Without Excuse: Apologetics Blog

  Contrary to some views, I believe Scripture indicates we will not have one body but three: one that is temporal, one that is intermediate, and one that is permanent. Much like a metamorphosis, we move from one stage to another until we reach our final form. The goal here is to identify the body types, including their substance, function, and purpose. 1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. 1Co 15:40 There are also celestial (heavenly) bodies and terrestrial (earthly) bodies, but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. In First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul makes mention of three bodies: earthly, heavenly, and resurrected. Together, they make up the three-body types. Some interpret this to be Paul speaking in astronomical terms, not body types. However, it could also be true that it can have a double meaning to make a broader analogy of the nature of our being. In some ways, they are comparable t...

The question is often posed why do we need to be resurrected if we have an immortal soul that can exist apart from the body? Let's first define what a soul is. A soul is our mind (consciousness), thoughts, emotions, and will. It is the intangible inner things that makes us who we are. But a soul needs a body to interact with the world around it. Here on earth, we have a physical body to interact in our three spatial dimensions. After our physical body dies, our soul (consciousness) departs from the body much the same way a hermit crab discards an old shell. Contrary to popular belief, we don't become disembodied spirits any more than angels are disembodied spirits. On the contrary, we will still have a body, just made of a very different substance, one capable of operating in higher dimensions and withstanding the full glory of God. Is it a temporary interim body just as our mortal bodies are temporary interim bodies. A physical body can't operate in the heavenly realm, and...