Agreed.
Agreed.
His "man" nature was entirely that of a man.
And God protected His physical body from corruption. Had He not, that body would have decayed just like any other human body.
The Bible tells us that he returned to a glorified, yet still physical, body.
Yes, our bodies will be raised not spiritually or ethereally but physically and materially. Our souls will be reunited with our transformed physical bodies, brought back to life from the dead. Scripture teaches this in many ways. First, simply to…
www.desiringgod.org
So Jesus' "human" nature ceased to exist? How many times did Jesus "become" a man? Once? Twice? Do you think that Jesus is no longer a man, where the Bible says that Jesus became a man and will be a man forever more?
Because that's heresy, Derf!
I'm not saying you're as bad as James White, but I want you to realize the seriousness of what it is you're saying, and where it leads.
Chapter verse.
Jesus died, decended into Hell, and returned to his human body on the third day, and forty days later, leading captivity captive, ascended into heaven as both God and Man.
Where does ANY of that imply that Jesus ceased having a human nature?
And that's the main issue your position has. it CANNOT address this issue, because it doesn't have a way to address it.
Mine does not have that issue, because it does not assert that Jesus ceased being human at ANY POINT, but rather that Jesus became a man once as a baby in a manger and still to this very day and forever more is and will forever be both God and man.
He didn't "die completely, no function remaining whatsoever."
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”(Now this, “He ascended” —what does it mean but that
He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) - Ephesians 4:7-10
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians4:7-10&version=NKJV
He descended into Hell ("the lower parts of the earth") to set those who were awaiting justification, those in Abraham's Bosom, free. And then, leading captivity captive, he ascended into heaven.
And he descended into hell, you guessed it, SEPARATED from His physical body, which remained in the tomb until the third day.
Supra.
Supra.
Except that it is a death. It's not a physical death, where a person is separated from his body, nor is it a spiritual death, where a person is separated from God, but it IS a LEGAL death. It's the death of a marriage. No? Man is legally separated from his wife, therefore their marriage is well and truly dead at that point.
Supra.
Then why did he say the following?
For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.For to me, to live is Christ, and
to die is gain.But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.For
I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.Nevertheless
to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. - Philippians 1:19-26
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians1:19-26&version=NKJV
Maybe it's confirmation bias, but you have your work cut out for you explaining why Paul would use that sort of wording if death (here, of course, the physical kind) meant anything other than separation, and that of one's body and soul/spirit.
Note that I highlighted where Paul is talking about dying being a gain for him. What is there to gain if death means "soul-sleep" or cessation of existence, even if Paul wakes up in the future "resurrected"? THERE IS NONE! There is no net gain for him to do so, and he would rather spend his time remaining
in the flesh, because his converts need him to teach them, and he knows it.
On the other hand, if death is defined as separation, then the issue is resolved! There's a gain for him to go to heaven, because then he can IMMEDIATELY meet his God, Lord, and Savior, not after he's resurrected, but the moment he dies, because at that moment, his soul/spirit is separated from his body, and ascends to heaven,
which is far better!
Because their resurrection is where we will see them again.
That event is called the rapture, and it's literally described in the very passage you quoted above.
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And
the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And
thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words. - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Thessalonians4:13-18&version=NKJV
No. Supra, the link.
What I said comes from scripture.
Because that's not the only verse on the topic, Derf!
"Asleep" is just a euphemism (and a rather apt one) for "dead," because a dead person looks like they're just asleep.
Have YOU ever been to a funeral, or ever examined a person's dead body up close? I have. A few times, actually. All of them (one was some dead guy who had donated his body to science to study, and was laying on a table, and the other two were my grandpa and grandma (open casket funerals)) looked like they could could wake up at any moment.
Supra.
Yeah, lets move this to another thread. You can start it with a response to this post.