CHRIST’S BODILY RESURRECTION ‘I have power to take it again’ Jn 10:18

CHRIST’S BODILY RESURRECTION ‘I have power to take it again’ John 10:18

Watchtower Teaching: ‘Jesus was raised to life as an invisible spirit. He did not take up again that body in which he had been killed . . .’ ‘Let your Name be sanctified.’ (p.266).

The Watchtower teaches that Jesus’ body was disposed of by God.

The NWT mistranslates I Peter 3:18 as ‘being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit’ to teach merely a spiritual resurrection of Christ.

Bible Teaching: I Peter 3:18 refers to when Christ died. His Spirit went and preached to spirits in prison (v. 19,20). After three days, Christ’s physical body was raised.

I Peter 3:18 (KJV) correctly reads: ‘being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.’

Which Scriptures best teach Christ’s bodily resurrection?

1. ‘They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.’ (v.37) He said unto them, ‘Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.’ (Luke 24:37, 39)

Notice that the resurrected Christ says here that:

(1) He is not a spirit;

(2) His resurrection body has flesh and bones;

(3) His physical hands and feet are proof of His physical resurrection;

Jesus is trying to convince them that He, ‘I myself’ has a permanent physical body which still had the nail scars in His hands and feet. This is opposite to the WT teaching that Christ’s body was disposed of and that He became only a spirit. If the WT claim was correct, then Jesus would be deceiving the disciples here in showing them His body.

2. ‘Then saith he to Thomas, . . . reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.’ (John 20:27)

Here Jesus says that He has a physical side that He challenges Thomas to touch.

3. ‘Neither did his flesh see corruption.’ - Acts 2:30,31

Notice the following:

a) God promised David that ‘according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ’ to sit on his throne.’ (v.30). This is a bodily resurrection of Christ, not spiritual. The NWT omits this because of its corrupt Westcott-Hort Greek text. Well over 38 manuscripts have it.

b) ‘neither did his flesh see corruption’ (v.31) means that Christ’s body did not decay.

Why? Because Jesus was raised from the dead in a material, fleshly body.

4. ‘I will raise it up . . . he spake of the temple of his body.’ - John 2:19-21

‘Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (v.19). But he spake of the temple of his body.’ (v.21)

Jesus here promised that He Himself would raise up His own body after three days.

Notice how Jesus uses the word ‘body’ meaning a bodily resurrection, not a spiritual resurrection.

5. Christ promises to eat of the fruit of the vine in the Kingdom. Only a body can eat.

‘I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God shall come.’(Luke 22:18)

Jesus here showed that his resurrected body would be able to eat and drink even in the Kingdom of God. Notice that a non-material spirit cannot eat and drink. Jesus promised the disciples in Luke 22:30 ‘that ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom.’

Question: If Jesus expected to become an immaterial spirit, why would He promise the disciples that they would eat and drink with Christ at His table in His Kingdom?

6. Christ ate a broiled fish and a honeycomb in front of them. Luke 24:41,42.

7. ‘he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies’. Rom. 8:11

As Christ’s body was raised physically from the dead, so shall our mortal bodies be raised.

8. His resurrection body could ‘breathe on them’(John 20:22). A spirit cannot breathe, can it?

9. ‘His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives...’ Zechariah 14:4

A spirit does not have feet. Only a physical body has feet as Jesus has at His second coming.

10. ‘One shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands?’ Zechariah 13:6

Question: How can a non-material spirit have wounds in his hands which can be observed?

11. The resurrected, glorified Christ touched John, laying his right hand on him. Rev. 1:17

Watchtower Objection: JWs quote I Corinthians 15:44,50 to support their claim that Jesus was raised from the dead as a spirit creature:

a) ‘It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.’ (v.44)

b) ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.’ (v.50). JWs claim that Jesus must have had a spiritual resurrection, because flesh-and-blood bodies cannot exist in heaven.

They claim that mortality and corruption belong to the fleshly body.

Bible Teaching:

a) The Greek word for body, ‘soma’ (4983), always means a material body, an organised whole made up of parts, when used of a person (Zodhiates, NT Word Study,p.1358). The spiritual

body in I Cor.15:44 is not an immaterial body, but a supernatural, spirit-dominated body.

It is a body directed by the spirit, as opposed to a body under the dominion of the flesh.

There are no exceptions to Paul using ‘soma’ for a material body.

Paul even refers to a believer as a ‘spiritual’ man who judges all things (I Cor. 2:15), yet Paul did not mean an immaterial invisible man with no physical body.

He meant a spirit-controlled man with a flesh and blood body.

QUESTION: In I Corinthians 2:15 (‘He that is spiritual judgeth all things’), is Paul discussing an invisible spirit creature or a material, flesh-and-blood human? Can you see that being ‘spiritual’ does not demand a non-material body? The same is true in I Corinthians 15:44.

b) Key: In v.50 ‘flesh and blood’ is an idiom meaning that mortal, perishable, earth-bound humans, as we are now, cannot have a place in God’s glorious, heavenly Kingdom.

c) ‘this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.’v.53

Nothing is taken away from us (materialness). Instead immortality is ‘put on’ or added to us.

Question: Don’t the words ‘put on’ mean adding something to humanity (that is immortality), not taking away something from humanity (our material body)?

Conclusion: Since Christ’s resurrected body could eat, drink, breathe (John 20:22), show His hands and feet with scars (Luke 24:40), be touched, and have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), it is certain that this body was a material body. This is especially true since Jesus corrected the disciples’ misconception that they had seen a spirit (Luke 24:37).

For the JWs to say that a body is not a body, is their last resort of redefining common words.

Reprinted with permission from Pastor Keith Piper.   http://www.keithpiper.org/

Dean. www.calvarystudy.info

http://calvary-study.blogspot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-53GaMT9JMtMPzukkeD6MA

Jesus Christ is the “HUIOS” Son of God, NOT the “Teknon” Son.

Bible Reading: Matthew 16:13-20; Hebrews 1:1-14 

Memory Verse: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matt 16:16; “Express image of his person.” Heb 1:3; “Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Cor 4:4; “Who is the image of the invisible God.” Col.1:15 

Introduction: One of the least understood Bible concepts is “how can Jesus Christ be the Son of God?” This truth is the rock on which Jesus Christ builds His church (Matt 16:18). Most churches don’t teach it. 

This will destroy the Quran, Islam, Watchtower, Iglesia Christo. English has 1 word for son, Greek has 2: 

I. TEKNON (child, offspring, born of, 5043) coming from the verb “tiktoo” (to give birth). 

Jesus is never called the “teknon” “Son of God” or “child of God” because God the Father never gave birth to God the Son, yet this is what Muslims, Quran, JWs wrongly think that Christians believe. NT examples: “the father the child” (Mat 10:21), “leave no children” (Mark 12:19), “they had no child” (Lk 1:7),Ac21:5 

II. HUIOS (same nature as, 5207) means that Jesus has the same nature as God. Zhodiates 1371,1404 1. 

9 Examples: “son of peace” (Luke 10:6) has the nature of peace, “children of light”, “children of the day” (Luke 16:8, I Thess 5:5; John 12:36 lightened with God’s knowledge), “children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2; 5:6; Col 3:6), “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17), Barnabas was “son of consolation” (Acts 4:36), “children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36), Judas was “son of perdition” (John 17:12; 2 Thess 2:3 nature of destruction, waste, ruin, damnation), “child of hell” (nature of deserving hell, Matthew 23:15). 2. Jesus is the “only begotten” (Greek: monogenes 3439) son of God in John 1:14,18; 3:16,18; I John 4:9 means “mono” (one) “genes” (same in every detail) as God. 

Jesus has 120 attributes of God.

3. The Son of God is defined as, “being the brightness of his glory, & the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins” Hebrews 1:2,3. Huios is image of the Father as TV, laptop, iphone screen is image of TV station, hard drive & sim card. 

4. The Son is the part of God who “goes forth” or “goes out” from God to interact with the physical universe, to visit people, to comfort, deliver or bring a message to them in 27 verses. See p.83, 58 Micah 5:2 “he (Son) come forth unto me whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” 

5. If “no man has seen the Father” (John 6:46), then who did OT people see that they said was God? Answer: It was Jehovah God the Huios, who “goes out” from God to visit people on earth. It was God the Huios that visited Adam (Gen 3:8), Hagar (Gen 16:13), Abraham (Gen 19:24), Jacob (Gen 32:30), Moses (Exodus 3:4), in a pillar of cloud (Ex 13:21; 14:19,24), Elders of Israel (Ex24:9-11), to Israel on a rock (Ex 17:5-7), Joshua (5:12-14), Manoah (Judges 13:22), Samuel (I Samuel 3:10,21), Solomon (I Kings 3:5; 9:2), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5; John 12:41), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:26,28; 10:20). Und 1269. 

6. Jesus Christ is 100% God the Huios & 100% man, operating through both natures (eg:bi-lingual). Christ’s twin nature in: a) sleeping as a man (Mark 4:35-41), stilling storm as God (Ps.107:29).b) Matt22:45 c) praying as man, walking on water as God (Matt 14:22-27). d) weeping at funeral, raising Lazarus (John 11 e) hungry as man, cursing fig tree as God (Mark 11:12-21). f) crucified as man, blacking sun as God (Mk 15 )

7. Jesus accepted worship (proskuneo):Matt.8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17;Mark 5:6; Luke 24:52;Jn9:38 

8. Trinity verses: Matthew 28:19; I John 5:7; 2 Cor 13:14; Isaiah 48:12,13,16; 63:7-10; 2 Samuel 23:2,3. 

9. NWT translate ‘proskuneo’ as worship for Father (19), angels (2), devils (14), but ‘obeisance’ for Jesus. 

10. NWT translates “ego eimi” 49/50 times in John as “I am”, except in John 8:58 as ‘I have been’. Why? 

11. 40 Verses teach that Jesus Christ is God: Matthew 28:17-20; (equal with God.John 5:18); (honour the Son even as. Jn 5:23); (If ye believe not that I am John 8:24); (Before Abraham was, I AM. 58,59); (all the Father has are mine 16:15); (glory I had with thee. 17:5); 20:28; (all call on JC. I Cor 1:2); (In him dwells all the fullness of the godhead bodily. Col 2:9); (God bring with him I Thess 4:14); (great God and our Saviour. Titus 2:13; I Tim 3:16; SONIV p.7); (angels of God worship him. Hebrews 1:6); (Thy throne, O God) 8, (Thou Lord in beginning) 10; (Alpha & Omega = First & Last = Almighty; Rev 1:17,18,11,8) (JHVH the King & His redeemer JHVH of hosts Isaiah44:6); 9:6; (this gate shall be shut Ezekiel44:1,2); (I will go.Hosea 5:15); (my price 30. Zechariah 11:4,12,13); (they shall look on me 12:9-10); (JHVH his feet Z14:3-5; Act 1:10-12); (JHVH says JHVH of hosts has sent me Zech 2:8-11); (Lord of all. Acts 10:36); Micah 5:2 (qedmah) = Habakkuk 1:12 (qedmah). Both Father and Huios are the only judge (Ps 82:8; John 5:22), only Saviour (Isa 43:11, John 5:22), only Creator (Mal 2:10; John 1:3), only forgiver of sins (Mark 2:5,7), only Rock (Ps 18:31; I Cor 10:4); only glory (Isaiah 42:8; John 17:5); Jesus & God own the same throne, servants (Rev22:3), face, name 22:4, temple 21:22, light23, priests20:6 

How can Jesus Christ be the Son of God and God the Son?

We basically have two very important questions.

How can Jesus Christ be the Son of God?

In English, we have only one word for Son, which is “Son” meaning a boy derived from his parents. The New Testament was written in the Greek language, and Greek has two words for “Son” being: 

1. TEKNON means a boy, derived from his parents. This word, TEKNON is never used in the New Testament to describe Jesus as the “Son of God,” because we all agree, both Muslims, Christians, Quran and the Bible, that God does not have sex, does not have a wife, girlfriend, or babies. True? 

2. HUIOS means same nature as, eg. Son of peace (Luke 10:6) means you have the nature of peace, or sons of disobedience (Eph 5:6). Jesus as “Son of God” means that He has 100% the same nature as God. Jesus is also called in the New Testament the “only begotten”(Greek: mono genes) Son (huios) of God. 

1. “mono” means “one and same”, for example the monorail travels on one rail. 

2. “genes” means “genetics”. We have about 23,600 genes which determine our every detail. So, Jesus as the “only begotten Son of God” means that He has the same genetics and the same nature as God. 

How can Jesus Christ be God? 

 

In Genesis 1:26, “God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” 

This shows that man has a similar image or likeness to God. What is it? Thinking about yourself, you are one man, with three parts. 

1) You have a body giving you world consciousness through your 5 senses. Your body is 100% human. It allows you to interact with the physical universe. 

2) You have a soul made up of your mind, emotions and will, also known as your personality. This gives you self consciousness. It is 100% human. 

3) You have a spirit giving you God consciousness making you think that there is a God. It is your “God detector.” It is 100% human. You are 1 man with 3 parts. You are a trinity, meaning 3 in one. I Thes 5:23 

►We can represent God in a similar manner with 3 circles. Islam, Quran, Christianity and the Bible all believe in one God. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus teaches that there is only one true God by the singular word name, not names, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. The one true God has three parts known as the Father, the HUIOS Son and the Holy Spirit. 

1) As we have a spirit that is 100% human, so God has a Spirit called the Holy Spirit, who is 100% God. 

2) As we have a body that is 100% human that interacts with the physical universe, so God has something like a body through which He interacts with the physical universe, called the Huios who is 100% God. It was God the Huios Son that spoke and appeared to Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Solomon, Isaiah and who was conceived into Mary as Jesus Christ. Before His conception, the Huios Son was only 100% God, but after His conception He was both 100% God and 100% man. It is like you having both an Iranian passport and an Australian passport. This makes you 100% Iranian and 100% Australian. 

3) As you have a soul which is 100% human that tells your body what to do, so God has something like a soul called God the Father who tells the Huios Son what to do, such as to be conceived in Mary. 

Therefore, as you are one man with a spirit, soul and body, each being 100% human, so there is one true God made up of the Father, the Huios Son, and the Holy Spirit, each part being 100% God. As you are a trinity, so God is the Trinity, made up of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

This is in Proverbs 30:4;  Psalm 2:12; Isaiah 9:6; 48:12,13,16; Daniel 3:25; Micah 5:2; Exodus 3:3-15; 24:9-18; John 8:58,59,24.

Reprinted with permission from Pastor Keith Piper.   http://www.keithpiper.org/

Dean. www.calvarystudy.info

http://calvary-study.blogspot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-53GaMT9JMtMPzukkeD6MA

John 14:28 - ‘The Father is greater than I’.

 John 14:28 - ‘The Father is greater than I’.

Watchtower teaching: The JW book Let God be True, 1946, p.110 says that Jehovah is greater than Jesus in his office and person. Jehovah they say is intrinsically greater than Jesus, and hence Jesus cannot be God Almighty. The JW book Reasoning from the Scriptures, p.410, says, ‘The fact that Jesus is lesser than Jehovah proves that He cannot be God in the same sense that Jehovah is’.

The Bible Teaching: In John 14:28 Jesus is not speaking about His nature or being (Christ had earlier said in John 10:30, ‘I and the Father are one’), but about His lowly position of incarnation as a man. The Athanasian Creed says that Christ is ‘equal to the Father as touching His Godhood, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood’. Christ was here contrasting His human humiliation, shame, suffering, rejection, opposition by enemies, and soon crucifixion, with the Father’s majesty, glory and worship by the angels in heaven.

Key: Jesus said, ‘The Father is greater (Greek: meizon) than I’, not ‘The Father is better (Greek: kreitton) than I’. ‘Greater’ refers to the Father’s greater position (in heaven), not to a greater nature. If the word ‘better’ had been used, this would indicate that the Father had a better nature than Jesus.

i) The distinction is made clear in Hebrews 1:4 where ‘better’ (Gk: kreitton) is used to teach Jesus’ superiority over the angels in His nature and position.

ii) This difference between ‘greater’ and ‘better’ is seen in this example:

‘The President of a country is greater (Greek: meizon) in position than his people, but as a human being he is not better (Greek: kreitton) in nature than his people’.

iii) Jesus in becoming a man, not only took on a lower position than the Father, but also took on a lower position than the angels. ‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death’. (Hebrews 2:9)

QUESTION:‘Do you agree that a President is greater in position but not better in nature than his people?’

QUESTION: ‘In view of greater (meaning higher in position) and better (meaning higher in nature), is it not clear that in John 14:28 Jesus is speaking of the Father’s temporary higher position and not his higher nature than Jesus?

QUESTION: How did Christ make Himself of no reputation when He became a man? (Phil. 2:6-9)

1. He veiled His preincarnate glory in order to dwell among men, but never surrendered His deity or divine glory. On the Mount Transfiguration He allowed His glory to shine briefly. If Christ had not veiled His glory, mankind would not have been able to look at

Him. When John saw His glory on Patmos he said, ‘I fell at His feet as dead’. (Rev. 1:17).

2. He submitted to a voluntary non use of some of His divine attributes (on some occasions) in order to achieve His objectives. He never surrendered His attributes, but He did voluntarily cease using some of them on earth. Jesus showed His divine attributes of:

i) omniscience (‘He knew all men’ John 2:24; 16:30;‘Lord thou knowest all things.’ 21:17

ii) omnipresence (John 3:13 ‘the Son of man which is in heaven’).

As God He was everywhere at once, but as man He chose to walk there.

iii) omnipotence (Matthew 28:18 ‘all power is given unto me’.)

3. He condescended to take on the likeness (form, appearance) of man and the form of a servant. (Phil 2:7). His becoming a man involved gaining human attributes (subject to weakness, pain, sorrow and temptation), but not giving up his divine attributes.

Conclusion: ‘The Father is greater than I’ (John 14:28) said Jesus from the vantage point of His incarnation as a man. This verse relates to Christ’s voluntary subordination to the Father to accomplish His work on earth.‘Greater than’ refers to His greater position not His nature.

Reprinted with permission from Pastor Keith Piper.   http://www.keithpiper.org/

Dean. www.calvarystudy.info

http://calvary-study.blogspot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-53GaMT9JMtMPzukkeD6MA

SCRIPTURE SWORDS FOR PERSONAL BATTLES

SCRIPTURE SWORDS FOR PERSONAL BATTLES

If neglected, the battlefields listed below may give way to enemy strongholds (see Ephesians 4:26-27 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). When tempted in these areas quote these scriptures to gain victory.

Each sword will force the enemy to make a speedy retreat.

ANGER: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27.

ANXIETY: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33-34.

BITTERNESS: “Love your enemies... pray for them which despitefully use you.” Luke 6:27-28.

BURN-OUT: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matt11:28-30

COMPLAINING: “Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:14-15.

CONFUSION: “Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths... for thou art the God of my salvation, on thee do I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4-5.

CRITICAL SPIRIT: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians. 4:32.

DISCONTENTMENT: “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content....both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:11-13.

DISCOURAGEMENT: “Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

DOUBT: “Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief.” Mark 9:24. (Isaiah 41:10.

ENVY: “Charity (love of Jesus) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not...” I Corinthians 13:4.

FEAR: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9.

GOSSIP: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” Romans 14:19.

MATERIALISM: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” Matthew 6:19,20.

GUILT or CONVICTION: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse use from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.

GUILT FEELINGS (when you have already confessed): “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1.

IMPATIENCE: “Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand.” Psalm 31:14-15.

FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY: Hear God say: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

LAZINESS: “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Colossians 3:23.

LONELINESS: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee... when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned... for I am the Lord thy God.. since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee.” Isaiah 43:2-4.

LYING: “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour.” Ephesians 4:25.

PRIDE: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12.
(Proverbs 3:5.

RATIONALISING: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart:and lean not unto thine own understanding”

REBELLION: “Father... not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42.

RESENTMENT: “(Charity) seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” I Cor. 13:5.

RESTLESSNESS: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10.

SELF-CENTREDNESS: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3.

SELF- PITY: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not: but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:21-23

WORRY: “The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want (lack).” Psalm 23:1.