Paul’s prayers for his beloved Ephesians do not focus so much on their physical or social well-being, but on the most important thing: That they know and love Christ Jesus!
In my experience, no theological topic causes more existential angst than the truth that God has predestined people for salvation. When such a weighty doctrine is broached, what is a preacher to do?
With the resurrection of the Christ the mystery of life after death became a lot less mysterious. It moved from the realm of conjecture and fantasy to a reality grounded in (of all things!) our human bodies