Disciples Digital Library

Paul presents Abraham as the great exemplar of faith. God counted his faith as “ righteousness ” when he was yet uncircumcised, and that means He justified him apart from the “ works of the Law .” Therefore, he became the father of all men who are also “ from faith .” Circumcision was added after the promise as the “ seal ” of Abraham’s justifying faith.

In Romans , Paul presents his most detailed explanation of the gospel. He is dealing with conflicts between Gentiles and Jews in the church, and he is preparing the ground for taking the gospel to the west. In the process, he addresses several related topics, including death, redemption, the Law, resurrection, and the New Creation. He begins by describing the plight of humanity that resulted from sin, then he presents the solution provided by God through His son, Jesus Christ.

Foundational to the church’s future hope is the bodily resurrection of believers when Jesus arrives in glory . Paul’s description of the “ arrival ” of Jesus is written to comfort believers concerning the fate of their compatriots who died before that event. They need not sorrow “ like the others ”  BECAUSE  the dead will be resurrected when the Lord “ arrives .”

Paul exhorted the church to pursue perfection, a process that will culminate in the resurrection on the Day of Christ – Philippians 3:7-21.  In his opening thanksgiving, Paul prepares his readers for a key theme of the letter, the pursuit of “ perfection ”  until the day that Jesus arrives in glory, the “ Day of Christ .” They will be made complete when they are resurrected on that day. In Paul’s view, resurrection is an integral part of the salvation that believers receive when Jesus appears.

In his letter to the Romans , Paul declares there is “ now no condemnation ” for anyone who is “ in Jesus .” This happy condition now exists because the “ law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set them free from the law of sin and of death .” And he also links the salvation of believers to the inheritance of Christ and the redemption of the creation itself.

The biblical faith is forward-looking and integral to its doctrine of salvation is the future resurrection of the dead. And that event will also mark the commencement of the New Creation. In the New Testament, this hope is linked to two events. First, the past resurrection of Jesus, and second, his future arrival at the end of the age. And salvation will remain incomplete without the resurrection of the saints.

In his letter to the  Romans , Paul presents Abraham as the great exemplar of the faith, the model for all men who choose to live from the “ faith of Jesus .” God counted the Patriarch’s faith as “ righteousness ” while he was yet uncircumcised, and thus He justified him apart from the “ works of the Law .” Consequently, he became the father of everyone who is “ from faith ,” both Jews and Gentiles, as well as the “ heir of the world .”

The arrival of Jesus will mark the end of the present order and the commencement of the age to come and the New Creation .  Jesus will return at the “ end ” of the age in great power and glory. His “ arrival ” will result in the judgment of the ungodly, the resurrection and vindication of the righteous, the New Creation, and the termination of death – Thus, it will be an  event of great finality .

Paul reassures the Thessalonians regarding the participation of dead saints in the arrival of Jesus from heaven – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reassures them concerning the participation of saints who die before the ‘ parousia ’ in the glories of that day.   BOTH  dead and living saints will assemble and “ meet ” him as he descends from heaven. Thereafter, they will be with Jesus “ forevermore .”

At the heart of the salvation provided by Jesus are the resurrection and new creation at Christ’s arrival in glory .  Central to the doctrine of salvation is the promise of  REDEMPTION . God will not abandon what He created. And “ redemption ” means recovering that which was enslaved by sin and sentenced to decay and death.

In writing to the Corinthians, Paul outlines the events that will occur at or shortly before the “ arrival ” or ‘ parousia ’ of Jesus, one of several Greek terms applied by him to Christ’s future coming. Regardless of which term is used, he always refers to one “coming,” “revelation,” or “appearance” of Jesus at the end of the age, not two.

The resurrection is not a major subject in Paul’s “pastoral” letters, but he does raise the subject when dealing with the problem of false teachers in Ephesus. As he stated to Timothy, “ God did not give us a spirit of fear but of a sound mind .” The theme of “ sound teaching ” is prominent in the three pastoral letters, and the future resurrection is a prime example of the apostolic doctrines.

In his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul stresses the exaltation of Jesus following his resurrection. It seems some congregants were confused about his authority over the spiritual powers that remained hostile to his people. So, Paul reminded the church of just how highly God exalted the one who became the “ firstborn of the dead .”

In the opening thanksgiving of his letter to the Philippians, Paul prepares his readers for a key theme of his letter – going on to “ perfection ” in Jesus. The promised bodily resurrection is necessary for their “ completion .” It is not optional. Instead, it is an integral part of the future salvation they will receive when Jesus arrives in glory.

In Romans, Paul presents his gospel from humanity's plight due to sin to salvation in the resurrection of the dead and the New Creation - LIFE FROM THE DEAD .  In his letter,  the Apostle presents his most detailed explanation of the gospel. His purpose is to deal with conflicts between Gentile and Jewish members of the church and prepare the ground for his taking the gospel to the west. In doing so, he touches on key topics, including death, redemption, the Law, resurrection, and New Creation.

The arrival of Jesus at the end of the age will mean the termination of the Last Enemy - Death .  Some church members are Corinth are denying the bodily resurrection. Paul responds by stressing the necessity for resurrection and appealing to the  PAST RESURRECTION OF JESUS  as the precedent for the resurrection of believers. Followers of Christ will be raised from the dead when he “ arrives ,” and that event will signal the end of death itself.

There is no life without the Spirit of God, and His Spirit creates, animates, sustains, and restores all life .  Jesus declared that “ the Spirit makes alive  [‘quickens’] . The flesh profits nothing. The words which I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life. ” His words echo the scriptural principle that life and the “ Spirit ” are inextricably linked. The “ flesh ” is not inherently evil, but it has no life without the spirit given by God.