OPPOSING VIEWS TO THE ASCENSION

OPPOSING VIEWS TO THE ASCENSION

Materialistic Theory

• Denies an ascension in any sense.
• Death was the end of Him.

The "Spiritualistic" Theory

• Denies an ascension in a body.
• Only His "spirit" ascended.

(But see the testimony recorded by Luke the physician: "a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have", Luke 24:39) "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

The body in which our Lord appeared to His disciples was His glorified body, the new body, of the same nature which ours will be in resurrection. When He spoke of "flesh and bones" it would seem as though there were no blood, at least that is often said and much has been made of it but to much so, for the very term "flesh" presupposes blood. At the same time it may be a description of the resurrection body, and a proof that there is no blood in it; but if that is so, we at once have to say we do not understand what flesh is. That, again, is of some other nature than what we know of flesh. Flesh as we know it is entirely dependent upon the presence of blood for life. Apart from blood it became carrion. There is absolutely no bearing upon the idea that the blood of Christ is in heaven. See also 1 Cor. 15:50. and Heb 9:12.
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."