****Both and neither. God never does get into the mechanics of it. ****
So, if God doesn’t get to the mechanics of it, how do you make the claim that it isn’t the same body that is resurrected, or that we are given a new body?
In Scripture we hear the story of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. Jesus is warned by Martha that Lazarus has been buried for four days and will stink, meaning Lazarus has already begun to decompose.
Jesus raises Lazarus’ body. And before He does raise Him, He tells Martha, “He will rise again” and Martha says, “I know he will rise in the resurrection of the last day.”
Jesus says, “I AM the resurrection.”
Are we not to believe from this that our bodies will rise in the resurrection of the last day? Isn’t that why Jesus says, “I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe”?
Jesus says, “I will raise you up on the last day.”
The resurrection of the body is the belief of all Christians. Not that we will get new bodies, but that our old bodies will be raised up and glorified by God.
And where ever we are, or in whatever conditions our bodies, the same God who created the heaven and the earth and all that resides in them is capable of raising us up.
Does that mean I will still not be able to get around well because of the polio I had as a child? Do you believe those who are handicapped will still be handicapped or will they have a “new body”?
“I will raise you up on the last day.”
So plain and clear from scripture. A key part of the Christian faith and creeds since Christ and forever in His Church.
Yet we will hear how it doesn’t really say that, or Jesus can’t mean that, and all manner of carnal problems with this simple teaching, from some professing “sola scriptura and no traditions of men.”