Resurrection
Jesus’ resurrectionThe Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after the crucifixion. The rising from the dead of believers on the Last Day in a new, or risen, life. is a central belief within Christianity. Christians believe that everybody will be resurrected on the Day of JudgementThe last day, when God judges all of humanity according to how they have lived., when God will judge everyone individually. According to the Book of Revelation, after people have been judged, they will be sent to Heaven or Hell. Therefore, death is not to be feared for those who have lived moralConcerned with the principles of right and wrong behaviour. and done God’s will.
In a book of his letters, St Paul describes the process of Jesus’ resurrection. He then reassures Christians that Jesus’ resurrection means that the faithful will also be raised from the dead:
For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. (1 Corinthians 15:16)
St PaulFormerly known as Saul, a first-century convert to Christianity who went on to spread the news about Jesus Christ. concludes that death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). From this, Christians understand that Jesus’ resurrection has opened up the possibility of eternal life after death for them.
St Paul says that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). Some Christians interpret this to mean that only the soulThe spiritual part of a human being. It is believed by many that the soul is eternal. lives on - resurrection will be spiritual rather than physical. Most Christians, however, believe that there will be a resurrection in some form for those God judges as worthy of eternal life.
Question
What did St Paul say that leads some Christians to believe that it is the soul and not the body that will live on after death?
St Paul said, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50).
