Christendom will use (Luke.24:36-39) to support their interpretation. We will examine the scriptures and see how Luke associates the Greek word spirit with the Greek word demon.
(Luke.24:36-39)
36 While they were speaking of these things, he himself stood in their midst and said to them: “May you have peace.”
37 But because they were terrified and frightened, they imagined that they were seeing a spirit.
[ We will soon see that spirt was synonymous with a demonic spirit!]
38 So he said to them: “Why are you troubled, and why have doubts come up in your hearts?
39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones just as you see that I have.”
Jesus assured them that he was no spirit; they could see his body of flesh and could touch him, feeling the bones; he also ate in their presence.
Similarly, in the past, angels had materialized in order to be seen by men; they had eaten, and some had even married and fathered children. (Gen. 6:4; 19:1-3)
Following his resurrection, Jesus did not always appear in the same body of flesh (perhaps to reinforce in their minds the fact that he was then a spirit), and so he was not immediately recognized even by his close associates. (John 20:14, 15; John.21.4-7)
However, by his repeatedly appearing to them in materialized bodies and then saying and doing things that they would identify with the Jesus they knew, he strengthened their faith in the fact that he truly had been resurrected from the dead.
We will consider how Luke associates the Greek word spirit with the Greek word demon.
(Luke.4:33)
33 Now in the synagogue, there was a man with a spirit,[pneuma] an unclean demon,[daimonion] and he shouted with a loud voice:
(Luke.8:29)
29 (For Jesus had been ordering the unclean spirit [pneuma] to come out of the man. It had seized him on many occasions, and he was repeatedly bound with chains and fetters and kept under guard, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon [daimonion] into the isolated places.)
(Luke.9:39)
39 And look! a spirit [pneuma] takes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it throws him into convulsions with foaming at the mouth, and only with difficulty does it leave him after bruising him.
(Luke.9:42)
” 42 But even as he was approaching, the demon,[daimonion] hurled him to the ground and violently threw him into a convulsion. However, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit [pneuma] and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
These scriptures make it clear that a reference to " a spirit '' frequently meant a demonic spirit!
Now let's hear what 3 outside sources have said on the matter.
[1] Ignatius (who died sometime during Trajan's reign [98-117CE]) wrote the following to the Smyrnaens (3:2); " For I know and believe that he was in the flesh even after the resurrection; and when he came to Peter and those with him, he said to them; " Take hold of me; handle me and see me that I am not a DISEMBODIED DEMON."
The Apostolic Fathers Translated By J. B. Lightfoot & J. R. Harmer 2nd Edition page.187
-End Quote-
[2] Gary Habermas in his book " The Resurrection of Jesus" in a footnote on p. 41 it reads,
" While no judgment was made as to the exact composition of Jesus' resurrection body, the evidence does reveal that He rose in a change (Spiritual) body, as perceived by the eyewitnesses."
-End Quote-
[3] Norman L. Geisler in his Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, He quotes Irenaeus from the 2nd century, concerning the resurrection under the heading, " Flesh and Blood" found in (1 Corinthians.15:50). On page 662 it reads;
" Flesh and Blood " and the Kingdom. Paul said, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God" (1Cor.15:50). As early as the second century Irenaeus noted that this passage was used by heretics in support of their "very great error" (Irenaeus,30.13), that the resurrection body will not be a body of flesh.
-End Quote-
The book just quoted on page 565 also said that Origen from (185-254) "denied that Jesus was raised from the dead in a physical body".
What we learn from the last 2 quotes is that even though these two men that the "supposed heretics"and even the second quote from Origen denying the physical body; is that in those early times their teachings were diverse on the matter of the resurrection of Christ and his body being raised spiritual or physical, blood or no blood.
Please read (1 Cor.15:42-50) down below.
Notice the Contrast the scriptures bring out.
42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised up in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised up in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised up in power.
44 It is sown a physical body; it is raised up a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one.
45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living person.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 However, what is spiritual is not first. What is physical is first, and afterward what is spiritual.
47 The first man is from the earth and made of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust; and like the heavenly one, so too are those who are heavenly.
49 And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we will bear also the image of the heavenly one.
50 But I tell you this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s Kingdom, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Jesus clearly doesn't have a body of flesh, but did take on a physical body to strengthen his followers. Remember that Gary Habermas quote? " While no judgment was made as to the exact composition of Jesus' resurrection body, the evidence does reveal that He rose in a change (Spiritual) body, as perceived by the eyewitnesses."
The doctrine that Jesus has his physical body after his resurrection would include Jesus having two natures.
I'm hoping that this post will help other's see that the Dual Nature of Christ is contrary to scripture.
I've noticed that the Dual Nature that Christ supposedly has is what keeps the Trinity tightly knit.
It's a strong link of the Trinitarian chain and needs to be addressed.
At this point, if you the reader accepts this post and the contrast that Paul brought out in 1 Corinthians on scriptures to be true. Then at this point, Jesus is only a man and the Dual Nature by means of still having a body of flesh and taking it in heaven doesn't hold up to scripture.
After Jesus’ Resurrection, Was His Body Flesh or Spirit?
JimSpaceBlog Jesus’ Resurrection Body
