Pursuing the Resurrection
Pursuing the Resurrection
A glance at the Word Of Righteousness Library (www.wor.org/booksmain.htm) will reveal that I have written a good deal about the resurrection.
However, as I have been studying about the sins that dwell in the members of our body, it dawned on me that the resurrection has to do, among other things, with the removal of those sins.
One fact came to my attention: I use the New International Version quite a bit. I noticed what I would term a mistranslation. Perhaps there is a sound linguistic reason why, in the seventh chapter of the Book of Romans, the NIV presents the sin in Paul's personality as residing in his "sinful nature," rather than in his flesh.
This might appear as a mere preference. But it does prevent us from seeing clearly that the sinful urges, which apparently are intelligent living spirits, are dwelling in our flesh, in the members of our body, not in a relatively vague "sinful nature."
I base my thought that the sins that reside in the members of our body are intelligent spirits, on the answer of the Gerasene to Christ.
Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. (Luke 8:30)
"And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss."
Who are "they"? Certainly not the one Gerasene! I do not believe he would beg Jesus repeatedly not to order the demons to go into the abyss. Do you?
Are they minerals?
Are they unintelligent elements of some sort?
Are they the "inner nature" of the Gerasene, as the NIV would put it.
Luke terms them "demons."
This raises a question not readily answered: what is a demon?
Since "they begged Jesus repeatedly," the demons obviously are intelligent spirits.
Satan, perhaps? Rebellious angels, not likely. Spirits created by Satan? I do not believe Satan can create intelligent spirits. Perhaps he can, although I do not see an instance of this in the Bible.
In my opinion, the demons are people, or were people, who indulged in demonic behavior to the point they began to personify that behavior, such as sexual lust.
Have you known people who personified some sin of the flesh? I have. Notice in the verse below that sins were not thrown into the Lake of Fire. It is people who represent those sins who will suffer the dreadful fate.
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
When they died, and their lustful spirit stood before Christ, He ordered their spirit, now a demon, back into the earth to serve as a means to test those whom God is preparing to install and govern the Kingdom of God.
But let's set to one side that novel explanation and pursue the resurrection.
I mentioned my question concerning the NIV translation of the unlawful urges that resided in Paul's flesh. Please consider the following:
For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature . For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18—NIV)
Can you see that Paul would be stating that his inability to do good is caused by the lack of good dwelling in his sinful nature. Yet, at the same time Paul has a desire to do good, proceeding no doubt from his inward nature.
Could you agree with me this far?
But according to the Greek text, Paul did not say there was a lack of good dwelling in his sinful nature, but in his flesh.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh ; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. (Romans 7:18—NASB)
In my sinful nature. In my flesh. Which one is true to the Greek?
Westcott-Hort say sarki (in the flesh of me). I do not believe anyone would want to argue with the misters Westcott and Hort.
I remember a while back when the need for Christian people to confess their sins entered the thinking of Charismatic people, there were some who denied vigorously that Christians "could have a demon." My response was, "Then why do they act like they do?"
So it is possible that the NIV translators were repulsed by the idea of demons living in their flesh. In any case, these translators are good people and competent scholars, so I will not impugn their motives.
In another case:
But I see another law at work in me , waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me . (Romans 7:23—NIV)
But I see a different law in the members of my body , waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members . (Romans 7:23—NASB)
And I behold another law in my members , warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin that [is] in my members . (Romans 7:23—Young's Literal Translation)
"In me," within me, compared with "in the members of my body," "in my members."
Hmm.
The inner nature of Paul was hostile toward the covetous spirit living in his flesh; so to translate sarki (Gk. flesh) as "inner nature" is confusing, to say the least.
You can see where I am going with this, in that resurrection has to do with the flesh, although there is a related resurrection of the inner nature, which is the forming of Christ (the Resurrection) in us. This inner resurrection must take place prior to the outer resurrection of the flesh, or we have new wine in old bottles, don't we?
Paul declares that while our inner nature is alive because of the righteousness of Christ, our body is dead because of the sin that dwells in it.
But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10)
Could we say that our inner nature is alive because of the Life of Christ that is dwelling in us? But our body, our flesh, is dead because of the sinful spirits that reside in it?
That is quite a dichotomy, isn't it? Christ, the Resurrection and the Life, is in us, so our inner nature is righteous. However, there are spirits of sin dwelling in our body, making it spiritually dead.
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)
Now we are closing in on our topic, aren't we—the pursuit of the resurrection.
I think we often confuse "resurrection" and "ascension." This confusion may result from the use of the term "rise" or "raised." When we say "resurrection," we think of a grave opening and the dead body coming to life and rising up to Heaven.
But the Lord Jesus Himself, wherever He is, is the "Resurrection." Therefore, when He gives life to our mortal body, He has "resurrected" us, whether we fly up into the air or remain standing on the ground.
This distinction is important because of the prevailing unscriptural doctrine of the "rapture." The relievers are anxious to be caught up into Heaven. I do not believe they are aware that such a "catching up" depends on a prior resurrection. And that the prior resurrection has to do with the removal of the sinful spirits that are living in our body.
There can be no "rapture" until Christ first deals with the sin dwelling in our spiritually dead flesh.
Next Part Please notice the next verse: