Life-Giving Spirit: The Ontological Implications of Resurrection

Close analysis of Paul's language concerning the resurrection of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15, and the hope for the future resurrection of believers, shows the importance of the designation of Christ as "Life-Giving Spirit," and leads to an appreciation of the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, for which the only appropriate language is ontological (existential) rather than historical or even moral. For Paul, the resurrection alters the very structure of existence, in a "new creation."