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PAUL ON THE DEATH/RESURRECTION OF JESUS 

1. As a Historical Event

   1 Cor 15.1ff sequence: dead, buried, rose, seen
   Rom 1.4 contrast to birth/flesh from David,  
                       appointment/spirit through resurrection
   Rom 14.9 (var) died (and rose) and lives 
  [1 Th 4.14 if we believe Jesus died and rose again ...] 

   Note that 1 Cor 15.35-50 addresses the question of what sort 
   of "body" the resurrected have, and answers spiritual ("non 
   physical"?). This suggests that Paul thought the resurrected 
   Jesus also had a "non physical" body. 

2. As a Paradigm of the Believer's Future Experience

   Rom 6.5 if assimilitated to his death, we will be raised 
  [1 Th 4.16 those who have died will rise first] 

3. As an Symbol of Ritual Separation, from a Jewish Perspective 

   1 Cor 5.7 Messiah/Christ = the paschal sacrifice in relation 
             to which the old leaven (sin, etc.) is terminated  
             and unleavened newness (truth, etc.) is celebrated.

        [NOTE: The primary context is community discipline. The 
         sinner is like leaven in a lump of bread dough;  
         but for passover ritual, leavened bread is forbidden.
         The community celebrates its passover with unleavened  
         purity, since Messiah/Christ was the passover sacrifice. 
         The celebrating (eschatological) community is to be
         sinless and separated from leaven, just as passover
         celebrants in Judaism are separated (and ancient Israel
         separated itself at the Exodus event).]

         Does this passage tell us anything about Paul's view
         of the historical setting of Jesus' death? (The 
         discussion about whether Jesus was crucified at the time 
         that Passover was being celebrated by his 
         contemporaries.) 


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