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Chapter 7
 THE
RESURRECTION: THE
FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH
by Daniel
LeEarl Hall
The Watchtower Society claims that the trinity is the central or foundational
doctrine of "Christendom." (The Christian church) Again, they are wrong. The
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the basis of our faith. The
resurrection is foundational to the true Christian gospel. For by His death,
burial, and resurrection... we are saved! (1Cor. 15:1-4).
Jesus' death and burial paid for our sins, but His resurrection provides eternal
life. Some religions teach that Jesus paid for our sins, removing the cause of
death and providing the hope of eternal life. But, that is only a part of God's
provision. If Jesus simply died and paid the price for our sins, we would only
be back to square-one. We would be like Adam, who at one time was without sin,
but didn't have eternal life.
Pastor Robert Housh of Valley Bible gives the analogy of the dead man with a
bullet in him. If the coroner removes the bullet he is still dead, in spite of
the fact that the cause of death has been removed. What the man needs is life.
By the fact that Jesus is fully God and fully man, He is able, not only to pay
for our sins, but to give us life, HIS LIFE! (Col. 3:3,4)
Jesus said, "I Am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me will
live, even though he dies, and he who lives and believes in me will never die at
all." (John 11 :25,26)
Paul discussed the importance of the resurrection. He said, "If there is no
resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ
has not been raised then our preaching is useless and so is your faith." (1 Cor.
15:13,14)
Paul then affirmed the resurrection, stating, "So it will be with the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised incorruptible;
it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it is
raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If
there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body... For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (1 Cor.
15:41-53)
This resurrection is guaranteed to all Christians who have believed and received
Jesus Christ. It is the foundation of our faith. The resurrection of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ gives us everything! Without it, we have nothing!
The Mormon Church uses the word, but they deny the resurrection, teaching a form
of continual reincarnation, that the spirit takes on new bodies.
The Watchtower Society also uses the word, but they too deny the resurrection
and instead teach re-creation. According to Watchtower theology, the Father
first created Jesus as the Word and an archangel, then demoted Him to a mere
man, then totally destroyed Him, body, soul, and spirit, and then re-created Him
as a spirit creature, as an archangel. They claim: "Jesus was dead, he was
unconscious, out of existence. Death did not mean a transition to another life
for Jesus; rather, non-existence." (7-22-79 Awake!)
In their brochure When Someone You Love Dies, on page 28 they state: "If
scientific principles established by the Creator can be used by humans to
reconstruct such a visible and audible scene, should not the Creator be able to
do far more? Is it not reasonable then, that the one who created life is capable
of re-creating it?" (Also, refer to 8-15-2003 Watchtower, back page.)
Nowhere in the entire Bible does it even imply that God re-creates anyone.
Strong's Bible Concordance is very clear regarding the Greek words for create.
1.Creator-ktistes
2.Create-ktizo
3. Creation-ktsis
4.Created thing, creature-ktisma
The koine Greek word for re-create is anaktizo. It is nowhere to be found in
God's Word. If God was going to re-create anyone, He would have used the word,
anaktizo. He did not.
The question arises, If, God re-created someone, wouldn't that be a CLONE; look
like the person, act like the person, but not be the same person? God didn't use
the word for recreate. He used the word anastisis, which, according to Strong's
Concordance, means "a standing up from death; raised to life again; to rise from
the dead. "
In the resurrection our bodies are changed," "transformed." Paul verified this
when he said, "The Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it
may be fashioned like unto His glorious body." (Phil. 3:20,21)
The Greek word translated "change" is metaschematizo, and means "a change, a
transformation." The Greek word translated "fashioned," is summorphus, which
means "conformed to, fashioned like unto." From these we get the word
"metamorphosis," a changing, as from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Without the
resurrection, we would have no hope whatsoever.
THANKS AND PRAISE TO GOD FOR
THE RESURRECTION!!! |
