Below are interesting thoughts and observations by a fellow member of the BSA. He says he went to seminary and is now an agnostic. Note the scripture references he cites. Much of his position hinges on the multiple passages where the resurrected Jesus is not recognized although the Christian belief is he was bodily resurrected.
My Rumination on the Resurrection by John R. on BSA
Models of Resurrection
When I contemplate the dead being raised, as described in the New Testament, I realize that there are many possible models to explain it. Here are a few types of resurrections and their possible implications. This is not meant to be taken too serious, but I hope it does make you think!
Repair and Restoration
Examples of this type of resurrection are when Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus from the dead.
When this happens the physical cause of death is removed (e.g., bacteria, virii, cancer). There is a reversal of all aspects of decomposition to include recreating all the dead brains cells and bodily tissues. The imbalance between the cells that comprise “you” (~57% of “your body”) and those that are not you (~43%) has to be restored. The cells that are not “you” begin decomposing your body almost immediately upon your demise. The soul reanimates the newly restored body.
This type of resurrection has many positive attributes; mostly, you get to live again. The majority of your body is you. Your identity is intact; that is, when you look at your reflection you know it is you and people can recognize you.
There are some negatives aspects, as well—the biggest downside is that you get to die again. This is certainly not the eternal resurrected body expected by Christians at the end times.
Physical Resurrection – Same Look (Empty Tomb)
There are many examples in the NT where Jesus is recognized by his followers after his resurrection. His is tomb is also found to be devoid of a physical body.
In this case the original earthly body is consumed during the resurrection/transformation process. That is why there is no body in the tomb. The newly immortal body is based upon the earthly template which means everyone can still recognize and touch you. (Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:36-40; John 20:19-20;27). Another advantage is that you apparently still have lungs and a voice box so you can talk to people in the physical world. You can also eat (although no one knows if you need to defecate afterwards). (Luke 24:42)
One disadvantage is that you are eternally stuck with a humanoid body adapted to live under specific planetary conditions (gravity, atmosphere, type of sun, distance to sun, and biological environment). On the plus side, if you turn around in heaven and see a floating being with tentacles and a big eyes like a squid you can immediately deduce they had lived on an oceanic planet! An additional disadvantage is you are forever the same age as when you died and have all the same bodily defects. After all, Jesus still had the wounds of his earthly body (the nails hammered into his hands and the gash from being pierced with the sword) present in his resurrected body. (John 20:27). You might consider this a vampire-like body except you don’t need blood for immortality or an intelligent zombie that moves fast.
This type of resurrection is problematic. If in the resurrection we are like angels (Matthew 22:30), why do we still have a sex in the resurrection? Why did the resurrected Jesus, and, for that matter, does every description of a ghost, have clothes? When Adam was created he was naked. It was only after his fall that he was filled with sinful desire and felt ashamed of his nakedness. What if you are an amputee or were born with a birth defect? Will you still have those infirmities in heaven? What happens to those who died 150,000 years ago? The atoms of their body are in millions of people. (https://www.jupiterscientific.org/review/shnecal.html) How do they get restored? What if you didn’t like your body or the age at which you died?
Physical Resurrection – Different Look
Examples abound of where the resurrected Jesus is not recognized by his followers. (Matthew 28:27; Luke 24:13-34, 41; John 20:1-15; 21:1-14)
With this type of resurrection your new immortal body is not based off of your earthly template and is unrecognizable to those who knew you in life. It is made of immortal dense matter. You still have all the benefits as in our previous model, including the ability to speak to the living, except now you do not have to worry about what condition you left your body in when you died. Party on!
The downside is that you won’t be recognizable to anyone. Indeed, Jesus spent forty days after his resurrection trying to demonstrate he was raised from the dead. (Acts 1:3) One major question is why does the earthly body have to be destroyed? Couldn’t Jesus have been resurrected, looked down at his dead earthly body, and walked away? Would you still consider yourself “you” if you do not have the same body?
Spiritual Body or Physical Body of Pneuma
This may be the type of resurrected body Paul seems to envision in his letters.
In this case the immortal body is made of a highly refined divine star-like material (pneuma). I’m likely misunderstanding it, but I think of it as ectoplasm with form. This type of body may explain why Mary could not touch Jesus (John 20;17) or why his disciples first thought he was a ghost (Luke 24:37) or why they often did not recognize him.
One downside to a spiritual body is that it does not appear to have anyway of vibrating air, so communication with the living would have to be through telepathy. It also contradicts all the gospel accounts where Jesus is able to be touched, claims to have flesh and bones, and can eat food. There is no reason for the dead body of Jesus to disappear during his resurrection. It is not needed.
Anything, Anywhere, All at Once Body
This is a fantasy body that is anything it needs to be to prevent the Scriptures from appearing to contradict themselves and still believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. This body is both material and immaterial, it can and can’t be touched, it is recognizable and unrecognizable, it requires destroying the original earthly body even though it can take any form. It is a one of the Christian mysteries that has to be accepted by faith like the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the virgin birth, and the Trinity.
