Immortality of the Soul …is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

[Berean]

The Immortality
of theSoul
…is it a Scriptural Doctrine?
A. T. JONES

 

Introduction
HE doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul is one of
the oldest and one of the most widespread doctrines that has
ever been in this world. It was preached in the world before ever
faith in Christ the Saviour was preached.
T
Genesis 3
4
The serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die.
And from that day to this that doctrine has been believed more
generally by the children of men than has the truth of God.
Indeed, in our day the doctrine of the immortality of the soul
has gained such favor among even those who profess the word of
God as their standard of belief, that to deny it is considered by the
majority of them as equivalent to a denial of the Bible itself.
But, instead of such denial being in any way a denial of the
truth of revelation, the fact is that the truth of revelation can be
logically and consistently held only by the total and unequivocal
denial of the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. This,
the Scriptures plainly show.

 

1. The Resurrection
HERE is no truth more plainly taught nor more diligently in- Tsisted upon in the Bible than this:
The future existence of men depends absolutely
upon either a resurrection of the dead
or a translation without seeing death at all.
Paul’s hope for future existence was in the resurrection of the
dead. In speaking of his efforts to “win Christ,” he says,
Philippians 3
10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto
His death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
It was of “the hope and resurrection of the dead” that he was
called in question by the council;1
and when he had afterward to
make his defense before Felix, he declared that the resurrection of
the dead was the end of his hope, saying,
Acts 24
15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow,
that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and
unjust.
Time and again Paul thus expresses his hope of future life.
Nor is Paul the only one of the writers of the Bible who teaches
the same thing. The resurrection of the dead is that to which Job
looked for the consummation of his hope.
Job 14
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed
time will I wait, till my change come.
15 You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to
the work of your hands.

Job 17
13 If I wait, the grave is my house: I have made my bed in the
darkness.
14 I have said to corruption, You are my father: to the worm, You
are my mother, and my sister.
15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

Job 19
23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed
in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock
for ever!

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not
another; though my reins be consumed within me.
David says,
Psalm 71
20 You which have showed me great and sore troubles, shall
quicken [give life to] me again, and shall bring me up again from
the depths of the earth.
And,
Psalm 17
15 As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness; I shall be
satisfied when I awake with your likeness.
And what shall we more say? For the time would fail us to tell
of Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and Hosea, and
Micah, and all the prophets and apostles, and of our fathers Abra￾ham, Isaac, and Jacob; for Jesus himself declared that it was the
resurrection of the dead of which God spoke when He said,
Matthew 22
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob.
More than this, Jesus pointed His disciples always to the resur￾rection of the dead, through which alone they could obtain the re￾ward which He promised. In John 6:39-54 we find that no less
than four times the Saviour, in giving promise to those who be￾lieve in Him, sets it forth as the consummation of that belief that
“I will raise him up at the last day.” And in Luke we read:
Luke 14
13 When you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame,
the blind;
14 And…you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just

Paul, however, gives us, upon this subject, a straight-forward,
logical argument, which leaves the doctrine of the immortality of
the soul not a particle of ground to rest upon. The fifteenth chap￾ter of 1 Corinthians is devoted entirely to an argument in proof of
the resurrection of the dead. The apostle first proves, by hundreds
of living witnesses who had seen Him after He was risen, that
Christ arose from the dead. Still there were some who said,
“There is no resurrection of the dead.”
And in refutation of that idea, he introduces three points of ar￾gument, any one of which utterly excludes the doctrine of the im￾mortality of the soul from any place whatever in Christian doc￾trine.
1. No Resurrection – No Immortality
In verse 16, his premise is,
1 Corinthians 15
16 If the dead rise not…
The first conclusion from that is,
16 …then Christ is not raised.
Then upon this conclusion follows the logical sequence,
17 …your faith is vain;
–and upon that another,
1 Corinthians 15
17 …you are yet in your sins.
From his premise, “If the dead rise not,” the second conclusion
is,
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
Nothing can be plainer than that this statement and the doc￾trine of the immortality of the soul cannot both be true. For if the
soul be immortal, as is held, it cannot perish, and, therefore, so far

as its existence is concerned, it is utterly independent of the res￾urrection of the dead.
Is it not supposed by all those who believe the soul to be im￾mortal that all who have passed from this world in the faith of
Christ, have gone to heaven, and are now enjoying its bliss? As￾suredly it is. Then, if that be the truth, upon what imaginable
principle can it be conceived that they “are perished,” if there be
no resurrection? What need have they of a resurrection? Have
they not, without a resurrection, all that heaven can afford? Upon
that theory they certainly have. Then it just as certainly appears
that not one of them has perished, even though there never be a
resurrection.
Over against this theory stands the word of God, that…
1 Corinthians 15
16 …if the dead rise not,…
18 Then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
That word is the truth. Therefore it follows that if there be no
resurrection of the dead, there is no hereafter for any who have
ever died, or who shall ever die. But God has given assurance to
all men that there shall be a hereafter,2
and that assurance lies in
the fact…
Acts 17
31 …that He has raised Him [Christ] from the dead.
The resurrection of Christ is the God-given pledge that there
shall be a resurrection of all the dead:
1 Corinthians 15
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive,
–and,
Acts 24
15 …there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and
unjust.

……………….
2 Hebrews 9:27.

Therefore it is by virtue of the resurrection of the dead, and not
by the immortality of the soul, that there will be any hereafter for
the dead, whether just or unjust.

 

To bé continued

God bless

 

 

[Berean]

 

Folowing

2. No Resurrection – No Reward
The second point that the apostle makes in this connection is:
1 Corinthians 15
32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Eph￾esus, what advantages it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and
drink; for tomorrow we die.
On this nothing can be better than to present Dr. Adam
Clarke’s comment upon this same passage:
I believe the common method of pointing this verse is erro￾neous; I propose to read it thus: “If, after the manner of men, I
have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what does it advantage me?
If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.”
What the apostle says here is a regular and legitimate conclusion
from the doctrine that there is no resurrection; for if there be no
resurrection, then there can be no judgment–no future state of re￾wards and punishments; why, therefore, should we bear crosses,
and keep ourselves under continual discipline? Let us eat and
drink, take all the pleasure we can; for tomorrow we die, and
there is an end of us forever.
That is sound exegesis, and a just comment upon the words of
the apostle. As we have shown, that is the point of Paul’s argu￾ment throughout, and it is the thought of the whole Bible upon
this subject.
But if the soul be immortal, neither Dr. Clarke’s comment nor
Paul’s argument is sound. For if the soul be immortal, whenso￾ever it may be that we die, that is not the “end of us forever,” res￾urrection or no resurrection. By this it is plain that the doctrine of
the immortality of the soul nullifies the plainest propositions of
Scripture, and is therefore false.

To bé continued

[Berean]

Folowing

Immortality of theSoul …is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

By A.T. JONES

This view fully explains the query which Dr. Clarke propounds in his remarks at the close of his comments on 1 Corinthians He says:-

“One remark I cannot help making: the doctrine of the resurrection appears to have been thought of much more consequence among the primitive Christians than it is now! How is this? The apostles were continually insisting on it, and exciting the followers of God to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it. And their successors in the present day seldom mention it! . . . There is not a doctrine in the gospel on which more stress is laid; and there is not a doctrine in the present system of preaching which is treated with more neglect!”

influence of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul that the preachers of the present day “seldom mention it,” and that in the present system of preaching there is indeed “not a doctrine that is treated with more neglect,” and nothing is needed to show more plainly than does this the irreconcilable antagonism between the truth of God and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul.

. The third point is in verse 36: “That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die.” To quicken is “to make alive. “What Paul says therefore is, “That which thou sowest is not made alive except it die.” That this is spoken directly of man and his resurrection, is evident from verses 42-44, “It is sown a natural body,” etc. Now the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is that the body properly has no life, that it is not the real man, but that the soul is the real, living, sentient man, that it is that about man which alone possesses real life. In other words, the body is only the house in which the real man lives. The real “I,” the soul, dwells within the body, and death is simply the separation of the soul from the body. Death breaks down the house, and lets the occupant free. According to this doctrine, there is no such thing as death, because the body properly has no life, consequently it does not die, and the soul-the real man-is immortal, and it cannot die; therefore, there is in reality no such thing as death. If this be true, there is not only no such thing as death, but there is, likewise, no such thing as a resurrection of the dead; for upon the apostle’s premise that “that which thou sowest is not quickened [made alive] except it die,” it follows that, as the body, having no life, does not die, it cannot be quickened (raised from the dead); and as the soul does not die, it cannot be raised from the dead; consequently, there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead.

Therefore it stands proved to a demonstration that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is utterly subversive of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. But the resurrection of the dead is a Bible doctrine; it is the very truth of God. So then it is plain that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the truth of God, and is therefore false, deceptive, and destructive.

 

To be continued

God bless

[Berean]

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

Chapter 2

The Second Coming of Christ

There is another doctrine of the Bible which holds just as important a place in the divine scheme as does that of the resurrection; and that is, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This likewise is subverted by a belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. The subversion of this truth is, in a measure, involved in that of the resurrection, because without the second coming of Christ there would be no resurrection, and anything that destroys belief in the resurrection of the dead, by that means destroys faith and hope in the second coming of the Lord.

not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Cor. 15:51-55.

“Then shall be brought to pass the saying.” When?-“At the last trump,” certainly; “for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.” When is it that the trump shall sound?-“This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, . . . The Lord himself shall descend from heaven . . . with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise.” “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” Then it is, and not till then, that men shout, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” But through belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul, it is now sought to be made to appear that this “saying” is “brought to pass” when men die! There can be no more direct perversion of the word of God than to represent this saying as being brought to pass when men die. But what does the doctrine of the immortality of the soul care about the perversion of the word of God? The first time that that doctrine was ever uttered, it was in direct contradiction of the express word of the Lord himself. The Lord said, in the event of man’s disobedience, “Thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17); and the devil said, “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4; Rev. 20:2.) And there is no shadow of reason to expect that the doctrine will, in reality, ever assume any other position.

with power that bursts the bars of the cruel grave and destroys the strength of death, then the saint arises triumphant over death, and “then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” Then the saint can shout exultingly, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? “And, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And thrice thanks, yea, “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3.

However, it is not alone through the subversion of the doctrine of the resurrection that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul strikes against the coming of the Lord. The issue is directly joined. For by those who believe in the natural immortality of the soul, it is held that those who die in the Lord go straight to heaven; that they go direct to the place where the Lord is; and so they sing,-

“Then persevere till death Shall bring thee to thy God; He’ll take thee, at thy parting breath, To his divine abode.” – Gospel Hymns, No 112.

And obituaries are actually written by them such as the following, which we read not long since in the Christian Cynosure: “Alvah Palmer went to heaven from” a certain place in New York; and then the notice went on to tell when and of what he died, etc. And Dr. Talmage, in relating how a certain saintly woman was “emparadised,” tells how the chariot of Elijah was outdone; for there it must have taken some little time to turn out the chariot and hitch up the horses; but here, in this instance, the transition was all made instantaneously, without waiting for either horses or chariot! And all this when a person died! These are only notable expressions of the common idea of those who believe in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul.

Now, if these things be true,-if it be true that death brings people to God; that men and women go direct to heaven from their homes in this world, and this so instantaneously that there is no time to get ready the chariot of God, as was done when Elijah went without dying at all,-we say if these things be true, then there is literally no place left for the coming of the Lord. It would be simply the height of absurdity to talk about the Lord’s coming to this world after people who are not here at all, but are, and have been, for years and hundreds of years, in heaven,-in the very place which he leaves to come here! This is why the doctrine of the coming of the Lord is so neglected, so despised, in fact. Believing this, and there is no need to believe in the coming of the Lord; indeed, it is a palpable inconsistency to believe in it. Believing this, and there is no need to look, or wait, for the coming of the Lord; all there is for such to do is to wait till death shall come and take them; and so death-“the last enemy,” “the king of terrors”-is given the place and the office of Him who is our life (Col. 3:4), of Him “that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

But this belief is not the “belief of the truth.” There is no element of truth, in any form, in the idea of people going to God or to heaven when they die. Christ himself said as plainly as tongue can speak, “Whither I go, ye cannot come.” John 13:33. Then when his disciples were troubled because of these words, he told them, in words equally plain, of the event upon which they must place their only hope of being with him where he is, and that event is, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3. And that word “that” shows positively that that is the only way in which men may ever be with him where he is. Therefore the coming of the Lord is the Christian’s hope. And the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, in supplanting, as it certainly does, the doctrine of the coming of the Lord, supplants the Christian’s hope. Then when the doctrine of the immortality of the soul sends men to heaven before the end of the world, before the sounding of the last trump, before the time when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven and raise the dead, before he appears in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and sends his angels to gather together his elect-we say when the doctrine of the immortality of the soul puts men into heaven before the occurrence of these events, it does it in defiance of the word of Christ, which liveth and abideth forever.

Therefore we say it stands proved that the belief of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, and, in that, is subversive of the truth of God.

To be continued

God bless

[Berean]

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

Chapter 2

The Second Coming of Christ 

 

In the previous post, a passage is missing (second paragraph)
I added it in this second post.
I put it in red.

There is another doctrine of the Bible which holds just as important a place in the divine scheme as does that of the resurrection; and that is, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This likewise is subverted by a belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. The subversion of this truth is, in a measure, involved in that of the resurrection, because without the second coming of Christ there would be no resurrection, and anything that destroys belief in the resurrection of the dead, by that means destroys faith and hope in the second coming of the Lord.

That the event of the resurrection of the dead depends wholly upon the second coming of Christ, is easily shown by the Scripture, which, of course, in these things is the only authority. We have before shown that the righteous are rewarded only at the resurrection; and to show plainly the connection, we will repeat a verse before quoted: “When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:13, 14. And of his own coming, Jesus says: “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:12. The coming of the Lord, and the resurrection of the righteous dead, are directly connected by Paul thus: “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. And again: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Cor. 15:51-55.

“Then shall be brought to pass the saying.” When?-“At the last trump,” certainly; “for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.” When is it that the trump shall sound?-“This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, . . . The Lord himself shall descend from heaven . . . with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise.” “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” Then it is, and not till then, that men shout, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” But through belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul, it is now sought to be made to appear that this “saying” is “brought to pass” when men die! There can be no more direct perversion of the word of God than to represent this saying as being brought to pass when men die. But what does the doctrine of the immortality of the soul care about the perversion of the word of God? The first time that that doctrine was ever uttered, it was in direct contradiction of the express word of the Lord himself. The Lord said, in the event of man’s disobedience, “Thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17); and the devil said, “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4; Rev. 20:2.) And there is no shadow of reason to expect that the doctrine will, in reality, ever assume any other position.

with power that bursts the bars of the cruel grave and destroys the strength of death, then the saint arises triumphant over death, and “then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” Then the saint can shout exultingly, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? “And, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And thrice thanks, yea, “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3.

However, it is not alone through the subversion of the doctrine of the resurrection that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul strikes against the coming of the Lord. The issue is directly joined. For by those who believe in the natural immortality of the soul, it is held that those who die in the Lord go straight to heaven; that they go direct to the place where the Lord is; and so they sing,-

“Then persevere till death Shall bring thee to thy God; He’ll take thee, at thy parting breath, To his divine abode.” – Gospel Hymns, No 112.

And obituaries are actually written by them such as the following, which we read not long since in the Christian Cynosure: “Alvah Palmer went to heaven from” a certain place in New York; and then the notice went on to tell when and of what he died, etc. And Dr. Talmage, in relating how a certain saintly woman was “emparadised,” tells how the chariot of Elijah was outdone; for there it must have taken some little time to turn out the chariot and hitch up the horses; but here, in this instance, the transition was all made instantaneously, without waiting for either horses or chariot! And all this when a person died! These are only notable expressions of the common idea of those who believe in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul.

Now, if these things be true,-if it be true that death brings people to God; that men and women go direct to heaven from their homes in this world, and this so instantaneously that there is no time to get ready the chariot of God, as was done when Elijah went without dying at all,-we say if these things be true, then there is literally no place left for the coming of the Lord. It would be simply the height of absurdity to talk about the Lord’s coming to this world after people who are not here at all, but are, and have been, for years and hundreds of years, in heaven,-in the very place which he leaves to come here! This is why the doctrine of the coming of the Lord is so neglected, so despised, in fact. Believing this, and there is no need to believe in the coming of the Lord; indeed, it is a palpable inconsistency to believe in it. Believing this, and there is no need to look, or wait, for the coming of the Lord; all there is for such to do is to wait till death shall come and take them; and so death-“the last enemy,” “the king of terrors”-is given the place and the office of Him who is our life (Col. 3:4), of Him “that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

But this belief is not the “belief of the truth.” There is no element of truth, in any form, in the idea of people going to God or to heaven when they die. Christ himself said as plainly as tongue can speak, “Whither I go, ye cannot come.” John 13:33. Then when his disciples were troubled because of these words, he told them, in words equally plain, of the event upon which they must place their only hope of being with him where he is, and that event is, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3. And that word “that” shows positively that that is the only way in which men may ever be with him where he is. Therefore the coming of the Lord is the Christian’s hope. And the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, in supplanting, as it certainly does, the doctrine of the coming of the Lord, supplants the Christian’s hope. Then when the doctrine of the immortality of the soul sends men to heaven before the end of the world, before the sounding of the last trump, before the time when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven and raise the dead, before he appears in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and sends his angels to gather together his elect-we say when the doctrine of the immortality of the soul puts men into heaven before the occurrence of these events, it does it in defiance of the word of Christ, which liveth and abideth forever.

Therefore we say it stands proved that the belief of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, and, in that, is subversive of the truth of God.

To be continued

God bless

[Berean]

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

Chapter 3

The Judgment

The judgment is one of the certainties of Bible doctrine. Time and again Jesus sets before us the awful scenes and the all-important decisions of the judgment. “I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matt. 12:36. “The queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them; for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.” Luke 11:31, 32. In the parable of the wheat and tares, in the parable of the marriage of the king’s son (Matt. 22:1-14), in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), in fact, in all his teaching, the judgment was made prominent. In Matt. 25:31-46, he sets before us a view of the very judgment itself.

The Old Testament as well as the New tells of the judgment. Solomon says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12:13, 14. Daniel says: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Dan. 7:9, 10. Isaiah, David, Job, and other prophets speak of this, as well as Solomon and Daniel. Even “Enoch, the seventh from Adam,” prophesied of this, saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all.” Jude 14,

This is not a judgment that is constantly going on during men’s lives and completed at their death, so that then their reward is given, whether for good or ill. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Heb. 9:27. Paul “reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come” (Acts 24:25), not judgment already come, nor constantly going on. There is a time appointed for the judgment “Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Acts 17:31. “As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;” “in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” Rom. 2:12, 16. And again: “We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” 2 Cor. 5:10. It is not that alone that he has done in his direct personal acts for which he must account; he must answer for the fruit of his doings. “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jer. 17:10.

The time when men shall receive for that which they have done, whether it be good or bad, is at the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the end of the world. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” Rev. 11:15, 18. Again we quote the words of Jude: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Jude 14, With this agree exactly the words of Christ: “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:12. And Paul, in his charge to Timothy, and to all ministers of Christ, says: “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick [living] and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word.” 2 Tim. 4:1, 2. Peter also says: “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” 2 Peter 2:9.

More texts might be given on these points, but these are sufficient. From these it is plain (1) that there is a time “appointed” for the judgment; (2) that this is after death; (3) that it is the time of reward to all, for good or evil; (4) that this is called the “day of judgment;” (5) that it is at the appearing and kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ; (6) that then, and not till then, it is that the righteous receive their reward; (7) and that the “unjust” are “reserved” until that time to be punished, and are not punished before that great day of judgment Yet, however plain all this may be, it is equally plain that there is not one of these propositions that the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul does not tend to subvert. For if, at death, righteous men enter immediately into their reward, and the unrighteous go immediately to the place of punishment, then where is there any possible room for the judgment (unless, perhaps, the absurd idea be adopted that men should spend hundreds or thousands of years in happiness or misery, and then be brought to the judgment to see whether they be worthy of that which they have enjoyed or suffered!!)?

For if at death men enter immediately into their reward or punishment, as the case may be, then it follows, if there be any judgment at all, that instead of there being a time “appointed” “after this” for judgment, there must necessarily be a judgment constantly going on in the life of each individual, and that that judgment closes at his death, and that he in consequence of judgment passed enters then upon his destiny, whether for good or for ill. It can be seen at a glance that such a view is utterly subversive of the Bible doctrine of the judgment. If such be the truth, then there can be no such thing as a day of judgment when the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, because all are judged as fast as they die; there can be no such thing as Christ judging the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, because all the dead have been judged when they died; there can be no such thing as the “time of the dead that they should be judged” when the seventh angel sounds, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, for all the dead will have been judged before the seventh angel shall have sounded; and there can be no such thing as reserving “the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished,” because by this theory they are sent to punishment as soon as they die. In short, if the doctrine of the immortality of the soul be the truth, the Bible doctrine of the judgment cannot be the truth. And the time has now come when a choice must be made between them. As for us, we choose the Bible, with all its doctrine, and with all that that choice involves.

That we do not misrepresent the popular doctrine of the immortality of the soul when we say that it puts men into heaven or hell at death, can be proved by anyone who will consult the hymn books, or the papers of the religious denominations that believe that doctrine, or listen to the average funeral discourse or revival sermon.

But that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the Bible doctrine of the judgment is not all. By virtue of that doctrine, men have usurped the seat of the Judge of all, and have arrogated to themselves the prerogative of reading into heaven whomsoever they see fit. How often we read that such and such a person is in heaven! But what right has any man to say who is worthy of a place in that bright world? Who knows the heart?-None but God alone. He alone it is who pronounces upon the worthiness of men “to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead,” and when men take upon themselves to read into heaven this man or that man, they are simply usurping the awful prerogative of the Most High. And only for belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul, no man would ever think of it. We repeat: It is God alone to whom belongs the right to pronounce that decision. He will pronounce it in every case, but it will be in the judgment; not at death, but at the resurrection of the dead, and before the assembled universe, and by the voice of the glorious Son of God, who hath loved us and hath washed us from our sins in his own blood; for he “hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” John 5:27-29. Any doctrine that will lead men to thus usurp the prerogative of the Judge of all the earth, cannot be the truth. This is exactly what the doctrine of the immortality of the soul does, therefore it cannot be the truth; and as it is subversive of the Bible doctrine of the judgment, it is not only not the truth, but the belief of it is subversive of the truth.

God created man upon the earth, and gave him dominion over all upon it. He made him, not as the angels, but lower than they-inferior to the angels. Ps. 8:5; Heb. 2:7, margin. God made man upright, but through the deception of Satan he turned to crooked ways-he sinned. And although God had put all things in subjection under him, and “left nothing” that was not “put under him,” yet now, says Paul, we see not all things put under him. Heb. 2:8. Through sin he has been deprived of his glory, and honor, and dominion, which God gave him, and which the Lord intended that he should forever enjoy. This sin was brought upon him by Satan, and, hard upon sin, death followed.

But when man had thus sold himself under sin, God gave by promise, and in the “fullness of time” he gave in fact, his only-begotten Son, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” When man had so sold himself under sin, under the curse, God gave his dear Son to redeem him from sin, from the curse, and from all condemnation. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:1. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.” Gal. 3:13. “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:3, 4.

To be continued

God bless

[Proclaimer]

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.…

[Berean]

Hi Proclaimer

What do you think you demonstrate with this verse?

🙏

[Proclaimer]

Outside of salvation, man does not live forever.

[GeneBalthrop]

Berean…….Psa 146:4….> “His breath goes forth, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts parish”.

when a man dies he is totally gone forever,  as far as he is concerned, he no longer exists, he is “completely” gone.  But that doesn’t mean that God can’t reconstruct him, that is why the next verse says,  Psa 146: 5……> Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the LORD his God.  Because it is God and “only” God the father that can bring you back, absolutely no other can but him.

peace and love to you and yours Berean………..gene

[Berean]

@ Proclaimer

You

Outside of salvation, man does not live forever.

Me

It is therefore God by Christ who will give immortality on the day of resurrection for the dead in Christ and the living who will be standing at Christ’s return.

🙏

 

[Berean]

Gene

You

Because it is God and “only” God the father that can bring you back, absolutely no other can but him.

Me

It is the will of God that this be done through his Son Jesus Christ.

👇

John 5
[21] For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
[22] For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
[23] That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
[25] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
[26] For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
[27] And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
[28] Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves👉 shall hear his voice,
[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 damnation.

🙏

[GeneBalthrop]

Berean…….Jesus said…….“no man can come unto me except the “Father” draw him”.

No man “can”even begin to go to Jesus without the Father taking him there,  Jesus can raise no body except the Father gives him permission to, and Jesus only raises those God the father shows him .  Notice care fully the scripture you posted. Verse 24,  “verily verily I say unto you, he that hears my voice “AND BELIEVES ON HIM THAT SENT ME”. Has ever lasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is (already) passed from death to life.

It works this way,  Just as scripture plainly shows,   ” Now If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He (God) that raised Christ  from the dead , shall also (like he did Jesus), quicken you mortal (dead) body , by the Spirit that dwell in you.  Get it? 

You problem Berean is, your constantly trying to make Jesus equal or even above GOD , by making it out that, The man Jesus does it all by himself,  in this way you are “equaling” Jesus to God the Father,  instead of making him the servant of the God the Father.

As far as honor goes, yes we are to honor Jesus like the Father, because Jesus is telling us the Father words, and the Father has given him the position he holds,  but that is not saying he is “equal” to the Father in power and authority.  I give honor to Jesus,  to the Glory of the Father, not to the Glory of Jesus. Jesus is never equal or ahead of God the Father to me.

peace and love to you and yours Berean……….gene

[Berean]

You problem Berean is, your constantly trying to make Jesus equal or even above GOD , by making it out that, The man Jesus does it all by himself,  in this way you are “equaling” Jesus to God the Father,  instead of making him the servant of the God the Father.

Me

Equal to the Father, I believe that he(The Son of GOD) is in the sense that God by him created all things….but that you refuse to believe it….and yet the word of God is clear on this subject. …

Paul also says in Hebrews 1 that the Son is:
….the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,….

This never prevented him from being in permanent communion with his Father by doing his will.

🙏

 

[Proclaimer]

It is therefore God by Christ who will give immortality on the day of resurrection for the dead in Christ and the living who will be standing at Christ’s return.

A great verse on the subject @berean. Thanks.

[GeneBalthrop]

Berean…….Using a corrupted scripture , like your using to try to prove yourself right, only creates contradictions.  Here is what God the Father himself said about who created everything.

Isa 44:24…..>“This says the LORD, your redeemer, and he that formed you from the womb,  I am the LORD that makes “ALL” THINGS; that stretches forth the heavens,  “ALONE”; that spreads abroad the earth “by MYSELF” .

Seems the LORD OUR GOD,  has a different opinion about who did what, then you and your corruptions of the scripture you presented,  I wonder who is right you and your corrupted scripture in the New Testament or “what the LORD GOD, himself said in Isa 44:24”,  I’ll chose what the LORD, my and Jesus’ GOD says> 

Berean have you ever tried to understand why Jesus said>?, …“the son of man can do “NOTHING” of himself” .   

peace and love to you and yours Berean……….gene

[GeneBalthrop]

Berean…….Using a corrupted scripture , like your using to try to prove yourself right, only creates contradictions.  Here is what God the Father himself said about who created everything.

Isa 44:24…..>“This says the LORD, your redeemer, and he that formed you from the womb,  I am the LORD that makes “ALL” THINGS; that stretches forth the heavens,  “ALONE”; that spreads abroad the earth “by MYSELF” .

Seems the LORD OUR GOD,  has a different opinion about who did what, then you and your corruptions of the scripture you presented,  I wonder who is right you and your corrupted scripture in the New Testament or “what the LORD GOD, himself said in Isa 44:24”,  I’ll chose what the LORD, my and Jesus’ GOD says> 

Berean have you ever tried to understand why Jesus said>?, …“the son of man can do “NOTHING” of himself” .   

peace and love to you and yours Berean……….gene

[Author]

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