Resurrection:

While we are still in this tent we groan…

longing to be further clothed.

 (Second Corinthians 5:4)

That last post, about growth of our soul versus growth of our bodies, wasn’t altogether honest. I’m still not at ease about my best ball lying behind me. What we really long for is bodies that hold up for the long haul—like eternity.

Body and soul can’t be so easily separated. What’s going on in my soul can’t help but show up in my body and what’s going on in my body reflects on my soul. Without my body, I’m no longer me. That must be what the Apostle means when he says, “We don’t want to be unclothed but further clothed” (2Cor 5:4). It’s strange language, isn’t it? This talk of our tent, our nakedness and our being further clothed.

It’s against my way to paraphrase—the Apostle has a right to his own strange language; but, this morning, I’ll break my rules and give it a try (2Cor 5:1-5):

We know that these earthly bodies of ours will not last. That’s why we groan. Nor do we want to be just naked souls floating about. That’s not what we long for. But rather, we long to be further clothed with new bodies fit for Glory. God has prepared for us this very thing. Meanwhile, God gives us the Spirit as a guarantee that it’s really so.

I don’t mean to presume on the sacred text—as if I could say it better. I’m sure we’ve lost something. There’s always more. That’s why we come back to the text again and again. But for this morning, maybe it’s okay to reimagine the text something like I’ve paraphrased.

Without my body, I’m not me. That’s why naked, floating about souls won’t do. We long to be further clothed. That’s how our confession goes: “I believe in …the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” Life everlasting wouldn’t be much fun if we didn’t have resurrected bodies fit for eternity. The whole universe—the whole of creation is in on it (Ro 8:22-23):

Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay

and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;

and not only the creation, but we ourselves groan inwardly

while we wait for the redemption of our bodies.

Our new bodies require a new creation. That’s why we await “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rv 21:1). Between now and then, “God gives us the Spirit as a guarantee that it’s really so.”