Resurrection of the Dead
The dead will be raised.
This doctrine defines Christian orthodoxy. Denial places one outside the historic faith.
What the traditions say
Dogma. At the last day, all the dead will rise in their bodies. Purgatory purifies those who die in grace but are not yet fully sanctified.
Pascha (Easter) is the central feast: Christ's resurrection is the firstfruits and guarantee of the general resurrection. "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death."
Bodily resurrection was a core distinguishing belief from paganism and Gnosticism. The Apostles' Creed: "I believe in the resurrection of the body."
Westminster Confession XXXII: "All the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies, and none other." Bodily resurrection, not merely spiritual survival.
Maimonides' 13th principle: "I believe with perfect faith that there will be a resurrection of the dead." But the nature and timing are debated.
Who binds this (creedal)
Every affiliated congregation inherits its denomination's position. Follow a chip to see the confession's language.
Key scriptures
- 1Cor 15:20 — But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
- 1Cor 15:42 — So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
- 1Cor 15:52 — In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
- 1Thess 4:16 — For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
- Acts 24:15 — And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
- Dan 12:2 — And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
- Isa 26:19 — Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
- Job 19:25 — For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
- John 11:25 — Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
- John 5:28 — Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
- John 5:29 — And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
- Matt 22:31 — But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
- Rev 20:12 — And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
- Rev 20:14 — And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
What the confessions say
Articles of the historic confessions that address this doctrine.
- Reformed Baptist 1689 London Baptist Confession 31.2 — Of the State of Man after Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead
- Reformed Baptist 1689 London Baptist Confession 31.3 — Of the State of Man after Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead
- Reformed Westminster Confession of Faith 32.2 — Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead
- Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion Article 4 — Of the Resurrection of Christ
- Lutheran Augsburg Confession Article 17 — Of Christ's Return to Judgment
- Roman Catholic Council of Trent (Decrees) On Justification · Chapter XIV — On the fallen, and their restoration
The Church Fathers
The earliest Fathers who commented on the Scriptures above.
Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising Him from the dead. Let us contemplate, beloved, the resurrection which is at all times taking place. Day and night declare to us a resurrection. The night…
He was crucified in reality, and not in appearance, not in imagination, not in deceit. He really died, and was buried, and rose from the dead, even as He prayed in a certain place, saying, "But do Thou, O Lord, raise me up again, and I shall recompense them." And the Father, who always hears Him, answered and said, "Arise, O God, and…
Let our opponents-that is, they who speak against their own salvation-inform us [as to this point]: The deceased daughter of the high priest; the widow's dead son, who was being carried out [to burial] near the gate [of the city]; and Lazarus, who had lain four days in the tomb, -in what bodies did they rise again? In those same, no…
Unquestionably, if the people were indulging in figurative murmurs that their bones were become dry and that their hope had perished—plaintive at the consequences of their dispersion—then God might fairly enough seem to have consoled their figurative despair with a figurative promise. Since, however, no injury had as yet alighted on…
And so of the things which will be in this way he adds saying, "And many of they who sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise, some to eternal life and some to reproach and eternal shame and they who understand shall shine as the splendor of the firmament and the many righteous as the stars in the age to come." [Daniel 12:2-3] And…
We think that those who have been perfected and who no longer commit sin are alive in Christ. The dead in Christ are those who are favorably disposed to the Christian faith and who prefer to live a good life but who have not, in fact, actually succeeded, but still sin, either in ignorance of the accurate true word of justice or in…