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Originally Posted by Dave
In Corinthians 15:12-15 Paul insisted that they had not been resurrected with Christ – they were saying there was no resurrection of the dead, indicated that they had already been raised and their bodies were meaningless and they could do what they wanted e.g. lie with prostitutes etc (Paul wrote this because many had taken on gnostic beliefs after he left) but Ephesians 2:5-6 indicates that “God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places".
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In Ephesians 2:1 it says "we were dead in our transgressions". Paul is speaking in spiritual terms, not physical terms as he is writing to people who are not physically dead but alive. We were spiritually dead in our sins, but then God's grace through Jesus Christ paved the way for us to be born again in the Holy Spirit.
Henceforth Ephesians 2:5-6 isn't referring to the resurrection of our bodies which will happen at the last trumpet (1 Thess 4:16), but it's talking in spiritual terms. Though that's not to say that the author isn't also pointing to our eventual receiving of our inheritance in Christ which includes reigning with him (2 Tim 2:12) and receiving new bodies (1 Cor 15:52).
Although Jesus is in heaven, spiritually speaking, we can be where Jesus is just as when Jesus said we could remain in him and he in us (John 15:5), and he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit (1 Cor 6:17).
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Of course, most scholars do not believe Paul wrote Ephesians (for a variety of reasons) but that it was written by one of his followers after Paul’s death. In addition, most evidence shows that it was not sent to Ephesus but circulated among all the churches since that phrase “are in Ephesus and” can be clearly seen as a correction (i.e. addition) in the margin between the columns in the first page of the Greek manuscript “Codex Sinaiticus” the oldest compete manuscript of the New Testament, if you look at it. (I am only noting this since if it is a different author that may account for the discrepancy) Be that as it may, there is a contradiction. My point is that it is not a good selection of verses to prove your point unless you can reconcile the two points of view.
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I am afraid that by you devoting yourself to this kind of research rather than the word of God which makes you wise for salvation (2 Tim 3:15, 1 Peter 2:2, Acts 20:32), you're straining a gnat but swallowing whole camels.
I could have chosen from many other passages in the New Testament which echo the theme of Ephesians 2:1-10 which simply says we were once by nature children of wrath, but God in his love and grace redeemed us and made us to be his own.
Colossians 1:21-22
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
Romans 5:10
For if,
while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!