Resurrection as New Creation
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Changed! And right in the middle of a passage talking about the resurrection! So one doesn’t have to die to receive the resurrection benefits. Could it be that Paul has more in mind than life from death—physically? I suspect that Paul uses resurrection language and illusions metaphorically for the new creation. That is to say, when he speaks of resurrection, Christ’s and ours, it is another way to talk about the new creation.
Only twice does he speak of the new creation specifically, 2 Cor. 5 and Gal. 6. However, he does talk about new life in connection with Christ’s resurrection. And we, who are in Christ, are new creatures who have been buried with him in baptism and raised in new life. So salvation is envisioned in resurrection language. What about the sanctification process? We are renewed—transformed by the spirit, our mortal bodies being quickened. We carry about in the body the death of Jesus sot he the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies (2 Cor. 4:10). Paul uses it as the reason to seek the things above, for we have been raised with Christ (Col. 3:1). Finally, in this process of resurrection power working in us we are raised immortal at the Parousia. So in some strange way we could look at our own resurrection as already and not yet beacuse we are in Christ.
The process of the new creation began at the resurrection of Jesus and is consummated at the resurrection of his people. These are my unpolished ideas. And you heard it here first.
Only twice does he speak of the new creation specifically, 2 Cor. 5 and Gal. 6. However, he does talk about new life in connection with Christ’s resurrection. And we, who are in Christ, are new creatures who have been buried with him in baptism and raised in new life. So salvation is envisioned in resurrection language. What about the sanctification process? We are renewed—transformed by the spirit, our mortal bodies being quickened. We carry about in the body the death of Jesus sot he the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies (2 Cor. 4:10). Paul uses it as the reason to seek the things above, for we have been raised with Christ (Col. 3:1). Finally, in this process of resurrection power working in us we are raised immortal at the Parousia. So in some strange way we could look at our own resurrection as already and not yet beacuse we are in Christ.
The process of the new creation began at the resurrection of Jesus and is consummated at the resurrection of his people. These are my unpolished ideas. And you heard it here first.
posted by Paul | 9:04 PM
6 Comments:
Kind of makes sanctification like glorification "paid in advance!"
I really appreciate (what little I know of) the "new creation" perspective on eschatology.
BTW, I didn't realize you taught at Gordon College - my brother Ryan graduated from there in 2001 with a degree in communications (film student). Small world!
Paul,
Here I am sitting in the GCTS Library, your old haunt, reading your blog. I initially had a mildly negative, too-much-of-a-literalist sort of reaction to this posting. However, after reading (and rereading!) your earlier resurrection postings I can see where you are going. This is really neat stuff. I really think you are on to something.
I do not know if I buy into the church restoration paradigm, especially as taught by Eldon Wilson, but this fits right into it. Maybe God wants to restore the doctrine of the resurrection to its prominent place once held in the very early church? Please keep developing these ideas.
After you’re done with that, you can help restore the doctrine of communion to the church. I’d do it, but you’d be better at it. :)
BTW, I’m leading an honors seminar at SLU, helping senior econ majors get a good jump on their honors theses. I sent them the C.S. Lewis quote you had in response to a comment to a previous post, "It would have been shorter, but I ran out of time." Would you happen to have a citation for that?
Earlier this week I sent them another quote I had just found:
“Even in literature or art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring two pence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” -- C. S. Lewis, MERE CHRISTIANITY
C.S. Lewis has been good to economists this week!
Johnny_M says:
some thoughts
Prior to the "last trump" resurrection (is that what you call Parousia?), I am thinking that something along the lines of a legal transfer occurs. Our "not-guilty" or "eternal live" sentence is recorded in heaven. Then, like a growing bank account, our treasures and inheritance amounts grow in that account.
The not-yet-already resurrection is actually a record in heaven.
Here's a look at what is "in heaven" right now to show you where I'm coming from.
Our names are written in heaven
Our treasure is in heaven
Our conversation is in heaven (phil 3:20)
Our hope is laid up in heaven (col 1:5)
We have a better and enduring substance in heaven (heb 10:34)
names? written in heaven (heb 12:23)
Our inheritance is reserved in heaven (IPet 1:4)
I also ponder what Lazarus' resurrection was like. Apparently he was indeed raised, but to a mortal body. His change hadn't come yet. (else Christ wouldn't have been the firstfruits). Also, too, apparently, Lazarus eventually died (again).
We go into the grave with somewhat of a judgment already passed upon us. We are judged to come up in the 1st resurrection. Some, however, are predisposed to come up in the general resurrection.
My thinking, then, is that the not-yet-already resurrection is more of a legal state than realized physical change.
HI Paul....this post makes me want to pull the Grudem text and your lecture notes back off my shelf. What rich times those semesters were!
I am not sure which e-mail address you are using these days. Do you know Paul Borgman, PhD (English professor at Gordon)? According to Christianity Today, he was a consultant for the new Bible Literacy textbook that has just been released for use in public schools. I would like to talk to him. I am closer than ever to being able to teach the Bible elective at my high school this Spring, and some aspects of the curriculum I was planning to use have recently come into question.
Also, can you let me know how I can reach Abbi? There is another professor from Wheaton who was also involved in this project.
Thanks a lot! Oh and by the way...I think you'd be proud of our coffee roasting efforts around here. But not a Sunday goes by that we don't think of you.
Thanks all for the comments. I'm processing them. I'll post my next thought in a bit.
In regards to the seniors leaving - you were greatly missed during the "farewell" bit on Sunday. Many times we have stopped and reminisced over the times you were here leading and guiding us. Your wisdom and care were evident in the testimonies of the seniors yesterday morning. So although you are miles away, your influence is still alive and close to those here. Thank you.
Renee Zehr
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