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A few months ago a podcast listener wrote me a long email arguing that clearly, according to the New Testament, the risen and exalted Lord Jesus is no longer human, but is instead divine.
In this first part of my reply I lay the groundwork for my response in part 2, where I’ll interact with his arguments and proof-texts.
First I explain why, in general, knowledge of Philosophy is helpful for theology and for interpretation of the Bible, and point out that philosophical issues and assumptions are unavoidable. I counter a common sentiment that “Philosophy” is only a corrupting and unfortunate and “pagan” thing.
I then explain two importantly different ways to understand the terms “divine” and “human” – these can mean mere conditions or status (in technical lingo, “accidental” properties) or they might mean essences/natures (aka all of some kind of thing’s “essential properties”). I explain these two interpretations, and then argue that we should, for general metaphysical reasons, believe that there are kind-essences.
I also explain different uses in theology of the words “nature” and “god” in Christian theology, also making use of the deity/god distinction explained in some of my previous work.
Links for this episode:
The Reluctant Theologian Podcast
podcast 334 – “Who do you say I am?”
podcast 344 – Craig’s Contradictory Christ – Part 2
podcast 343 – Craig’s Contradictory Christ – Part 1
podcast 59 – Dr. Carl Mosser on salvation as deification
podcast 60 – Dr. Carl Mosser on deification in the Bible
podcast 164 – On Counting Gods
Is Jesus Human and Not Divine?
podcast 264 – Tuggy vs. Date debate – Jesus is human and not divine – Part 2
podcast 263 – Tuggy vs. Date debate – Jesus is human and not divine – Part 1
A letter from the Lord Jesus: About God and Me
This week’s thinking music is “Bluenotation” by Ezra Skull.
Cat blender, that was hilarious
1 Peter 3:18
Holman Christian Standard Bible
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm.
English Standard Version
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT,
Verse 19 (ESV) continues “in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison” from the time of Noah.
The Holman Christian Standard Bible says (1 Peter 3:19)”IN THAT STATE He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison:
What state? A SPIRIT. The apostles understood Jesus was resurrected as a spirit or spirit being.
1 Corinthians 15:45
Berean Literal Bible
So also it has been written: “The first man Adam became into a living soul;” the last Adam into a LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT.
Jesus was raised as spirit being. BUT if you look into the Hebrew scriptures or OT, spirit beings could go from spirit state to fleshly state. There’s numerous examples of messenger (angels) of a God Almighty becoming flesh. At Genesis 19:1-3 the angels ate with Lot because they came in the flesh. Also, angels, sons of God, had relations with human women and bore children (Genesis 6). Take note that these angels did not die in the flood as thousands of years later Jesus preached to them as 1 Peter 3:19 shows. They changed back to their natural spirit state.
Jesus upon his resurrection had the ability to go between two different states flesh and spirit but only spirit can enter into heaven. This is why he appeared to his disciples in one way in the upper room before his ascension to heaven at Luke 24:39 but appeared to the apostles John completely different in Revelation 1:13-16 after his ascension.
1 Corinthians 15:50
Berean Literal Bible
Now I say this, brothers, that FLESH and BLOOD is NOT ABLE to inherit the kingdom of God, nor does decay inherit immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:38-40 (ESV)
38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.
This heavenly body is a spirit one not flesh or blood of any kind.
The apostle Paul says:
“He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we know no one according to the flesh. Although WE HAVE KNOWN CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, YET NOW WE KNOW HIM IN THIS WAY NO LONGER.” (2 Corinthians 5:15-16)
Why? Because he is a spirit.
Also, Hebrews 10:10 reports that Jesus sacrificed his physical body—thus for him to take it back would be to cancel the salvific transaction to God.
*Galatians 1:1
English Standard Version
Paul, an apostle—NOT FROM MEN NOR THROUGH MAN, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—
Keep in mind Paul’s first encounter with Christ was on the road to Damascus after Jesus had ascended to heaven (Acts 9). All the NT writers understood Jesus was raised as a spirit.
I’m afraid that you’re simply mistaken about Paul’s terminology. The answers are in the two episodes, particularly the 2nd.
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