Immortality or Resurrection, William West [best romance books of all time txt] 📗

See Genesis 31:18; Exodus 34:11; Deuteronomy 4:26; 4:40; 6:6; 7:11; 8:1; 8:11; 30:5.
• “I declare to you this day, that you shall surely perish” [Deuteronomy 30:18].
• “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all man” [Acts 20:26 King James Version].
The Companion Bible, Appendix 173: "The interpretation of this verse depends entirely on punctuation, which rests wholly on human authority, the Greek manuscripts having no punctuation of any kind till the ninth century, and then it is only a dot in the middle of the line separating each word."
To put the comma where the King James Version put it makes Jesus a liar for He know He would not be in paradise that day. The King James translators, who believed that all will go immediately to Heaven or Hell at death, punctuated it to makes both Christ and the thief be in Heaven on that very day.
H Leo Boles: "Evidently Jesus did not mean that this robber would go with him to heaven that day, as it seems clear from other statements that Jesus did not go to heaven that day. His day of ascension came about forty days after that time" A Commentary On The Gospel Of Luke, Page 454, 1954, Gospel Advocate Company.
“It may be asked why translators of most modern version do not place the comma after the ‘today’ so that the verse will harmonize with other scriptural teaching on death and resurrection. We might as well ask why they do not translate the Greek bapitizo as ‘immerse’ or diakonos as ‘servant’ instead of merely spelling them with English letters. To do so would put the translation at odds with most denominational doctrine and almost insure it failure to be accepted” Curtis Dickinson, “The Witness” Volume 30, Number 8, 1990.
There is no grammatical justification for the placement of the comma before "today." Christ or the thief did not go to Heaven that day. By moving the comma that was added by uninspired men with a theological prejudice, the conflict with other passages is removed even if "in paradise" does mean "in Heaven."
Note: The punctuation can change the meaning of the same words.
Woman, without her man, is nothing.
Woman, without her, man is nothing.
[2]. “TO DIE IS GAIN” Philippians 1:21-23
When this passage is used to prove that a person takes up residence in their permanent abode at once in Heaven at death, it is taken out of context. Paul says, "So that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest; and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear" [Philippians 1:13-14]. His imprisonment was not a personal gain, but because of it the word of Christ was being preached, therefore, it was gain to the cause of Christ. In verse 18 it did not matter the motives, Christ was being preached and he rejoiced. Verse 20 "So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death." If he lived, he would preach Christ. If he died, others would be made more bold and preach Christ because of his death. Verse 21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Death is an enemy [1 Corinthians 15:26]. It was not a personal gain for Paul. He knows that if he died before the coming of Christ he would not be in Heaven unto after the resurrection and judgment at the second coming of Christ. He knows his death would be a gain for the cause of Christ, that Christ would be preached because of it, not a personal gain for himself. Verse 22 "But if to live in the flesh, if this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not" If he lived and preached Christ, or if his death would cause others to preach Christ, which one would bring the most fruit, he knew not. He is not saying he did not know whether living in this world was best, or living in Heaven was best; but this is what he is made to say when this passage is used to prove an immortal soul.
Philippians 1:12-30: When it became know that Paul was in prison it was gain to the Gospel for it made others bold to preach the Gospel and others preached the Gospel “thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.” In the same way Paul is saying his death would be gain to the cause of Christ just as his being in prison was, not a personal gain. If "To die is gain," means we go to Heaven when we die, why would Paul say he did not know if going to Heaven was better than living on earth; why do we go to a doctor to get well and do all we can to keep from going to Heaven; why do we pray for each other when one of us is sick; would we not asking God not to take us to Heaven and are thankful if He does not? The reason we do not want to die is that death is not a gateway to Heaven, but death is an enemy. If death were a gateway to Heaven, we would be praying, "Lord, do not make us come live up there with You, let us live down here on earth where Satan can tempt us."
We are repeatedly told we will be with the Lord at His coming, not at death [2 Thessalonians 2:1] when He shall appear [Colossians 3:4], yet "To die is gain" is used to set aside many plain and clear passages and make the entrance to Heaven be immediately at death, not after the resurrection.
[3]. “TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH THE LORD”
Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8
Be with the Lord at the judgment day, not instantly at death: In the same letter Paul says, "If by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead" [Philippians 3:11]. He tells the Thessalonians that we will be with the lord after the resurrection, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always BE WITH THE LORD" [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17].
• Be with the Lord "at that day" 2 Timothy 4:8
• Be with the Lord at "His appearing" 2 Timothy 4:8
"Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at THAT DAY; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved His appearing" [2 Timothy 4:8]. Paul clearly says the time of his death has come, but he will not receive the crown of righteousness unto the appearing of Christ at the Judgment Day. He will be with the Lord at the same time all the saved will be, "at that day" the Judgment Day, not at death. At "his appearing" See 2 Timothy 1:12; 1:18; 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Philippians 1:10; 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 5:6. When will Paul be given "the crown of righteousness," when Christ comes, not at death? See 1 Peter 5:4. When will Paul and all the saved be with the Lord, at "His appearing," not at death? "To be with the Lord," says nothing about an "immaterial, invisible part of man" between death and the resurrection or after the resurrection. "For the Lord himself shall descend for Heaven…and so WE shall we ever be with the Lord" [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17]; it is after the resurrection that WE will be with the Lord, not at death. No one has ascended into Heaven but Christ; therefore, Paul has not ascended to Heaven and is not now in Heaven with the Lord [John 3:13]. Paul died about two thousand years ago, but like David [acts 2:29], Paul is not yet in Heaven with the Lord and will not be unto after the resurrection; therefore, this passage could not be saying Paul had an immortal, invisible soul that would go to Heaven and be with the lord at the time of his death.
• Peter says of David "that he both died and was buried...for David ascended not into the heavens" [Acts 2:29-34].
• Today's theology says, "David is not dead and has ascended into Heaven."
To make "with the Lord" mean we go to Heaven with the Lord at death takes away any need for a resurrection and makes it useless and foolish. After some had been in Heaven with the Lord for centuries, why would He send them back to earth to raise them from the dead and take them back to Heaven when from the day of their death they had been very much alive in Heaven and were never dead?
There are three major views on the condition of the dead.
1. The dead are dead and will be dead unto the resurrection of the dead.
2. The dead are alive in an intermediate state without the resurrection.
3. The dead are alive in Heaven or Hell without the resurrection.
Although this passage is used as undeniable proof or both 2 and 3 and to set aside the many passages on the resurrection, this passage is completely silent about where the dead are before the resurrection.
Those who believe the dead go to hades, some to be with the rich man in torment and some to be in "Abraham's bosom" also use "be with the Lord" when they are trying to prove men now have an immortal soul, but in doing so they do not seen to be able to see that they are making all go to Heaven or Hell at death and, therefore, they have made going to hades at death impossible. We could not be in "Abraham's bosom" and in Heaven with the Lord both at the same time. When they need to, they make hades be "the grave" for the body to be in; and when they need to, they make it be "Abraham's bosom" for the "soul" to live in. How do they know when it should be one, and when it should be the other? In trying to make Paul and Stephen be conscious after death, they are both put directly in heaven at death before and without the Judgment Day; sometimes even by those who do not believe anyone is now in Heaven.
We need to be very careful not to make Paul say something he did not say [2 Peter 3:16]. "To be with the Lord," but where and when will we be with the Lord? Not in our permanent abode in Heaven at death, for we will not be there unto after the judgment. If we go to Heaven or Hell at death, this would mean that the final judgment takes place immediately at death, for God would have to decide our destiny then; therefore, God would have made the final judgment before the Judgment Day, before the coming of Christ.
Jesus said, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,