Originally Posted by Pilgrim
1. RE: Matt 27, the onus would be upon you to show that all that were raised from the grave were recently buried
Well all five of your examples below were recent deaths
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If one wants to argue that one's original earthly body will not be raised particularly one which has decomposed, may I remind you that there was a time when all things didn't exist. All things are God's creation. It would be no more 'difficult' for God to raise a body from the grave after 2000 years than it would be to create Adam and Eve. grin
Yup. Thats the obvious and I think best argument and the one I use as well.
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What little we do know is that each person will be recognizable, i.e., they would seem to retain some of their physical characteristics. The new body will not be subject to aging; it will be incorruptible. It will be a spiritual body vs. a natural body, 1Cor 15:44. The soul of the individual will reside in this body, i.e., there will be no "free spirits" floating around either on the New Earth or in Hell.
Actually it is this fact that has been used as a base to say physical resurrection of the body that died is not necessary and is what brought up the original question. God no more needs the old body,or what ever is left, to make a new 'spiritual body' than He needed anything at all at the beginning. But physical resurrection certainly seems to be expected by every author of the scriptures as you point out below .
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Here are some passages that deal with resurrection in a general way. As you will see, the emphasis is upon a BODILY resurrection.

Job 14:12-15; 19:25-27; Ps 16:9-10; 17:15; 49:15; Isa 25:8; 26:19; Eze 37:1-14; Dan 12:2-3,13; Hos 13:14; Matt 22:23-32; 24:31; 25:1-13; 27:52-53; Mr 12:18-27; Lk 14:14; 20:27-38; Joh 5:21,25,28-29; 6:39-40,44,54; 11:23-25; 14:19; Acts 2:26-31; 4:1-2; 17:18,32; 23:6,8; 24:14-15; 26:6-8; Rom 4:16-21; 8:10-11,19,21-23; 1Co 6:14; 15:12-32,35-57; 2Co 4:14; 5:1-5; Php 3:10-11,21; 1Thess 4:14,16; 2Tim 1:10; 2:18; Heb 6:2; 11:19,35; Rev 1:18; 20:4-6,13.

Here are some examples of bodily resurrections.

The son of the widow of Zarephath - 1Kgs 17:17-23

The Shunammite woman's son - 2Kgs 4:32-37

The young man laid in Elisha's grave - 2Kgs 13:21

The widow's son - Lk 7:12-15

Jairus' daughter - Lk 8:49-55