Christ Conquered Death

Paul reminded Timothy of the resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death since false teachers were denying the future resurrection of believers.

Paul responded to false teachings about the resurrection of believers in his second letter to Timothy. Certain voices denied this essential truth. “God did not give us a spirit of fear but of a sound mind,” and this included overcoming our anxieties about death. Jesus was victorious over death and now gives men and women life “through the Gospel.”

The theme of “sound teaching” is prominent in Paul’s second letter to Timony. The coming bodily resurrection was basic to the salvation hope of the Church. After all, Jesus “nullified death” when God raised him from the dead.

[Photo by Madeleine Maguire on Unsplash]

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul described the heart of the Gospel – “Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and he was buried, and he was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures” – (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Apostolic message proclaimed by Paul was “sound” teaching:

• “God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to the peculiar purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages but has now been manifested through the appearance of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and thrown light upon life and incorruptibility, through means of the gospel” - (2 Timothy 1:9-10).

By the phrase “abolish death,” Paul did not mean that death no longer occurs. The Greek verb translated as “abolish” does not mean to “destroy” something, but to “nullify” it, making it ineffective, and also to discharge or invalidate a legal claim ('katargeô', καταργεω, Strong’s Concordance - #G2673).

The end of Death, its continuing reality and condition, will not occur until the “arrival” or ‘Parousia’ of Jesus. As the author of Hebrews writes, through his death, Jesus “destroyed him that had the dominion of death, that is, the Devil, and delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

Death still occurs to all men, including believers, but it is incapable of holding Christ’s disciples forever. When Jesus returns, he will overthrow Death’s sentence by resurrecting his saints, and the “last enemy, death,” will be no more. Death will no longer occur, and the righteous will no longer remain in their graves - (1 Corinthians 15:24-28, Hebrews 2:14-18).

Jesus brought life and “immortality” to light. Immortality is the opposite of death. It is the absence of dying and death. This is what the Greek noun signifies, “death-less, without death” (‘aphtharsia’, αφθαρσια, Strong’s Concordance - #G861).

This is not a condition that human souls, spirits, or bodies possess by nature. Immortality was lost to humanity when Adam sinned. However, believers will be raised, transformed, and receive immortality when Jesus returns. This will not be the case for all men, only those who have been redeemed through his Death and Resurrection will be raised to “everlasting life” - (1 Corinthians 15:50-57).

RESURRECTION IS FOUNDATIONAL

Paul instructed Timothy to “remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.” The Apostle suffered persecution because he proclaimed this message, and central to it was the proclamation that God raised Jesus from the dead and therefore will also resurrect us on the Last Day - (2 Timothy 2:8-18).

Paul suffered so the “elect may also obtain the salvation in Christ Jesus with everlasting glory<…> If we are dead with him, we shall also live with him<…> If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”

While death still occurs, it does not have the final word. “Salvation,” resurrection, and “everlasting glory” will be obtained when Jesus returns - (“We will also live with him”).

Paul reminded Timothy of Christ’s past resurrection, the basis of our future resurrection. False teachers deny the bodily resurrection. The Apostle labels their denials “profane and empty chattering” to be avoided by true believers, and so it remains today.

To deny resurrection means abandoning the fundamental hope of the Gospel and repudiating the foundation of salvation – the Death and Resurrection of Jesus:

• “If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. Moreover, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. But now has Christ been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who sleep” – (1 Corinthians 15:16-20).

That Paul brings up the resurrection so easily when it is only indirectly relevant to his larger discussion shows how foundational our resurrection is to the Apostolic Tradition. If the righteous dead are not raised bodily in the future, they will remain forever in their graves, and our salvation hope will become null and void.

However, as Jesus promised, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes on him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day.” On that day, righteous men and women of every age and generation will celebrate and declare, “Death is swallowed up in victory! O Death, where is your sting?” The ancient curse will be no more.

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SEE ALSO:

• The Last Enemy - (The Last Enemy, Death, will be overthrown when Jesus arrives at the end of the age - 1 Corinthians 15:20-25)

• Life from the Dead - (Not only does Paul base the salvation provided by the Gospel on the past resurrection of Jesus, but he also links it to the future resurrection of believers)

• Spirit and Resurrection - (The Gift of the Spirit is the foretaste and guarantee of the future resurrection of believers)

• Christus Overwon de Dood - (Paulus herinnerde Timotheüs aan de opstanding van Jezus en zijn overwinning op de dood, aangezien valse leraren de toekomstige opstanding van gelovigen ontkenden)

A special song celebrating the Resurrection by Orthodox Christian Chants