The Physical Nature of the Resurrection

The Historic Orthodox Christian belief regarding the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was that He was raised in the same physical body in which He died, crucifixion scars and all 

Denial of the physical resurrection of Christ is tantamount to a denial of the resurrection itself, since it is only the physical body, not the soul that dies. 

Importance of a Bodily Resurrection

• Verify the Real God 
  • An empty tomb doesnt prove the resurrection, it has to be the same physical body
  • Christ's resurrection of the same physical body proves His claim to be God (John 8:58; 10:30)
  • The truth of Christianity is based squarily on the bodily resurrection
  • Jesus offered the resurrection as a proof of his deity throughout his ministry (Matt 12:38-40; John 2:19-22; 10:18) 
  • To the Apostles his resurrection appearances were "many convincing proofs" (Acts 1:3)
    • The Apostles used the fact of Christs bodily resurrection as the basis of their argument (Acts 2:22-36; 4:2, 10; 13:32-41; 17:1-4, 22-31) 
  • Peter appealed to the bodily resurrection when witnessing to the Jews (Acts 2:23-24, 31-32)
  • Paul says the resurrection is proof that Jesus is God in Acts 17:31

• Verification of the Real Event 
  • There is no way to verify the resurrection unless He rose in a physical material body that was killed 
  • A manifestation in an angel like form does not prove a bodily resurrection

• The Problem of Creation 
  • Romans 8: 18-25
  • The whole of material creation was subjected to bondage because of sin
  • God will reverse the curse upon material creation by a material resurrection. Anything less than the resurrection at the physical body would not restore Gods perfect creation as a material creation 

• The Problem of Salvation
  • The belief in the bodily  resurrection of Christ is a condition of salvation (Romans 10:9,10; 1 Thess. 4:14) 
  • The physical resurrection is part of the essence of the Gospel itself (1 Cor. 15:1-5) 
  • Without a physical resurrection there is no material continuity between the pre- and post resurrection body. They would be two different bodies.
  • Without a physical resurrection there is no grounds for celebrating victory over physical death

• The Problem of the Incarnation 
  • John warns against those who deny that "Jesus Chrost has come in the flesh" (1 John 4:2, cf. 2 John 7) 
  • Having human flesh is essential to the full humanity of Christ and is used repeatedly to describe it (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 4:2; 2 John 7). If this is so, then unless Christ arose immortal in the flesh, he was not fully human