Question 118: What Does “the Resurrection Of The Body” Mean?

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

Question 118: What does “the resurrection of the body” mean?

“The resurrection of the body” means that at the end of the age, God will raise my body from the grave and make it new, like the glorious body of the risen Lord Jesus. Though I die, I will live again—soul and body reunited—to dwell with God forever in the new heaven and new earth. (John 5:28–29, Philippians 3:20–21, 1 Corinthians 15:42–44, Romans 8:11, Revelation 21:1–4)

Full Scripture References

“Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” — John 5:28–29 (BSB)

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.” — Philippians 3:20–21 (BSB)

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable… It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” — 1 Corinthians 15:42, 44 (BSB)

“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit…” — Romans 8:11 (BSB)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…” — Revelation 21:1, 4 (BSB)

Expanded Explanation of Catechism Question

“The resurrection of the body” is the great Christian hope that death does not have the final word. Just as Jesus rose bodily from the grave, so also shall all who are in Him be raised in glory. The resurrection is not merely the immortality of the soul, but the restoration and transformation of the whole person, body and soul together, for eternal life in God’s renewed creation.

This truth affirms the goodness of the body and the integrity of the human person. Though our bodies die and return to dust, God will one day raise them—no longer subject to decay or disease, but made incorruptible, powerful, and glorious. This resurrection will happen when Christ returns, and it will usher in the final judgment and the eternal reign of God.

Article IV of the Thirty-Nine Articles declares that “Christ did truly rise again from death,” and Article III affirms that “after death [men] shall return again to rise with their bodies.” These articles root our bodily resurrection in Christ’s own triumph over death.

Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote, “No doctrine is more comforting than the resurrection of the body. It is the link between Christ’s victory and our future glory. The grave is not the end—it is a seedbed for glory” (Old Paths, 1877).

Rev. Dr. Joel Scandrett (Trinity School for Ministry) explains, “The resurrection of the body declares that salvation is not escape from creation, but the renewal of creation. Our bodies will not be discarded—they will be redeemed” (Anglican Catechism in Depth, 2020).

Canon Dr. John Yates III (Falls Church Anglican, ACNA) teaches, “Christians do not believe in the end of life, but in its fulfillment. The resurrection body is not less real—it is more real. It is the completion of what God intended us to be” (Catechesis Forum, 2021).

Archbishop Ben Kwashi (Anglican Church of Nigeria) affirms, “The resurrection gives courage to live and to die. We shall rise again, not as ghosts, but as glorified saints—raised like our Lord to reign with Him forever” (GAFCON Assembly, 2018).

Bishop Julian Dobbs (Diocese of the Living Word, ACNA) says, “The Christian hope is not just life after death, but resurrection after death—embodied, restored, alive in the presence of the Lamb who conquered the grave” (Easter Sermon, 2022).

This hope strengthens us in suffering, teaches us to honor the body, and assures us that death is not the end. It is a gateway to glory.

Early Church Fathers On Catechism Question

St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD): “God will raise this flesh which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord. If He does not raise us bodily, then He has not redeemed us fully.” — Against Heresies, V.2.2

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD): “Our flesh shall rise again—not merely to be as it was, but better, more glorious. The resurrection is the consummation of our redemption.” — The City of God, XX.20

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD): “Do not disbelieve the resurrection. As Christ rose in His body, so shall we. For the body is not a prison but a temple, and it shall be raised in splendor.” — Catechetical Lectures, 18.18

St. Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD): “The resurrection is the reward of those who believe and obey. As Christ rose, so shall we. Not in soul only, but in body also, to life everlasting.” — First Apology, 52

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