Physical Or Spiritual?

Q

I’ve always believed that our new heavenly body will be physical and still believe that but there is a verse in I Cor. that needs explaining to me. The verse is I Cor. 15:44 which says: “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body…. ” This sounds like we will have a spiritual body, not a physical one. Please explain!

A

Being spiritual doesn’t prevent us from having a physical presence. When Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection, they thought He was a spirit because He suddenly appeared in a locked room.

“Touch me and see,” He told them, “A spirit does not have flesh and bone as you see I have.” He entered a closed room without opening the door, but they could see Him and touch Him, and He ate food in front of them (Luke 24:36-43). John said when the Lord appears we’ll be like He is (1 John 3:2).

It will help if you think of the verse as saying we’re sown a natural body and raised a supernatural body. Still physical but able to do things a natural body can’t do. This is consistent with the context of 1 Cor. 15:42-44. And in 1 Cor. 15:49 Paul said, “Just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man (Adam) so shall we bear the likeness of the man from Heaven (Jesus).”

“For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29).