The Resurrection

I'm having a convo with a relative about the Resurrection via email.  This is what I emailed him.  

Here are my thoughts on the resurrection. Its kinda long hope that’s okay ….

There are many things you could discuss on this topic but for the sake of this conversation I am going to stick with two main ones. Who? And Why?

Before I dive into that I want to set the stage for why I think it’s important to study and understand the resurrection as the Bible presents it.

First is that it is a basic foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. 

In Hebrews 5:12-14-6:1-2 Paul calls it milk….

“12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment”

Paul tells us here that if we don’t get the basics of Christianity we are considered babes. Among these basic truths are the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

Here, in Acts, Paul is persecuted not only because he proclaimed Christ but also because he proclaimed the resurrection.

Acts 17:18

“Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.”

The resurrection is something Paul breaks down in some detail a couple of different places. I’ll talk about those later.

Second is that the resurrection of the dead gives us Hope! If Christ had a resurrection then there’s hope that we will also.

John 11:25, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

1 Thessalonians 4, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (died) lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep (died) in Jesus.”

Since Jesus is the resurrection we can be assured that we have a life after we die. We have to remember that this life is only a vapor, it only lasts for a short moment in the grand scheme of eternality!

James 4:14b, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away”

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that we can’t only hope that Christ will come through for us in this life but also in the next.

1 Corinthians 15

“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

Thirdly we should encourage each other with the truths of the resurrection. Knowing that this life is not the end but is only for a moment. In 1 Thes 4 after talking about the resurrection of the dead and the “rapture” Paul instructs us to encourage each other with these words.

1 Thes 4:13-18

“13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (died), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep (dead). 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first (the resurrection). 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

These are some of the reasons I believe it is extremely important to understand the resurrection.

So we know now that there is for sure going to be a resurrection of the dead and it will be after this life and go into the rest of eternity. And also that it’s important to understand. But now WHO gets to experience the resurrection and WHY?

I want to preface this so you know where I’m going. I believe that the Bible teaches that everyone, at some point, will experience the resurrection! For some this will be extremely glorious and they will be rewarded with eternal life. But for others this will be extremely negative and they will be rewarded eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

This is what Jesus says about it…

John 5:24-29. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Jesus says that those who do good will experience the resurrection of life. I believe based on Jesus’ other teachings (Matt 5-7 and John 15, ect.) that those who “do good” can only do so through His strength and NOT in their own; lest any man boast!

Jesus also says that those who do evil will experience the resurrection of condemnation. I also believe this goes with the other teachings of Jesus (Matt 5-7, John 15, ect.). Works have to be done in Christ’s strength and not ours but non-the-less have to be done, we have to produce good fruit. Just as Jesus addresses the Pharisees in Matt 23, people can have everything looking good on the outside but on the inside be dead. John 15 Jesus teaches us that we can do nothing apart from Him and that the only way to produce any fruit is to abide in the Vine (Jesus).

We have to note again that the resurrection is after a person dies. So those who do evil will be experiencing eternal condemnation.

Paul says this … Acts 24:15, “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.”

Here he tells us that both the just and the unjust will experience a resurrection.

The resurrection is not just a New Testament theology. It is laced in the scriptures of the Old Testament. Which is undoubtedly where Jesus and Paul gets the whole idea any way. The book of Daniel talks of the resurrection of the dead this way. Daniel 12:2, “2 And many of those who sleep (are dead) in the dust of the earth shall awake (resurrect), Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul breaks down what will happen for believers at the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55

51“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

                  55 “ O Death, where is your sting?

                      O Hades, where is your victory?”

We know from 1 Thes 4:16 that these dead are ones who were dead in Christ, or believers. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Here Paul tells us that the phrases “Death is swallowed up in victory O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” only belong to believers after the resurrection. It is something we put our hope in that will happen in the future. (Praise Jesus that we are going to live with Him forever!)

Conclusion: Everyone will experience a resurrection; Some unto eternal life and some to eternal condemnation.