The World of the Resurrection

The resurrection of Christ signals the transformation of the cosmos – this physical world – in time and space, in history. From chapter 1 of his epistle to the Romans Paul progressively explicates the Gospel as God’s solution to the disruption of the cosmos caused by human rebellion, climaxing in chapter 8 with the resurrection and life of the Spirit. Christ’s physical body has been raised from the dead as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20), guaranteeing that at his coming all those that belong to Christ will also be raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:23). Rather than the destruction of the cosmos, the resurrection promises its transformation. God’s estimation of this time-space world – the world of matter – is firstly the creation, secondly the incarnation, and climactically the resurrection. At the creation the triune God stood back admiring the world of matter, declaring it as “good” (Gen 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). And then at the climax of history God’s ultimate creative fiat – God coming as the man, Christ Jesus – deals the definitive death-blow to all dualistic thinking. Read "The World of the Resurrection"