datives (σαρκί, πνεύματι) to indicate spheres of existence, not substances.
The contrast is between Christ’s death in the realm of human flesh and His resurrection life in the realm of the Spirit’s power. It does not mean He was transformed into a spirit-only being. Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul writes that “the last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (εἰς πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν). The preposition εἰς here points to role or function, not essence. Christ is “life-giving spirit” because He now imparts resurrection life through the Spirit, not because He ceased to have a body.
Paul’s entire argument in 1 Corinthians 15 hinges on bodily resurrection: believers will be raised with transformed, imperishable bodies, modeled after Christ’s own glorified body (σῶμα πνευματικόν). Importantly, σῶμα still means “body”-it is not immaterial.
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Jesus Himself refutes the JW interpretation in Luke 24:39: πνεῦμα σάρκα καὶ ὀστέα οὐκ ἔχει καθὼς ἐμὲ θεωρεῖτε ἔχοντα (“a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have”).
The syntax is emphatic: a spirit does not possess what Jesus demonstrably possesses. Likewise, Acts 2:31 declares that His σὰρξ (“flesh”) did not see corruption, meaning His body was preserved and raised.
The apostles consistently preached a bodily resurrection, and the ascension in Acts 1 shows Jesus visibly departing in that same glorified body.
To deny this is to deny the very foundation of Christian hope, for Paul insists: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (1 Cor. 15:17).
1Co_15:4
He was buried – This signifies the confirmation of His actual death. His Spirit left his body (Jas_2:26).
He was raised [rose again] – Literally, “he had been raised.”
Paul’s bold affirmation of the truth of the resurrection is possibly the earliest we have (See not on 1Co 11.23). This was written barely twenty-fives after the event.
Paul gives two kinds of witness to the historic events of Christ’s death and resurrection: 1) the OT Scriptures and 2) the testimony of eyewitnesses.
Accordance with the scriptures – Isa_53:5; Isa_53:8; Dan_9:26; Psa_22:1 ff; Zec_12:10; and many types.
Psa_16:10; Isa_53:10; Hos_6:2; Jon_2:10; – Mat_12:40; Mat_16:4
RESURRECTION
Joh_5:28-29 resurrection of the good and bad
1Co_15:1 ff great entire chapter
1Co_15:51-53 the living will be changed
1Th_4:13 - 18 words of comfort to righteous
Every explicit Scripture says that Jesus was resurrected with an invisible “spirit” body and not a visible fleshly body (1 Tim. 6:16; Eph. 1:17,18; 1 Pt. 3:18; 1 Cor. 15:42-50; Acts 13:34; 2 Cor. 5:16; Lk. 17:20; Mt. 24:3-39; 25:31; Jn. 6:51; Heb. 2:7-9, Phil. 2:7-10).
“Even Christ died once for all time concerning sins … he being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit.”
Heb. 1:3 says that Jesus is now “the exact representation of [God’s] very being.” God is a Spirit and has never been flesh.
Now we are given several facts in God’s Word from which we can draw reasonable conclusions as to what happened to Christ’s human body.
1.) The Bible says of Christ: “… concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he forsaken in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31; Ps. 16:10).
Death and corruption was the punishment for sinful humans and so was NOT appropriate for the perfect man Jesus. It Christ body was not allowed to see corruption or decompose like sinful humans then God must have disposed of it in some instantaneous manner. So it is only logical to conclude that God miraculously caused Jesus’ body to disappear without corruption by being disintegrated (dissolved) back into the elements from which all human bodies are made.
2.) Next, Jesus Christ gave his flesh as a ransom for us (Jn. 6:51). Having given us his flesh if he ever took it back again he would nullify his sacrifice. If Christ had kept his body then there was no ransom!
According to Heb. 10:5-10 Christ’s physical body was “prepared” so that it could be “offered,” once and for all time. So when it had been “offered” then it had served it’s purposed. Then, just as the animal sacrifices under the Law were disposed of so likewise would the body of Jesus would be disposed of (Heb. 13:10,11).
3.) Additionally, Moses foreshadowed Christ. When Moses died God took his body away (Deut. 34:5,6). Similarly, God removed Jesus’ body just as he had removed Moses’ body. While Moses’ body returned to the dust by process of decay, Christ’s body could not see corruption.
We also can draw several other logical conclusions as to why God removed Christ’s body.
Removing the body also helped Jesus’ disciples to understand that he had been raised from the dead. A body would hamper the belief of the disciples in the fact that Jesus had been resurrected.
The body could have made it difficult to prove that Jesus had been resurrected. Opposers of the Christians could point to the body of Jesus after he was resurrected and claim that as evidence against his resurrection.
God’s disposing of the body would prevent it being used as an object of worship as is done by the apostate church with the supposed bones of “saints.” Again, this was prefigured with Moses. Jude writes that the Devil desired to get the body of Moses to use it as an object of worship.
Therefore, the conclusion that God miraculously disposed of Christ’s dead human body by simply disintegrating it is a reasonable conclusion. It logically follows from the evidence found in God’s Word.
On the other hand, the teaching that Christ was raised with a physical body must break every major rule of exegesis and demand that we have an ignorance of Greek grammar, of word definitions, and of the context..
Further, such an idea must contradict every explicit statement in the Bible regarding Christ’s heavenly body.
The only way we could believe that the heavenly Christ has a body of flesh would be to rip figurative language out of context and twist it to agree with our personal theology.
“Corporeal visibility to men in the present life is a dream, altogether unsanctioned in the New Testament, and calculated from age to age to involve feeble believers in disappointment.”— Glasgow; The Apocalypse, Translated and Expounded , p. 126. Edinburgh, 1872.
Your claim: “Every explicit Scripture says Jesus was resurrected with an invisible spirit body.” Refutation:
None of the cited passages actually say Jesus was raised without a body. For example, 1 Peter 3:18 (θανατωθεὶς μὲν σαρκί, ζῳοποιηθεὶς δὲ πνεύματι) contrasts spheres of existence-death in the realm of flesh, life in the realm of the Spirit’s power. It does not mean He lost His body. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul insists on a σῶμα πνευματικόν (“spiritual body”), but σῶμα always means “body” in Greek. The adjective “spiritual” describes its transformed nature, not its immateriality. Luke 24:39 explicitly refutes the JW claim: “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” Jesus Himself denies being a mere spirit.
You say: “Jesus gave His flesh as a ransom; if He took it back, the ransom is nullified.” Refutation:
This is a category mistake. John 6:51 speaks of His flesh given in death as the sacrificial offering. Hebrews 10:10–12 says His sacrifice was “once for all,” but resurrection does not cancel sacrifice-it vindicates it. Acts 2:31 says His σὰρξ (“flesh”) did not see corruption.If His body were dissolved, Peter’s statement would be false. The ransom was accomplished in His death; the resurrection is God’s seal of approval (Romans 4:25: “He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification”).
You say: “God must have disposed of Jesus’ body instantly to prevent corruption.” Refutation:
Psalm 16:10 (LXX: οὐ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν) is quoted in Acts 2:31 to prove the opposite:
His body did not decay because it was raised. The text does not say “disposed of” or “dissolved.” It says “did not see corruption.” The resurrection itself prevented decay. To claim disintegration is to add to Scripture what it never says.
You say: “Moses’ body was removed, so Jesus’ body was too.” Refutation:
Deuteronomy 34:6 says God buried Moses, and Jude 9 mentions dispute over his body. But Moses is a type of Christ in leadership, not in resurrection. The NT explicitly distinguishes Jesus: unlike Moses, Jesus rose bodily and ascended visibly (Acts 1:9). Typology cannot override explicit resurrection testimony.
3) "He was taken up;” (eperthe) “He was taken (raised or lifted) up,” bodily and visibly. To Timothy, Paul wrote that He was “received up into glory,” 1Ti_3:16. There at the Father’s right hand He makes intercession for His children (He advocates for them) until He returns in power and great glory, Heb_1:3; Eph_1:20; Heb_7:25; 1Jn_2:1.
You say: “Jesus appeared in different materialized bodies like angels.” Refutation:
Luke 24:16 says the disciples’ eyes were “kept from recognizing Him” (ἐκρατοῦντο), not that His body was different. Recognition was divinely delayed, not physically impossible. John 20:27 shows continuity: Thomas touches the wounds. The ascension (Acts 1:9) was visible and bodily. Angels “materializing” is not parallel; Jesus’ resurrection is unique as the “firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:20).
You say: “Corporeal visibility is unsanctioned in the NT.” Refutation:
This is flatly contradicted by the NT itself. Jesus ate fish (Luke 24:42–43), walked with disciples (Luke 24:15), and was seen by over 500 witnesses (1 Cor. 15:6). Paul insists: “He appeared” (ὤφθη) repeatedly, a verb of visible sight. The NT sanctions corporeal visibility as the very proof of resurrection.
Theological Implications here…
If Jesus’ body was dissolved, death still held dominion over the body. That contradicts Paul’s declaration: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:54).
The bodily resurrection vindicates creation itself. God does not discard the body; He redeems it.
The LXX and NT consistently use σῶμα and σάρξ to mean real, physical body. To redefine them as “spirit form” is to twist Greek grammar and context.
So…
Your argument succumbs under Scripture, Greek syntax, and the LXX. Jesus was not “disintegrated” or “materialized” like angels.
He was bodily raised, glorified, and transformed. His resurrection is the pattern for ours: “He will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body” (Phil. 3:21). To deny His bodily resurrection is to deny the gospel itself (1 Cor. 15:17).
The Christian Scriptures describe his resurrection body both as material and non-material or spiritual. For instance, his body could be observed as physical and he could be touched. He also walked, ate and drank. (Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:15, 39, 43; John 20:20; Acts 10:41) Yet, he is also described as disappearing from sight and suddenly appearing in a group. This is reminiscent of “beaming up” and “beaming down” of Star Trek fame. (Luke 24:31, 36; John 20:19)
Additionally, Acts 1:3 points out that during a forty-day period he “was not continually visible to the apostles … but appeared to them on various occasions” only. (NET Bible , footnote); and Acts 10:40-41 informs us that his post-resurrection appearances were done selectively. His absence in between those selected intervals of time may be explained by him disappearing.
Thus, Jesus was materializing and dematerializing at will, just as spirit beings did prior as recorded in the Hebrew Bible.—Judges 6:21, Genesis 19. See also Acts 12:10.
Another spiritual manifestation that is most noteworthy is Jesus’ appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus. There, in what has been aptly called a “partial revelation,” Jesus radiated light “beyond the brilliance of the sun” at midday. (Acts 26:13; Insight on the Scriptures : “Sun: Jehovah and Christ More Brilliant”) Thus Jesus’ resurrection body was clearly seen as supernatural and manifestly non-material. This is also reflected in John’s vision of the resurrected Jesus in Revelation 1:12-16, where Jesus’ radiance is like the sun’s and his eyes like “a fiery flame.”
This vision of Jesus would have reminded John of Daniel’s vision of an angel in Daniel 10:5, 6, as both visions share a number of similarities, such as brilliant radiance and fiery eyes. Thus, since Jesus sacrificed his body he was born with (Hebrews 10:10) and was now spiritual, living as a mighty and radiant spirit being, he appeared as a material person as explained in what follows:
In Luke 24:39-43 and John 20:27, Jesus is appearing as a materialization, not as a spirit or vision, bearing his stigmata as a sign. He even appeared inside a locked room at John 20:19, 26, thus proving he was a materialization. At Acts 17:31 and 1 Timothy 2:5, the resurrected Jesus is called “a man.”
Additional scriptures that may be referred to calling Jesus “a man” are Acts 2:22, Romans 5:15 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22. However, a close reading of those scriptures does not require that Jesus now be a man outside of earth’s protective atmosphere. First, Acts 2:22 may easily be seen as calling Jesus a man during his earthly ministry. Second, the other two scriptures contrast Jesus with another man, Adam.
Thus, if Jesus is still a physical Jewish man, then it would be consistent to view Adam also as still being a physical man, the later being obvious anathema which consequently implodes the interpretation that Jesus is being described as currently being a literal physical man. Lastly, ones who believe that Jesus is still a physical man would do well to honestly and objectively consider Galatians 1:1, 11, 12 and 16 where Paul emphatically repeated that Jesus is not a man.
This description would naturally refer to Jesus’ experience as a man on earth during his ministry—it would more fittingly be applied to him being a man experientially, not ontologically. (As we know, human flesh cannot survive outside of earth’s protective atmosphere. Making his flesh do so would be a continuous miracle from 33 C.E. and is completely unnecessary.) This natural exegesis also follows for Christians resurrected to heavenly life, for as we know, physical bodies can only exist in an earthly environment. Claiming otherwise destroys credibility, as continuous miraculous molecular micromanagement is both unnecessary and absurd.
Some will point to Romans 8:11 though in support of them retaining their physical bodies outside of earth’s atmosphere. This scripture says: “If, now, the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his spirit that resides in you.” If this was the last word on the matter, it could be understood as meaning mortal bodies made alive in an experiential sense. As they experienced life as physical people, they can always look back as resurrected immortal spirit beings on their experience in a mortal physical body. But the next two verses bear on the correct meaning of Romans 8:11.
They say: “So, then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh; 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you are sure to die; but if you put the practices of the body to death by the spirit, you will live.” The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will make us alive in a spiritual sense .
This is corroborated in another Pauline epistle, Ephesians 2:1, “It is you God made alive though you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” The meaning could not be any clearer. The same God who resurrected Jesus can make us alive in a spiritual sense.
