John 2:18-20

[Matthew9969]

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

I'm curious, what is the jw's view on this passage?

[xero]

1 hour ago, Matthew9969 said:

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

I'm curious, what is the jw's view on this passage?

How about you go to jw.org and look it up?

[Matthew9969]

4 hours ago, xero said:

How about you go to jw.org and look it up?

Did that, there's nothing specific about this verse, it's all topical teaching. But I wouldn't mind if you told me the jw's stance on this statement by Jesus.

[xero]

9 minutes ago, Matthew9969 said:

Did that, there's nothing specific about this verse, it's all topical teaching. But I wouldn't mind if you told me the jw's stance on this statement by Jesus.

Then I suspect the "stance" is that to understand this verse you read it and then accept it in the context w/in it's written.

[Matthew9969]

23 hours ago, xero said:

Then I suspect the "stance" is that to understand this verse you read it and then accept it in the context w/in it's written.

Then as I and millions of others read it, Jesus would resurrect his physical body.

[xero]

38 minutes ago, Matthew9969 said:

Then as I and millions of others read it, Jesus would resurrect his physical body.

That would be your prerogative. You are also welcome to believe in the immortal soul, hellfire and anything else you'd like.

Try not to waste other people's time.

[JW Insider]

1 hour ago, Matthew9969 said:

Then as I and millions of others read it, Jesus would resurrect his physical body.

It's a good question as to why Jesus said he would raise his own body. I take it that it was his responsibility to follow through on the entire purpose for which he came to earth. It was his ministry. Jehovah gave Jesus a great responsibility and he had to meet his death completely on his own, of his own volition, without Jehovah putting him in a pain-free trance, or mentally removed to "the third heaven" or anything like that. Only by facing and accepting his death as a human, and effectively "abandoned" by his God, would he be able to "take back" his body in the resurrection. The mere fact that Jesus would cry out that his God had abandoned him is an indication that he was not always "on his own" because he could rely on his God, his Father, for whatever was necessary.

Some would merely shift the complexities of this to another set of questions by saying that Jehovah gave him the power to raise himself when he gave him "life in himself" but the scripture that mentions this does not necessarily indicate that he had already been granted life in himself as a power. But I think it only means that by Jesus' personal actions right up to his death, he gained a resurrection, and therefore, in effect, Jesus raised himself.

(John 5:26) . . .For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted also to the Son to have life in himself.

(John 6:38-57) ³⁸ for I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. . . . ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and for a fact, the bread that I will give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world.” . . . ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father,. . .

In fact, it would be very difficult to resolve the following if we believed that Jesus literally raised himself.

(John 8:28, 29) . . .Jesus then said: “After you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing of my own initiative; but just as the Father taught me, I speak these things. 29 And the One who sent me is with me; he did not abandon me to myself, because I always do the things pleasing to him.”

(John 10:17, 18) 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I surrender my life, so that I may receive it again. 18 No man takes it away from me, but I surrender it of my own initiative. I have authority to surrender it, and I have authority to receive it again. This commandment I received from my Father.”

Similarly, it is common to say that Jesus resurrected Lazarus, but it was really the Father who granted that resurrection as we see here:

(John 11:41, 42) 41 So they took the stone away. Then Jesus raised his eyes heavenward and said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 True, I knew that you always hear me; but I spoke on account of the crowd standing around, so that they may believe that you sent me.”

As to the idea that Jesus would be raised with a physical body, I believe @César Chávez already responded with the appropriate scripture in Mark:

(Mark 14:57-59) 57 Also, certain ones were standing up and bearing false witness against him, saying: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will throw down this temple that was made with hands, and in three days I will build another not made with hands.’”

I think this is a clear indication that what Jesus was "building" through his resurrection was something not physical, even though the "temple" that was being thrown down was a physical body.

(1 Corinthians 15:44-48) . . .It is sown a physical body; it is raised up a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living person.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, what is spiritual is not first. What is physical is first, and afterward what is spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth and made of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust; and like the heavenly one, so too are those who are heavenly.

(1 Corinthians 15:50-53) . . .But I tell you this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s Kingdom, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Look! I tell you a sacred secret: We will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this which is corruptible must put on incorruption, and this which is mortal must put on immortality.

(1 Corinthians 3:16, 17) . . .Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that the spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.

 

 

[Matthew9969]

18 hours ago, xero said:

That would be your prerogative. You are also welcome to believe in the immortal soul, hellfire and anything else you'd like.

Try not to waste other people's time.

Well you preferred to comment so I guess my opinion is worth your time.

[xero]

13 minutes ago, Matthew9969 said:

Well you preferred to comment so I guess my opinion is worth your time.

When you get older, you have to prioritize on what's actually important.