by Dan Norcini
Within the Preterist system of eschatology, there now exists a particular interpretation of some expressions that are used in the New Testament, which are a radical departure from their usual historical meaning. The system I am referring to can best be summed up as the “Corporate Body View” (CBV for short).
What those who adhere to and who are teaching this view have done is to take a number of the passages that have historically been understood as referring to Individual Christians (Individual Body View or IBV for short) and apply them to the church corporately. In other words, passages which were understood as referring to individual Christians are now interpreted to refer to the church considered as a “body”.
The resurrection passage of 1 Corinthians 15 is a good example of their hermeneutic. Without going into depth, suffice it to say that what has historically been understood throughout most of church history to be referring to the change in Christians upon death when they receive an incorruptible, immortal body that fits them for their eternal inheritance, the proponents of the CBV state that this is not the case. They argue that the change spoken of by the Apostle Paul is the change that the Church underwent with the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70AD by the Roman army, when the last vestige of the Old Covenant was swept away making room for the New Covenant age. In other words, the “great change” is not dealing with the change in the nature of believers’ bodies, but rather the change in the state of the Church corporately as it enters into the fulness of the New Covenant.
It is not the purpose of this particular paper to deal with what this writer considers to be a gross mischaracterization of the Apostle’s words, but rather how the CBV teachers have sadly been forced to change the simple and obvious meanings of phrases and words in the New Testament in order to support their paradigm, a paradigm which I believe is doing great harm to the Preterist view of eschatology.
Consider the following text of Scripture:
“ Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,” ( 1 Cor 15:50-51)
As one example of how these teachers are wresting the meaning of phrases, they argue that the “change” spoken of by Paul, refers to the change in the status of all believers under the full implementation of the New Covenant. It is more of a change in the mind, when the church corporately (the Church considered as a body) moves out from under the shadow of the Old Covenant which was still existing at the time Paul penned this letter to the church at Corinth, and enters into the age of the New Covenant in its fulness. What has historically been understood as the resurrection of the body and the change in its nature, has now been reinterpreted to mean more of a raising to a new and different status, an enlightenment of the mind in which the church reaches maturity in its understanding.
Needless to say, this is quite a radical departure from the historical understanding of this passage.
In explaining this passage, the CBV teachers take the phrase, “that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”, and tell us that this means those under the Old Covenant. They cite no proof for this redefining of the expression, “flesh and blood”; they simply assert that this is the meaning of the phrase, and then move on to their novel interpretation of the verse.
Perhaps the best way to try to convince those who have adopted this view, is to understand the phrase by referencing other places in the New Testament in which it has been used.
Here are those passages:
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (Matt 16:13-17)
Here, Matthew records the event in which Jesus is questioning His disciples as to how the public of His day views Him. When Peter provides the answer, that Jesus is indeed the long awaited promised Messiah, the Son of God ( see Psalm 2:7 as one reference declaring the Messiah was to be the Son of God), Jesus uses the expression, “flesh and blood”.
This is one of several uses of this expression which we will find in the New Testament. It is evident from its use here, that Jesus is telling Peter that mortal men, unaided by any direct revelation from God, could not have revealed this truth to Peter, but rather it was a direct revelation by God the Father that came to Peter through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit – the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Let’s try substituting the meaning of this phrase using the definition of the CBV teachers.
‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because men living under the Old Covenant did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Hmmm….There is some truth in that since at the time Jesus was questioning His disciples, the people of the day are certainly living under the Old Covenant. Those certainly had not instructed Peter who Jesus was in truth. So while the interpretation given of the phrase by the CBV folks is not what has historically been used with this passage, it is not outlandish even if it is a bit odd.
Let’s move onto the next usage of the phrase:
“But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.” (Gal 1: 15-17)
Here the Apostle Paul is writing to the churches throughout the Galatian region and telling them what he did after his conversion. Notice that he did not seek guidance from mortal men as to what he should do next but instead retreated to the solitude of Arabia, where more than likely he used the time to reflect and rethink his entire understanding of the Scriptures and its prophecies. In other words, there were none he could turn do and give him counsel so he followed the inward working of his spirit and left for Arabia.
In the usage of the phrase in this passage, it is clear that “flesh and blood” means flawed, fallible men, men who are oftentimes unsure of their own direction in life. Why would the apostle seek guidance from such after such a heavenly encounter and a shattering of all that he once held dear as far as his own understanding of truth.
Following our methodology, here would be the CBV interpretation:
“But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with men living under the Old Covenant 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.” (Gal 1: 15-17)
As is the case with the first example out of Matthew’s gospel – a bit odd of an interpretation, but not all that outlandish considering that the only possible men that the apostle would have consulted with might have been his former Jewish friends and acquaintances from his pre-conversion days, no doubt living under the Old Covenant.
Moving along:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
Here the contrast is between mortal human beings and demonic forces that shape the political and philosophical ideologies that govern the world system of not only that day, but ours as well. “Flesh and blood”, is used to exaggerate the stark difference between weak men, and powerful spiritual entities. Men who are liable to death and attack as opposed to entities that cannot be conquered or vanquished by any sort of physical weapon of the day or any other means that men had devised to wreak havoc and ruin upon those who opposed them.
Try substituting the CBV view here:
“For our struggle is not against men living under the Old Covenant, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
It is now that we are beginning to see the error in the CBV explanation of the phrase. Quite frankly, redefining the expression using their definition, makes the entire passage inaccurate to the point of folly. While the Jews of Paul’s day were living under the Old Covenant and were indeed involved in fierce persecution of the early church, the Gentiles of his day, were certainly not under the Old Covenant and yet opposition to the spread of the gospel involved them as well.
As a matter of fact, these Gentiles had never even heard of the term” the Covenant of Moses”, the Mosaic Law, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc, or any of the Hebrew prophets who had all foretold the coming of a New Covenant.
If one thinks back to Paul’s experience in the city of Ephesus, we find that Paul and his companions were fiercely set upon by Gentile worshippers of the goddess Artemis ( Diana). ( See Acts 19: 23-41). None of these Gentiles were men living under the Old Covenant, a covenant that they had no knowledge of nor knew of its existence. Yet the letter to the Ephesians and the passage in its sixth chapter noted above, is directed towards the church at the very city where this attack, this “struggle” had taken place.
It is clear that the phrase “flesh and blood” cannot simply mean, men living under the Old Covenant.
Here we are beginning to see what we will conclusively see in our next verses quoted, namely, that the expression, “flesh and blood” is a figure of speech, a metonymy to be exact. The best way to understand it comes from the passage in Hebrews 2 which I quote in full to help convey the proper understanding of the phrase:
“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for all. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying,
“I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN,
IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”
And again,
“I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.”
And again,
“BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME.”
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2: 9-17)
Here the metonymy is used to convey quite forcefully, a supreme Scriptural truth – namely, Jesus had to become like His children in ALL THINGS.
Why?
For two important reasons:
First, under the Law of Moses, a type was set forth pointing to a greater antitype. This was the Kinsman Redeemer.
The relevant passages are found in Leviticus:
‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, 48 then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.” (Lev 25:47-49)
Please observe that the redeemer had to be a blood relative to buy his freedom if he was too poor to put up his own redemption price.
This “goel” (Hebrew go el) could buy back the land of one of his relatives that had been sold to pay a debt or to buy back the freedom of one of his relatives if the poor soul had no choice but to sell himself into servitude to pay off a debt.
The important thing here, and that which the apostle Paul is reminding the Hebrews to whom he is primarily writing in his day, is that the promised Messiah, this Jesus, was that he had to made in all things like His brethren whom He would come to redeem from their sins. This meant that He had to become a partaker of their nature, or else He would not have fit the type laid out in Leviticus of being related to them by blood.
This is the first point. The second important point follows from the first.
It was necessary that this kinsman redeemer be made a “little while lower than the angels”. Why? In order that He might be able to suffer death, tasting it as the apostle states.(verse 9).
Verse 14 then repeats the same premise:
“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2: 14)
In other words, this Son of God ( Hebrews 1:2), this heir of all things, this exact representation of God’s nature who upholds all things by the word of His power, had to take upon Himself human nature to become like His children, for this one reason, He HAD TO BE ABLE TO SUFFER AND DIE. God Himself is Immortal, He cannot die since He has no beginning and no end. Yet, if redemption of the children were to be accomplished, it would take a man, liable to suffer and death, to complete it.
The point is clear – the phrase, “flesh and blood” is a figure of speech meaning man, as he is frail, liable to pain and suffering, liable to death. It means that and that alone. Any other so-called interpretation of that phrase, such as that employed by the teachers within the CBV movement, renders this passage inexplicable and totally outside of the clear context.
Let’s try it and see:
“Therefore, since the children share in being men living under the Old Covenant, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2: 14-17)
Again, referring back to verse 9, that Jesus had to be made for a little while lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for all….
What does this have to do with the Old Covenant in this context? The correct answer is NOTHING!
The reason He had to become flesh and blood (also being defined as being made for a little while lower than the angels) is for the sole purpose of being able to suffer death. The entire passage we have been referring to states the necessity of Jesus becoming flesh and blood and that purpose was to be able to suffer and die. Look at how often we see the words, suffered, sufferings, death, in this passage.
This is NOT COVENANTAL language of any sort. It is language that shows the necessity of Jesus becoming fully man to shed His blood and suffer a cruel death on the cross. The meaning therefore of the phrase “flesh and blood” is simply this:
Mankind, liable to pain, suffering, weariness, sorrow, heartache and death. Jesus became a man so that He could fully experience these things and in so doing, render Him a perfect and faithful High Priest, who having experienced the same, could sympathize with the temptations and weaknesses and sufferings of those for whom He ever lives to make intercession:
“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2: 17-18)
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
This should be conclusive enough proof to the fair-minded individual seeking truth who are not blindly married to a paradigm which requires them to come up with forced and tortured explanations of the simple and clear meaning of Scripture. But we will go the extra mile to try to dispel any objections to these things.
“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2: 14)
Some of those holding to CBV might argue that “the children” spoken of here, would certainly include Jews living under the Old Covenant, and therefore their interpretation of the phrase, “flesh and blood”, as men living under the Old Covenant would still be a valid understanding. After all, they might argue, that Paul is writing to Jewish believers, all of whom were formerly living under the Old Covenant.
The problem with this however is that the definition is far too narrow since it excludes a significant portion of the entire seed of Abraham. We are clearly taught in the New Testament that this seed of Abraham includes ALL THOSE, both Jew and Gentiles, for whom Jesus gave His life and who would come to embrace Him through faith. As previously mentioned above, there was not a single GENTILE EVER LIVING under the Old Covenant. Paul specifically excludes them from that covenant in his letter to the Ephesians:
“Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2: 11-13)
The seed of Abraham, as Paul reminds the Galatian church, are all those who have faith in
Christ:
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:26-29)
“For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2: 14-17)
Note well, Jesus had to partake of flesh and blood, to give help to ALL the DESCENDANTS of Abraham ( Seed of Abraham); not just the Jewish portion of believers but also of the Gentiles.
In closing, let’s go back to the first Scripture verse we quoted to begin this essay.
“Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,” ( 1 Cor 15:50-51)
One last time, we will use the CBV interpretation of these verses:
“Now I say this, brethren, that men living under the Old Covenant cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,” ( 1 Cor 15:50-51)
It is this writer’s firm hope, that those advocating for the novel view that has been espoused by the CBV teachers, will come to see the folly in force fitting a strange and radical view of the phrase, “flesh and blood” into a passage that has nothing to do with a change in Covenants but rather is stating the obvious and long-held historical belief of the church. Mankind, considered in its weak form, liable to suffering, sorrow and death, sickness and disease, etc. cannot inherit the kingdom of God. For that, a change, a great change, is required. The corruptible, frail, mortal body, the state of being liable to death, must be changed to something fit for its heavenly inheritance which as the apostle Peter tells the church of his day:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.…” (1 Peter 1: 3-5)
The church’s inheritance is RESERVED in HEAVEN. There is the Land of Promise. While we may experience a foretaste of that blessed state in this life, (and there are indeed times when the Lord is pleased to grant those who love Him such a taste) the fulness remains for all believers upon death. Death has been conquered and defeated. It’s sting has been removed by its great Conqueror, the Lord Christ. It has lost its power to harm any true child of God and they no longer need have any fear of it. Instead, the great enemy of mankind, has now been transformed as the means through which the child of God enters into eternal bliss; the gateway or portal whereby he or she beholds the Celestial City of Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’, no longer through the eye of faith as we currently see it, but in reality, in experience and in truth.
This is the reason Paul wrote to the church at Philippi and told them:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.” (Phil 1:21-26)
The apostle longed for his entrance into the eternal inheritance even with all the great knowledge he had of gospel truths and all the riches he taught that those in Christ already possessed. They had already come to Mt. Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, to the generally assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new and better covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24).
He knew and taught these things to not only Jewish believers but to all the churches and yet, even knowing these things and laying hold of them through faith, he still knew something far above and beyond the assurance of these things remained for him to personally experience upon his entrance into heaven to be with His beloved Lord.
Their faith would be swallowed up in sight, Hope fulfilled and love for Christ undimmed by human weakness and frailty.
May the Lord bless this essay to its readers.
Daniel Norcini SS
5-5-2024