Question- "For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

[dmdar]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

 

[ScottA]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

We (biblically) live in this world as dead men, then are raised up ["to Him"] "some unto eternal life, some unto eternal damnation."

The Luke passage speaks of all living in this world (as we would define living), which comes to an end "for all" of us--then refers to actual life in Him. Thus, the word of God which is preached unto all nations and people, is to all in this world, which is all done for "all" who "live to Him."

In other words, the passages is much like the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, where God lets His sun and rain fall upon all, although it is all really done only for the Wheat.

 

[quietthinker]

We (biblically) live in this world as dead men, then are raised up ["to Him"] "some unto eternal life, some unto eternal damnation."

The Luke passage speaks of all living in this world (as we would define living), which comes to an end "for all" of us--then refers to actual life in Him. Thus, the word of God which is preached unto all nations and people, is to all in this world, which is all done for "all" who "live to Him."

In other words, the passages is much like the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, where God lets His sun and rain fall upon all, although it is all really done only for the Wheat.

Did Jesus discriminate with Judas? Did Jesus wash the feet of Judas as a pretence?

 

[Deborah_]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

This verse mustn't be taken in isolation. Context matters! Jesus is talking to the Sadducees, who didn't believe in any kind of life after death. Jesus showed them that life after death is implied throughout Scripture - you can even find it in the book of Exodus!
"In the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'. He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for to Him all are alive." (Luke 20:37,38)
So verse 38 is talking about people who are (from our point of view) long dead and buried (i.e. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). Yet to God they are still alive.
It's worth thinking about what it means to "be the God" of someone. That's not just a verbal formula, or a title - it implies that the person worships Him, obeys Him and talks to Him. Not activities that the dead can do! And God said, "I am the God of Abraham" - not "I was the God of Abraham". Present tense - ongoing action - ongoing life.

 

[Adventageous]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

Sure, read Chapter 19, pages 70-72 - Sincerely Dead Dying, To Know Jesus by brother Aaron Earnest : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

I pray it is useful to you. In short, in context, it is speaking of the resurrection.

 

[saved by grace 101]

Sure, read Chapter 19, pages 70-72 - Sincerely Dead Dying, To Know Jesus by brother Aaron Earnest : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

I pray it is useful to you. In short, in context, it is speaking of the resurrection.

Being dead to this world, does not mean no consciousness after life on earth:

He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. 1Peter3:18-20
After Christ was crucified he proclaimed the message to people who had previously died, there wouldnt be any point in doing that unless they were able to hear it
Hence to God, all are living, just not all on earth in a body of flesh

 

[ScottA]

Did Jesus discriminate with Judas? Did Jesus wash the feet of Judas as a pretence?

No, not at all. That is the point, He died for all--He presented all with a choice--but all do not choose life.

 

[Mark51]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

True, the Bible speaks of certain “dead” ones as being conscious, but these are only said to be dead in a spiritual sense, not literally. Contrarily, some that are physically dead are alive to God.-Matthew 22:32

Since the physically dead are “conscious of nothing at all” (Eccl. 9:5), these dead mentioned by Peter (1 Peter 4:6) are the same as those Jesus spoke of when he said: “Let the dead bury their dead,” (Matthew. 8:22); and, those referred to by the apostle Paul when he wrote: “It is you God made alive though you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) Anyone living who is dead in the sight of Jehovah can come to life in a spiritual sense by hearing the word of God, repenting and following the Lord Jesus.

Those who become Christians with a true belief were once among the spiritually dead people of the world. The hope for the literal dead is the resurrection and the opportunity then to hear the good news and to be judged.

 

[XtraPercept]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

This is but a tree from a mountain which identifies the root of many illegitimate doctrines.

God does not rule over sheol any more than I might wrestle a Ninja Turtle. Death, which is the grave, is a place of silence and thoughtlessness according to the Psalmists. They noted this because death is the absence of God, which is to not exist at all.

But the God of the living is just and fair and will one day make known the truth to all, which His people have always forseen in the coming resurrection of everyone who ever lived.

He is life, He is omnipotent, He sustains all things at all times by His patience and mercy and grace for purposes of His glory and honor and righteousness.

I suspect that may be where your inclination could have been leading. What do you think?

 

[Davy]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

You shouldn't just look outside The Bible for your answer. And definitely don't listen to men's doctrines on the matter, like the old Jewish false tradition called Soul Sleep.

What does the following in red mean?

1 Peter 4:5-6
5 Who shall give account to Him That is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6 For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
KJV

Per Peter in 1 Peter 3:18-20, Jesus at His resurrection went to the "spirits in prison" and preached The Gospel to them. That was prophesied to happen per Isaiah 42:6-7 at His 1st coming. He led out the prisoners that believed who sat in darkness in the heavenly prison house.

So how could that happen if those souls of the dead were literally buried in the ground in the casket?

Ecclesiastes 12:5-7 shows us what happens when our flesh body dies. Our flesh goes back to the earth where it came from, but our spirit goes back to God Who gave it. And that includes our soul with our spirit. Per Matthew 10:28, Lord Jesus said to not fear those who kill our flesh body, but not our soul, but to fear Him Who can destroy both body (spirit body) and soul in hell ("lake of fire" implied with geena). That Ecclesiastes 12 Scripture mentions the existence of a "silver cord" that is severed at flesh death. That suggests that cord is what keeps our spirit body and soul attached to our flesh while alive on earth. And Jesus confirmed this operation in John 3 when He said that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of The Spirit is spirit. Our spirit body and soul are of the heavenly order. Our flesh body is of the earthly order. And these are literal facts, not simply some spiritual concept.

 

[XtraPercept]

What does the following in red mean?

but live according to God in the spirit.

I might suggest the following rephrasings;

To live according to God's ideas;

To operate on the principals and precepts of Scripture;

To seek obedience to God in all things at all times;

To offer continuous sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving;

To call upon the Name of the LORD in truth and sincerity.

 

[Davy]

I might suggest the following rephrasings;

To live according to God's ideas;

To operate on the principals and precepts of Scripture;

To seek obedience to God in all things at all times;

To offer continuous sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving;

To call upon the Name of the LORD in truth and sincerity.

Nope... those above ideas would change... what that 1 Peter 4 Scripture states as 'literal' fact.

What you suggest is more according to men's 'religious' approach away from... literal reality presented in God's Word. And just how crazy and far from actual Biblical meaning can that kind of working by men get? Well, the seminary doctrine of men called Full Preterism does not believe Jesus future return is about a literal, physical return back to this earth. They believe it is meant only in the spiritual sense, and even that it already happened back in the days of Christ's Apostles.

So although God's Word does... use symbols and metaphor, it's important to understand when by rightly dividing The Word in our Bible study.

 

[XtraPercept]

Nope... those above ideas would change... what that 1 Peter 4 Scripture states as 'literal' fact.

What you suggest is more according to men's 'religious' approach away from... literal reality presented in God's Word. And just how crazy and far from actual Biblical meaning can that kind of working by men get? Well, the seminary doctrine of men called Full Preterism does not believe Jesus future return is about a literal, physical return back to this earth. They believe it is meant only in the spiritual sense, and even that it already happened back in the days of Christ's Apostles.

So although God's Word does... use symbols and metaphor, it's important to understand when by rightly dividing The Word in our Bible study.

I suspect you know more about the word "preterism" than the word "fire."

 

[Gottservant]

I think the assumption is that when you die, you have nothing more to say - but the truth is, even if you're dead, God is still listening.

Well so, if you are dead, but you are still speaking to God, you are not really "dead".

The thing to remember is, if you shout you are not necessarily going to get God's attention.

 

[Davy]

I suspect you know more about the word "preterism" than the word "fire."

Silly association.

Preterism is men's fleshy thinking, of this world, wrongly supposing that Christ's future literal Kingdom is manifest on earth today already, when only Christ's Kingdom of The Spirit is manifest on earth today through His Church on earth. Preterism is actually a 'primitive' flesh idea about this world, showing lack of understanding in God's Word about His overall Plan of Salvation not having been completed yet today.

In God's Word, His fire is different than the earthly fire that we know. But it can manifest as earthly fire that can literally burn things up on earth also (see 1 Kings 18).

 

[XtraPercept]

Silly association.

Says the man speaking about God in "-isms."

Do you really think the disciples asked Jesus if they could burn the inn keeper to death?

 

[Davy]

Says the man speaking about God in "-isms."

Do you really think the disciples asked Jesus if they could burn the inn keeper to death?

Friends, that above is an example of falling... off... the... edge... of sanity.

 

[XtraPercept]

Friends, that above is an example of falling... off... the... edge... of sanity.

Luke 9:54?

NIV:
When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”

I'm sure you have many -isms about this one.

 

[Davy]

Luke 9:54?

NIV:
When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”

I'm sure you have many -isms about this one.

Angry at God, are you? I bet you hate that God commanded the Israelites to LITERALLY WIPE OUT THESE BELOW CANAANITE NATIONS in Israel's early history...

Deut 20:16-18
16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.
KJV

Leftist-Liberals love to accuse GOD of not being a loving God because of the above. The Leftist thinks wickedness should be left alone with no correction, which is why they lobby for releasing criminals from today's prisons that get out and commit more crimes.

And what many in the Free Nations don't realize, those who support World Communism PROMOTE such wickedness to try and tear down governments and peaceful societies in order to establish their one-world Communist platforms. They don't just do that among the general public, but also in the Churches too!

How do like that for your 'ism stupidity?

 

[lforrest]

Hi everyone, a scripture came to me in church tonight and I felt like I needed to do a study on it, I do not understand what it means, I think a teaching may be coming. Can anyone here explain it to me? It is Luke 20:38-

"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

I have searched for the meaning on the internet and I am not able to get a clear answer, any ideas? Thanks!

I conceptualize it very simply. The dead include anyone who is doomed to destruction. The living includes anyone who either find life in Jesus or holy angels who never fell in the first place.