The New Man

By Elton Foster

"the "Resurrection" and the "Spiritual body" cannot and should not be separated. The scriptures are clear, that the two co-inside with each other."

  In one of my recent articles I wrote about the reality of seeing Christ "Face to Face" in the corporate expression of our relationship in Him. In this article, I will be approaching the subject as it is in one man, "The New Man". If you have not read the previous article, then it would be to your benefit to read it first before you continue in this one. This article will be a follow up or an extension of the previous. 
 
I think the church's greatest error, is that of not seeing the present reality of Christ in the earth. Every Sunday when I attend the gathering of the saints, I watch and listen as to how they wait in expectation of something that is already consummated and is already present. It is true, that if you ask almost anyone whether or not they believe they have Christ living in them, their response would be yes. Sometimes I say to them; "what are you waiting for"? After all, that is what He had promised at His coming. He promised to dwell among us and in us, to bring us into His eternal presence and Sabbath, to fill the entire earth with His glory. The answer is always the same; yes, but there is still something else yet to be revealed. I think to myself, quietly; "yes, the eyes of your heart need to be opened, for you cannot see these things in the natural".
 
1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man recieveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned".
 
As I have stated before, it is our carnal man that tries to see and understand that which is spiritual. Jesus clearly stated that seeing the kingdom does come through (carnal) observation. But do we understand the full ramifications of what He was speaking about? 
 
"For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall partition between us; Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby".- Ephesians 2:14-16
 
As I had mentioned in my previous article, the saints expected something to be made complete at the "Parousia". Upon the arrival of the high priest, he, having accomplished the work of atonement in the most holy place, offered a salvation which had been fully consummated. [Peter 1:5] Their salvation became complete because it involved a resurrected body, a perfect man.
 
"Till we all come in the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man (one singular body), unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ".- Ephesians 4:13
 
There are different views concerning the nature of the "Resurrection" and the "spiritual body", within the "preterist" camp. Some even believe that the "Resurrection" has nothing to do with the "spiritual body", but I beg to differ. One camp in particular says: that we receive our "spiritual" body upon death, and that it is individual. The problem with this view is that we see ourselves as individuals, and with our own individual identity, rather than one "New Man", which is, Christ and the church made one in Holy union. Again I am going to use the illustration of marriage to help clear up any confusion. 
 
Before a woman leaves her father's house, her identity is found in his name, hence a change in name upon marriage. When she is wed to her husband, she then finds her identity in him, therefore never really belonging to herself. Its  not that she is no longer an individual, but that she has found herself now complete or whole. The best way for me to describe this in simple terms is this: Yellow and Blue make Green. (Sounds a bit like a ziplock commercial-LOL!) No, seriously, back to what I was saying: Green being a combination of the two, but a color unto its own. This change takes on an entirely different identity altogether, as with Christ and the church being gathered together in one body (one identity).
 
You and I need to know that our identity is in Him and nothing else. If we are taken away into a self-centered view, as with any marriage, this union could dissolve and fall apart. When union is clearly seen in two people, death is also seen in each of them- for they have to lay down their lives (as individuals) for one another.
 
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head is the head of the church, and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject to unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it".- Ephesians 5:23-25

"the problem is.. we see ourselves as individuals, and with our own individual identity, rather than one "New Man", which is, Christ and the church made one in Holy union."

To get back to my point about the "New Man", I need to address the issue of the "Resurrection" and the "Spiritual body", which was to be received on the Last Day. I believe that when Paul was speaking on the subject of the "New Man", he was taking into consideration that which was going to be revealed concerning the nature of the "Spiritual Body". First of all, the "Resurrection" and the "Spiritual body" cannot and should not be separated. The scriptures are clear, that the two co-inside with each other.
 
The Resurrection- Physical or Spiritual?

 
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming".
 
So Paul makes its clear that the "Resurrection" was to happen at the coming of Christ. The questions that come to mind are: 1. Is the physical body going to change into something spiritual? 2. Do our ideas concerning the nature of the resurrection need to be redefined? The answer to both these questions is: Yes!
 
If Paul, along with the rest of the saints, believed that our individual physical bodies were to change into an individual raised body, then why when asked if the resurrection had already happened, why did he only address the issue of its timing?
 
2 Timothy 2:17-18 "And their word will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some".
 
Here is a great opportunity to address the issue of a physical resurrection of the body, yet Paul does not instruct them to go and role the stone away of a dead relative, to if see if their dead corpse still lay in the grave. And if the resurrection was to happen the way the movies portray [ zombies with wings], then why wasn't there more emphasis from Paul concerning a dramatic departure? That's because it was not something that could be seen through the natural eyes. They were not expecting it to be a fireworks show!
 
Listen to what Jesus says to Martha:
 
John 11:23-25 "Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he (Lazarus the individual) shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live".
 
I have to say; this has got to be one of my favorite verses in the entire bible!  Here is Martha saying to Jesus: that she knew that her brother would rise in the last day, as if she knew the nature in which he was to receive life. She believed that her brother was going to rise from the grave in his physical body and she was so sure of it. Then Jesus turns the tables on her, and attributes the resurrection to himself and he is incredibly emphatic about it (I AM). So no longer does the resurrection have to do with an event, but with the person of Jesus Christ. 

Listen to what Paul says when asked about the nature of the resurrection and the body: 
 
1 Corinthians 15:35-38 "But some man will say, How are the dead raised up (physically)? And with what kind of body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body"
 
Again, someone is believing, that the resurrection involves our individual physical body. Paul calls that person a fool! As Paul understood it, that individual grain or seed was Christ. He was describing the outcome of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, which brought about the resurrection of individual men being gathered into Him as one raised body, or one "New Man". He continues to describe the nature of the resurrection of one man (Christ) in the following verses. As far as Paul understood it, there were only two men that God sees, Adam or Christ.  ( *When a head of wheat is fully mature, it is made up of individual grains or seeds, it does not have the same appearance at the time it sown.)
 
1 Corinthians 15:42-43 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in POWER!"
 
I don't know about you, but it sounds like Paul is describing the sin that Christ took upon himself, and that he died in dishonor and in weakness, but when raised from the grave, He had the power to overcome death.
 
Listen to next few verses to confirm this:
 
v.44-47 "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 was made a living soul, the last Adam (Christ) was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (now pay attention to next verse carefully) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man in the LORD from heaven".
 
Pretty clear to me, shall we go on?
 
v.48-50 "As 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 (Christ is whose image we see in a mirror). Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption".
 
(*Well that pretty much blows the rapture theory out of the water, past or future!)

You may be telling yourself right now: "Dude get to the point!"  If you have read the previous article "˜Face to Face", then you will understand that which I am going to disclose to you about the word "Tabernacle" (temporary dwelling) in the next verses. This is going to be the revealing of the "New Man."
 
2 Corinthians 5:1-4 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon our house which is from heaven; if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."
 
Our House is Christ, in Him we dwell. We are no longer found naked, but swallowed up of life. This nature of the spiritual body that was received upon His coming, is the change that they were looking forward to. This change is seen as only One New Man, where there is no longer Jew, Gentile, circumcised, uncircumcised, male, female, black or white. This could not be seen as long as first tabernacle was still standing (Hebrews 9:8). 
 
1 Corinthians 15: 51-57 Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 immortality (Christ). So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought about 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. But thanks be to God, which giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Praise be to God! We no longer remain separated from His Holy presence. We stand in Christ, who is our life, who has taken away the strength of the law, and has defeated death. "That which is perfect has come".

Date:

17 Aug 2002

Time:

03:58:09

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Good stuff!

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Date:

20 Aug 2002

Time:

22:21:16

Remote User:

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Thanks for the great articles.. can you post more like this? Thank you!

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Date:

24 Nov 2003

Time:

03:54:38

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Seminary students analyze the Greek key words the message exegetical dictionary new testament first Corinthians.

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Date:

24 Jan 2004

Time:

10:30:42

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Why do you meet with the saints on Sunday? Can the saints meet on any other day? Richard ---ask_king2004@yahoo.com