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Sunday, November 01, 2009

Is Christ in bodily form now?

Many people think that, once he was incarnated as a human, Christ has remained in a human body, even after His resurrection. I didn't realize, until recently, that there was scripture to back that up. Here it is:

Colossians 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, (ESV).

I checked several other translations, and they agree. This verse, of course, was written by Paul, quite a few years after Christ's death and resurrection. It's always dangerous to base a doctrine on a single verse, but this one is at least evidence for the belief that Christ continues to have a physical body.

Thanks for reading.

7 comments:

Millie-jane said...

I didn't think of it that way. Kool

Martin LaBar said...

Thanks, Jo.

Weekend Fisher said...

There are some other lines of argument that go along with Christ still being in a physical body. The first is the whole concept of ascension (rather than, say, de-materialization). The other is the idea of the second coming to live among us in a New Creation.

Besides which, if he weren't still in a physical body, what becomes of "the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting" where we see him as the firstfruits?

Take care & God bless
WF

FancyHorse said...

Somewhere, Scripture tells us that He still has the scars in His hands and side, maybe in Revelation? That would indicate a body.

Martin LaBar said...

Thanks for your additions, Weekend Fisher.

FancyHorse, He showed His scars to Thomas. Revelation describes Him as a lamb as if it had been killed. Thanks.

Daniel Smith said...

I suppose I always thought this but I never consciously considered the theology to back it up.

I recall Him having scars after the resurrection though I don't recall ever noticing the Colossians passage before. I also recall an argument that He, being our mediator and intercessor, can be so only because He was human once like us and thus privy to all our temptations and shortcomings. It makes sense that since we ascend with some kind of glorified body that He, having also had a human body, would have the same.

Thanks for mentioning this and the location of those additional passages too.

Martin LaBar said...

Thank you, Daniel Smith.