Luke 24:37
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
First-century Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures both believed in spirits of the dead (Greek: eidōlon, phantasma; Hebrew: ob, rephaim). Greeks spoke of shades in Hades; Jews believed righteous dead awaited resurrection in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22). However, both cultures distinguished ghosts from bodily resurrection. The Sadducees denied resurrection entirely (Acts 23:8), while Pharisees affirmed it as a future eschatological event. No one expected a crucified man to rise bodily within history. Jesus' resurrection therefore required overwhelming proof—which Luke meticulously provides through multiple witnesses, physical evidence (wounds, eating), and prolonged appearances over forty days (Acts 1:3).
Questions for Reflection
- Why was the disciples' initial assumption that Jesus was a spirit actually evidence FOR the reliability of resurrection accounts?
- How does Jesus' bodily resurrection differ from Greek concepts of immortal souls escaping material bodies?
- What does the necessity of Jesus proving His bodily resurrection teach about the physical nature of our future resurrection?
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Analysis & Commentary
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit (πτοηθέντες δὲ καὶ ἔμφοβοι γενόμενοι ἐδόκουν πνεῦμα θεωρεῖν). The disciples' reaction reveals first-century assumptions about resurrection and spirits. The verbs ptoēthentes (πτοηθέντες, "terrified") and emphoboi (ἔμφοβοι, "frightened") indicate overwhelming fear—they believed they saw a pneuma (πνεῦμα, "spirit" or "ghost"), not a bodily resurrection. Jewish thought distinguished between disembodied spirits and bodily resurrection; they expected the latter only at the eschaton, not three days after death.
This verse is critical for resurrection apologetics. The disciples did not expect Jesus to rise bodily—they thought they saw an apparition. This undermines theories that they hallucinated or fabricated resurrection stories. Their terror demonstrates they were convinced of Jesus' death and shocked by His physical appearance. The subsequent verses (38-43) show Jesus systematically proving His bodily resurrection by showing wounds, inviting touch, and eating food—things spirits cannot do.
The Greek edokoun (ἐδόκουν, "supposed" or "thought") emphasizes their initial misinterpretation. Jesus will correct this misunderstanding, establishing that resurrection is not spiritual immortality but physical restoration of the body—a truth foundational to Christian eschatology (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, Philippians 3:21).