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NASB | 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; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Philippians 1:23 But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; |
Bible Question:
Just out of curiosity, when and where did the doctrine or teaching of soul sleep originate? In Him, lionheart |
Bible Answer: Greetings Mr. Lionheart: This is part of the article on Soul Sleep by Tal Davis at the North American Mission Board, SBC on their website 4truth.net. Soul Sleep By Tal Davis "To be or not to be: That is the question." William Shakespeare One of the most vexing questions every person faces in life is, "What happens when I die?" The answer to that question is, therefore, one of the most crucial for any religious faith to provide for its adherents. One answer some have proposed has been called "Soul Sleep" or, more accurately, the doctrine of "Conditional Immortality." This view asserts, simply put, that when people die, their physical body ceases to function and the life force of the spirit is removed. This means that their conscious existence ends while they wait in the grave for a resurrected body restored by God at the end times. Their perspective is that human beings are not naturally immortal and do not survive, in any sense, after physical death. This doctrine is propagated dogmatically by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses). In their widely distributed book, Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (Brooklyn: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 1995, p. 82) they state: "When somebody dies, the spirit (life force) ceases to animate the body cells, much as a light goes out when the electricity is turned off. When the life force stops sustaining the human being, man-the soul-dies." Further, in the same publication (p. 83) they assert: "Therefore, God's Word refers to the dead as being asleep. For example, upon learning that his friend Lazarus had died, Jesus Christ told His disciples 'Lazarus our friend has gone to rest, but I am journeying there to awake him from sleep.'" Another faith group that teaches the same view is the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. In their official doctrinal publication, Seventh-Day Adventists Believe … A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., 1988, p. 353) they state: "The grave is not a place of consciousness. Since death is a sleep, the dead remain in a state of unconsciousness in the grave until the resurrection, when the grave (Hades) gives up its dead (Rev. 20:13)." Both the Jehovah's Witnesses and the SDA base this "Soul Sleep" doctrine on their interpretations of certain key biblical terms and passages. For example, both agree that both the Old Testament Hebrew sheol and the New Testament Greek term Hades refer to the common grave of mankind. Thus, they do not infer any concept of natural immortality of the soul at physical death. Old Testament passages like Ecclesiastes 3:19-21; 9:5, 6; 12:7; Job 14:10-12; Psalm 115:17; and others are often quoted to buttress this position. New Testament passages such as Matthew 9:24; Mark 5:39; John 11:11-14; Acts 7:20; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; and 2 Peter 3:4, where dead people are referred to as "sleeping" or "asleep", are also utilized as proof that the dead are now in a sort of unconscious state of nonbeing. The term "sleep" (Greek: Koimao or Katheudo) was a common biblical euphemism for death. Paul used it only in reference to believers in Christ who had died. We need to ask, however, do these passages actually prove unquestionably what the Jehovah's Witnesses, SDAs, and others holding this position, assert? Obviously, we do not have space here to exegete every passage above. However, we can look carefully at a few Scriptures, particularly from the New Testament and the words of Jesus, that may lead us to a different conclusion than that summarized above. (continued at 4truth.net) |