Your Belief Is Unbiblical, Illogical, And Flawed!

Objection:

Your belief that a person remains silent and unconscious in the grave until the resurrection is unbiblical, illogical, and flawed when compared to the widely held Christian doctrine. This traditional view posits that the true essence of a person is an immortal soul that separates from the body upon death.

Answer:

Much of this objection, particularly regarding the Scriptural basis of our doctrine, has already been addressed in previous posts. However, the way the objection is presented encourages a comparison between the two doctrines concerning the nature of man. Below are the distinguishing features of the immortal-soul doctrine:

1. This doctrine requires us to believe in the existence of an entity within us that has personality but lacks weight or discernible dimensions. This belief suggests that this entity is the true essence of man, while the body is merely viewed asa shell or temporary prison. Such a demand for faith can be challenging, especially for those who are learned and scientific. In trying to prove the existence of this entity, Christian theologians and philosophers often rely on vague scriptures and abstract reasoning. However, many people find that this “proof” does not outweigh the evidence of the senses and the established laws of science. Our senses do not detect such an entity, and the fundamental laws of nature do not accommodate a “something” that lacks weight or dimensions.

2. The belief that the true essence of man is a weightless soul so tiny that ten thousand could fit on the point of a needle— as some theologians suggested— diminishes the reality of the afterlife. If heaven is to be understood in tangible terms, it cannot be populated by vaporous, invisible beings residing in a similar realm. This notion presents heaven as a place filled with light, insubstantial spirits who, it seems, can only engage in ethereal activities, like floating around while playing harps. Such a portrayal of heaven has disheartened many who desire to reach that blessed haven, as the human mind naturally seeks something more substantial than this insubstantial vision of paradise.

3. This doctrine makes the idea of an ever-burning hell a logical necessity. If humans are inherently immortal, then both the wicked and the righteous will endure through the endless ages of eternity. The sermons stemming from this belief can be quite disturbing. While it is true that most ministers today do not preach on this topic as fervently as in the past, their silence reflects the disturbing nature of the doctrine that must be accepted if humans are immortal souls. In fact, there has been a significant trend away from believing in any kind of retribution, as many people struggle to reconcile the concept of an ever-burning hell with the character of a loving God. This has led to a considerable decline in moral values, as a belief in punishment is crucial to a balanced view of religion, just as a belief in reward is.

No other doctrine has brought more disgrace upon the name of God and Christianity. It is reported that Robert Ingersoll, after hearing an orthodox sermon in his youth about the judgment God would impose on sinners, remarked, “If that is God, I hate Him.” The combined efforts of Christian apologists seeking to reconcile this belief with the widespread conviction in a loving God fall significantly short of their objective. This represents a troubling aspect of Christian apologetics.

Moreover, the eternal-hell doctrine poses another significant issue. The Christian understanding of the universe suggests that the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan for humanity’s salvation and the triumph over evil should lead to a restoration of the universal holiness and happiness that once existed. However, if there is a hell, it implies not the annihilation of evil but merely its segregation. Christians often criticize the policy of segregation as an inadequate approach for earthly governments to handle crime and criminals. Is it reasonable to consider such a method ideal when employed by the government of heaven?

4. The doctrine of the immortality of the soul does not allow for a logical explanation of the resurrection of the body or for a final judgment at the end of earthly life. While the beliefs in resurrection and future judgment are part of the creeds of nearly all religious denominations, they contradict the idea that the body is simply a prison from which the soul escapes at death, moving directly to its reward. If the soul is judged at death and assigned to either heaven or hell, why would the soul be placed back into a “prison”? Furthermore, what purpose would a judgment serve if each soul has already received its judgment upon death?

These questions imply their own answers and help explain, at least in part, the noticeable lack of preaching on the subject of resurrection.

5. The doctrine of the immortal soul makes spiritism seem quite reasonable. The popular belief that our departed loved ones are close to us and deeply interested in our lives is only a small step away from spiritism, which simply adds the aspect of communication. Instead of building a wall against this practice, which nearly all ministers consider evil, there isa door opened to it.

There is no doubt that something is fundamentally wrong with traditional beliefs about humanity and the afterlife. If we adhere to the maxim, “By their fruits you shall know them,” then this teaching is indeed condemned, as it leads to theological confusion, spiritism, and infidelity.

The Bible doctrine that we promote regarding human nature resolves the dilemmas and doctrinal challenges faced by Christians who embrace the immortal-soul theory. In doing so, this true biblical teaching brings a renewed sense of reality and certainty to key aspects of the Christian faith.

We do not have to endorse the implausible idea that there is a “something” within a person that constitutes the true self, yet is indiscernible to our senses and unaccountable to the established laws of science. We view the term “man” as referring to something very real and substantial. Instead of getting lost in complex metaphysical debates about how God could breathe life into man’s nostrils and transform him into a living soul, we simply affirm, based on the biblical record, that body, soul, and spirit are all essential for understanding what the Bible means when it speaks of humanity in its most fundamental sense.

We are not troubled by the accusation that this understanding of humanity is somehow crude. We believe that thiscriticism reveals that Christendom remains somewhat influenced by the Gnostic heresy, which posits that matter is inherently evil. It has been observed that in Catholicism, Gnosticism achieved a partial victory. The ascetic fervor that captivated many in the early centuries of the church, culminating in the extreme self-denial demonstrated by the pillar saints, was a natural outcome of the harmful belief that matter is essentially evil and that as the body deteriorates, the soul can thrive.

Monkish asceticism has never found logical roots among us. On the contrary, we believe that great care should be given to our bodies. We find deep meaning in Paul’s injunction: “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). We can appreciate the apostle’s declaration that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and that if we defile these bodies, God will destroy us. Our doctrine of healthful living is firmly grounded in our understanding of the nature of man.

Given our beliefs about humanity, we do not envision the future state of the blessed as a vague mix of misty vapors and harp music. Our understanding of man calls for a tangible place of abode. This harmonizes with our interpretation of the first creation of man as a perfect being, suggesting that equally literal and perfect beings will inhabit the renewed earth.

Our view of man’s nature does not contradict the doctrine of final hell-fire. Indeed, if man is a literal being, then the place of punishment must also be literal, and the suffering must be real. However, our understanding that man is mortal protects us from the notion that hell’s fires are eternal. A literal fire reduces literal beings to ashes, in line with the prophecy of Malachi 4:1-3. There is no immortal entity to withstand the flames indefinitely. Our belief in the recreation of this earth as the home for literal, perfect beings necessitates that the fires of hell will come to an end.

Clearly, our doctrine regarding the nature of man requires a belief in the bodily resurrection from the grave. We can take Paul’s declarations regarding the “redemption of our body” literally. His statement, “When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory,” reinforces this belief. We can also comprehend what the apostle means when he concludes his account of the notable figures in Hebrews, stating, “These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Heb. 11:39-40).

Lastly, we have a strong argument against spiritism, which involves materializations, as well as against Catholicism, with its supplications to long-dead saints and prayers for the dead, and any ideology that upholds the doctrine of the inherent immortality of the soul. In fact, those who accept the biblical view that man lies dormant in the grave until the resurrection are the only ones capable of consistently opposing spiritism. They can also address the perplexing question posed by spiritists: “Why do Christian ministers oppose the investigations of spiritism when our success would merely affirm one of the Christian church’s great doctrines—immortality?” As psychic activities increase yearly, this question will become more troubling for those who adhere to the traditional view of the soul.

In some cases, the number of times a Hebrew or Greek term is translated into a specific English word may vary depending on which concordance is used. The figures in this chapter were derived from a comparative study of several concordances, including The Englishman’s Greek Concordance, The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, and Young’s Analytical Concordance. However, the key point is not so much the exact number of times a specific term is translated into a particular English word, but rather the wide variety of terms used to render the Hebrew or Greek term.

The Hebrew and Greek Words Translated as “Soul,” “Spirit,” and “Hell”

An adequate and coherent explanation of certain complex texts regarding the nature of man requires an understanding of key words in the original languages. Therefore, this extended note is provided.

Soul in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, the word “soul” appears 473 times. There are three Hebrew words from which “soul” is translated:

• 1 time from nedibah
• 1 time from neshamah
• 471 times from nephesh

These three terms are translated into the following words:

Nedibah

• 1 time: soul (Job 30:15). This is the only usage of “nedibah” in the Bible.

Neshamah

• 17 times: breath (including breathe, breaths, breathed). For example: Genesis 2:7; 7:22; Deuteronomy 20:16; Joshua 10:40; 11:11.
• 3 times: blast (2 Samuel 22:16; Job 4:9; Psalm 18:15).
• 2 times: spirit (Job 26:4; Proverbs 20:27).
• 1 time: souls (Isaiah 57:16).
• 1 time: inspiration (Job 32:8).

Nephesh

• 471 times: soul (This includes every instance of “soul” in the Old Testament except Job 30:15 and Isaiah 57:16).
• 118 times: life (including life’s, lives). For example: Genesis 1:20, 30; 9:4; 1 Kings 19:14; Job 6:11; Psalm 38:12.
• 29 times: person (e.g., Numbers 31:19; 35:11, 15, 30; Deuteronomy 27:25; Joshua 20:3, 9; 1 Samuel 22:22).
• 15 times: mind (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:6; Jeremiah 15:1).
• 15 times: heart (e.g., Exodus 23:9; Proverbs 23:7).
• 9 times: creature (Genesis 1:21, 24; 2:19; 9:10, 12, 15, 16; Leviticus 11:46).
• 7 times: body (or dead body) (Leviticus 21:11; Numbers 6:6; 9:6, 7, 10; 19:13; Haggai 2:13).
• 5 times: dead (Leviticus 19:28; 21:1; 22:4; Numbers 5:2; 6:11).
• 4 times: man (or men) (Exodus 12:16; 2 Kings 12:4; 1 Chronicles 5:21; Isaiah 49:7).
• 3 times: me (Numbers 23:10; Judges 16:30; 1 Kings 20:32).
• 3 times: beast (Leviticus 24:18).
• 2 times: ghost (Job 11:20; Jeremiah 15:9).
• 1 time: fish (Isaiah 19:10).

The term “nephesh” can be translated in various ways, including pronouns such as “we,” “he,” “thee,” “they,” “her,” “herself,” and “him,” as well as words like “will,” “appetite,” “lust,” “thing,” and “breath.”

Two notable points emerge from the study of the word “nephesh”:

1. It has a wide range of applications.
2. It is used to describe entities that can be killed, as well as to refer to deceased individuals.

Additionally, the frequent reference to a “living creature” (nephesh) suggests that the adjective “living” would be unnecessary if “nephesh” alone implied an immortal, never-dying being.

Soul in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the term “soul” appears 58 times and is consistently translated from the Greek word “Psuche.” In the English Bible, “Psuche” is rendered as follows:

• 58 times as “soul.”
• 40 times as “life.” For example, in passages such as Mark 3:4; 10:45; Luke 6:9; 9:56; John 13:37; Romans 11:3; Revelation 8:9; and 12:11.
• 3 times as “mind,” as in Acts 14:2; Philippians 1:27; and Hebrews 12:1.
• 1 time as “heart” in Ephesians 6:6.
• 1 time as “heartily” (which literally means “from the soul”) in Colossians 3:23.

Additionally, “Psuche” is used once in idiomatic phrases in John 10:24 and 2 Corinthians 12:15, which cannot be translated literally. It’s important to note that the terms “kill” and “destroy” are also used several times in relation to “Psuche.”

Spirit in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, the word “spirit” appears 234 times. It is translated from the following Hebrew terms:

• 2 times from “neshamah.”
• 232 times from “ruach.”

These two words are translated into various terms in our English Bible as follows:

Neshamah

(Refer to the earlier analysis above.)

Ruach

• 232 times as “spirit.” (With the exceptions of Job 26:4 and Proverbs 20:27, where “spirit” is translated from “neshamah,” the term in the Old Testament is always “ruach.”)
• 97 times as “wind.” (In the Old Testament, “wind” is always translated from “ruach.”)
• 28 times as “breath.” For example: Genesis 6:17; 7:15, 22; Job 12:10; Psalm 104:29; 146:4; Ecclesiastes 3:19.
• 8 times as “mind.” Examples include: Genesis 26:35; Proverbs 29:11; Ezekiel 11:5, 20:32; Daniel 5:20; Habakkuk 1:11.
• 4 times as “blast.” References include: Exodus 15:8; 2 Kings 19:7; Isaiah 25:4; 37:7.

Additionally, “ruach” is translated one or more times as “anger,” “air,” “tempest,” and “vain.”

Spirit in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the word “spirit” appears 290 times and is translated from two Greek words:

1. Phantasma – Used 2 times:

• Translated as “spirit” in Matthew 14:26 and Mark 6:49. (These are the only instances of the word “phantasma” in the Bible.)

2. Pneuma – Used 288 times:

• Translated as “spirit” throughout the New Testament, except for Matthew 14:26 and Mark 6:49.
• Translated as “ghost” 92 times, including Matthew 27:50 and John 19:30. This also applies to every instance where the phrase “Holy Ghost” is used.
• Translated as “life” 1 time in Revelation 13:15.
• Translated as “wind” 1 time in John 3:8.
• Translated as “spiritual” 1 time in 1 Corinthians 14:12.

Hell in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, the word “hell” appears 31 times and is consistently the translation of the Hebrew word “Sheol.” In our English Bible, Sheol is translated as follows:

• 31 times as “hell.”
• 31 times as “grave.” Examples include: Genesis 37:35, 1 Samuel 2:6, Job 7:9, Psalm 30:3, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Isaiah 38:18, Ezekiel 31:15, and Hosea 13:14.
• 3 times as “pit.” References include: Numbers 16:30, 33, and Job 17:16.

Hell in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the word “hell” appears 23 times. It is translated from three Greek words: “hades,” “gehenna,” and “tartaros.” Specifically, it comes from “hades” 10 times, from “gehenna” 12 times, and from “tartaros” once. These Greek terms are rendered into English in various ways in our Bible.

Hades

• Mentioned 10 times as “hell”: Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; Revelation 1:18; 6:13; 20:13, 14
• Mentioned 1 time as “grave”: 1 Corinthians 15:55  

Gehenna

• Mentioned 9 times as a noun meaning “hell”: Matthew 5:29, 30; 10:28; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45; Luke 12:5; James 3:6  
• Mentioned 3 times as an adjective meaning “hell”: Matthew 5:22; 18:9; Mark 9:47  

Tartaroo

• Mentioned 1 time as “hell”: 2 Peter 2:4 (This is the only use of “tartaroo” in the Bible.)

Definitions of Hebrew Terms

The following definitions are from Gesenius. The edition of the Lexicon used here was published in 1875 by John Wiley & Son, New York, with the English translation by Samuel P. Tregelles (not directly quoted; written for clarity):

NEDIBAH: Nobility; a noble and happy condition.

NESHAMAH:

(1) Breath; spirit.  

(a) The Spirit of God imparting life and wisdom.  

(b) The spirit of man; soul. A living creature.  

(2) The panting of those who are angry, often used to refer to the anger of God.  

NEPHESH:

(1) Breath.  

(2) The soul, anima; psyche, which is the essence by which the body lives; the token of life is the act of drawing breath. It represents life and the vital principle (Gen. 35:18; 1 Kings 17:21; Ex. 21:23). The soul is described as both living (Gen. 12:13; Ps. 119:175) and dying (Judges 16:30) or being killed (Num. 31:19). It is often used in contexts related to the loss or preservation of life.  

(3) The mind as the seat of the senses, affections, and various emotions.  

(4) Concretely, it refers to an animal, that which possesses a soul or mind.  

(5) In some instances, it may imply I, myself; thou, thyself.

RUACH:

(1) Spirit; breath.  

(a) Breath of the mouth; hence used to describe anything that quickly perishes; often refers to the vital spirit.  

(b) Breath of the nostrils; snuffing, snorting; thus associated with anger.  

(c) Breath of air; air in motion, i.e., a breeze.  

(2) Psuche; anima; breath; life, indicating the vital principle, observable in the breathing of both humans and animals (Eccl. 3:21; 8:8; 12:7).  

(3) The rational mind or spirit.  

(a) As the seat of the senses, affections, and various emotions.  

(b) Concerning modes of thinking and acting.  

(c) Associated with will and counsel; more rarely, it applies to intellect.  

(4) The Spirit of God.

SHEOL: A subterranean place, full of thick darkness (Job 10:21-22), in which the shades of the dead are gathered together; often referred to as hell, purgatory, or limbus Patrum. It is characterized as a hollow and subterranean place.

Definitions of Greek Terms

The following definitions are from Liddell and Scott’s Greek Lexicon (not directly quoted; written for clarity):

PSUCHE:

I. Breath, or in Latin, anima, especially as a sign of life; it refers to life and spirit.  

II. The soul or immortal part of man, as opposed to the body or perishable part. In Homer, it is used specifically to signify a departed soul, spirit, or ghost; it is represented as bodiless and unable to be grasped by mortal hands.  

III. As the organ of nous, meaning thought and judgment, it refers to the soul, mind, reason, or understanding.  

IV. The anima mundi, or living spirit, which was believed in ancient philosophy to permeate all lands, “h’ seas, and the high heavens.

PHANTASMA:

An appearance, image, phantom, or specter. It can refer to a vision or a dream. It specifically denotes an image presented to the mind by an object, and may also describe a mere image or unreality.

PNEUMA:

Wind or air; particularly, like the Latin anima, it refers to the air we breathe or breath itself. It also denotes breathing or respiration, representing life and, in a broader sense, spirit or a living being. In the New Testament, it signifies a spirit or spiritual being. Metaphorically, it can also refer to spirit in the sense of feeling.

HADES:

The netherworld, a place of departed spirits, including the grave and death itself.

GEHENNA:

The Valley of Hinnom, which symbolizes a place of future punishment.

TARTAROO:

A form of the noun Tartaros, referring to the netherworld in general.

Comments on Definitions

It is important to recognize that the definitions provided above primarily illustrate how classic Greek writers used these terms, which inevitably intertwine with pagan concepts. Other lexicographers agree with the definitions of both Hebrew and Greek words.

The primary definitions of the terms “soul” and “spirit” do not require or justify the idea of an immortal, undying entity that exists independently of the body. Although one definition of “psuche” refers to the “immortal part of man,” lexicographers are merely noting one of the usages by classical Greek authors, such as Homer, who were pagans. It would be peculiar to address a question of Christian theology by referring to a definition derived from the usage of a term by pagan writers. Using this method, one could mistakenly support the pagan doctrine of pantheism based on the fourth definition of “psuche,” which is again merely illustrative of pagan usage.

While it is true that pagans believed in disembodied souls or spirits and sometimes used “psuche” and other terms to express that belief, the critical question remains: Does the primary meaning of “psuche,” or any other term translated as “soul” or “spirit,” necessitate a belief in the idea of an immortal entity? The answer is no. The accompanying question is: Does the use of these terms by biblical writers—rather than by pagan authors—support such a belief? The answer is again no.

There is nothing in the definition or usage of “sheol” that implies a place of burning or torment. The same can be said for the terms “hades” and “tartaroo.” Pagans understood that the dead went somewhere, although they did not know where, and they often used the terms “hades” and “tartaroo” to describe that unknown realm. The term “gehenna” is actually a proper noun, a transliteration of a Hebrew name for the burning place outside Jerusalem. This reflects the literary device of simile, as the final judgment or destruction of the wicked is likened to the fires that burn in the valley of Hinnom. The fires of Hinnom were never extinguished; that is why they were certain to consume everything cast into them.