By Fr. Joseph B Francis –
Paul’s teaching on the Resurrection of the Body
Paul experienced much difficulty in proposing the belief in resurrection of body to the peoples of the Hellenic world (Acts 17.17 ff.). The difficulty for the Greeks was due to Plato’s philosophy, which saw the body as a prison from which one had to escape and a return of the soul to a resurrected body could appear to them nothing short of a retrograde step. In Corinth, too, some Christians found it hard to believe in the resurrection of the dead (I Cor 15.12). Here below is a detailed consideration of I Cor 15.1 ff. Paul sets forth his arguments carefully. I have schematized the arguments for our facility as follows.
- The Corinthians had said that it appears to be impossible for God to bring back the dead to life since it would mean coming back to the body. Paul argues with them that if this were true then logically we should say that God could not have raised Jesus-dead back to life. On the contrary we know that he rose again. There are many witnesses for this e.g., Peter, the twelve, James bishop of Jerusalem and more than 500, of these many were still alive and if the Corinthians so chose they could inquire from them. He had also appeared to Paul himself though he was a persecutor and no one expected him to become a disciple (Cf. vv. 3-8).
- If Jesus Christ is not risen and I declare solemnly with God as witness that he is risen then I would be committing a perjury and would incur all the punishment that a perjurer deserves. (Cf. the book of Daniel where the two old men who committed perjury and gave false witness against Susanna were put to death). [Vv. 12-16; elsewhere he asks the rhetorical question: What profit is there for me in misleading you? Do I gain anything financially or otherwise by making you followers of Christ? On the contrary, he had to suffer much for the Gospel and had worked with his own hands for his upkeep. Cf. I Cor 10.33; II Cor 11.9 + 23-28; 12.14b-18].
- Further, if Jesus is not risen, then we are the most miserable of all. To be Christians, having made so many sacrifices, would be a useless exercise. If Jesus is not risen then sin remains as it is and there is no meaning in our baptism because we would still be in sin. The argument should be properly understood here. The wages of sin is said to be death. Now Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world and as a consequence he died on the cross. He did not remain dead but the Father raised him up alive. This shows that sin from which death came has been overcome since death is overcome; Jesus is now alive and not dead and gone! Sin disappeared [Vv. 17-20].
- Jesus alive is the first fruit of new life. Adam comparison is brought here. Adam brought death by his sin and Jesus by his obedience and humble submission to God brought life. Jesus is the first-fruit and we in our own turn would follow in course of time and finally at the end of times death would have been finally overcome and God would be “all in all” [v. 21-28].
- A final little argument is from practical life of the Christians. He asks: a) Why are we being baptized? b) Why are we so courageous in life and face so many difficulties and take so many risks, unafraid of losing our mortal life, is it not because we hope for a resurrection? [Vv. 29-32].
- He finally gives a warning that they may not be misled by false propaganda and Hedonistic views of glamorous Corinth (We should know that Corinth at this time was at the cross roads of many cultures and was a cosmopolitan business centre). [Vv. 33-34].
- Vv. 35-44 Now that Paul had established that we would rise again, he answers subsidiary questions regarding the type of body we would have at resurrection. He considers these as stupid, inquisitive questions and yet he would try to answer them. He uses the comparison of seed and plant. It is an apt image because it shows both identity and difference. He uses here a series of images and counter-images as descriptions. The images are found in the expressions dishonorable, perishable, contemptible and weak. The counter-images are brightness, glory, imperishable and powerful. From these, could one perhaps argue for the risen body to be free from material needs and various disabilities?
- Vv. 45-49 reverts to the comparison between Adam’s body and Jesus’ risen body as a model for how our own risen bodies would be.
- Vv. 51-53 replies to a question, a problem that these early communities faced (Cf. I Thess 4.13-17) regarding the difference between those who died before Parousia (coming of Jesus) and those at Parousia. He says that it would not make much of a difference and this consoles them.
- VV 54-57 Paul ends with a triumphant cry against death. Death cannot win. It has lost its sting, its pain. Human beings can now face death with courage because of Jesus who has conquered sin and death. He has opened the way for all human beings to triumph over death in and through him. For this we should thank the Father.