|
|
|
|
Deutsche Version | Wiki Start | Topics Collection viii
Death and Life ...
Friday, Nov 4, 2016. Life is serious. As humans we realize this basic truth when we are ill, or when life is threatened, or when we are faced by threats of war, of pain, of death. Life is serious, though we are often concerned with smaller problems, when all is going its path in a more or less ordered way.
Paul about Death …
Paul's life has been threatened a lot. He was traveling around, he has been the great persecutor who went after Christians, and now he is persecuted himself. In all the threats, he has discovered something more important than his life: Christ. Let us look again into Philippians 1:
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. (from Philippians 1)
To live is Christ. For Paul the center and purpose and content of life is Christ. This may seem strange when you do not know what “Christ” means. He talks about Jesus, but he also talks about who Jesus is, the creator, the beginning and the end, the one who made everything possible, who is maintaining all what is. Paul is talking about the heart and core of creation. Life is Christ makes sense if we hear it in this framework.
Forms of Death …
The New Testament talks about death in many forms. Of course, we will die, our current body will not survive for long. All our earthly plans will be tested by physical death of our body. What will remain? Here, Christian faith gives a perspective into eternity. We are in God's hands, and he is life! He is the God of the living - and in im we all live. Christ is risen, and as Jesus we will be woken up on the last day.
But there is much more to say about life and death. The bible talks about death with respect to the old habits, with respect to the old life - not only with respect to our physical body, but also with respect to our spiritual behavior. We are to die with respect to hatred, with respect to egoism and illusions and addictions. We are to find freedom in faith, freedom in Christ. It is the freedom of true humanity! It is death of a humanity which is twisted and enslaved! It is called life and death as well!
Spiritual life and eternal life are connected, they are one. When we come to faith, we have gone through the door of death, we come to life. Spiritual life and eternal life are one - there is no separation between spirit and body in the end, though our physical body still needs the transition which Jesus took when he was resurrected. Paul calls our body an earthly tent.
The New Testament talks about far reaching events here, which seem nearly incomprehensible. Yet, they have started to be reality 2000 years ago and show their reality since then in the life of everyone who believes in Christ Jesus. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts