One In Jesus

Argument 5: The traditional view of “Where Are the Dead” is Flawed

About 100 years ago, someone published a tract called “Where Are the Dead?” Several denominations were so impressed that they adopted its arguments as their standard position, and many republished the tract. Indeed, it’s standard fare in Church of Christ preacher schools even today.

The gist of the tract’s conclusions is that the dead pass into Hades where they go either to Paradise or Tartarus, pending Judgment, following which the Tartarus residents go to hell and the Paradise residents go to heaven. It’s been said so many times that most people never question the truth of the claims.

Now, there are obviously some problems with this theory – Continue reading →

Not surprisingly, Alexander has weighed in with another thoughtful, weighty comment regarding Jesus’ story of the Rich Man and Lazarus

(Luk 16:19-31 ESV)  19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,  21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.  22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,  23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.  24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’  25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.  26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’  27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house — 28 for I have five brothers — so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’  29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’  30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’  31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'”

This is, of course, one of the classic rejoinders to the arguments for conditional immortality — and for good reason. It just doesn’t seem to fit the theory. Continue reading →

Immortality

Immortality is not an inherent element of human life. Rather, immortality is something God gives to those who are faithful –

(1 Tim 6:15-16) which God will bring about in his own time — God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

And Paul certainly says that only God is immortal. The Greek word is athanasia, meaning deathless.

(Rom 2:7) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

“Immortality” translates aphtharsia, meaning incorruptibility. Continue reading →

Lesson 4: At the end of time, heaven comes to earth

The usual teaching is that God will destroy the earth and we’ll all leave to live with God in heaven forever. That’s not really what the Bible says.

(Rev 21:1-4 ESV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Now, “new” is the Greek word kainos, meaning refreshed or renewed or remade. It’s not used of “made from scratch.” And we see heaven descending down to the renewed earth and God coming to live with man — the very opposite of man ascending to heaven to live with God. How did that happen? Continue reading →

Alexander has posted several objections to my understanding of conditional immortality. As always, Alexander’s concerns are thought provoking and weighty. I’ll work through them one at a time.

Are the lost resurreccted bodily as well? I see no reason why not:

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice,
John 5:29 and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.
Is there any “physical” difference between the two resurrections? No. Both groups rise from their graves => the resurrection is a bodily resurrection both for the saved and the lost.

Indeed, the damned are resurrected — but not to immortality. Rather, they die the second death following judgment. They willl typically die very painfully — but their punishment will be proportional to their wickedness. I’ll cover the proportionality question in a future post. The gist of it is that the damned will be destroyed and die, but most will die painfully and yet justly. God will be who he is, and he is a just God. Continue reading →