Body, Bodily - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
Body, Bodily
[ A-1,Noun,G4983, soma ]is the body as a whole, the instrument of life," whether of man living, e.g., Matthew 6:22, or dead, Matthew 27:52; or in resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:44; or beasts, Hebrews 13:11; of grain, 1 Corinthians 15:37-38; of the heavenly hosts, 1 Corinthians 15:40. In Revelation 18:13 it is translated "slaves." In its figurative uses the essential idea is preserved.
Sometimes the word stands, by synecdoche, for "the complete man," Matthew 5:29; Matthew 6:22; Romans 12:1; James 3:6; Revelation 18:13. Sometimes the person is identified with his or her "body," Acts 9:37; Acts 13:36, and this is so even of the Lord Jesus, John 19:40 with John 19:42. The "body" is not the man, for he himself can exist apart from his "body," 2 Corinthians 12:2-3. The "body" is an essential part of the man and therefore the redeemed are not perfected till the resurrection, Hebrews 11:40; no man in his final state will be without his "body," John 5:28-John 5:29; Revelation 20:13.
The word is also used for physical nature, as distinct from pneuma, "the spiritual nature," e.g., 1 Corinthians 5:3, and from psuche, "the soul," e.g., 1 Thessalonians 5:23. "Soma, 'body,' and pneuma, 'spirit,' may be separated; pneuma and psuche, 'soul,' can only be distinguished" (Cremer).
It is also used metaphorically, of the mystic body of Christ, with reference to the whole church, e.g., Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 1:18, Colossians 1:22, Colossians 1:24; also of a local church, 1 Corinthians 12:27.
[ A-2,Noun,G5559, chros ]
signifies "the surface of a body," especially of the human body, Acts 19:12, with reference to the handkerchiefs carried from Paul's body to the sick.
[ A-3,Noun,G4430, ptoma ]
denotes, lit., "a fall" (akin to pipto, "to fall"); hence, "that which is fallen, a corpse," Matthew 14:12; Matthew 24:28, "carcase;" Mark 6:29; Mark 15:45, "corpse;" Revelation 11:8-Revelation 11:9, "dead bodies" (Gk., "carcase," but plural in the 2nd part of Revelation 11:9). See CARCASE, CORPSE.
[ B-1,Adjective,G4954, sussomos ]
sun, "with," and A, No. 1., means "united in the same body," Ephesians 3:6, of the church.
[ B-2,Adjective,G4984, somatikos ]
"bodily," is used in Luke 3:22, of the Holy Spirit in taking a bodily shape; in 1 Timothy 4:8 of bodily exercise.
[ C-1,Adverb,G4985, somatikos ]
"bodily, corporeally," is used in Colossians 2:9.