DeaconDean;
On your Seminary writings, I'd like to take an opportunity to dispute some points. Probably nothing you haven't heard before, just the other side of the coin I guess.
First point-I don't believe there is any statement in the Bible that identifies an "immortal Soul"- Only God is Immortal. You stated
" and the souls of the wicked are cast into Hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the great judgement day". I personally think its impossible for a just and righteous God to convict and condemn anybody before their judged!
You state "
our whole doctrine concerning hell comes not from one singular place in the Holy writ; rather from the whole". I don't think so, I think it comes from Greek mythology (Dantes Inferno), and part of your argument is Lk.16:19-31, but thats a parable which also is only addressed to a "select" audience composed of elect clerics. Don't take my word for it, Jesus said He only spoke in parables.
You stated "
at the moment of death, the body and soul separate. The body returns to the dust from whence it came, and the soul departs to enter either Heaven or Hell." Where does this come from? It isn't in the Bible, the breath, or Spirit returns to God who gave it, but this soul to heaven or hell isn't in there.
You stated as part of your argument "
Jesus told the thief of the cross 'today thou be with me in Paradise." I again have to disagree. Don't believe in Hebrew they used punctuation marks, put the comma on the other side of 'today' gives it a different meaning-Lk. 23:43 "assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise". As Jesus didn't go to Paradise but slept in the grave (middle earth) and rose the first day of the week. Jn.20:17 "do not cling to Me, for I have not yet
ascended to My Father".
Regards Lk.16:19-31 "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable as doctrine". True enough, but not for "
what awaits us at death" as stated previously, it wasn't spoked to the masses, just to an exclusive few Pharisees and scribes who were constantly chastizing Him. Thus the reference of "Abraham's bosum". The moral of the story is always at the end Lk.16:31 "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead".
And about this 'Soul-sleep' thing stating "
so rest may be taken in a literal sense in the believe will rest from their labors". LOL, I truely find it so ironic that when people write volumes explaining what words mean in both Greek and Hebrew concerning death that its all completely figurative, yet when a word supports ones theory or supposition
THEN its literal!
And I mean no disrespect, but are you validating the Souls going to Heaven by invoking Rev.6:9 "the Souls under the altar", It was a VISION. Their were also numerous strange beasts and other unworldly things he also visualized.
And your evidence regarding the notion of "soul-sleep" coming from Enoch 22? Hmmm, well it also states in Enoch that these "Nephilim" came down and had relations with women who gave birth to giants whose height was 3 thousand
ells. The Egyptian ell was 450mm, the Babylonian ell was 495mm, the standard biblical ell would have been 525 or 495mm, so to compute mm to inches x .039370=inches, 450 x039370=17.7165 inches, 17.7165 x 3000=53149.5 inches divided by 12=4429.125 feet tall, so they must have been very hardy women or the book is flawed, hence my disbelief in the Enoch argument.
About the eternal life in hell "
to qualify the answer that needs to be given, it must be stated up front that there is a vast difference between the two ideas of "eternal life". No, I don't believe so, eternal life is eternal life! People want to be literal about the good things, but qualify things figuatively about the negative. Life here is also good and bad, but its still "life". Eternal life as you believe is the same either good or tortureous, and thats the crux of it. For a pitiful short period of time here on earth a "soul" as you put it sinned and is tortured forever. And what about fair, just, and righteous. Example-say a little girl lies about where her parents are so bad people won't go and harm them, so she ends up in hell suffering next to Hitler? Now,
thats what is not logical, just, or righteous.
Anyway, thats how I form my views about Jesus, by what He says, and it all hinges on His personality and character and I don't see Him as horrendous and vindictive to punish without tempering it with a merciful release. Eternal punishment-yes, eternal punishing-no.
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