3. IS THERE A CHANCE OF SALVATION AFTER DEATH?

In 2Pet.3v9., Peter declares, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God is not slack, powerless, or unwilling to bring His promises to us to fruition. "Not willing," is, "me boulomenos," the present middle participle of "boulomai," 1014, " to will deliberately, to wish, to desire," it usually expresses the deliberate exercise of the will more strongly than "thelo." So God strongly and definitely wills and desires that no one should perish, but people's wills frustrate this divine will and desire, just as Jesus said when He wept over Jerusalem, in Mt.23v37., "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!" See. Lk.13v34.. In 2Pet.3v9.,"Perish, is "apolesthai," the aorist infinitive of "apollumi," and sadly, as 2Pet.3v7. states, some will perish, but that is not God's desire. It is God's will and desire for "all" ("pantas, all, everyone) to come to repentance. "Come," is "choresai," the aorist active infinitive of "choreo," to make room, to have room for, that is, have opportunity for repentance and salvation. Jn.1v7. 12v32. Rom.4v16. Eph.2v4-9. 1Tim.2v4-6. 1Jn.2v2. Rev.5v9.

There can be no doubt that evil enemies of God, like Jezebel, Antichrist, and Satan and his angels, will not enter the kingdom of God in the next life, for they have refused to repent of their wickedness. However, Augustine taught that there will be no chance of salvation after death for those who have never heard the Gospel, and said that they will go to Hell for ever. He also proclaimed the monstrous doctrine, that babies who die unbaptised, go to Hell for ever, like the very worst sinner.

The Dean of Wells, E. H. Plumptre D.D., writes on pages 152 and 153 of his book, "The Spirit's in Prison:-
"And so the dark shadow of Augustine fell on the theology of the Western church, and condemned its thoughts of the love of God to many centuries of disastrous twilight. It started from the assumption that the whole human race was, through the sin of Adam, 'one mass of perdition.' From this Divine grace elected some to salvation. But none are elected outside the range of those who believe and are baptised. The whole heathen world, therefore, was left to eternal torments: its virtues were but 'glittering vices {de Civ. Dei, 19.25}}. Even for unbaptised infants dying before they had done good or evil there was but the 'levissima damnatio' of the alienation from the life of God, which was the common lot of all the lost, and compared with the eternity of which, any torments enduring for ages and then ceasing, would be a light thing to bear {Enchirid. C. 29}. And baptism, though indispensable, was yet not sufficient. To hold the true faith, to live a holy life, these he rightly saw were conditions of eternal blessedness, and these were possible only for those who came under the decree of God's electing grace. The narrowness of mediaeval scholasticism, the hardness of Calvinistic Protestantism are each of them traceable to the influence of the great bishop of Hippo. And to that influence also, it must be added, is traceable the whole scholastic and Tridentine doctrine of purgatory with all its practical corruptions. The instincts of mankind led them to turn to the one mitigating feature in the terrible theology that shut out ninety-nine hundredths of mankind from all hope of escaping hell." End of quote.

1. Peter clearly states that Jesus has ALREADY preached to the dead in Hades. 1Pet.3v18-20. 4v6.
It is difficult to understand why Christians refuse to accept that there will be a chance of salvation after death, when Peter, in 1Pet.3v18-20. and 4v6., declares that Jesus has already preached to the dead. Jesus did this preaching after His soul was made an offering for sin in Hades, and He had won salvation for us. Is.53v10. Mt.12v40. Acts.2v24,31. Rom.10v7. Eph.4v8-10. In 1Pet.4v6., Peter uses "euangelizo" to state that Jesus preached the good news of the Gospel to the dead, that is human beings who had died. We read in 1Pet.4v5,6., "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. v6 For this reason the Gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." "Euangelizo" is always used of the preaching of the good news concerning Jesus. Mt.11v5. Lk.3v18. 4v18,43. Acts.8v4,12,25,35,40. 17v18. Rom.10v15. Gal.1v8,9. 1Pet.1v12,25. Rev.10v7. 14v6. In 1Tim.2v5,6., Paul states that God will give a full opportunity of salvation to all, for He has no pleasure in the death of anyone. It is inconceivable and unscriptural to say that a God of love will put people into an eternal Hell without a chance of salvation, because, due to no fault of their own, they were not fortunate enough to hear the Gospel.

Peter also informs us in 1Pet.3v19., that Jesus preached to the wicked angels imprisoned in the Abyss by God, who had taken upon them human flesh in the time of Noah. Gen.6v1-7. Jude.v6. Here "preached," is "kerusso," to publish, to proclaim, to preach the Gospel as a herald, a "kerux." For "kerusso," see Mt.3v1. 4v17,23. 10v7. 11v1. 24v14. Acts.8v5. 9v20. 28v31. 1Cor.1v23. 2Cor.4v5. 2Tim.4v2. etc. Jesus proclaimed like a herald His great victory to the wickedest beings that have ever lived, the evil angels who were expelled from Heaven with Satan for choosing evil while living with God in Heaven. We know from 2Pet.2v4,17. and Jude.v6,12., that they are so hardened by evil, that they are beyond repentance and redemption, and are "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement of the great day." Some say these sons of God who were disobedient in Noah's time, were the sons of Seth, however, the whole tone of Gen.6v1-7., is of angelic beings who came to live as men. "Sons of God," not sons of men, are married to " daughters of men," the result was "giants," and great wickedness. Job.38v4,7. Jude.v6. It is foolish to say that men only began to realise that women were good looking well over 1,000 years after the creation. Peter says that these beings that were in prison were "spirits," and only an angel could be imprisoned as a spirit in Hades, for when a man dies who is unsaved, his spirit goes back to God who gave it. Eccles.12v7. It is the souls of men that are in Hades, not spirits. Christians retain their spirit, and go into God's presence at death. Mt.16v18. Jn.11v24-26. Phil.1v21-23.

We know that angels are sexless, but God appears to have allowed these evil angels to take upon themselves human bodies, they certainly have the power to do this, for we see that the magicians of Egypt were able to change matter and create physical bodies by the power of evil spirits. Exod.7v11,12,22. 8v6,7,18,19. One thing cannot be disputed, these beings lived, and then died like men, and then after death Christ personally preached to them. Ps.82v6,7. We know they did not respond to Christ's message, they are so hardened in evil that they are beyond repentance, and so they are still imprisoned in Hades in everlasting chains of darkness. 2Pet.2v4,17. Jude.v6,13. In Col.1v20., Paul tells us that Christ's blood bought the opportunity for salvation for "all on earth and all in Heaven alike," however, whether people repent and accept His sacrifice is another matter, both angels and men can refuse to repent and accept the Divine mercy.

N.B. The early Church fathers also testify that Jesus preached to the dead.
In 1Pet.3v19. and 4v6., Peter gives sufficient proof for an honest person, that the early Church believed and preached that Jesus proclaimed His glorious atonement and victory to the dead in Hades. There are, however, other reliable witnesses that testify that this was the widespread belief of the Church until around 400 A.D., when Augustine changed the doctrine of the Church on this and other important subjects. Luther, being an Augustinian monk, unfortunately brought Augustine's new theology into the Reformation. The great spiritual leaders of the early centuries of Church history, many of whom were martyrs for Christ's sake, proclaim with one voice that Jesus preached to the dead. We will now give a synopsis of some of the evidence given by the Dean of Wells, E. H. Plumptre D.D., in the 1886 edition of his, "The Spirits In Prison," from page 83 onward. Plumptre states that the evidence of our Lord's descent into Hades and His preaching to the dead includes all the leading familiar names which are consulted when the early faith and practice of the Church are examined. The weight and authenticity that is attributed these witnesses on vital truths such as the Incarnation, baptism, the Eucharist, and the authenticity of the Gospels, must also be granted to the facts they give on the doctrine of our Lord's preaching to the dead.

1. Irenaeus says explicitly that the Lord "descended into the regions beneath the earth, preaching His advent there also, and the remission of sins ready for those who believe in Him," and he also states that remission of sins was received by, "all who had hopes towards Him, who proclaimed His advent and submitted to His dispensations." Irenaeus 4.27,2.

2. Justin accused the Jews of mutilating a prophecy of Jeremiah's, which had read, "The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, remembered those His dead who slept in the dust of the grave, and descended to them to proclaim to them His salvation."

3. Clement of Alexander preached that the souls of the Heathen as well as Jews benefited from the revelation of Christ to them in Hades. The Jews being in bonds to the burden of the Law, and the Heathen being "those in darkness," received the proclamation of the truth of the Gospel from Jesus. This proclamation involved the offer of salvation, and the possibility of repentance and forgiveness of all the sins that a man had committed in ignorance, when not clearly knowing God.

4. Origen, Clement's pupil, as we have already stated, believed that Jesus preached to the dead. A famous infidel named Celsus was speaking with Origen and ridiculed this widespread belief of the Church, he said, "I suppose Christ, when He failed to persuade the living, went down to Hades to persuade those who live there?" Origen answered him, "Whether it please Celsus or no, we of the Church assert that the soul of our Lord, stripped of its body, did there hold converse with other souls, that were in like manner stripped, that He might there convert those who were capable of instruction, or were otherwise in ways known to Him fit for it." Origen c. Celsum, 2.43.

5. Tertullian also stated that the belief that Jesus descended into Hades and preached there, had been held in the Church since the days of the apostles, his testimony is of great value since Tertullian censured anything that was new.

6. Cyril of Jerusalem states, in beautiful picturesque language, that: "The holy prophets ran unto Him {Jesus}, and Moses the lawgiver, and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; David also and Samuel, and Isaiah and John the Baptist, who bore witness when he asked, Art thou He that should come, or look we for another? All the just were ransomed whom death had devoured, for it behoved the King who had been heralded to become the redeemer of His noble heralds. Then each of the just said, O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? For the Conqueror hath redeemed us." Cyril Hieros., Catech. 14. 9,10.

7. Athanasius said that more than the Patriarchs and prophets were delivered from Hades, he extended the circle of those who Jesus delivered from Hades through His preaching, "and thinks of the souls of Adam as held fast under sentence of death, and crying to his Lord ever more, and of those who had pleased God, and had been justified by the law of nature, as mourning and crying with Him till the mercy of God revealed to them the mystery of redemption." More evidence could be given, but these quotes will suffice to show that the early Church believed that Jesus preached to the dead.

2. In Rev.20v15., "And whosoever," "kai ei tis," should be translated, "And if anyone."
We read in Rev.20v15., "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." As someone has said, if there was a crowd at a railway barrier, and it was said that those who had no ticket would not be allowed to pass, it would be taken for granted that some would have tickets. So Rev.20v15., strongly infers that some who are raised at the second resurrection are saved. If Rev.20v15., meant that none of those who were raised at this resurrection were saved, it would have to read, "since none of them were found written in the book of life, they were all cast into the lake of fire." The people in Rom.2v6-16., are judged at this resurrection, the Gentiles who have tried to live righteously even without having the Law or the Gospel, and so Rom.2v 7., promises them eternal life.

3. In 2Cor.6v2., Paul is addressing the Corinthians, who have had their opportunity of salvation.
These people were already saved, they had received the grace of God, and in 2Cor.6v1., Paul implored them not to receive the grace of God in vain. Paul does not use the definite article in 2Cor.6v2., when he writes, "in a time acceptable," "kairo dekto;" and "in a day of salvation," "en emera soterias." There is also no definite article in, "Behold, now a time acceptable," "idou nun kairos euprosdektos," and "Behold, now a day of salvation," "idou nun emera soterias." Paul quotes 2Cor.6v2., from Is.49v8., which reads, "In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee." As there is no definite article either in the original Scripture in Is.49v8., or in Paul's Greek quotation, we should accept the translations of Young and Rotheram, and others , who read, "now a day of salvation."

For those who have the opportunity of salvation, like the Corinthians, it is indeed the day of salvation for them. However, one cannot make this Scripture mean that there is no opportunity of salvation after death for those who have never had an opportunity of salvation. The whole age of grace is a day of salvation, but it is not the only time of salvation, and there is no Scriptural evidence to limit the day of salvation to this life, for those who have had no opportunity of salvation. Jesus Himself said that there is forgiveness in the world and age to come for all sin, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Mt.12v31,32.

Some say that Heb.9v27., "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement," is teaching that there will be no opportunity or day of salvation after death, and no second probation for those who have had no real opportunity of hearing and perceiving the fullness of the Gospel. However, all that Heb.9v27. teaches, is that there will be judgement after death, but this is just as true for Christians as it is for unbelievers. 1Cor.3v10-15. 2Cor.5v8-11. The whole context of this verse teaches that Jesus died to save mankind, it is certainly not teaching that death closes the door of salvation. There is judgement after death, but the final judgement takes place at the end of the Millennium, and 1Pet.3v18-20. and 4v6., state that Jesus has already preached the Gospel to the dead after death.

4. In 1Tim.2v5,6., Paul tells us that the Christ who died for all, will give the testimony to all in due times.
The Revised Version reads, "the testimony to be borne in its own times." Rotheram reads, "The testimony in its own fit times." They correctly render "kairois," in the plural as "times." "Kairois," is used in the Scriptures in the sense of divinely ordained epochs, times, and appointments. The vast majority of people who have lived on the earth, have known little or nothing about either the Law or the Gospel, and those who have, have often been put off by the disgraceful lives of Israelites and Christians, who did not obey the Word of God that they preached. Rom.2v17-24. The God who so loved the world will make sure that everyone will hear the good news about His Son's atoning death. How could the Christ who died on Calvary to redeem mankind, conceal from people the fact that He died to save them, or tell them that His death no longer availed for them? Jesus will never cast out those who come to Him in repentance, sincerity and truth. Jn.6v37. "The mercy of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting." Ps.103v8,17.

5. The Judge of the whole earth will do right. Gen.18v25. Rev.6v10. 15v3. 19v2.
a. No one will be able to point an accusing finger at God, every mouth will be stopped. Rom.3v19.
The ways of God are far higher and better than our ways, not far worse; God abundantly pardons the repentant sinner. Is.55v7-9. It is very wicked to attribute to God what we would condemn in a man as injustice, cruelty, hardness of heart, and lack of love. Some people take great interest in human welfare, they have laboured to abolish slavery, others care for the sick and old; it cannot be true that the creature pursues such things with greater zeal than God pursues the more important eternal salvation of the souls of men. Therefore, how can a person's salvation depend on whether they are lucky enough to hear the Gospel? Job.4v17-19. 33v12. The only thing that makes Hell tolerable at all, is the fact that it is unavoidable, because the wicked love evil and resist all God's attempts to save them. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, He desires all to come to repentance and be saved. Ezek.18v23,30-32. 2Pet.3v9. "His mercy endures for ever." Ps.136v10-26. Jer.33v11..

b. In Mt.12v31,32., Jesus said there is forgiveness in the next age for all sin but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, is the unrepentant hardness of heart that rejects Jesus and ascribes the mighty works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. The Judge of the whole earth will do right concerning those who have not heard the Gospel.

c. Jesus said that there was even hope for people who in limited light had come under Divine judgement.
In Mt.11v20-24., Jesus said that the people of the cities of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, which had come under Divine judgement, would have repented if they had seen the mighty miracles that were seen by the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, who had refused to repent and had rejected Jesus in spite of His mighty works, and so were doomed to Hell. Jesus was saying, therefore, that on judgement day God will take into account the limited light that the people of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom had received in their lifetime, and also how they would have responded to His ministry; and because of this it will be more tolerable for the people of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom on judgement day, than for the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Mt.10v15. Mk.6v11. Lk.10v12-15. This must mean that some of them will be saved, as there are no degrees of tolerability in Hell.

The principle of judgement according to light is a fact of Scripture. Lk.12v47,48. As Paul states in Acts.17v30., "Therefore having winked at and overlooked {"hupereido"} the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent." God has overlooked and taken no notice of the times of ignorance until the full light of the Gospel was revealed. Jesus Himself gave this full light when He preached the Gospel to the dead in Hades, this must have included the people of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom. 1Pet.3v18-20. 4v6.

Augustine's followers make the following objections against the dead having an opportunity of salvation.

1. Followers of Augustine falsely believe that if an opportunity was given to people to repent, that all would repent.
Augustine's followers fail to comprehend the repeated warning in Scripture that sin and persistent rebellion against God can so harden a person that they cannot repent, their decision to sin is irrevocable and eternal. Heb.3v7,8,13,15. 4v7. Those who have rejected the Gospel preached in fullness of power and confirmed by mighty miracles will not alter their mind before the throne of God. They fear God's judgement and sorrow over their fate, but they hate God, and will wail and gnash their teeth in bitter anger, and blaspheme Him to His face. Heb.10v26-30. Mt.8v12. 13v42,50. 22v13. 24v51. 25v30. Lk.13v28. Acts.7v54. Ps.2v1-3. Rev.19v19. Confinement in the Abyss for 1,000 years will not make Satan repent, he comes out of the Abyss totally unrepentant, full of rebellion and evil, and with an implacable hared of righteousness, God, and His children, and the wicked in Hell have the same evil unrepentant characters. Rev.20v7-10. 21v8.

Christians forget that angels have sinned after living in the presence of God in Heaven, and Satan makes repeated trips into the very presence of God to malign God's people and slander the character and works of God. Job.1v6-12. 2v1-7. Rev.12v10. Evil angels are now beyond repentance, and are irrevocably hardened by sin, and men can take the very same attitude to sin and God as these evil angels, and become totally unreconcilable, and even blaspheme God to His face. Rev.16v9,11,21. Christ called these people the children of the Devil, they have the same impenitent hearts, and as the sin is eternal, the punishment cannot be less. Jn.8v44. Mk.3v29. Jesus said that seeing mighty miracles would not make people repent, who were determined to sin. Jn.5v36-38. 15v22-25. Even the open vision of God may not make the wicked repent, indeed, while living in God's presence in the Millennial kingdom, the wicked are harbouring in their hearts the sin that in the end shows itself in open rebellion. The Scriptures state, that those who have seen and known the truth about Christ and His Gospel in a full and clear light and rejected it, will not change their minds about it after death. Heb.6v1-6. 10v26-31.

A person can wilfully reject the truth about Jesus in a very determined and definite way, just as they have rejected the revelation of God through creation. Rom.1v8,21,32. The truth about creation and Christ can be very firmly held down. Those of us who teach that there is a chance after death for those who have never heard the Gospel, or never heard it properly, do not teach ultimate reconciliation. We state that a merciful and just God, will give all an equal opportunity to be saved. The theory of ultimate reconciliation is contrary to the Scriptures, for the Scriptures teach that souls and spirits can be irrevocably hardened by the evil they love. Some Traditionalists say that Lk.12v47,48. and 2Cor.5v10., teach that there are varying degrees of punishment for the wicked, bur surely these verses are speaking of the judgement of believers. God will render to both sinner and saint according to their works." Rom.2v5,6. 2Cor.11v15. Rev.2v23. 18v5,6.

2. Followers of Augustine say that people have already had adequate light for salvation through the light of creation.
Augustine said that people who have not responded to the light of creation go to Hell for ever. He ignored the fact that nobody except Jesus has obeyed the light that they have received from creation. Rom.1v18-20. 3v9-23. We preach the Gospel to people, because we know that they need more than the light of creation to be saved. In Jn.15v22-25., Jesus said that it is only those who see and hate Himself and His Father, who commit the sin that makes Hell their only possible end. Acts.17v23-31. N.B. v30. Rom.10v11-15.

3. They say "Why should we preach the Gospel to people now, if they have a chance of salvation after death."
Jesus has put the responsibility of the preaching of the Gospel upon His Church, and it is for us to give light in the darkness of this world. It is not all right to leave men in the kingdom of darkness, blinded by superstition and ignorance and in the grasp of a merciless Devil, when they can have the light of the Gospel. The eternal death of a soul cannot depend upon whether a missionary goes or not, or if they arrive a day late, but the heathen's enjoyment of the Gospel does depend on this. What possibility of happiness would there be for any Christian, if they thought that thousands of people were in Hell because they were not competent to preach the Gospel properly, or they had failed to reach people in time. If there is no chance after death for the heathen who have never heard the Gospel, God would be duty bound to make sure that all heard the Gospel properly before they died, and if men failed to give the Gospel properly, then God must of necessity send an angel, and put the powers of darkness in prison, to make sure that all had a full and proper chance of hearing the Gospel.

Some will say that the second probation doctrine will make us lazy and complacent over the fate of the lost, to this we answer.

a. Any Christian who has the love of God in their heart, is broken over the needs of the world, and does something about it.

b. The revelation in the Scriptures of the fate and shame of the lazy and disobedient Christian, is enough to spur the laziest Christian on, even if the love of Christ does not constrain them. Lk.12v42-48. Mt.25v26-30. 2Cor.4v3-6. 5v14-16.

c. The writer has seen a great number of Christians, who believe that people who never hear the Gospel go to Hell for ever, as complacent and unconcerned over the state of the lost as it is possible to be.

Christians cast a slur on the character, love and grace of God, when they teach that people who have never heard the Gospel go to Hell forever. The death of a person cannot change the desire of God to save them. God could never say to those who had no opportunity of salvation, "I am sorry that the preacher did not arrive in time, I know that you are repentant, but it is too late now and so you are going to Hell forever." Can we really believe that the God of love would say this? Such beliefs put a cloud between Christians and their God. Thank God that this awful lie is not true, death cannot alter God's love, or the efficacy of the sacrifice of Calvary. God will never conceal the fact of Calvary from those who have never heard the Gospel, if He did there would be no possibility of Heaven starting on a happy footing, we would always be thinking that something could have been done and it was not. The eternal destiny of a person cannot depend on the chance of a person hearing the Gospel, it is too important a matter for chance to come into it at all.

The need for balance in Biblical interpretation and exposition.
Error often occurs by emphasising Scriptures revealing one aspect of a truth to the exclusion of other Scriptures on the same subject. The statement by Peter in Acts.4v12., is absolutely true, that there is none other name given under Heaven whereby men must be saved, save only the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts.4v12. It is also beyond dispute that no man comes to the Father but by Jesus. John.14v6. All mankind has sinned and have become children of disobedience and wrath. Rom.3v9-23. Eph.2v3,12. 4v18,19. Some emphasise these Scriptures to the exclusion of other vital Scriptures on the subject of salvation.

In Rom.2v7,14., Paul tells us that even amongst the Gentiles, who have not possessed either the Law or the Gospel, there can be a desire for honour, glory and immortality, and the reward is eternal life. God emphasised to Peter that God is no respecter of persons, and that Gentiles "who fear God and work righteousness are accepted with him." Paul also states in Acts.17v30., that "the times of this ignorance God winked at." "Winked at," is, "hupereido," 5237, it means, to overlook, to take no notice of, to not attend to, i.e. not punish; it only occurs here in the New Testament.

The prayers and alms of Cornelius came up as a memorial before God, BEFORE he was a Christian, for God had already cleansed him on an Old Testament basis. Acts.10v1-4,14-16,22,34,35. Paul also tells us in 1Tim.2v4., that God wills ("thelo," to will) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. In 1Tim.4v10., Paul states that God is the Saviour of all men, specially of those who believe. In 2Pet.3v9., Peter states that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God states in Lam.3v33., that He "does not afflict willingly, or grieve the sons of men." Indeed, God "plans ways so that the banished one may not be cast out from him." 2Sam.14v14.

The Scriptures must be taken in balance together, to arrive at the truth.

4. IS THE SOUL IMMORTAL?

The Scriptures state as a fact that only God has self-existent immortality. 1Tim.6v16.

The noun "athanasia," is used by Paul in 1Tim.6v16., to state that only God has self-existent immortality, he writes, "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." The word for "immortality," "athanasia," 110, is derived from the negative "a," and "thanatos," "death," and so means "deathlessness." It is used to describe the derived immortality of the glorified body of the believer in 1Cor.15v53,54., however, it suggests a fullness of life, and not just deathlessness; for a believer, mortality is to be "swallowed up of life." 2Cor.5v4. Only God has life in Himself, even in His humanity Jesus could say, "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." Jn.5v26. No one could take His life from Him, He had to willingly give it up. Jn.10v15-18. Adam's immortality depended on him eating the tree of life, and the believer's immortality is also continuously derived from God. Gen.2v17. 3v22,24. Rev.2v7. 22v2,14.

The noun "aphtharsia," 861 from 862, "incorruptibility," is translated as "immortality," in the KJV of Rom.2v7. and 2Tim1v10., probably because the translators thought that incorruptibility is essentially linked with immortality. It is used to describe the incorruptible resurrection body of believers in 1Cor.15v42,50,53,54. and 2Tim.1v10.. Paul tells us in Rom.2v7-14., that some Jews and Gentiles are judged worthy of eternal life even before they hear the Gospel, because they live good lives and seek for glory and honour and incorruption. In Eph.6v24., Paul pronounces a benediction of grace upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, "aphtharsia," that is, in uncorruptness.

The adjective "aphthartos," 862, means incorruptible, not subject to corruption or decay, both in the sense of nature or time. It is derived from the negative "a," and "phthartos," corruptible. It is used to describe the incorruptible nature of God in Rom.1v23. and 1Tim.1v17.; and the seed of the incorruptible and eternal Word of God in 1Pet.1v23.. It also describes the incorruptible crown and rewards of saints in 1Cor.9v25., and their incorruptible undying resurrected bodies in 1Cor.15v52.; and their Heavenly inheritance in 1Pet.1v4.. In 1Pet.3v4., Peter uses it to describe the almost priceless incorruptible meek and quiet spirit of a good woman.

The Biblical idea of immortality is an immortality of the whole person, body, soul and spirit; not just a disembodied existence of the soul in "Sheol-Hades," or Heaven, after the death of the body. It is deliverance from death, and the possession of a glorified body by resurrection. This sharply contrasts with the views of the Greek philosophers, who, with Plato, taught that spirit was everything and despised the body and called it an embarrassing nothing, and on Mars Hill at Athens they mocked Paul when he spoke about a resurrection. Acts.17v32.

The doctrine of immortality is not declared as much in the Old Testament as the New Testament.. However, the declarations about the future life are clearly seen in the Old Testament Scriptures, the prophets speak on many occasions of the glory and beauty of the Millennial and eternal kingdom. Is.11v1-10. 65v17-25. Ps.73v23,24. Peter and Paul also quote from Ps.16v8-11. and Ps.68v18.. Act.2v27. 13v35. Eph.4v8-11. See Isa.26v19. Dan.12v2,3. In His confrontation with the Sadducees Jesus affirmed that the Old Testament taught the truth of survival of the soul at death, resurrection, and a future deathless life for God's people. Lk.20v27-38.

Jesus is the author and fountainhead of the immortality of believers.
Through His redeeming death and resurrection, Jesus has "abolished death, and brought life and immortality ("aphtharsia") to light through the Gospel." 2Tim.1v10. "Brought --- to light" is "footisantos," the aorist active participle of "photizo," 5461, to illuminate, to bring to light, to render evident; Jesus has illuminated and shed light on the doctrine of immortality; He said that the soul survives death, and warned us of the eternal consequences of choosing good or evil, and illustrated this with many parables. Mt.5v11,12. 8v11,12. 11v20-27. 12v31,32. 13v39-43,47-52. 18v7-10,34,35. 19v23-30. 22v1-14. 23v29-33. 24v29-31. 25v1-46. Mk.8v34-38. Lk.12v16-21,42-48. 13v1-5,24-30. 14v24. 16v19-31. 17v33. 18v28-30. Jn.3v5,16,17. 4v13,14. 5v28,29,39,40. 6v39,40,44,47,54-58. 10v27-30. 11v23-27. 14v1-6. 15v5,6. etc.

The certainty of God's promise to us of the immortality of believers was confirmed and manifested in our Lord's glorious resurrection, and because He lives we shall live also. Jn.14v19. Mt.28v1-20. Lk.24v1-53. Jn.20v1-31. 21v1-25. However, as yet, only Jesus has received a glorified body, Old Testament saints and Christians have to wait until the first resurrection for their glorified bodies. The redeeming work of Jesus guarantees the resurrection, glorification and immortality of our bodies; Jesus will "transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body." Phil.3v21. See 2Cor.5v4., "For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life." The unclothing that Paul is referring to here, is death of the body; the clothing upon, is the gift of an immortal glorified body at the resurrection. 1Cor.15v50-53. 1Thes.4v13-17.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS PAGE....        CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE....