What is a "spiritual body"?

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" (1 Cor.15:42-44).​

What is a "spiritual body"?
 

Bradley D

Well-known member
Barnes' Notes on the Bible

"So will be the body in the resurrection. It will not be subject to the laws of the vital organization. It will be so much like a spirit as to be continued without food or nutriment; to be destitute of the special physical organization of flesh, and blood, and bones; of veins, and arteries, and nerves, as here 1 Corinthians 15:50.; and it will live in the manner in which we conceive spirits to live; sustained, and exercising its powers, without waste, weariness, decay, or the necessity of having its powers recruited by food and sleep." All, therefore, that has been said about a refined body, a body that shall be spirit, a body that shall be pure, etc., whatever may be its truth, is not sustained by this passage. It will be a body without the vital functions of the animal economy; a body sustained in the manner in which we conceive the spirit to be."
 

Michael7

New member
"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" (1 Cor.15:42-44).​

What is a "spiritual body"?
Hi Jerry, We get to share the same Heavenly Father and glorified body as Christ.

Php 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (21) who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
 

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
Hi Jerry, We get to share the same Heavenly Father and glorified body as Christ.

Php 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (21) who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Michael7, yes, we will have a glorified body just like the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But what do you think that the word "spiritual" means in the phrase "spiritual body"?

Thanks!
 

nikolai_42

Well-known member
"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" (1 Cor.15:42-44).​

What is a "spiritual body"?

Doesn't Paul go on to answer that?

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

I Corinthians 15:45-56

A spiritual body is a heavenly body not subject to corruption, decay or death. It supercedes the natural body that is subject to sin and death. It seems to negate the influence of the fallen man - the power of the law to command (which was death to fallen man).
 

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
A spiritual body is a heavenly body not subject to corruption, decay or death. It supercedes the natural body that is subject to sin and death. It seems to negate the influence of the fallen man - the power of the law to command (which was death to fallen man).

We have already confirmed that fact. But what is the meaning of the word "spiritual" in the phrase "spiritual body."

The word "spiritual" in this phrase is an adjective.
 

Michael7

New member
Michael7, yes, we will have a glorified body just like the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But what do you think that the word "spiritual" means in the phrase "spiritual body"?

Thanks!

We will have to wait and see.

1Jn 3:1-2 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (2) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
 

nikolai_42

Well-known member
We have already confirmed that fact. But what is the meaning of the word "spiritual" in the phrase "spiritual body."

The word "spiritual" in this phrase is an adjective.

From Paul's own words in I Cor 15, it seems to me he is using it as a direct contrast to the natural. Everything that is spiritual pertains to the eternal, the incorruptible, the heavenly. Everything that is not spiritual....is natural.

Those things that are spiritual are - by definition - out of the reach of the natural man. One cannot define it any more directly (from an intellectual standpoint) because the very nature of the spiritual is something that can only begun to be grasped by those born of the Spirit of God :

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

I Corinthians 2:12-15

The spiritual awareness ("aliveness" to invent a word) belonging to one who has the Spirit of God allows him to see the roots of things. Things that the natural man can only dance around in description are more properly and fully understood - as to their real causes - by the understanding given by the Spirit of God. That's why "he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet is judged of no man". The Spirit of God shows the one who is of God the underlying reality that can only be seen by His Spirit. That's why the spiritual man can properly and truly judge yet is not judged of any man (i.e. natural man). I suppose one might call that ability to judge "discernment".

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

Discernment between thoughts and actual intents (root causes). The parallelism here I read to mean that the natural part of man can only have a grasp on his thoughts - not where they come from (because he doesn't have the discernment of the Spirit of God). He can spout ideas and give opinions and theories - but can't discern where they come from or what their real intent may be. That, in part, is why such evil has come from men like Marx, Darwin and Freud. Men who had (at the time of their proposal, at least) seemingly either good, helpful or benign ideas. But all three are synonymous with such devastation.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
John 3:8
 

Bob Carabbio

New member
What is a "spiritual body"?

We don't know in great detail. Jesus' body, as it was ressurected, appears to have had some "interesting tricks" - like appearing in a locked room without using the door, materializing to whatever degree necessary, walking in the company of people that knew him, without being recognized, Travelling at will between Heaven and Earth, etc. As a matter of fact almost NOTHING about the "Life on the other side" is known. The "Mansions in Glory" imagery makes NO SENSE in a place where protection from weather isn't necessary, and there's eternal day. God simply states that "We can't imagine". So I don't waste my time trying.

Frankly, The concept of "Eternity" when seen from the strictly human limited viewpoint, isn't all that appealing.
 
We don't know in great detail. Jesus' body, as it was ressurected, appears to have had some "interesting tricks" - like appearing in a locked room without using the door, materializing to whatever degree necessary, walking in the company of people that knew him, without being recognized, Travelling at will between Heaven and Earth, etc. As a matter of fact almost NOTHING about the "Life on the other side" is known. The "Mansions in Glory" imagery makes NO SENSE in a place where protection from weather isn't necessary, and there's eternal day. God simply states that "We can't imagine". So I don't waste my time trying.

Frankly, The concept of "Eternity" when seen from the strictly human limited viewpoint, isn't all that appealing.

I had the same thing come to mind, have always taken "spiritual body" to mean there is a glorified body that is not like the horribly flawed natural body that we can look forward to. As others mentioned, this involves not being any longer mortal or of flesh corruption. But, what's more, we can see in the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus that His body was not just a natural body. As you well mention, a couple facts speak volumes, that the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared in a room where the door and windows were shut: the Lord appeared, as if through walls, yet of a sort of spiritual to matter transformation, such that He could be touched and felt. Still, no flesh body goes through walls: there is obviously the spiritual body, that can also be controlled to produce a physical manifestation. I'd sure call this a spiritual body, anyway.

John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

John 20:26-28 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.


I'm not sure how many either realize that, when the angel rolled the stone away from the Lord's tomb, he said the Lord is not there in the tomb: this would indicate the Lord left the tomb, before the stone was even rolled away, to me meaning the stone was rolled away as further supernatural evidence, not, at all, to free the Lord from the tomb. So, that's more testimony that neither describes your Daddy's body!

That's what a spiritual body is to me, for what it's worth. Also, I'd add that there is scripture of spirits of the blessed in heaven, scripture the spirit returns to the Lord and such, indicating we don't really die, even before the first resurrection to a body that is like Christ's. Scripture states we have a purely spirit self that goes to be with the Lord, before the first resurrection, 2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. I'm not certain, at the scripture dissection level, that is having a body, but I wouldn't object to the spirit that goes to be in the presence of the Lord being called a spiritual body, as it's a spiritual something, with image of God attributes, clearly. Also, I think the point of the verse is that there is the temporary and corrupt, then there's something much greater, holy and eternal, to attain to, that is, whatever you want to call it. On the other hand, "spiritual body" seems to best describe the body of the resurrected Lord, that has the power to, in all regards, be a body that can be touched, that is, both spirit and bodily attributes in its nature. But, again, whatever you call it, I'm with you, not to waste time seeking to quantify how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or care for these running debates over what is is. The older I get, the more and more I realize Christianity is a state of being, not being stuffed with doctrine, engaging in senseless debates over what should be Sunday school, settled doctrines, or matters there are only plausible, speculative explanations of, at all, with many claiming they have the answer, and this all the time on the likes of message boards, answers to matters that have never been resolved, with certainty, in all theological history. Scripture is very clear on this, with regard to spiritual maturity, but let's not get into that, not here, heaven forbid! We'll have no talk of spiritual maturity, moving on to perfection, shoot, any talk of literal scripture truths a child should understand or talk of good behavior, for that matter! LOL!
 
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