Katargeo
2673 καταργέω katargeo kat-arg-eh’-o
Luke 13:7, Romans 3:3, 31, 4:14, 6:6, 7:2, 6, 1
st
Corinthians 1:28, 2:6, 6:13, 13:8, 10, 11, 15:24, 26, 2
nd
Corinthians 3:7, 11, 13, 14, Galatians
3:17, 5:5, 11, Ephesians 2:15, 2
nd Thessalonians 2:8, 2
nd
Timothy 1:10 and Hebrews 2:14
I believe in Fulfilled Eschatology.
So I'm not looking forward in expectation or anticipation of biological bodies
coming out of their graves.
I bring this up at this point because as there are numerous and different
overall Eschatology – End Times/Latter Days views, there's a nearly endless
supply of underlying areas where we'll find other areas of disagreement as well;
and this makes staying on a specific topic, difficult at best.
I also see the biological resurrections in scripture, as the shadow, and not
the substance.
I also see in scripture that "death" had already been defeated,
destroyed and abolished.
1st Corinthians 15:26 “the last enemy destroyed is death”
Most Bible versions show this with/in a future tense, but that would be
incorrect.
This was a simple statement of fact, not a future prophecy being given.
This verse contains a word in its Greek counter-part, which is extremely
significant in understanding many other scriptures where the same word appears.
This Greek word is Katargeo; It appears 27 times and is translated in the
KJV New Testament as:
destroy 5 times, do away 3 times, abolish 3 times, cumber 1 time, loose 1 time,
cease 1 time, fall 1 time, deliver 1 time, miscellaneous 11 times
I point out that "death" had already been "destroyed"; and
in addition to 1st Corinthians 15:26 being in the present tense, the same
writer (Paul) also pens 2 letters to Timothy. In 2nd Timothy 1:10, we find this
same person (Paul) telling Timothy, that "death" had already been
"abolished".
This is from that same word he used in 1st Corinthians 15:26
Katargeo
2nd Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus
Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel:
"who has abolished death"
The statement stands on its own and is irrefutable.
Now we obviously know biological death has not ENDED.
So the writer's intent here is not to convey that biological death has ended.
2673 καταργέω katargeo kat-arg-eh’-o
1) to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative
1a) to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency
1b) to deprive of force, influence, power
2) to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish
2a) to cease, to pass away, be done away
2b) to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one
2c) to terminate all intercourse with one
Consider also this word in the following verses
Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he
also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death "he
might destroy - katargeo" him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil;
This is pretty clear
Through death, Christ "destroyed" the devil, but go
back and look at the definition of Katargeo.
In context, this doesn't mean the/this devil no longer existed, but that it/he
had been stripped of power.
1st John 3:8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins
from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that "he
might destroy - katargeo" the works of the devil.
Same reasoning here
This doesn't mean the "works of the devil" just
vanished from existence, but meant that the "works" of the/this
devil, were likewise, stripped of any power.
While this is not pointing out that "death" has ended, it is
pointing out that death no longer had power over "us/believers", but
up to this point, we haven't discussed what "death"
(Biological/Metaphorical) is even being discussed between these 2 chapters and
statements.
That's another $64,000 question, for another time.
My point being is that death had been rendered/made/declared to be
powerless/neutralized/deprived of force, then a/the resurrection from that
"death" had already come; or at the very least, started.
Though there are quite literally, thousands of verses for overall consideration
in the Bible's end times/latter days, we're certainly not going to discuss
every pertinent one, in one article.
Christ himself mentions resurrection was already occurring:
Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the
gospel preached to them.
He reiterates this at another point in time:
Luke 20:37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he
calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Paul himself tells living people to "rise from the dead"
Ephesians 5:14 wherefore he says, awake you that sleep, and arise from
the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
Resurrection was already occurring, because death was already defeated,
destroyed and abolished.
Israel
(Corporate) was DEAD in her sins and trespasses, and needed to be resurrected/restored
back to God.
Ezekiel 37 spells this out perfectly.
Ezekiel 37 likewise shows a corporate resurrection of Israel.
"These bones are the bones of the WHOLE house of Israel" - Judah
and Israel
as the 2 sticks, combined back into 1 people.
"And they all stood up on their feet"
Corporate.
Notice it never says/adds, one at a time.
His Corporate resurrection in Ezekiel 37 is symbolic; it's metaphorical,
symbolism, allegorical, figurative, analogous, etc...
But this story doesn't end with biological/religious/cultural/genealogical Israel,
because their story is our story.
Their falls is our fall, their resurrection is our resurrection, their savior
is our savior, their ONLY way to God is our ONLY way to God.
I believe the entire CBV (Corporate Body View) versus IBV/IBD (Immortal Body
View – Individual Body at Death) conversation, is blown way out of proportion.
But I'll leave that for time to decide.
The Corporate "Body" of mankind consists of every single individual that
will ever be in it.
The Corporate "Body of Christ’ (1st Corinthians 12:26) consists
of every single individual that will ever be in it.
I believe I am already saved and sealed, but God has that final decision.
I believe the moment I release my last breath here on earth, I'll simply no
longer be "here" but will continue an existence, in some form and/or
fashion, with God, in eternity.
So in that regard, I believe I'll (My soul and spirit) be "raised"
out of this "fleshly" carcass, and enjoy the REST of eternal life, that
I believe I already possess, though God be the final authority on that.
© 2011 Jerry Wm. Bowers Jr.