The resurrection is the only hope for the dead. Without it, the dead will never have life again.
E. D. Slough, evangelist, church of Christ: “While these patriarchs and prophets were talking so much about the ‘dead body’ having no wisdom, no thoughts, no praises, no knowledge and no intelligence of any sort, why did they not draw on the spirit a little for our special edification, and teach us that there is wisdom and knowledge and thoughts and praises where it goes? Why not? Why talk so much and so dramatically about the dead body, and tell us that which all know, and say not one encouraging word about the joys and praises the spirits are giving God in the unseen world? Is there nothing significant about that omission? Why did they not cheer up our earth life, by painting a picture of the hosts of happy spirits in the unseen world of the dead? That would have been real instruction. That would have been, indeed, information, and would have settled a long drawn argument. Do you want the real reason for this action on the part of inspired men? Here it is. Obviously, they were speaking of the whole creature man. They saw no spirit off yonder praising God as Milligan, McGarvey, and others. They saw death the end of man, and they pointed it out as such, including his thoughts perishing in death, which means the dissolution of all his faculties. They did not talk of the thoughts being transferred, but perishing. The only possible result of death, destroying the organism by which thought is possible. Never a time did they say, ‘There is wisdom and knowledge with the spirits of the dead.’ How easy it would have been to say it. But had they said it, they could not have said the other. There are two propositions—one or the other must be untrue. Look at the incongruity of reasoning standing out like a hug knot on a limb. Some one says, ‘John Doe is dead.’ And that there is no remembrances or praise where he went. He knows not anything. But immediately they tell us ‘the real John Doe is the spirit’ and that it knows better than before. The man of God said, ‘whither thou go’ there is no wisdom, etc. ‘Thou’ John Doe. Men say ‘Thou’ means the spirit, and that it never ceases to think. Our clergy and the wise men are at variance again. What shall we do? We will leave them that way—if they can’t see the truth.
Thus, John Doe is dead, and he is not dead.
His thoughts perish, and they do not perish.
He praised God, and he does not praise Him.
He remembers, and he does not remember.
All at the same time—the same John Doe…They can not even suggest a reason why those ancient mouth pieces of God should argue and repeat and emphasize and affirm and declare over and over that the ‘dead body’ knows nothing, remembers nothing, praised nothing, thinks nothing and does nothing, which is only a deep and solemn fact known by all the living, and never open their mouths once about the spirit being able to do all these things. It would have been in perfect accord with their enthusiasm along this line to have said, ‘Cheer up and rejoice, for though the dead body has no knowledge, no wisdom, no thoughts, etc., yet the spirit is rejoicing and happy, thinking and praising God.’ What a relief that would have been to modern theology. But the fact that such was not the case, is proof that it is not true.” pages 191-194, "Indictment Of Eternal Torment—The Self-negation of a Monstrous Doctrine," F. L. Rowe, Publisher, 1914, On line at: www.robertwr.com/EternalTorment.htm
D. Padfield seems to make knowing, or not knowing each other in Heaven to be dependent on Abraham now being awake with his people. He leaves out the resurrection, and makes Abraham now be alive without it. He jumps from death in sheol before the resurrection to Heaven after the resurrection as if they are the same place, and everything is the same in both. What we will be and know in Heaven after the resurrection does not depend on what we will know while in the grave, and will not depend on being awake while we are in the grave. Is he not so desperately trying to prove a person now has an immortal something in them that he is saying to God, "Abraham being with the fathers proves he is not 'asleep with the fathers'?" This view is used by those who believe in "Abraham's bosom," but in this attempt to prove that the dead are not asleep, they makes the saved and the unsaved be awake together waiting for the resurrection, even though this view is that those in Abraham’s bosom are not dead; therefore, cannot be resurrected from the dead. This view makes:
c) The awakening, wakening up at the resurrection: The resurrection will be an awakening. Death is likened to sleep because it is a state of unconsciousness, which will be followed by an awakening. Christ is the first fruits, and the rest will be resurrected "at his coming" (1 Corinthians 15:23). Abraham and his people fell asleep, and will be asleep unto the resurrection, "From the day that the fathers fell asleep" (2 Peter 3:4). The Bible says nothing about the state of a person from the time he falls asleep unto the resurrection. The Christian hope is not on death, not on being awake anywhere before the resurrection, but on the resurrection to life, on being raised from the dead at the second coming of Christ.
Albert Barnes: "In the Scripture sleep is used to intimate that death will not be final: that there will be an awakening out of this sleep, or a resurrection. It is a beautiful and tender expression, removing all that is dreadful in death, and filling the mind with the idea of calm repose after a life of toil, with a reference to a future resurrection" Barnes' Notes On the New Testament.
What is the resurrection?
It was Lazarus who was asleep. Not just his body while his soul was alive (John 11:11). Some of the saints had fallen asleep. Not just the body had fallen asleep, but the "living being," the whole person (1 Corinthians 15:6). The Bible nowhere speaks of the body being asleep while some immaterial, invisible, inter part of a person is awake. It is the whole person that sleeps unto the resurrection, and the whole person that will wake up at the resurrection. If only the body were asleep with the spirit alive in another world, why would there never be a hint that the real person was not asleep in any of the passages that use sleep as a metaphor of death?
ABRAHAM, WHERE ARE YOU?
Three views about where Abraham is
Many who do not know whether they believe #2 or #3 will say some loved one had gone to be with Jesus in Heaven, but if they are trying to prove the soul is alive before the resurrection will use Luke 16. Abraham is moved back and forth from Heaven to Abraham's bosom as they need to, but most of them do not seem to know they are moving him.
(8) THE REINTERPRETATION OF THE LIFE
THAT CHRIST PROMISED TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM
John 4:14; 4:36; 5:21; 6:40 See chapter two, Life or death
If all are born with an immortal soul that cannot die, all have eternal life, and Christ could only give them a reward, but not eternal life. Unconditional immortality gives both the sinners and the saved eternal life without the death of Christ.
(9) THE REINTERPREATION OF FIRE
TO BE SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BURN UP
See chapter eight, part two, symbolic pictures, the lake of fire
TWO VERY DIFFERENT GOSPELS
Unconditional immortality of a “soul,” and the resurrection of the dead are two very different Gospels (Galatians 1:6-9). There is a dividing line between unconditional immortality and conditional immortality so sharp that the two are completely different Gospels, as far apart as night and day. Both cannot be true. One is a "delusion" (2 Thessalonians 2:11, King James Version) "A working of error" (American Standard Version). Do you believe a working of error? Unconditional immortality is very different from anything preached in Paul's day (Galatians 1:6). It is the "doctrines and precepts of men" (Matthew 15:9), and is wresting the writings of Paul and the other scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). It takes away a need for the death of Christ, and the need of the resurrection.
TWO INCOMPATIBLE BELIEFS
Either one makes the other one impossible.
These two Gospels, (1) the resurrection of the dead, (2) or an undying immortal soul, are so opposed and contradictory to each other that if one is true, it makes the other one a lie of Satan that will destroy you at the judgment; they are not compatible. If one is true, then the other one cannot be. Believing unconditional immortal is disbelieving God; believing this doctrine, or not believing it, can be the difference in whether you believe God or man. One came from man and is vain worship (Matthew 15:9). Christ taught the resurrection. It is our only hope of life after death, not now having immortality and never dying. The undead cannot be raised.
THE SILENCE OF THE BIBLE
All the great doctrines of the Bible are clearly expressed. The doctrine of God, of Christ, the resurrection, the church, the judgment, sin, etc., and are all as clear and plain as our language can say them, but the doctrine of an "immortal soul," or "a never-dying soul," which is constantly expressed today, cannot be found in the Bible. From where did it come? If anyone believes, practices, or teaches anything in the name of Christ, they are obligated to prove it from the Bible. If they do not or cannot, it is a sin to believe, practice, or teach it. It is up to the person who affirms anything to prove it. Have those who believe in and teach Hell proved it to be from God's word? Hell must be proved if it is taught. At the judgment, what will you say to God if there is no Hell and you have taught many that God was the cruel and sadistic God of Hell, and He will torment most forever?
How many times can a person make Christ a liar by believing and teaching the opposite of what He taught and attributing these lies to Him? How often can we attribute the teaching of man to Christ before it becomes the "precepts of man" and "vain worship?" (Matthew 15:9). Will you say to God at the judgment that you loved your theology, a different gospel, more than His word?
It adds to the book of Revelation: Most all who believe in Hell misuse many symbolic passages in revelation to prove it. John said, "If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18). Do some love this cruel and evil teaching enough to have these plagues added to them selves?
"Heavier judgment" James 3:1 and "vain worship" Matthew 15:9. When we teach things that slander God, and makes the resurrection of Christ not needed, etc., we teachers will answer to God at the judgment with a heavier judgment. As teacher we will be judged for not knowing and teachings the truth. We teach that following the teaching of man is vain worship and sinful for others, but it is as sinful for us when we do the same things. If we are not sure beyond any doubt that God's word teaches eternal torment, but teach it anyway, and it is the commandments of men, it may be the difference in living or the second death for us. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23), and faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17); therefore, if the doctrine of Hell is not taught in the Bible it is sin to believe or teach it. Do we think this would not apply to us if we teach anything that we have any doubt about? At the judgment we will give an answer for both what we teach, and for what we do not teach. If we teach Hell or that when a person is born there is an immortal something in him or her that will not die when the person dies, and that God cannot destroy it, then we better make sure that what we teach is from the Bible; for we will answer to God in the very same way as anyone teaching "faith only," or any other doctrine of men. Do some condemn themselves by teaching it is a sin to change God's word, and then preaching what may be the biggest change ever made to it? There is no acceptable reason for a gospel preacher not to know and teach the truth. What will they say to God at the judgment?
It is taught by some that the promise of being immediately in Heaven with God has more comfort than the promise of being in Heaven after the resurrection.
· Comfort that is based on a lie (“you shall not surely die”) is a vain useless comfort.
· To add to or change God’s word is a sin.
· Only by teaching the truth can a preacher save those who he preaches to and save himself.
Is a person born with an immortal soul, or do the saved put on immortality at the resurrection? This is one of the most important questions of all times. It has more influence on our conception of our nature, our view of life in this world, and life after death, the nature of God, than any other question. YOUR WHOLE THEOLOGY (all that you believe) IS DETERMINED BY WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT SOUL. Not only does man does an immortal soul now being in a person make the resurrection impossible, it makes the judgment be passed, and the second coming of Christ pointless for there could not be a resurrection or a judgment at His coming.
Summary: the doctrine of unconditional immortality
Anything more different from the gospel than the immortal soul theology would be difficult to imagine. It makes judgment a second time of those who were already judged and put in Hell at the moment of death be nothing but pure folly. If it is not a total different gospel there could not be one, for not just some part of it is different, but it is one hundred percent different, one hundred percent pagan.
The belief in an immortal deathless soul (Satin’s lie “thou shall not surely die” is the foundation of:
· Much of philosophy beginning with the Egyptians, the Greeks, and today
· Reincarnation-transmigration of souls to other bodies after death
· Most Eastern religions
· The Catholic and the Protestant immortal soul at birth
· The doctrine of Hell
· Purgatory
· Limbo
· Nether World
· Worship of Mary and the reported sighting of her
· Intercession of and worship of saints
· Original Sin
a. Total Hereditary depravity
b. Infant baptism
· “Baptismal regeneration,” the removal of original sin in infants
· The belief that Abraham's bosom is a real place where all saved deathless immortal souls are now living unto the resurrection, but living in speaking and seeing distance of the lost deathless souls that are now in torment
· Spiritualism
· Communication with the spirits of the dead
· The "New Age" movement and channeling craze with spirits of the dead
· Near-death experiences or out-of-body experiences. Those who claim to have died and gone to Heaven or Hell are claiming to have been resurrected from the dead, to have been in Heaven or Hell and then came back to earth. All near-death experiences are totally dependent on the belief of the person, Hindus, Muslims, and others claim to have near-death experiences, but their experiences are what are taught by their beliefs; those who do not believe in Heaven or Hell have near-death experiences, but never believe they go to Heaven or to Hell.
· An evil, cruel, and sadistic God who made most of mankind just so he could torment them.
All of the above teachings are based on the soul being immortal, which is of pagan origin; unconditional immorality is the major premise on which they all stand. Without the doctrine that there is something in a person is not subject to death none of the above could be true. The pagan doctrine of a deathless unconditional immortality soul is the mother or foundation of more false doctrines than any other teaching, and is the greatest deception, and most harmful of all deceptions in the church. Eternal torment of the soul cannot be unless Plato's immortal soul is true, Mary could not be seen or make intercession if she is asleep, there could be no communication with souls of the dead if the whole person were asleep. If unconditional immortality were true, then the resurrection as taught by Christ could not be true, for there could be no resurrection of those who are not dead. As long as one believes this pagan doctrine, and reads it into the Bible, it makes it virtually impossible to understand the Bible correctly. If one believes the pagan teaching of Socrates and Plato over Christ can they truly say they are a believer? “They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” (Matthew 15:9 New International Version).
Charles Welch says, "If a man would become satisfied of modern Spiritism, he must first be satisfied that he is an immortal being."
"The visitations and manifestations of the spirit world are to convince you of the immortality of the soul."
"The first, the greatest, and the grandest truth coming through modern Spiritism is the immortality of the soul."
Here it will be seen that Orthodoxy has nothing to say agains