Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!
  • Welcome to Talk Jesus Christian Forums

    Celebrating 20 Years!

    A bible based, Jesus Christ centered community.

    Register Log In

Does Jesus still have a flesh body?

B-A-C

Loyal
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
11,809

Is Jesus Still Flesh? The Eternal God-Man

One of the most profound questions in Christian theology is: Is Jesus still flesh now that He is in heaven? Many believers affirm that Jesus was resurrected in the flesh, but what about now—after His ascension, exaltation, and glorification? Is He still human? Is He still the Son of Man?

Let’s explore this question through Scripture and sound doctrine.


The Word Became Flesh—and Remains Flesh

John 1:14 declares, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This wasn’t a temporary transformation. Jesus didn’t borrow humanity for 33 years and then discard it. He entered into permanent union with human nature.


Resurrected in the Flesh

After His resurrection, Jesus made it clear He was not a ghost or spirit:

  • “Touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:39)
  • Thomas was invited to touch His wounds (John 20:27).
  • He ate food with the disciples (Luke 24:42–43).
  • He ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9–11), and the angels said He would return “in the same way.”

Jesus in Heaven: Still the Son of Man

Stephen, moments before his martyrdom, saw “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). This title, used over 80 times in the Gospels, is not discarded after the resurrection. It affirms Jesus’ humanity.

Paul writes, “There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
Notice the present tense: the man Christ Jesus. He is still human—glorified, yes, but still flesh.


Glorified Flesh Is Still Flesh

Jesus now has a glorified body—incorruptible, immortal, and powerful (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). But glorification doesn’t mean He stopped being human. It means He is the firstfruits of what we will become (1 Corinthians 15:20, Philippians 3:21).


Problem Verse? “Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit…”

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:50:

“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”
This verse is often misunderstood. “Flesh and blood” is a Hebrew idiom for mortal humanity—our current, corruptible state. It doesn’t mean Jesus’ glorified body isn’t flesh. In fact, Jesus said He had flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), not “flesh and blood.” His blood was poured out once for all (Hebrews 9:12), and His glorified body may not require blood in the same biological sense.


Another Challenge: “Lower Than the Angels”

Hebrews 2:7 says:

“You made Him for a little while lower than the angels…”
Does this mean Jesus stopped being God? Absolutely not.

  • The phrase “for a little while” refers to His earthly ministry.
  • He voluntarily took on human limitations (Philippians 2:6–8).
  • He never ceased to be God (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:3).
After His resurrection, He was exalted above all (Philippians 2:9–11, Ephesians 1:20–21).


The Son of Man Will Return

Jesus will return visibly and bodily:

  • “They will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26)
  • “Every eye will see Him.” (Revelation 1:7)
He remains the Son of Man—a title of both humility and glory.

Testing the Spirits: Does Jesus Still Remain in the Flesh?

1 John 4:2–3 gives a timeless test of orthodoxy:

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.”
This isn’t just about acknowledging that Jesus was once human—it’s about affirming that He remains the incarnate Son of God. The Greek verb “has come” is in the perfect tense, meaning a completed action with ongoing results. In other words, Jesus has come and remains in the flesh.

To deny Jesus’ ongoing humanity is to fall into the ancient heresy of docetism, which claimed Jesus only appeared to be human. But Scripture is clear: Jesus is still the Son of Man, still the man Christ Jesus, and still our High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).

Any spirit or teaching that denies this truth is not from God. This verse remains a vital test for discerning truth in a world full of theological confusion.


Conclusion: The Eternal God-Man

Jesus is eternally both God and Man. He didn’t shed His humanity at the ascension. He is still flesh—glorified, incorruptible, and exalted. This truth affirms our hope: we too will be raised in glorified bodies like His.

“We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1 John 3:2)
 
Some interpret this as only referring to Jesus’ earthly life—His birth and ministry. But the Greek verb ἐληλυθότα (elēlythota) translated “has come” is in the perfect tense, meaning a completed action with ongoing results.

So it’s not just “Jesus came in the flesh,” but “Jesus has come and remains in the flesh.”


Why This Still Applies Today

  1. Theological Continuity
    Denying Jesus’ ongoing humanity is a form of docetism—an early heresy that claimed Jesus only appeared to be human. John was confronting this directly.
  2. Mediator Role
    Jesus is still called “the man Christ Jesus” in 1 Timothy 2:5. His humanity is not a temporary phase—it’s essential to His ongoing role as our High Priest and Mediator.
  3. Resurrection and Ascension
    Jesus rose in a physical body and ascended in that same body. He didn’t shed His humanity at the throne of God.
  4. Return in the Flesh
    He will return as the Son of Man, visibly and bodily (Matthew 24:30, Revelation 1:7).
 

What Is Docetism?

Docetism (from the Greek dokein, meaning “to seem” or “to appear”) was an early heresy that claimed Jesus only appeared to be human but wasn’t truly flesh and blood. It denied the incarnation, resurrection in the flesh, and the ongoing humanity of Christ.

The early church strongly rejected this view because it undermines the gospel itself—if Jesus wasn’t truly human, He couldn’t truly die, rise, or represent us as a mediator.


Bill Johnson’s Teaching: A Related Concern

Bill Johnson and some others in the Word of Faith / New Apostolic Reformation circles have taught that Jesus laid aside His divinity while on earth and operated only as a man empowered by the Holy Spirit. While they affirm His deity in theory, this teaching can dangerously imply that Jesus was not fully God during His earthly ministry.

This idea is not docetism in the strict sense, but it shares a similar error: it distorts the nature of Christ by dividing His humanity and divinity in a way Scripture never does.


Biblical Correction

  • Colossians 2:9“In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”
  • Hebrews 13:8“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
  • John 1:1,14“The Word was God… and the Word became flesh.”
Jesus didn’t stop being God. He added humanity to His divinity. He operated in submission to the Father, but He never ceased to be divine.
 
The early church strongly rejected this view because it undermines the gospel itself—if Jesus wasn’t truly human, He couldn’t truly die, rise, or represent us as a mediator.
The resurrection meaning to rise again, stand up, rise up or be born again.

No power is attributed to the dying flesh of the Son of man, Jesus.

When born again son of God then the proper order of power. Jesus the Son of man died his flesh corrupted returned to dust

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power,(Father) according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (not fleshly birth)

2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
 

Is Jesus Still Flesh? The Eternal God-Man

One of the most profound questions in Christian theology is: Is Jesus still flesh now that He is in heaven? Many believers affirm that Jesus was resurrected in the flesh, but what about now—after His ascension, exaltation, and glorification? Is He still human? Is He still the Son of Man?

Let’s explore this question through Scripture and sound doctrine.


The Word Became Flesh—and Remains Flesh

John 1:14 declares, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This wasn’t a temporary transformation. Jesus didn’t borrow humanity for 33 years and then discard it. He entered into permanent union with human nature.


Resurrected in the Flesh

After His resurrection, Jesus made it clear He was not a ghost or spirit:

  • “Touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:39)
  • Thomas was invited to touch His wounds (John 20:27).
  • He ate food with the disciples (Luke 24:42–43).
  • He ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9–11), and the angels said He would return “in the same way.”

Jesus in Heaven: Still the Son of Man

Stephen, moments before his martyrdom, saw “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). This title, used over 80 times in the Gospels, is not discarded after the resurrection. It affirms Jesus’ humanity.

Paul writes, “There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
Notice the present tense: the man Christ Jesus. He is still human—glorified, yes, but still flesh.


Glorified Flesh Is Still Flesh

Jesus now has a glorified body—incorruptible, immortal, and powerful (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). But glorification doesn’t mean He stopped being human. It means He is the firstfruits of what we will become (1 Corinthians 15:20, Philippians 3:21).


Problem Verse? “Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit…”

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:50:


This verse is often misunderstood. “Flesh and blood” is a Hebrew idiom for mortal humanity—our current, corruptible state. It doesn’t mean Jesus’ glorified body isn’t flesh. In fact, Jesus said He had flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), not “flesh and blood.” His blood was poured out once for all (Hebrews 9:12), and His glorified body may not require blood in the same biological sense.


Another Challenge: “Lower Than the Angels”

Hebrews 2:7 says:


Does this mean Jesus stopped being God? Absolutely not.

  • The phrase “for a little while” refers to His earthly ministry.
  • He voluntarily took on human limitations (Philippians 2:6–8).
  • He never ceased to be God (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:3).
After His resurrection, He was exalted above all (Philippians 2:9–11, Ephesians 1:20–21).


The Son of Man Will Return

Jesus will return visibly and bodily:

  • “They will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26)
  • “Every eye will see Him.” (Revelation 1:7)
He remains the Son of Man—a title of both humility and glory.

Testing the Spirits: Does Jesus Still Remain in the Flesh?

1 John 4:2–3 gives a timeless test of orthodoxy:


This isn’t just about acknowledging that Jesus was once human—it’s about affirming that He remains the incarnate Son of God. The Greek verb “has come” is in the perfect tense, meaning a completed action with ongoing results. In other words, Jesus has come and remains in the flesh.

To deny Jesus’ ongoing humanity is to fall into the ancient heresy of docetism, which claimed Jesus only appeared to be human. But Scripture is clear: Jesus is still the Son of Man, still the man Christ Jesus, and still our High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).

Any spirit or teaching that denies this truth is not from God. This verse remains a vital test for discerning truth in a world full of theological confusion.


Conclusion: The Eternal God-Man

Jesus is eternally both God and Man. He didn’t shed His humanity at the ascension. He is still flesh—glorified, incorruptible, and exalted. This truth affirms our hope: we too will be raised in glorified bodies like His.
I really love reading what you have to say. But you're kind of literal in your thinking when it comes to what is of God and what is man's thinking about flushing blood and everything else.

Consider it like two dimensional thinking when you're talking about God.

But I can't wait for you to get up to heaven and hear the flowers singing. The flowers that don't have voice boxes by any means that we understand, yet they do sing or the trees that talk or the rocks that talk etc etc. You'll feel like you're falling into tolkien's Lord of the Rings or something. And it goes way deeper than anything you can possibly imagine. This is because the way of God is not the way of man and God's thinking is way above the Earth. Trying to understand a logical way of thinking doesn't work. You have to remember that God created spirit. And although in the scripture they say that God is Spirit he's not that either it's just what we can understand of him
 
If you want to know how Jesus looks today, read the account of how Jesus looked in his glory on the mount of transfiguration. Also read the description of John account of how Jesus looked in his glorified body. How Jesus looks today is a lot different then how he appeared to his apostles after his physical resurrection.
 
I really love reading what you have to say. But you're kind of literal in your thinking when it comes to what is of God and what is man's thinking about flushing blood and everything else.

Consider it like two dimensional thinking when you're talking about God.

But I can't wait for you to get up to heaven and hear the flowers singing. The flowers that don't have voice boxes by any means that we understand, yet they do sing or the trees that talk or the rocks that talk etc etc. You'll feel like you're falling into tolkien's Lord of the Rings or something. And it goes way deeper than anything you can possibly imagine. This is because the way of God is not the way of man and God's thinking is way above the Earth. Trying to understand a logical way of thinking doesn't work. You have to remember that God created spirit. And although in the scripture they say that God is Spirit he's not that either it's just what we can understand of him

God is Spirit .God is light. God is love

It takes a Spirit breath of life to create things seen

A spirt is something not seen. God is Spirit as the Father of all spirit life. Plants, animal, fish etc

He poured out his Holy Spirit on dying flesh in jeopardy of His own Spirit life.
 
If you want to know how Jesus looks today, read the account of how Jesus looked in his glory on the mount of transfiguration. Also read the description of John account of how Jesus looked in his glorified body. How Jesus looks today is a lot different then how he appeared to his apostles after his physical resurrection.

I think sometimes people make.. what I would call "rookie" mistakes when "rightly dividing" scripture... for example..

1Cor 15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1Cor 15:45 So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1Cor 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
1Cor 15:47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

Does this passage.. apply to humans? Does it apply to Jesus? Does it apply to both?

If there is a natural body.. there will be a spiritual body.. OK.. I agree with that.
But then verse 46 says... the spiritual isn't first.. the natural is... I agree with that also... for you and me... not Jesus.
You and I never existed before we were born in the flesh. Jesus did. So verse 46 doesn't apply to Jesus. Verse 47 confirms this.

Another passage to consider...

1Tim 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
1Tim 6:14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Tim 6:15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
1Tim 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

This passage starts off talking about God the Father... It doesn't say it's the Father.. but it can be inferred because it says "God, who give..." ..and Christ Jesus".. it's the "and" that lets us know it's talking about two people here. It goes on to say... the appearing of our Lord Jesus.. "which He wiill bring about".. who is the "He" it is talking about here... logically in context.. it's still talking about God the Father.

"He alone" dwells in un approachable light... no man .. can see. The Father alone dwells here.. No man can see the Father.
Does this also apply to Jesus?

Rev 1:7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

"Every eye".. "will see".. can you see an invisible spirit"?

The point here is... and Garee does this all the time.. He has no sense of context at all... not all verses meant for us are meant for Jesus.
And not all verses that are about Jesus, are about us.
 
although in the scripture they say that God is Spirit

Is that true? Jesus never became flesh?

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Luke 24:39 "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Acts 1:10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
Acts 1:11 They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

Jesus hasn't changed.. He will come back in the same condition He left.. in the flesh.
 
1Tim 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
1Tim 6:14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Tim 6:15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
1Tim 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

This passage starts off talking about God the Father... It doesn't say it's the Father.. but it can be inferred because it says "God, who give..." ..and Christ Jesus".. it's the "and" that lets us know it's talking about two people here. It goes on to say... the appearing of our Lord Jesus.. "which He wiill bring about".. who is the "He" it is talking about here... logically in context.. it's still talking about God the Father.
Who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, because that's who he's talking about who alone dwells in unapproachable light that no man can see or has seen? That is Jesus Christ.
 
Rev 1:7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

"Every eye".. "will see".. can you see an invisible spirit"?
Can Jesus make himself visible to whom he chooses?
 
Luke 24:39 "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."
Jesus here was NOT saying that a spiritual body has "flesh and bone". He said the complete opposite, that a spirit does not have flesh and bones
.
The last Adam became a what? The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

A spiritual body is not without a body; it is just not flesh and bone.

How can a flesh-and-bone person dwell inside a person who is flesh, bone, and blood like his Church?
 
Jesus here was NOT saying that a spiritual body has "flesh and bone". He said the complete opposite, that a spirit does not have flesh and bones
.
The last Adam became a what? The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

A spiritual body is not without a body; it is just not flesh and bone.

How can a flesh-and-bone person dwell inside a person who is flesh, bone, and blood like his Church?

Our invisible God is a God that hides in the heart of mankind.

It is impossible to see that which is not called into view. "Let there be" and nothing changes

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:;In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
 
Our invisible God is a God that hides in the heart of mankind.

It is impossible to see that which is not called into view. "Let there be" and nothing changes

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:;In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
It looks like Jesus decided to reveal himself to Saul of Tarsus with a high energy of light which blinded him for several days. Light has a image which is Jesus Christ who is the brightness of the Glory of God.
 
God is Spirit .God is light. God is love

It takes a Spirit breath of life to create things seen

A spirt is something not seen. God is Spirit as the Father of all spirit life. Plants, animal, fish etc

He poured out his Holy Spirit on dying flesh in jeopardy of His own Spirit life.
In jeopardy? NO . Never .

But he did and does risk His Love .

Risk His Love - for God so loved the world. (Does this mean God only loved the thing - earth. NO. This is saying God loved ALL of mankind.)

God does risk His love when each of us are created. Will we chose to love Him, will we chose to follow Him, obey His commands, His laws.
 
Who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, because that's who he's talking about who alone dwells in unapproachable light that no man can see or has seen? That is Jesus Christ.
Yes Jesus is many things, but he is not unapproachable light. Because he says to us that to reach the Father we must go through Him. And if we are to go through Jesus we must be able to approach him
 
It looks like Jesus decided to reveal himself to Saul of Tarsus with a high energy of light which blinded him for several days. Light has an image which is Jesus Christ who is the brightness of the Glory of God.
Saul would have been permanently blinded if Jesus had not healed him. The human physical body is incapable of seeing the Glory of God in it fullness and still live.
 
Yes Jesus is many things, but he is not unapproachable light. Because he says to us that to reach the Father we must go through Him. And if we are to go through Jesus we must be able to approach him
Man in his current configuration can not see the Glory of God who Jesus is. The rebirth human spirit (born again) can see things his physical eyes can not see or approach until it gets a supernatural spiritual body like Jesus has now.
Man’s spirit can see things in the spirit realm that man’s body is hoping to see in the future.

Unless a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
 
Yes Jesus is many things, but he is not unapproachable light. Because he says to us that to reach the Father we must go through Him. And if we are to go through Jesus we must be able to approach him
This is one of the reasons why Jesus came to earth in the likeness’s (disguised) of sinful flesh so men could approach him and see him.
Another reason why Jesus revealed his resurrection to his followers in his brought back to life physical body.
 
Somebody might say, "Jesus had his Glorified body when he appeared to his Apostles after his resurrection because he was able to appear before them behind closed, locked doors. He could appear and disappear at will."

Jesus, before his death, had complete domination of the laws of physics in every way possible, and that without having a Glorified body. Walking on water, restoring broken, lost limbs, walking through the mist of a crowd of people who wanted to kill him ect etc.

After Jesus' resurrection, he still had absolute mastery over the laws of physics in every way he wanted because he is the creator of all things, and by his power they exist and are held together.

This is a description of Jesus in his current, supernatural Glorified spiritual body.

Rev 1:11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
Rev 1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
Rev 1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
Rev 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Rev 1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
Rev 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Can you see why Jesus could not appear to his disciples after his resurrection like this?

Only through "visions" like this and on the Mount of transfiguration and in the Old Testament can man in his physical body see the Glory of Jesus and still stay alive.

Moses asked to see God's Glory.....

Exo 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
Exo 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
 
Back
Top