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NASB | 2 Corinthians 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Corinthians 5:8 we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. |
Bible Question:
Verses like these (and others) seem to teach that people (other than Jesus) have gone to Heaven. Some verses are clear that it is the spirit that went to Heaven, others are clear that the person themselves went to Heaven (or Paradise): Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Eccl 12:7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. 2 Kings 2:11 - As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. Luke 9:30 - And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, Luke 16: "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. Luke 23:43 - And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Acts 7:59 - They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 2 Corinthians 5:8 - We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Philippians 1:23 - But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better. My question is: What happened to Lazarus’ spirit during the 4 days he was dead, before Jesus raised him? (John 11:43) And what happened to the little girl’s spirit (Luke 8:55) before Jesus raised her from the dead? What about the young man that Paul brought back to life (Acts 20:12)? Were all of their spirits called back to their bodies from Heaven? |
Bible Answer: understanding the "spirit" is the key to the question. Eccl 12:7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it In Genesis we see the creation of man and where the spirit came from. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7 The spirit that returns to God at death is the breath of life. Nowhere in all of God's book does the "spirit" have any life, wisdom, or feeling after a person dies. It is the "breath of life" and nothing more "The body without the spirit ["breath," see margin] is dead." James 2:26. "The spirit of God ["the breath which God gave him," see margin] is in my nostrils." Job 27:3 |