Abstract
The contribution explores the faith of the early church in the resurrection and its influence on the Pauline view of man. Examining Paul's understanding of the resurrection concept, it considers the inaugurated eschatology schema and apocalyptic structure of his thought.
Paul based all the hope for human life on the story of the risen Jesus. He understands it not only as a way of overcoming death, but it also represents for him a source of hope for a new life.
In such a life, man's relationship with God is brought to its fulfillment, enabling full self-realization of the human personality. Christ, the new Adam, represents both an ideal and a giver of this new mode of human existence: as Christ has always been, man is thus set free of slavery to sin in him and becomes led by the Spirit of God.
Although man is already given the Spirit in his earthly life, Paul does not expect his complete spiritualization before the parousia. Man's change will happen abruptly and will include his physical transformation.
In Pauline thought, Christ's resurrection represents a promise of eschatological fulfillment of God's creation act.