Problem: Paul declares that the resurrection body is a “spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:44), but a spiritual body is an immaterial body. However, elsewhere the Bible says Jesus’ resurrection body was made of “flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39).

Solution: A “spiritual” body denotes an immortal body, not an immaterial body. A “spiritual” body is one dominated by the spirit, not one devoid of matter. The Greek word pneumatikos (translated “spiritual” here) means a body directed by the spirit, as opposed to one under the dominion of the flesh. It is not ruled by flesh that perishes, but by the spirit that endures (1 Cor. 15:50–58). So “spiritual body” does not mean immaterial and invisible, but immortal and imperishable. This is clear from several facts:

First, notice the parallelism mentioned by Paul:

The complete context indicates that “spiritual” (pneumatikos) could be translated “supernatural” in contrast to “natural.” This is made clear by the parallels of perishable and imperishable and corruptible and incorruptible. In fact, this same Greek word (pneumatikos) is translated “supernatural” in1 Corinthians 10:4when it speaks of the “supernatural rock that followed them in the wilderness” (rsv).

Second, the word “spiritual” (pneumatikos) in 1 Corinthians refers to material objects. Paul spoke of the “spiritual rock” that followed Israel in the wilderness from which they got “spiritual drink” (1 Cor. 10:4). But the OT story (Ex. 17; Num. 20) reveals that it was a physical rock from which they got literal water to drink. But the actual water they drank from that material rock was produced supernaturally. When Jesus supernaturally made bread for the five thousand (John 6), He made literal bread. However, this literal, material bread could have been called “spiritual” bread (because of its supernatural source) in the same way that the literal manna given to Israel is called “spiritual food” (1 Cor. 10:3).

Further, when Paul spoke about a “spiritual man” (1 Cor. 2:15) he obviously did not mean an invisible, immaterial man with no corporeal body. He was, as a matter of fact, speaking of a flesh and blood human being whose life was lived by the supernatural power of God. He was referring to a literal person whose life was Spirit directed. A spiritual man is one who is taught by the Spirit and who receives the things that come from the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:13–14). The resurrection body can be called a “spiritual body” in much the same way we speak of the Bible as a “spiritual book.” Regardless of their spiritual source and power, both the resurrection body and the Bible are material objects.

Problem: Peter declares that Christ was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (nasb). This seems to imply that Jesus did not rise in the flesh, but only in His spirit, which conflicts with Jesus’ statement that His resurrection body was “flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39).

Solution: To interpret this as proof of a spiritual, rather than a physical resurrection, is neither necessary nor consistent with the context of this passage and the rest of Scripture. Several reasons support this conclusion.

First of all, the passage can be translated, “He was put to death in the body but made alive by the [Holy] Spirit” (niv). The passage is translated with this same understanding by the nkjv and others.

Second, the parallel between death and being made alive normally refer to the resurrection of the body in the NT. For example, Paul declared that “Christ died and rose and lived again” (Rom. 14:9), and “He was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God” (2 Cor. 13:4).

Third, the context refers to the event as “the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (3:21). But this is everywhere understood as a bodily resurrection in the NT (cf. Acts 4:33; Rom 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:21; 1 Peter 1:3; Rev. 20:5).

Fourth, even if “spirit” refers to Jesus’ human spirit (not to the Holy Spirit), it cannot mean He had no resurrection body. Otherwise, the reference to His “body” (flesh) before the resurrection would mean He had no human spirit then. It seems better to take “flesh” in this context as a reference to His whole condition of humiliation before the resurrection and “spirit” to refer to His unlimited power and imperishable life after the resurrection.

Luke 24:23
—Were Jesus’ resurrection appearances physical or mere visions?
Problem:
Jesus spoke of His resurrection body having “flesh and bones” (
Luke 24:39
). He ate physical food (v.
42
) and was touched by human hands (
Matt. 28:9
). But Luke calls it a “vision” in this passage, which implies that it was not a real physical appearance. In addition, some point to the fact that those who were with Paul during his Damascus road experience did not see Christ (see
Acts 9:7
).
Solution:
The Resurrection appearances were literal, physical appearances. This is evident for several reasons. First of all, the passage cited above from Luke (
24:23
) does not refer to seeing Christ. It refers only to the women seeing angels at the tomb, not to any appearance of Christ. The Gospels never speak of a resurrection appearance of Christ as a vision, nor does Paul in his list in
1 Corinthians 15
.
Second, the post-resurrection encounters with Christ are described by Paul as literal “appearances” (
1 Cor. 15:5–8
), not as visions. The difference between a mere vision and a physical appearance is significant. Visions are of invisible, spiritual realities, such as God and angels. Appearances, on the other hand, are of physical objects that can be seen with the naked eye. Visions have no physical manifestations associated with them, but appearances do.
People sometimes “see” or “hear” things in their visions (
Luke 1:11ff
;
Acts 10:9ff
), but not with their naked physical senses. When someone saw angels with the naked eye, or had some physical contact with them (
Gen. 18:8
;
32:24
;
Dan. 8:18
), it was not a vision but an actual appearance of an angel in the physical world. During these appearances the angels temporarily assumed a visible form after which they returned to their normal invisible state. However, the Resurrection appearances of Christ were experiences of seeing Christ with the naked eye in His continued visible, physical form. In any event, there is a significant difference between a mere vision and a physical appearance.
Third, certainly the most common way to describe an encounter with the resurrected Christ is as an “appearance.” These appearances were accompanied by physical manifestations, such as, the audible voice of Jesus, His physical body and crucifixion scars, physical sensations (as touch), and eating on three occasions. These phenomena are not purely subjective or internal—they involve a physical, external reality.
Finally, the contention that Paul’s experience must have been a vision because those with him did not see Christ is unfounded, since they both heard the physical sound and saw the physical light, just as Paul did. Only Paul looked into the light, and so only he saw Jesus.

Luke 24:31
b—If Jesus had the same physical body after His resurrection, why did His disciples not recognize Him?
Problem:
These two disciples walked with Jesus, talked with Him, and ate with Him and still did not recognize Him. Other disciples had the same experience (see verses below). If He rose in the same physical body (cf.
Luke 24:39
;
John 20:27
), then why didn’t they recognize Him.
Solution:
Jesus did rise in the numerically same body of flesh and bones in which He died (see comments on
1 Cor. 15:37
). There were many reasons why He was not immediately recognized by His disciples: 1. Dullness—
Luke 24:25–26
2. Disbelief—
John 20:24–25
3. Disappointment—
John 20:11–15
4. Dread—
Luke 24:36–37
5. Dimness—
John 20:1
,
14–15
6. Distance—
John 21:4
7. Different Clothes—
John 19:23–24
; cf.
20:6–8
Notice, however, two important things: the problem was only
temporary,
and before the appearance was over they were absolutely convinced that it was the same Jesus in the same physical body of flesh, bones, and scars that He had before the resurrection! And they went out of His presence to turn the world upside down, fearlessly facing death, because they had not the slightest doubt that He had conquered death in the same physical body in which He had experienced it.