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The Bible Is A Heavily Outdated Book

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Jesus saved who with His blood?
Where is that confirmed in the Baha'i writings?
Question.—In verse 22 of chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians it is written: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” What is the meaning of these words?

Answer.—Know that there are two natures in man: the physical nature and the spiritual nature. The physical nature is inherited from Adam, and the spiritual nature is inherited from the Reality of the Word of God, which is the spirituality of Christ. The physical nature is born of Adam, but the spiritual nature is born from the bounty of the Holy Spirit. The first is the source of all imperfection; the second is the source of all perfection.

The Christ sacrificed Himself so that men might be freed from the imperfections of the physical nature and might become possessed of the virtues of the spiritual nature. This spiritual nature, which came into existence through the bounty of the Divine Reality, is the union of all perfections and appears through the breath of the Holy Spirit. It is the divine perfections; it is light, spirituality, guidance, exaltation, high aspiration, justice, love, grace, kindness to all, philanthropy, the essence of life. It is the reflection of the splendor of the Sun of Reality…..

The second meaning of sacrifice is this: Christ was like a seed, and this seed sacrificed its own form so that the tree might grow and develop. Although the form of the seed was destroyed, its reality became apparent in perfect majesty and beauty in the form of a tree.

Some Answered Questions, p. 118, 121

Read more: 29: EXPLANATION OF VERSE TWENTY-TWO, CHAPTER FIFTEEN, OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS

“Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things...... Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 85-86

As Baha’u’llah wrote, Jesus besought the one true God the honor of sacrificing himself as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth.

“That which thou hast heard concerning Abraham, the Friend of the All-Merciful, is the truth, and no doubt is there about it. The Voice of God commanded Him to offer up Ishmael as a sacrifice, so that His steadfastness in the Faith of God and His detachment from all else but Him may be demonstrated unto men. The purpose of God, moreover, was to sacrifice him as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth. This same honor, Jesus, the Son of Mary, besought the one true God, exalted be His name and glory, to confer upon Him. For the same reason was Ḥusayn offered up as a sacrifice by Muḥammad, the Apostle of God.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 75-76
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
The beginning of the last days was 2000 years ago, and these are all the days that would lead up to the second coming of Christ.

In truth, the last days began at the close of Christ’s ministry on earth, and will continue until His second coming.
What Does the Bible Say about the Last Days?

It is very easy to understand what Acts 2 is referring to. There are three parts to that chapter.

The first part of the Chapter, verses 1-15, refer to the Day of Pentecost.

Verses 1-4 describe the Holy Spirit coming from heaven to all those who were present.

Acts 2 King James Version (KJV)

2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Verses 5-13 describe the reaction of the men who were present to the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

**** The verse about Peter (verse 14) and what Peter said in verse 15 refers to the Day of Pentecost. It has nothing to do with verses 16-21. In verse 15, referring to verse 13, Peter was saying that the men were not drunken since it is the middle of the day!

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second part of the chapter is the Verse 16, introducing us to what would be spoken by the prophet Joel. Verses 17-21 are what was spoken by the prophet Joel, foretelling what will come to pass right before Christ returns. The second coming of Christ is the culmination of the last days. When Christ returns, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Verses 22-47 are the third part of the chapter, which pick up where verse 15 left off.

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

So we agree again that the last days began 2000 years ago. It's good to see you have changed your views on that.
Do we also agree that what was happening at Pentecost was described as part of the prophecy of Joel and was not that disciples of Jesus were drunk?
If you read the whole chapter do you see that the resurrection is what happens when a human with a body is raised from death. This was prophesied of Jesus that He would be raised to life and His body would not rot away.
This is in contrast to what you seem to believe, that the resurrection is what happens at the time we die and when our soul goes to heaven.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member

The Christ sacrificed Himself so that men might be freed from the imperfections of the physical nature and might become possessed of the virtues of the spiritual nature. This spiritual nature, which came into existence through the bounty of the Divine Reality, is the union of all perfections and appears through the breath of the Holy Spirit. It is the divine perfections; it is light, spirituality, guidance, exaltation, high aspiration, justice, love, grace, kindness to all, philanthropy, the essence of life. It is the reflection of the splendor of the Sun of Reality…..

The second meaning of sacrifice is this: Christ was like a seed, and this seed sacrificed its own form so that the tree might grow and develop. Although the form of the seed was destroyed, its reality became apparent in perfect majesty and beauty in the form of a tree.

Some Answered Questions, p. 118, 121

Read more: 29: EXPLANATION OF VERSE TWENTY-TWO, CHAPTER FIFTEEN, OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS

“Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things...... Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 85-86

As Baha’u’llah wrote, Jesus besought the one true God the honor of sacrificing himself as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth.

“That which thou hast heard concerning Abraham, the Friend of the All-Merciful, is the truth, and no doubt is there about it. The Voice of God commanded Him to offer up Ishmael as a sacrifice, so that His steadfastness in the Faith of God and His detachment from all else but Him may be demonstrated unto men. The purpose of God, moreover, was to sacrifice him as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth. This same honor, Jesus, the Son of Mary, besought the one true God, exalted be His name and glory, to confer upon Him. For the same reason was Ḥusayn offered up as a sacrifice by Muḥammad, the Apostle of God.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 75-76

Does that mean that everyone is forgiven their sins because of Jesus no matter what they believe or do?
If you say that Jesus did it for everyone why do you think that Husayn could add anything to that?
Do you see that what Baha'u'llah wrote about the sacrifice of Jesus differs from what the Bible tells us?
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
So we agree again that the last days began 2000 years ago. It's good to see you have changed your views on that.
I looked it up on the internet so that is how I know. :) The consensus on Christian websites was tat the last days began when Jesus ascended and will continue until Christ returns.
Do we also agree that what was happening at Pentecost was described as part of the prophecy of Joel and was not that disciples of Jesus were drunk?
Perhaps the prophecy that refers to the second coming was being described to those who were present at Pentecost, I don't know. However, my point all along has been that the prophecy of Joel is about the second coming of Christ. We know that since there are other prophecies about the second coming that describe the same events that would take place right before the second coming:

Matthew 24:29-30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mark 13:24-26”But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
If you read the whole chapter do you see that the resurrection is what happens when a human with a body is raised from death. This was prophesied of Jesus that He would be raised to life and His body would not rot away.
This is in contrast to what you seem to believe, that the resurrection is what happens at the time we die and when our soul goes to heaven.
No, I do not believe that human bodies rise from graves and come back to life after they are buried.
A body not seeing corruption does not necessarily mean that. Even if the body of Jesus was raised to life and did not rot away, that does not mean that will happen to anyone else, ever. I believe that the resurrection of ordinary humans happens when they die and their soul (spirit) goes to heaven, as this Christian described in his book.

421. When the body is no longer able to perform the bodily functions in the natural world that correspond to the spirit’s thoughts and affections, which the spirit has from the spiritual world, man is said to die. This takes place when the respiration of the lungs and the beatings of the heart cease. But the man does not die; he is merely separated from the bodily part that was of use to him in the world, while the man himself continues to live. It is said that the man himself continues to live since man is not a man because of his body but because of his spirit, for it is the spirit that thinks in man, and thought with affection is what constitutes man. Evidently, then, the death of man is merely his passing from one world into another. And this is why in the Word in its internal sense “death” signifies resurrection and continuation of life. Heaven and Hell, p. 351

The physical body returns to the earth and the spirit (soul) returns to God, who resides in the spiritual world.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The death of man is merely his soul passing from one world into another. When the soul passes from this world into the spiritual world it takes on a new form comprised of spiritual elements and the man continues to live forever.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
I looked it up on the internet so that is how I know. :) The consensus on Christian websites was tat the last days began when Jesus ascended and will continue until Christ returns.

Perhaps the prophecy that refers to the second coming was being described to those who were present at Pentecost, I don't know. However, my point all along has been that the prophecy of Joel is about the second coming of Christ. We know that since there are other prophecies about the second coming that describe the same events that would take place right before the second coming:

Matthew 24:29-30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mark 13:24-26”But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

No, I do not believe that human bodies rise from graves and come back to life after they are buried.
A body not seeing corruption does not necessarily mean that. Even if the body of Jesus was raised to life and did not rot away, that does not mean that will happen to anyone else, ever. I believe that the resurrection of ordinary humans happens when they die and their soul (spirit) goes to heaven, as this Christian described in his book.

421. When the body is no longer able to perform the bodily functions in the natural world that correspond to the spirit’s thoughts and affections, which the spirit has from the spiritual world, man is said to die. This takes place when the respiration of the lungs and the beatings of the heart cease. But the man does not die; he is merely separated from the bodily part that was of use to him in the world, while the man himself continues to live. It is said that the man himself continues to live since man is not a man because of his body but because of his spirit, for it is the spirit that thinks in man, and thought with affection is what constitutes man. Evidently, then, the death of man is merely his passing from one world into another. And this is why in the Word in its internal sense “death” signifies resurrection and continuation of life. Heaven and Hell, p. 351

The physical body returns to the earth and the spirit (soul) returns to God, who resides in the spiritual world.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The death of man is merely his soul passing from one world into another. When the soul passes from this world into the spiritual world it takes on a new form comprised of spiritual elements and the man continues to live forever.

The soul does live on after the death of the body according to Jesus (Matt 10:28) but that is not the resurrection.
1 Cor 15:35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

The physical body dies and is buried and comes back to life as something different as the above passage tells us. That is the Biblical resurrection.
 

Quagmire

Imaginary talking monkey
Staff member
Premium Member
Creationists, Seventh day Adventists, and anti-theists. Who generally have for more in common than they care to admit :thumbsup:
One of my first signatures here was,

"There's nothing funnier than watching an atheist who hasn't read the Bible arguing with a religious person who hasn't read it either."
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
The soul does live on after the death of the body according to Jesus (Matt 10:28) but that is not the resurrection.
1 Cor 15:35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

The physical body dies and is buried and comes back to life as something different as the above passage tells us. That is the Biblical resurrection.
No, that is not the Biblical Resurrection, that is the Christian Belief about the resurrection.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say "The physical body dies and is buried and comes back to life as something different."

The physical body does not come back at all after it is buried. The body stays buried and the soul (spirit) returns to God and takes on another form, a spiritual body.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Won’t the Dead Rise Again?

Maya Bohnhoff•Aug 24, 2013 • 2 Comments

Religion

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

[Editor’s Note: This is the tenth installment of a multi-part essay called “Questions from a Clergyman”. Click here to read from the beginning.]

In a series of “Cult Nights” a local church held to investigate the Baha’i Faith, Pastor Dan’s penultimate “Cult Night” question was about resurrection. He asked:

“Doesn’t the Bible teach a physical Resurrection?”

The Apostle Paul deals with this subject in I Corinthians 15. Theologians use this letter as the foundation of the doctrine that without physical resurrection of the human body, a Christian’s faith is in vain.

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

Paul goes on to offer a description of what “resurrection” means. In I Corinthians I 15:35-55, he writes:

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain… There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, 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. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit….

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will 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 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. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

Here, Paul depicts resurrection as spiritual, not physical. He says plainly that the “body” resurrected is not the physical body that is “sown” and that a “natural body” is followed by a “spiritual body”. He makes it clear that this spiritual body is nothing like the physical one, and uses two metaphors to make this point: the difference between mature grain and bare seed, and the difference between a moon and a sun.

A moon, an inert rock that casts no radiance of its own, can only reflect what shines on it — an apt metaphor when applied to the human condition. A sun, made of a different substance altogether, sheds its own radiance. “So also is the resurrection of the dead,” Paul says. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”

Christ’s resurrection, of course, is the prototype of the resurrection of the human soul. His victory over death illustrates the potential of the believer: “But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” (I Corinthians 15:23). It follows that if Christ’s resurrection is a spiritual one, then so must ours be. Paul makes this exact point when he compares and contrasts the “first Adam” (a “living being”) with “the last Adam” (Christ), whom he says is “a life-giving spirit.”

Further, Paul states emphatically that “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Here he quotes the words of Jesus to Nicodemus. Recall the context for these words originally: Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be reborn—not of flesh, but of the spirit. What, after all, is Christ’s message about real life? Is it the life of the body, or the life of the spirit?

I think this sheds a light on the “mystery” Paul speaks of in the verses above — that all shall not “sleep” (that is, die) but shall be changed. If the change stands for the spiritual transformation of rebirth, this makes perfect sense, since it is something that happens to those who are physically alive, but spiritually dead.

Clearly, Paul does not preach a physical resurrection for Jesus or for us, yet this spiritual resurrection is what he calls upon the believers to have faith in and concludes: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

This seems consistent with what Christ tells us: “the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life. – John 6:63.

It also reflects the words of Baha’u’llah on the subject, which I shared with a group of Pastor Dan’s congregants:

The nature of the soul after death can never be described, nor is it meet and permissible to reveal its whole character to the eyes of men. … The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother. When the soul attaineth the Presence of God, it will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality and is worthy of its celestial habitation. – Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 157.

Would it surprise you to hear that my new Christian friends agreed that there was no conflict between what Paul and Baha’u’llah said? The soul remains indescribable — a spiritual essence, not a physical one.

Won’t the Dead Rise Again?
 

CG Didymus

Veteran Member
Yes it is hard to understand why they do it when it is so plain that they are wrong. But the interesting part is that they seem blind to what the Bible actually says. Imo they have been blinded.
The Advocate (also called the Paraclete or Comforter) is the Spirit of Truth and the Holy Spirit. I hear that Muhammad claimed to be the Advocate.
Also, I've never heard a Baha'i give an interpretation of Jesus saying that he has flesh and bone and is not a ghost. And in Acts where it says that Jesus showed himself to be alive by many proofs.

If the NT is wrong, then fine. Baha'is should just say it. But I don't see how they can say that Christians have interpreted those verses wrong.

And also, I don't see how sin could have entered the world because of Adam's sin, and then have Baha'is claim that Adam is a manifestation of God.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
And also, I don't see how sin could have entered the world because of Adam's sin, and then have Baha'is claim that Adam is a manifestation of God.
What Baha'is claimed that Adam was a Manifestation of God? That is nowhere in the Baha'i Writings.

Adam was a Prophet, so His soul was in the spiritual world before His body was born into the material world. When Adam was born and entered the human world, He came out from the paradise of freedom (where he was in the spiritual world) and fell into the world of bondage (the material world). From the spiritual world, in the height of purity and absolute goodness, He entered into the world of good and evil (the material world)... This attachment to the material world, which is sin, was inherited by the descendants of Adam, and is the serpent which is always in our midst and continues and endures... It is because of this attachment that men have been deprived of essential spirituality and their exalted position and instead have the propensity to sin. This is how Adam brought sin into the world.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
No, that is not the Biblical Resurrection, that is the Christian Belief about the resurrection.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say "The physical body dies and is buried and comes back to life as something different."

The physical body does not come back at all after it is buried. The body stays buried and the soul (spirit) returns to God and takes on another form, a spiritual body.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Won’t the Dead Rise Again?

Maya Bohnhoff•Aug 24, 2013 • 2 Comments

Religion

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

[Editor’s Note: This is the tenth installment of a multi-part essay called “Questions from a Clergyman”. Click here to read from the beginning.]

In a series of “Cult Nights” a local church held to investigate the Baha’i Faith, Pastor Dan’s penultimate “Cult Night” question was about resurrection. He asked:

“Doesn’t the Bible teach a physical Resurrection?”

The Apostle Paul deals with this subject in I Corinthians 15. Theologians use this letter as the foundation of the doctrine that without physical resurrection of the human body, a Christian’s faith is in vain.

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

Paul goes on to offer a description of what “resurrection” means. In I Corinthians I 15:35-55, he writes:

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain… There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, 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. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit….

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will 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 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. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

Here, Paul depicts resurrection as spiritual, not physical. He says plainly that the “body” resurrected is not the physical body that is “sown” and that a “natural body” is followed by a “spiritual body”. He makes it clear that this spiritual body is nothing like the physical one, and uses two metaphors to make this point: the difference between mature grain and bare seed, and the difference between a moon and a sun.

A moon, an inert rock that casts no radiance of its own, can only reflect what shines on it — an apt metaphor when applied to the human condition. A sun, made of a different substance altogether, sheds its own radiance. “So also is the resurrection of the dead,” Paul says. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”

Christ’s resurrection, of course, is the prototype of the resurrection of the human soul. His victory over death illustrates the potential of the believer: “But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” (I Corinthians 15:23). It follows that if Christ’s resurrection is a spiritual one, then so must ours be. Paul makes this exact point when he compares and contrasts the “first Adam” (a “living being”) with “the last Adam” (Christ), whom he says is “a life-giving spirit.”

Further, Paul states emphatically that “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Here he quotes the words of Jesus to Nicodemus. Recall the context for these words originally: Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be reborn—not of flesh, but of the spirit. What, after all, is Christ’s message about real life? Is it the life of the body, or the life of the spirit?

I think this sheds a light on the “mystery” Paul speaks of in the verses above — that all shall not “sleep” (that is, die) but shall be changed. If the change stands for the spiritual transformation of rebirth, this makes perfect sense, since it is something that happens to those who are physically alive, but spiritually dead.

Clearly, Paul does not preach a physical resurrection for Jesus or for us, yet this spiritual resurrection is what he calls upon the believers to have faith in and concludes: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

This seems consistent with what Christ tells us: “the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life. – John 6:63.

It also reflects the words of Baha’u’llah on the subject, which I shared with a group of Pastor Dan’s congregants:

The nature of the soul after death can never be described, nor is it meet and permissible to reveal its whole character to the eyes of men. … The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother. When the soul attaineth the Presence of God, it will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality and is worthy of its celestial habitation. – Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 157.

Would it surprise you to hear that my new Christian friends agreed that there was no conflict between what Paul and Baha’u’llah said? The soul remains indescribable — a spiritual essence, not a physical one.

Won’t the Dead Rise Again?

Yes the resurrection body is a spiritual body, but what is that?
Neither of us knows exactly.
 

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
MANY contradictions”?
Please, cite one, where it changes the meaning.

At Luke 10:21, we read that Jesus’ Father provides revelation … His blessing is imperative to gaining an accurate understanding of His Word. Otherwise, it will be “hidden”.

So, a person claiming there are contradictions in it, is just revealing, perhaps unwittingly, that they don’t have Jehovah’s necessary blessing. IMO
 
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