The Resurrection Body Analysis

To distinguish about the subject of nature of the resurrection body visually and to ensure that his message is transmitted and understood easily, Paul introduces the idea of a picture of the germination of a bare grain, or wheat, some other variety (1 Cor. 15:37). God determines to give a body, and each body will received his own ‘distinct resurrection body’. (1 Cor. 15:38) . Human, bird and fish have different kinds of flesh (1 Cor.39) or earthly and heavenly have other glory (1 Cor. 15:40) in accordance with the divine plan . It appears that Paul duplicates Jesus’ illustration himself as the grain which will spring up into a new life that brings multiplication after his burial and resurrection. (John 12:24). The purpose of Paul using the illustrations of various ‘kinds of bodies‘ which are placed in various locations is to depict that certain kind of body is merely suitable for certain

location.

Therefore, a human body exists in flesh is not eschatological significance in the kingdom of God . Paul sees that change is a necessity for receiving an imperishable body and for the purpose of entering into the kingdom of God. Certainly, there is a difference in the state before sowing and after growth. The second stage of growth will merely be materialised after the sowing. It is like without burial, there is no occurrence of resurrection. Consequently, this process of germination and growth depicts the concept of discontinuity to continuity of resurrection after the death of a human life. As the present age, ‘the creation’ is not free from the bondage of decay (Rom.8:21), apart from Jesus who has already obtained an ‘indestructible life’ through his own death and resurrection, and the power of resurrection (Phil.3:21). Hence, a human being is pending for the redemption of his body with an eschatological hope (Rom.

8:23-24).

Ultimately, there are pieces of evidences of continuity of the human body read separately in several places of the bible. For instance, the moment Jesus has given up his spirit on the cross, the tombs of the saints are opened and their bodies are resurrected. Amazingly, they come out of their respective tomb after Jesus’ resurrection and are recognized in Jerusalem. (Matt. 27:52-53) Moreover, the bodies of the saints are presumed to be in the state of ‘a kind of foretaste of the final day of glorification’. Thus, the appearances of the saints in Jerusalem provide a basic proof of ‘continuity between the body that existed before the resurrection and the one that existed after it’.

Learning From Resurrection From The Subjects Of Discontinuity And Continuity
I conclude this section from the points of views of Grudem and Witherington. Grudem believes that there is a certainty of ‘continuity between our present bodies and the bodies we have in the resurrection’. He says that though we may not understand ‘how’ God works to raise the dead, however, resurrection is biblical, we should trust on what the bible says. Since God is the creator of the universe including all the creatures on land and in the air and the plants, he knows every movement of his creation, including humanity. Therefore, he has the power to ‘keep tracking of the parts of our physical bodies that he wishes to preserve and use as the “seed” from which is a new body will be made’. Furthermore, Witherington views it is the will of God that makes this growth to happen.