Skip to content

F10 reasoning: Bodily resurrection of Christ

Reasoning steps: Bodily resurrection of Christ

Verdicts: F10 · Bodily resurrection of Christ. Method: conventions, scoring and proximity eras. Scripture is the primary measure; fathers are weighed by era (Era I to c. 150 = 1.0, II = 0.8, III = 0.6, IV = 0.4).

F10.1: Was Christ raised bodily?

Step F10.1.1: Scripture

Luke 24:39 (‘a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have’); John 20:27; 1 Cor 15:3–8 (appearances), 14–17 (‘if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile’).

Step F10.1.2: Patristic evidence

Ignatius (Era I): ‘after His resurrection also He was still possessed of flesh’. Polycarp: God ‘raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead’. Justin: Christ ‘rose again, and ascended’. Sources: ignatius-f10-s1 · polycarp-f10-s1 · justin-martyr-f10-s1.

Step F10.1.3: Weighing decision

Unanimous from Era I. Verdict: consensus.

  • Confidence: High.

Step F10.1.4: Source-proximity weighing

  • Scripture (benchmark): The risen Christ has ‘flesh and bones’ (Luke 24:39); Paul makes the resurrection essential (1 Cor 15:14–17). (Scripture confidence: high)
  • Assessment: Scripture and Era I agree; all nine confess it.

Post-750 development by tradition

Catholic

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.

Orthodox

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Nicene Creed.

Oriental Orthodox

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Armenian creed in the Badarak: ‘ascended into heaven with the same body’ (verified).

Lutheran

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): AC III: ’truly rose again the third day’.

Anglican

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Art. IV: ‘Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones’.

Presbyterian

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): WCF VIII.4: ‘with the same body in which he suffered’.

Reformed Baptist

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): 1689 8.4.

General Baptist

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Orthodox Creed; Apostles’ Creed (art. 38).

Anabaptist

Confesses the bodily resurrection.

  • F10.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Dordrecht IV (resurrection; to verify wording).