Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the term "body" refers to the physical form of a human being, which is distinct yet intricately connected to the spiritual and moral aspects of a person. The body is often discussed in relation to its creation, purpose, and ultimate destiny according to God's design.
Creation and PurposeThe Bible begins with the creation of the human body, as described in
Genesis 2:7: "Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." This passage highlights the divine origin of the body, emphasizing that it is crafted by God and animated by His breath. The body is not merely a vessel but an integral part of human identity, created in the image of God (
Genesis 1:27).
The body is also seen as a temple of the Holy Spirit for believers. In
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul writes, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body." This underscores the sanctity of the body and the responsibility of believers to honor God through their physical existence.
Moral and Spiritual ImplicationsThe body is often discussed in the context of moral and spiritual conduct.
Romans 12:1 urges believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice: "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." This call to holiness reflects the belief that the body should be used in service to God, aligning physical actions with spiritual devotion.
The struggle between the desires of the flesh and the spirit is a recurring theme in the New Testament.
Galatians 5:16-17 advises, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh." This passage highlights the tension between the sinful nature and the call to live according to the Spirit, emphasizing the need for self-control and spiritual discipline.
Resurrection and TransformationThe destiny of the body is a significant theme in Christian eschatology. The resurrection of the body is a core belief, as articulated in
1 Corinthians 15:42-44: "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. 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." This transformation from a perishable to an imperishable state reflects the hope of eternal life and the ultimate redemption of the body.
Philippians 3:20-21 further affirms this hope: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body." The promise of a glorified body underscores the continuity and renewal of the physical form in the life to come.
ConclusionThe biblical understanding of the body encompasses its creation, moral significance, and eschatological transformation. It is viewed as a sacred entity, integral to human identity and spiritual life, with a destiny that reflects God's redemptive plan.
Library
Refutation of the Homeric view of the Soul's Detention from Hades...
... Chapter LVI."Refutation of the Homeric View of the Soul's Detention from
Hades Owing to theBody's Being Unburied. That Souls...
Does the Soul Take theBody's Clothes Also Away with It?
... Book IV. Chapter 29 [XIX.]"Does the Soul Take theBody's Clothes Also Away
with It? If, indeed, the soul werebody, and the form...
Is the Soul Deformed by theBody's Imperfections?
... Book IV. Chapter 28."Is the Soul Deformed by theBody's Imperfections?
Now, again, what means it that you say, "The soul acquires...
Whether the Glorified Bodies Will be Agile?
... Therefore the glorified bodies will not be agile. Objection 2: Further, no
body that moves with labor and pain can be said to be agile....
Colossians i. 21, 22
... Colossians i.21, 22 "And you, being in time past, enemies and alienated [768] in
your mind, in your evil works, yet now hath He reconciled in thebody of His...
Whether the Happiness of the Saints Will be Greater after the...
... Now the soul is more like God when separated from thebody than when united
to it. Therefore its happiness is greater before being...
First Tractate.
... their seat? Clearly, either in the Soul alone, or in the Soul as employing
thebody, or in some third entity deriving from both. And...
Second Tractate. On virtue.
... And participation goes by nearness: the Soul nearer than thebody, therefore closer
akin, participates more fully and shows a godlike presence, almost cheating...
But Infirmity Pleadeth Its Part, and with Favor of the Crowds...
... When all chastity is of the truth, and not thebody's but the mind's chastity
is truth, yea, in the mind dwelleth even thebody's chastity....
Internal Exercises Weaken theBody, yet Oft Prolong Life. ...
... CHAPTER VI. Internal exercises weaken thebody, yet oft prolong life.? Sec. 1. Internal
exercises weaken thebody, yet oft prolong life. Sec. Sec....
Thesaurus
Body's (3 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Body's (3 Occurrences). Colossians 1:24 Now I
rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my
...Infection (24 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:2 "When a man shall have a rising in hisbody's skin, or a scab, or
a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of hisbody the plague of leprosy...
Infectious (19 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:2 "When a man shall have a rising in hisbody's skin, or a scab, or
a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of hisbody the plague of leprosy...
Spot (42 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A mark on a substance orbody made by
foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored. 2. (n.) A stain...
Body-guard (23 Occurrences)
Body-guard. Bodyguard,Body-guard.Body's . Int. Standard Bible
EncyclopediaBODY-GUARD. bod'-i-gard: The expression occurs...
Skin (115 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The hide of an animal, separated from thebody, whether green, dry, or tanned;
especially, that of a small animal, as a calf, sheep, or goat....
Plague (142 Occurrences)
... Plague (142 Occurrences). Mark 5:29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was
dried up; and she felt in herbody that she was healed of that plague....
Leprosy (51 Occurrences)
... This disease "begins with specks on the eyelids and on the palms, gradually spreading
over thebody, bleaching the hair white wherever they appear, crusting...
Lacking (53 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 12:24 and our seemly things have no need; but God did temper thebody
together, to the lacking part having given more abundant honour, (YLT)....
Turns (80 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:2 "When a man shall have a rising in hisbody's skin, or a scab, or
a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of hisbody the plague of leprosy...
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