Podcast: Does God Care About our Bodies? With Dr. Lainey Greer

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For more information visit https://laineygreer.com

What does it look like to have a theology of the body? Where do we start thinking about how God views our bodies?

The phrase “theology of the body” describes how our physical bodies are discussed throughout Scripture and drawing conclusions based on observations from Scripture. All of Scripture addresses the body, whether that is Creation, Providence, the Resurrection, the Incarnation, etc. The Triune God is all involved in the body – the body matters, and we were created as embodied beings.

What does it mean that God created us in his image?

God makes humans in his image and commands us to multiply – to physically recreate.

Biblically, a combination of soul and body contradicts the agnostics in the New Testament who said all things physical are evil.

How Else Does Scripture Talk about Our Bodies?

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is key. They were influenced by gnostic beliefs (1 Corinthians 6). Paul comes in to correct their thinking and talks about how the Trinity is tied into our bodies and our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. God also has authority over our bodies.

Further, our physical bodies will be resurrected at the Second Coming of Christ.

A Proper Eschatology of the Body

Paul tells the Corinthians that God raised Christ, and we will also be raised by that same power. In this context, Paul is saying that our bodies have a sin nature (we treat our bodies that way now), but in the future, it will not be trapped in sin.

As believers, we are to fight to think rightly about our bodies so we can fight against sin properly and with the future hope of physically dwelling with God.

Mental Health

The culture presses us to live as if we are disembodied (for example, gender dysphoria) that denies the mind-body-soul connection. When we try to disconnect emotions from our physical bodies, it never works. This leads to the transgender movement that separates our feelings from our physical bodies – this elevates physical health over mental health in attempting to force change upon our bodies that is not as God designed.

On the other side is body positivity, which separates mental and physical health as well in saying that the body does not matter at all.

Now What?

Scripture calls us to honor God with our bodies. Caring for our bodies should not be legalistic or idolatrous. There are four areas of body stewardship that can be helpful to assess:
1) Nutrition

2) Exercise

3) Rest

4) Stress Management

Brittany Proffitt lives in Dallas and is a writer and content manager for So We Speak.