Analysis of Arguments Against the Immortality of the Soul

Analysis of Arguments Against the Immortality of the Soul

Aleksandar Trajkovski

Will the God of love cast people into hell - eternal torment? "NO !!!" - many exclaims. "We do not believe in such a God! Our God will not torment anyone in hell (or at least not forever)! "They teach that after death a person comes to a state of deep sleep or ceases to exist. Others claim that the Bible clearly speaks of hell, a place of eternal torment, prepared by God for those who do not want to obey Him. Which is correct? Will God cast sinners into hell to be tormented forever, or will He simply erase them so that they no longer exist? In other words, did Jesus come into the world to be born, to live, to be martyred and killed, and resurrected on the third day, to save us from physical death and deep sleep, or eternal hell?

The Church always believed in the existence of eternal hell, but some rejected this truth.¹ Among them are Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventists, but also an increasing number of preachers and theologians from other churches. We wonder why some believe in hell and others don't? In this book you will find the answer to this question and understand which view is correct.²

1. Arguments Against the Immortal Soul

One of the main arguments of those who deny the existence of hell is that the soul is not immortal. Then it follows that hell is not eternal either. To prove this, they refer to Genesis 2:7.

(Gen 2:7 ESV)  then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Based on this text, they claim that man is composed of two elements: the dust of the earth and the breath of life.³ He has no soul, he is a soul. When he dies, the soul dies.⁴ But, as we shall see later, such an interpretation is problematic. To prove the teaching of the mortal soul as well as the body, they quote the serpent:

Gen 3:4 ESV  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

They claim that teaching about the immortality of the soul is Satan's fabrication, not God's revelation.⁵ God said "you will die" and Satan says "you will not". They also quote other texts that they believe confirm their teaching. They are especially fond of the Psalms, the Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah. Let's look at some:

Psa 115:17 ESV  The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence.

Psa 6:5 ESV  For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

They believe that these texts prove that there is no life after death because they say that the dead no longer praise God. They also quote the Ecclesiastes:

Ecc 9:5-6 ESV  For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.  (6)  Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

They also cite texts that speak of the death of the soul.

Eze 18:20 ESV  The soul who sins shall die.

They also mention those who say that the dead are asleep:

1Th 4:13 ESV  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

What to say about this? Do the above texts prove that a person has no immortal soul and that a soul dies with a body because it is the same? The wise saying goes: "The first is righteous in his lawsuit, and when his adversary comes, he refutes it." (Proverbs 18:17) It is no problem to refute the given arguments and the misinterpretation of the texts.

  

2. Analysis of arguments against the immortal soul

First, the logic of the argument itself is wrong. If the texts really teach that the soul is not immortal, it does not prove that eternal hell does not exist. Can't God make mortal souls immortal to punish them in eternal hell? Second, the interpretation of the texts is more than questionable. Let us briefly consider the book of Ecclesiastes. Does it teach that there is no life after death?

     

Ecc 9:5-6 ESV  For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.  (6)  Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

  

Note the phrase under the sun, at the end of verse six. It is repeated twenty-nine times. Everything the writer says relates to events in our visible world. The dead don't know what is happening under the sun, nor do they have any part in what is under the sun. The text says nothing about whether or not there is a soul. It just describes what happens under the sun. The opponent's argument simply does not stand.

Let's do a little digression. Since the dead have no part in what is happening on earth, is it then worth praying to them as the Roman Catholic Church teaches? It's in vain. They neither hear us nor can help us.

What about the Psalms? When the psalmist says, "For among the dead who remembers you, in the Underworld, who sings praise to you?" Does he teach that the soul is not immortal? Is it possible that he, as well as the Ecclesiastes, talks about what he sees, what goes on under the sun? Is it possible that he sits in his house and looks out the window at the cemetery? From there he does not hear any song of praise. Everything is quiet. The word used is sheol, and in many cases means grave,⁶ and we do not hear a song from the grave. Dead bodies are dormant. Isn't that all the psalmist says?

It should be added that the Old Testament, unlike the New Testament, speaks relatively little about the afterlife and the blessings of paradise that awaits the saved.⁷ The focus of the Old Testament is largely on what is happening on earth. The blessings are primarily earthly. Salvation is primarily from worldly problems, troubles, and physical death. I am not saying that the Old Testament doesn't speak of eternal salvation and eternal blessings, but that it mostly speaks of worldly salvation and blessings, and that is an image of the heavenly realities. So when OT talks about death, dying and the dead, he talks about what we see, not what we don't see. That is why it is no wonder when the psalmist says, “They do not praise you in the grave. We do not hear a song from the cemetery.” It is clear that he is talking about the bodies, not the souls of those who have died. (There is another interpretation, which is that the psalmist thinks of those who died without Christ. They certainly do not praise God in hell.)

What about Satan? Did he invent the doctrine of the immortality of the soul when he said: "You will not die?" A ridiculous statement for those who know the Bible. In any case, it does not in any way support the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventists. When God told Adam that he was going to die, he meant it seriously. Adam died, both spiritually and physically, but he did not cease to exist.

What about Genesis and the man who became a living soul? Does this mean that man is a soul, and that a soul dies with a body? The text merely says that man has become a living soul. It says nothing about the nature of that soul, neither that it is composed of two elements, nor that it ceases to exist after death (as, in a sense, one might say about the body, because it eventually decays). Such an idea is read into the text. This is a classic example of a logically wrong argument.⁸ The words "you are dust and you will return to dust" refer to the body and not to the spiritual dimension of man.

What about Ezekiel who says that the soul will die? Words in the Bible can have a broad meaning. The word soul can mean: man, person, life, living being, etc., but also the spiritual part of man. When it says that a sinful soul will die, it means that a sinner will die. It does not mean that the spiritual part of the man, we also call the soul, will die.

What about sleep? Teaching about the soul's sleep does not at all favor those who teach that the soul is dying. Why? If the soul has died, it no longer exists. If a person sleeps, then he exists. It can't be both. The Bible teaches that the body sleeps and the soul is very much alive, which I will prove. Therefore, we who believe that after the death of the body the soul continues to live, we can say that man is dead and asleep because the body is dead and the soul is alive.

3. Evidence of the "immortality" of the soul

There are many biblical texts which prove that the soul continues to live after the death of a body. Most texts are found in the New Testament. Let's look at some:

Matthew 10:28

Mat 10:28 ESV  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

The text clearly states that a man can kill the body but not the soul. This means that man "consists" of the material and spiritual parts. The material, which we can kill, and the spiritual, which continues to live. Through this text I have proved that the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventists is not true. But I will list a few more texts because opponents tend to distort the Bible teaching in every way.

Matthew 22: 31-33

Mat 22:31-33 ESV  And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:  (32)  ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”  (33)  And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Jesus speaks to the Sadducees who, like Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventists, did not believe there was an immortal soul. He says that God (in Exodus 3:15) is called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus concludes from this that the Lord is the God of the living, not of the dead. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive and will be resurrected on the day of resurrection.

Luke 16: 22-23

Luk 16:22-23 ESV  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,  (23)  and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

I have not heard any coherent interpretation of this story by opponents. Unless man continues to live after death, whether in paradise or in hell, then Jesus is talking nonsense. Opponents say that this is a parable, that the text does not talk about the time between death and resurrection, or the state of man after death.⁹ Let us ask the question: Is Jesus talking about things that do not exist or not true? "A sower went out to sow." There is a sower and there is a seed. "The kingdom of heaven is like a woman who mixes flour." There is a woman, there is flour, there is yeast. "The kingdom of heaven is like a net that hunts all kinds of fish." There is a net and there are fish. "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who gathers pearls." There is a man, and there are pearls. Everything Jesus mentions in the parables is real, and so is the rich man and Lazarus, heaven and hell.

Luke 9: 28-31

Luk 9:28-31 ESV  Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  (29)  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.  (30)  And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,  (31)  who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Moses and Elijah have lived many years before Christ. And here we see them with Christ. They are alive after they have died. Well, we can say that Elijah did not die, but was taken up to heaven. But what about Moses? Opponents say that Moses was also resurrected, so he can be with Christ on the mountain of transformation.¹⁰ The Bible nowhere says that Moses was resurrected. The Scripture says:

Deu 34:5-6 ESV  So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD,  (6)  and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.

Moses died, God buried him, no one knows about his grave. This is what the Bible says about Moses. And some say "he has risen." Do you see what those who will not believe in life after death do? They take clear biblical texts and twist them, negating what it says, and inventing what it doesn't say.

John 11:25, 26

Joh 11:25-26 ESV  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  (26)  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus says "Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." Opponents will say that this means that the dead will be resurrected, they will be dead and revived.¹¹ Let's say so (though it is not), but what does it mean: "And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die?" One writer says that Jesus actually says that whoever believes in Him will not die forever. According to him, this means that he will not remain dead forever.¹² Jesus says, "He will never die," and this writer interprets: "He will die, but not forever." I have read a dozen Bible translations and in none have I found it said, "He will not remain dead forever." In each one it says, "They shall never die (forever or ever)."

Luke 23: 42-43

Luk 23:42-43 ESV  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  (43)  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The robber on the cross prays for salvation. Jesus tells him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." We know that his body died, but his soul went to heaven. How do opponents interpret this? They say that Jesus did not promise the robber that he would be in paradise today, but that he would tell him today, "Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise." Or, "I tell you today that you will be in paradise." You will be in paradise today. ”

What is the problem with this interpretation? The biggest problem is that in the gospels, over seventy times, Jesus says "Truly (or truly truly) I tell you", and not once "Truly I tell you today." Jesus actually says something similar in the Gospel of Mark:

Mar 14:30 ESV  And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

Here is a very similar statement and it means that Peter will deny Jesus today. So the thief will still be in paradise today. "It cannot be," the adversaries say, "because Jesus did not go to heaven immediately. He was resurrected only on the third day. He himself said that he had not yet ascended to the Father. ”(Jn 20:17)¹⁴

What to say about this kind of theology? Did Jesus suddenly lose the feature of omnipresence? He is both in heaven and on earth. His body was on the earth and not yet ascended into heaven, but it is present in the Spirit everywhere. The robber was with Him in paradise the day He died on the cross.

Philippians 1: 21-24

Php 1:21-24 ESV  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (22)  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.  (23)  I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.  (24)  But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

According to Paul, death is gain. Why, if death means termination or deep sleep? Paul says, "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." What is better, the termination of existence? No!!! It is better to be with Christ. Paul makes it clear that after death he will go directly to Christ. The idea of ​​ceasing to exist cannot be read into this text.

2 Corinthians 5: 1-10

2Co 5:7-8 ESV  for we walk by faith, not by sight.  (8)  Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Paul compares the body to the tabernacle from which he would rather move out and go to the Lord. If the body were the same as the soul, then Paul's words would be meaningless.

Conclusion

We could go further and cite other texts, arguments and evidence. But this should be enough. We have seen some believe that a person ceases to exist after death. Others believe that he has ceased to exist and that he is sleeping (and no one knows how both can be true). They prove their theories by misinterpreted texts. And what do they do with the texts that say the opposite of what they want to believe? They deny them, twist them or reject them completely. They have chosen what they want to believe. They say that what we believe is not biblical and comes from paganism. Their belief is not biblical. The Bible clearly teaches that man continues to exist after death, whether in heaven or hell.

¹ Vidi Gregg Allison, Historical Theology, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2011, 702.

² Knjiga je nastala od propovijedi koje sam propovijedao u Kršćanskoj baptističkoj crkvi u Novom Travniku 2017. godine.

³ Mirko Golubić, Besmrtnost: urođena ili stečena?, str. 3. (https://www.svetlostistine.org/?mdocs-file=2560)

⁴ Usp. Martino Tomasi, Istine i zablude o smrti, uskrsnuću, nebu i paklu, VCL, 26-36.

⁵ Isto, 26.

⁶ Vidi R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., Bruce K. Waltke (urednici), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Chicago, Moody Press, 1999, 891-892, (2303c).

⁷ Iako ne govori puno, ipak govori. Vidi Post 5:24, Izl 3:15, Job 14:1-15, 19:25,26, Ps 16:10, 73:24,25, 49:15,16, Iz 26:19, Prop 3:17, 11:9, 12:14. Vidi i Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Toward Rediscovering the Old Testament, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1991, 141-144.

⁸ „Pogreška kompozicije vrsta je logičke pogreške. Ovu se pogrešku čini kad se svojstva koja se jedino javljaju kod dijelova pripisuju cjelini. Obrnuti je slučaj od pogreške podjele.” (Wikipedija)

⁹ Tomasi, 76.

¹⁰ Isto 77.

¹¹ Tomasi 69.

¹² Isto.

¹³ Usp. Iv 4:14, gdje Isus kaže: „neće ožednjeti nikada. To nipošto ne može značiti: „Ožednjet će, ali neće ostati žedan zauvijek.” Ovaj tekst potvrđuje da su prevodioci Biblije dobro preveli Iv 11:26.

¹⁴ Tomasi 81.