Short Defense of the Christian Doctrine of the PHYSICAL RESSURECTION
The same body standing back up to life again
Pertinent Scriptures Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:5-11, John 8:24 & 58, 1 Cor.15:17
Not only is the whole of Christianity built on the physical resurrection of Jesus, but creating doubt
about this required belief would be the winning field goal for Satan in preventing salvation (Romans
10:9). Furthermore, since they are mutually incompatible (much like capitalism and communism) ,
resurrection stops any simultaneous belief of reincarnation. After all, which reincarnated body
would resurrect?
Not counting the resurrection of Jesus, there are 10 other resurrection accounts in the Bible. Four
in the Old Testament and six in the New. In all cases it is a physical resurrection and not spiritual. In
order to use this as a witness to the Jehovah’s Witness you must take them through this slowly, one
at a time. Even though they do not argue with these physical resurrections they need to see how
that every time the word and concept is used throughout the Bible it means a physical resurrection.
The point being that Jesus’s resurrection was also physical. This scriptural study will also solidify
your knowledge of the physical resurrection….. if you will read each verse or passage listed. You
will remember reading them for your lifetime and never question that the Biblical resurrection of
Jesus is physical. You will have the ammunition that you need should the Jehovah’s Witness ever
come to your door teaching the resurrection was spiritual. But you will have to sit quietly somewhere
and read these verses. Usually the JW will not deny these but you must lead them through them
one at a time to prove your point that all resurrections are physical. Let’s begin going over them
one by one and ask some questions:
In the Old Testament
1.1 Kings 17:10-24; Would the Woman have been happy with, and made such a statement to Elijah
if her son had been revived only a spirit?
2. 2 Kings 4:18-37 The child’s flesh waxed warm, he sneezed and opened his eyes. The Shunamite
woman took up her son and took him out. Does this sound like a spiritual or physical resurrection?
3. 2 Kings 13:20-21 This is a strange resurrection indeed but nevertheless, a resurrection. Here a
man’s physical body was cast into the well and touched (a physical thing) Elisha’s bones and stood
up. Whatever it was, no spirits are mentioned, and standing up sounds like a physical resurrection
to me.
4.Ezekiel 37 The whole chapter is about symbolizing the future physical resurrection of a nation.
Question like “can these bones live”? Here we have bones coming together making noises, God
putting flesh and sinews on them, and breathing life into them…..Does this sound like a physical or
spiritual resurrection?
In the New Testament
5. Matthew 9:18 & 25 The Ruler said the daughter was dead. The minstrels sang at mournings over
the dead. When Jesus resurrected her he took her by the physical hand. The fame spread. Would
the father have been happy with a spiritual resurrection? Would the fame have spread with a
spiritual resurrection? If this is the same account as Mark 5:41, she walked and was given
something to eat.
6. Matthew 27:52 The text says the graves were opened so the bodies could come out and go.
They appeared to many and scared some. Is there any question that this is physical? Would the
graves have to open for a spiritual exit?
7. Luke 7:11-16 The same body sat up and spoke and was delivered to his mother. I’d bet on
physical. Otherwise the mother would not have been impressed nor the crowd scared into saying
something more that the Jehovah’s Witness’s do not like to hear at verse 16 “God has visited his
people”
8. John 11:39-44 The resurrection of Lazarus. If this was a spirit, he stunk, had his graves clothes
hanging on a spiritual body, and a napkin stuck to his spiritual face. Not only that but he had to be
untied. I can’t imagine any process where a sane person would untie a spirit… in front of a crowd….
without using some form of Karate.
9. Acts 9:36-42 Tabitha died and resurrected, She (evidently referring to the same body that died?)
opened her eyes, sat up, had to be lifted, was presented alive….and told throughout Joppa causing
many to believe. Is it possible that this is physical? Sure it is
10. Acts 20:9 Where the Bible shows how that preaching too long can kill a man. Whatever the
subject was, Eutychus fell for it (three floors), and was taken up dead. Paul (after probably
receiving some real threatening looks from the congregation)finally quit preaching, hugged him,
told everyone not to worry, and pronounced Brother Eute as alive. They probably went to eat at the
Mexican restaurant, had an all night conversation, and left. Are these Spiritual type things or
physical? Again, I'd say physical.
Conclusion: So if all resurrections are physical and none are spiritual, what can we deduct about
the word resurrection? What are the odds that Jesus’s resurrection would be physical also?
In Boolean algebra it might go something like this: if all R’s=P(hysical) and 0 R’s=S(piritual) then J
(esus)R=X? Solve for X. ......X also equals physical
A statistical progression might be: Is the physical resurrection Possible? Is it Probable? Is it Actual?
Yes, Yes, Yes
The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Jesus’ body disintegrated or decayed in the grave. Therefore,
God foresaw what they would say and left a couple of verses just for us at Acts 2:27 and 31….”he
will not see corruption” (as predicted in Ps 16:10, Acts 13:35) and ….”his flesh did not see
corruption”.
If ever there was a place for the Watchtower to have their argument confirmed it would have been
at Luke 24:37ff. Where the disciples out of shock supposed they had seen a spirit… and Jesus said
unto them “Handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bone as you see me have”….unless
they are willing to state that Jesus was a liar willing to trick them... then he was physically there.
(Though I think he may have turned the wall into a spirit and walked through it!). Then Jesus ate
fish and honeycomb……sort of tricky for a spirit don’t you think?
On the other hand, if ever there was a place where three of the biggest false Watchtower doctrines
get beat by the Word like a rented mule it would be in John 20:24ff. Doubting Thomas does a triple
play and shuts down the Watchtower inning in one sitting. Doctrine #1 “Out” on first: Notice how in
verse 25 the words “hands” and “nails” are plural…The Watchtower claim that Jesus died on an
upright stake instead of a cross….nails would have been singular. Doctrine #2 “out” on second:
Jesus offers the physically resurrected body for Thomas to test at verse 27. Doctrine#3 “Out” at
home plate: Thomas’ reaction to Jesus’ physical body was to call Jesus the deity that the
Watchtower so hates “My Lord and My God”! Ho Kurios Mou kai ho Theos Mou! Literally “The Lord
of me and the God of me”.
Finally, in John 2:19ff they were talking of Jesus's statement saying “destroy this temple and in
three days I will raise it up”. And in v21 they remembered “He spake of the temple of his body”.
“Soma” in the Greek…. and always physical.
So Jehovah's Witnesses, if you try to say the resurrection was some kind of spiritual and not real
resurrection as does all of christendom....then prove it!
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