I completed my final Theology II class last evening. That means final exam time. Part of our final exam, we were told, was an essay question. We were informed that there was no official right answer and that we will be evaluated as much for how we think and write and defend our position than for what we say. When I opened the exam, here was the question:
There are difficulties with the various ways of understanding our intermediate state between death and resurrection. Are human beings immortal? Historically, the Church has said, only conditionally. If humans are immortal only conditionally, what are those conditions? How does this fit with the affirmation of total depravity? Does eternal punishment require immortality? Why or why not? Is there a part of us (soul?) that never experiences death? What biblical support can you offer for your last answer?
Are you thinking like I'm thinking? Not a single question at all! What would you have said? How would you have answered? I struggled right out of the gate because I took issue with the presumption that the Church has historically said human beings are immortal "only conditionally." Our essay length was limited to 2 pages, double spaced. But the teacher said he would give us grace for a third page if we needed it. I needed it. If you are interested in my answer, click "Continue Reading" below.
Theology II Final Exam Essay by Mark Pierce
This essay is written to demonstrate the difficulties with the various ways of understanding our intermediate state between death and resurrection. For example, historically the church has struggled with the underlying question of whether or not human beings are immortal. Within the very examination question for this exam, for instance, was the misguided presumption that the Church has said, “Yes,” to this human immortality question, but only in the “conditional” sense. In fact, according to the texts for this course, the church has not historically held this viewpoint. To wit, the first supporting argument for the classical understanding of the unending torment of the wicked in hell is that of church tradition: “The teaching that the wicked suffer unending torment has been the dominant teaching of the church throughout its history” (Across Spectrum, Kindle loc. 4046). In his section Competing Visions of Life after Death (Kindle loc. 9333 in chapter 21), Grenz provides a historical progression of competing ideas, such as death as the entrance into eternity, soul sleep, and conscience existence of the the soul beyond death, all of which have at their core the assumption of unconditional human immortality. Further, in Chapter 6 of his book, Grenz demonstrates that the historic argument within the church between the trichotomist and dichotomist viewpoints are substantially the result of the Platonic presumption of the soul’s immortality. Finally, Grenz points out the conditional immortality did not gain “a sizable number of adherents” until “only in the 1800s through the Seventh Day Adventists and later the Jehovah’s Witnesses” (Kindle loc. 10092).
While there are numerous references in the Bible to the soul and to the spirit of man, it would be incorrect to view such words with the presumption of unconditional immortality, despite what the historic church viewpoint has been. Scripture clearly teaches that God, and God alone, possesses immortality (1 Tim. 6:6). Therefore, any immortality possessed by mankind is only by God’s gracious gift and choice. So the question of conditions, from which humans receive immortality, could be correctly reshaped into this: “To whom does God grant the gift of immortality?” or, to further shape it into more Biblical terms: “To whom does God grant the gift of eternal life?” Now to this question the New Testament overflows with information. Those who believe in the Son of Man (John 3:15), those who follow Jesus as sheep follow the shepherd (John 10:28), those who have been given by God the Father (John 17:2) have been granted eternal life. The Apostle Paul answers that eternal life cannot be considered apart from life within Christ (Rom. 6:23). It would seem that to know and follow Christ is to know immortality.
One might ask how it is possible for a person, who is totally depraved, that is, who possesses a corrupted and sinful nature that pervades one’s entire person, which, by definition, would include one’s body, mind, soul and spirit, to also experience immortality? In other words, if immortality can only be granted by an immortal God, and if one’s whole being is utterly and thoroughly depraved to the point of being an enemy to the only source of immortality, namely God Himself, how then is it conceivable that any man have any hope of eternal life? The answer for man alone, without God, is one of utter hopelessness. This is why those who wholly affirm the total depravity of man can only hope in God and in God alone for His gift of eternal life, His choice of those who will believe in the Son of Man, and those who will follow Jesus as sheep follow the shepherd. No Christian, who thus believes and follows, when faced with his or her own sinful corruption, especially when compared to the holy and righteous God, would ever begin to take credit upon himself or herself for his or her choice to follow Christ.
Now then, when one speaks of eternal life with God, one must also consider the flip side - eternal punishment. Does eternal punishment require immortality? The quick and easy answer is “no,” because one could interpret such “eternal” punishment not as an never-ending torment, but rather as a final, once-for-all-time, no-further-choice-to-made punishment. The logical problem with such a solution is that if one applies this meaning to “eternal” on the punishment side of the equation, does not one then also have to be consistent and apply the same meaning on the blissful side? Such a logic trap should not become a permanent snare. Those who argue from the Biblical viewpoint alone, and not mixed with the Platonic presumption, anchor their understanding of immortality to God, and His election and His gift.
At last we come to the question of the intermediate heaven: is there a part of us that never experiences death? If so, is there any Biblical support? Taking away the Platonic presumptions, it is only from the Bible that a Christian could argue. Why even consider the issue of an intermediate heaven? The New Testament is most conclusive when it comes to the issue of resurrection. However this idea of resurrection is something that happens on the day of Christ’s return, at the end of time, and ushers in the New Earth and the New Heaven. It is a future event and a social event, involving all of mankind.
The quandary comes about by the Scriptures that seem to suggest that there is a life that occurs after death and apart from the eventual resurrection. The narrative of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) provides an example of both men immediately being transported to an afterlife. Paul writes about the new life after death as a building from God awaiting us when our earthly tent is destroyed (2 Cor. 5:1-9). Paul also states he would prefer to “depart and be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23). He also argues that death cannot separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:37-38). The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews refers to the Christ-follower being surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” (12:1), which could be thought of as the saints, who have already died, cheering on the faith of those still alive. Finally, Jesus promised this to the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
