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Immortality & Incorruptibility (#156142)
Immortality & Incorruptibility
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From:
Doctrinal Definitions: A Handbook of Doctrinal Terms & Expressions in the New Testament
By:
Stanley Bruce Anstey
• 2 min. read • grade level: 8
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This refers to the deathless state into which believers will be changed when they are glorified. For the New and Old Testament saints, this will occur at the time of the Rapture (
1 Cor. 15:51-56
51
Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑56)
;
Heb. 11:40
40
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:40)
). For the martyred portion of the believing Jewish remnant, it will be at the end of the Great Tribulation (
Rev. 14:13
13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13)
). Old Testament saints didn’t know much about life after death, but the truth concerning it has now been brought to light through the gospel. We now know that there is
“life”
for the soul, and
“incorruptibility”
for the body (
2 Tim. 1:10
10
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: (2 Timothy 1:10)
).
As mentioned, at the moment of the Rapture, the Lord will effect a change in the saints who have died, which Paul states as:
“this corruptible must put on incorruptibility”
(
1 Cor. 15:5
5
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: (1 Corinthians 15:5)
3a). The Lord will also effect a change to the living saints which Paul states as:
“this mortal must put on immortality”
(
1 Cor. 15:5
5
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: (1 Corinthians 15:5)
3b). This change will be both moral and physical. Their souls and spirits will be rid of the fallen sin-natures, and thus they will be made like Christ morally (
1 John 3:2
2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
). Also, their bodies will be made like Christ’s body physically (
Phil. 3:21
21
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)
).
The souls of all men are immortal—regardless of whether a person is saved or lost.
Genesis 2:7
7
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)
says,
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
This shows that the spirits and souls of men are
“living,”
not dying. All such will live on forever, either in the enjoyment of the blessing of God or under damnation. Even after a person dies and his body is buried, his spirit and his soul live on. In connection with this, the Lord said,
“All
[the dead]
live unto Him”
(
Luke 20:38
38
For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. (Luke 20:38)
). While man’s soul is immortal, his body is
“mortal”
—subject to death (
Job 4:17
17
Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? (Job 4:17)
;
Rom. 6:12; 8:11
12
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (Romans 6:12)
11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)
;
1 Cor. 15:53-54
53
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:53‑54)
;
2 Cor. 4:11
11
For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:11)
). The good news is that there will come a time for the believer when
“mortality”
will be
“swallowed up of life”
(
2 Cor. 5:4
4
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (2 Corinthians 5:4)
).
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