On the Indications to the Transformation of Humans in Paul
Keywords:
Human nature, form, inner human being, likeness, newness of life, bodyAbstract
The article asks, did Paul write that human beings go through significant changes during their life? If yes, what kind of changes he imagined? Circumcision was a change in the appearance of a man and a transitional act, but the ‚old‘ human nature did not change. Baptism instead identifies believing persons with Christ’s rising and unites them in the likeness of his resurrection. The baptised believers can then walk in the newness of life. Paul next demonstrates in 2Cor 4:16–5:9.17 how an inner human being may be renewed day by day. In death, final change will take place. Paul used in 1Cor 15 the image of the human body to describe the change in form as a transition of humans from one form of being to another, from the earthly body to the heavenly body. Here Paul explains most clearly the purpose of the transformative changes in humans.
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