-- New American Standard 2 Timothy 2:18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and thus they upset the faith of some.
-- King James 2 Timothy 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
I am going to comment on this because it is a common problem.
The following is a quote from the Jamison-Fausset-Brown Commentary –
past already--has already taken place. The beginnings of the subsequent Gnostic heresy already existed. They "wrested" (2Pe 3:16) Paul's own words (Ro 6:4; Eph 2:6; Col 2:12) "to their own destruction," as though the resurrection was merely the spiritual raising of souls from the death of sin. Compare 1Co 15:12, where he shows all our hopes of future glory rest on the literal reality of the resurrection. To believe it past (as the Seleucians or Hermians did, according to AUGUSTINE [Epistles, 119.55, To Januarius, 4]), is to deny it in its true sense.
The gnostic heresy is not the topic of this article. The simple fact is that the bible says that if we are present with the Lord we are not in the body. The thoughts mentioned in this paragraph come from the mind of the same person, The Apostle Paul. They do not contradict each other and are sensible when the truths are combined. Being absent from the body is being present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8) and as Jesus was crucified consider yourselves dead to sin (Romans 6:11). These two truths therefore mesh in the authors thinking and our task when reading the bible is to figure out how they combine to form a coherant concept. Interpreting the bible means that only the bible contains the material to be compared. Jesus physical crucifixion is directly comparable to the Christians abstinence from sin. The crucifixion is being referred to in the immediate verses preceeding Romans 6:11 and after the 6:11 the Christians abstinance from sin is mentioned. The link between the two concepts is the word "likewise". In other words Jesus physical crucifixion is comparable to the Christians abstinance from sin.
Also in this vein of comparison the concept of being absent from the body must be compared with the truths found in 1 Corinthians 15 concerning the body. If the body is referred to by the same author it must be acknowledged that the statement regarding the absence from the body and being present with the Lord requires that the subsequent referances to the body contain the necessary idea that the person is in the body and not present with the Lord. In other words they have not yet died physically. An inspirited body or the body motivated by the Spirit of the Lord is still a referance to the physical body, and the idea of being absent from the body is not implied so the two truths combine readily. A comparison of the following four truths will lead to this conclusion. #1 Philippains 3:21 Jesus changes our body to be like His body. #2 Romans 7:24 - Paul called His body a body of death and sought deliverance from it and #3 Philippians 3:10-12 - Paul sought this deliverance and wanted to be conformed to the resurrection of Christ while he was alive and on earth #4 Romans 6:3-13 - Newness of life implies being free from sin and conforming to or being baptized into Christ's death to sin. Meaning that 1 Corinthians 15:12 and in fact all of 1 Corinthians 15 refers to the body that we occupy before we die physically. Not understanding the bible is not sufficient reason to disregard plainly state truths such as being absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
The argument that the Jamison-Fausset-Brown commentary makes is addressed in the comparison of Romans 6:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:8. Our abstinance from sin is a resurrecction from the condition of being dead in sins and transgressions as the word "likewise" suggests in Romans 6:11.
The term “being raised from the death caused by sin” does happen and it is scriptural.
The resurrection mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:18 is mentioned by Paul in Philippians 3:10-13.
2Ti 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
-- New American Standard Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11. in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
Wanting to attain to the power of Jesus resurrection (verse 10) and being conformed to the death of Christ is obviously a reference to the death to sin. Paul was not telling His students that he wanted to die physically in Philippians 3:10-13. He is telling them that He wanted to stop sinning (the first resurrection) so that he might attain or arrive at the resurrection from the dead.
Looking at verses 10 and 11 this becomes clear---
(Verse 10) Paul wanted to know the power of Jesus resurrection … (Verse 11) In order that He might attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Notice that in verse 10 Paul wanted to know the power of Christ’s resurrection while He was living. This illustrates that he was referring to the resurrection from the condition of being dead in sin.
This means that Paul wanted to die to sin… In order that he may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Applying these thoughts to 2 Timothy 2:18 and the words “past already”, it is seen that the first resurrection is not past. The falsehood being taught by some and being discouraged by the Apostle was that the resurrection was past. The very opposite is true, in that the resurrection continues and can be defined as a progression that occurs during the individuals lifetime. The individual throughout their lifetime is encouraged to become as free from sin as they can.
The first resurrection (from the death caused by sin) continues throughout life as Paul refers to when he says He continues to press on or reach forward, Philippians 3:13. Paul here states that He continues to seek to be resurrected from sin and to become dead to it as Jesus Himself was dead to sin.
-- New American Standard Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
The wording laid hold of "it", as used in Philippians 3:12, refers to laying hold of the complete resurrection from the state of being dead in sin.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.(KJV)
