PAUL AND DEAD BELIEVERS

PROSECUTION

Paul declares contradictory convictions on the important matter of the state of the believer at death. On the one hand he takes a stand in I Thessalonians 4:13-18 which completely differs from the line he takes in II Corinthians 5:8 & 9 and Philippians 1:21-24. As a result the churches teach two different doctrines regarding the state of the believer at death. One teaching is that he sleeps from the time of his death until the resurrection. The other teaching is that his soul and/or spirit go to be immediately with the lord. Such confusion in Scripture could hardly be labelled as the work of an inspired Apostle.

DEFENCE

This whole matter of what happens to believers at death is a complete study in itself and would be the subject of an entire talk. For this reason we may only deal with ironing out the particular passages here put forward by the Prosecution. It is true that confusion has resulted from these New Testament passages but the real question once again is - where does the blame lie - with Paul or with our translators for interpreting Paul's words without thorough investigation?

Let us look first at II Corinthians 5:6-9 (from the Greek text) ...

"Be then courageous in every way, and aware that while being among our own people in the body, we are away from our own people's home (granted) from the Lord. For we walk (through life) in faith, not by an understanding of appearance. Yet we are courageous, and content rather to become absent from the body, and to be among our own people with the Lord,. Therefore we are always striving to please him, whether with our own people (here in the body) or away from them."

"…absent from the body etc." meaning - we are content to accept death, if death comes before the Coming of the Lord, for although it does not bring the glory of the resurrection, it does give us a home with the Lord among other souls awaiting the resurrection. Therefore the joy of being with the Lord will compensate for the absence of the resurrected body, should death come beforehand.

And now the other text, Philippians 1:20-25, which gives a similar picture (also taken from the Greek) ...

"... according to my eager expectation and hope, 1 shall be shamed in nothing, but in every bold speech, as now and always, an Anointed(One) will b honoured by my body whether through life or death. -For to me the life to live is an anointed (life), and gain the (life) from dying. Yet if I am to live in (the) flesh, to me this bears fruit from work. And I cannot make up my mind, which I shall choose, for I am hard-pressed between these two (desires). Having the desire for the resurrection and to be together with an Anointed (One) for (it is) rather much better. Yet remaining in the flesh (is) more necessary because of you. And being convinced of this, I am certain that I shall be remaining and shall be abiding with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith ".

Note: Paul is torn between praying for the resurrection to come quickly so that he can live a life with the Lord for ever, and praying to God to hold it back a while longer so that he will have more time in this life to explain the Scriptures to these people and so perhaps save a few more of them.

The Prosecution accuse Paul of taking a contrary stand in I Thessalonians 4:13-18, which reads from the Greek ...

"Yet we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those sleeping, that ye may not also be sorrowed just as the rest, those having no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and stood up, thus also by the way of Jesus, will God bring forth those who have together with Him, fallen asleep. For we are saying this to you by word of (our) Lord, that we, the surviving living ones, should not precede those fallen asleep into the presence of the Lord. Because the Lord, Himself by a shouted command, with a voice of an Archangel, and with a trumpet of God, will descend from heaven and the dead (ones) in an anointed people will stand up first, thereupon we the surviving living ones, simultaneously together with them shall be snatched away in clouds, unto a meeting of the Lord in mid-air, and thus we shall always be together with our Lord."

The Prosecution have obviously misinterpreted the point of this passage. If Paul were referring to Jesus bringing the spirits of the dead with Him to earth, then it would be impossible for the living to precede them to His presence. Therefore Paul would have no need to state the obvious so forcefully to dispel uncertainties. Verse 16 states that the dead must come forth first and then the living. We are talking here of resurrected souls, which is identified with the blood, not spirits. The earth-name 'Jesus' portrays such, not 'CHRIST' - (Anointed One), which has reference to His Spiritual Priestly Role.

Thus the sequence of events is that those souls who sleep (in death) whose spirits have returned to God - Ecclesiastes 12:7 - (because it is from an incorruptible seed) God will raise up from death (as He did with Jesus) through Jesus at His Coming; and then the 'surviving living' will follow on. Note also, most carefully, that when Jesus died on the stake He commanded His Own Spirit back to God to await His Own Resurrection. Hence it went to be with the spirits of the dead in Israel. Also as I Corinthians 15:51 & 52 state, both the dead and the living saints (anointed people) in their correct order will be transformed instantly into an immortal, incorruptible state. This is the Divine Plan of inheritance for all those spirits of just men who died with the belief that God would be true to His word and resurrect them to an eternal life.

However, the student would benefit greatly by distinguishing the difference between 'soul' and 'spirit' as God does throughout the Old and New Testaments. Likewise, Paul does, in Hebrews 4:12 (and see also I Corinthians 2:14-16). This valuable distinction is completely overlooked by the Prosecution, as proved by their statement.

So it is then that Paul has remained consistent in his doctrine, which throughout these passages does not conflict in any way with itself, nor with the rest of Scripture.