The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus was not bodily resurrected. His physical body was either dissolved
into gases or is preserved somewhere. He was raised as a spirit creature —
Michael the Archangel returned to spirit form. "The man Jesus is dead,
forever dead." (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 5, p. 454)
This is a core gospel issue. says if Christ has not been raised, our faith is useless. Start with where Jesus explicitly denies being a spirit after his resurrection. Then go to where Jesus says "destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up" — John explains he meant his body. Finally, use where Thomas touches the nail marks — the same body that was crucified is the one that rose.
Jesus went out of his way to prove he rose bodily. He ate fish, he invited Thomas to touch his wounds, he said "a spirit does not have flesh and bones." The Watchtower has to explain away all of this.
Jesus materialised temporary bodies to appear to the disciples
Then Jesus was deceiving his disciples. He said "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself" — not "this is a temporary body I created." And says he would raise "this temple" meaning his own body, not create a new one.
1 Peter 3:18 says he was made alive in the spirit
"Made alive in the spirit" describes the realm or power by which he was raised — by the Holy Spirit — not the nature of his resurrection body. says the Spirit who raised Jesus will also give life to your mortal bodies. Same pattern — raised by the Spirit, in a body.
Jesus materialised a human body just as angels did before — the resurrected Christ was a spirit creature putting on flesh temporarily.
Then read in your own NWT: "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones just as you see that I have." Jesus directly contrasts himself with a spirit — and the body he shows them has the same hands and feet that were nailed to the cross. In he invites Thomas to put his finger in the very nail marks. Angels who materialised in the Old Testament did not carry crucifixion wounds from a previous body. Jesus is showing the disciples the same body that died — risen, glorified, but bodily.
Don't get drawn into debates about what a "glorified body" looks like. Stay focused on the simple point: Jesus said he had flesh and bones, he showed his wounds, he ate food. The Watchtower says his body dissolved. One of them is wrong.
Read in its setting, from Jesus standing among the disciples to the fish he ate, until you can retell it from memory: the hands and feet, 'touch me and see', the meal. Then read and within Thomas's whole story. Look up in the NWT yourself so you can ask them to read it aloud from their own Bible. Practise the doorstep question aloud, keeping the focus on what Jesus said and showed rather than on what a glorified body looks like. Expect 'Jesus materialised temporary bodies'; rehearse pointing to the nail marks Thomas was invited to touch, which show the same body that died. Have ready for 'made alive in the spirit' in .