The answer of hell and its origins

[The Learner]

Jesus Christ Is God Incarnate​

Quoting from Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23 says, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." According to both of these verses, Jesus was "God with us" when He walked upon this earth. He wasn't merely "God's chosen one with us" or "God's Son with us." As I Timothy 3:16 states, "God was manifest in the flesh." John 1:14 tells us that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." In Zechariah 12:10, GOD said that HE (God) would be "pierced" by sinners, and Revelation 1:7 states that Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled this prophecy! Friend, the Bible presents Jesus Christ as much more than a great prophet and teacher. God's word presents Jesus Christ as God incarnate.


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Jesus Christ Is Eternal​

In John 10:28, Jesus said, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." If Jesus Christ isn't eternal, then how does He have the power to give "eternal life"?

Micah 5:2 states that Jesus Christ is "from everlasting", which is exactly what Psalm 93:2 and Isaiah 63:16 say about God!

In John 8:58, Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." The term "I am" is the exact term that God used in Exodus 3:14 in reference to Himself! Jesus professed to be the eternal God of the Bible.​

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[The Learner]

Jesus Christ Has Divine Names​

Check these references for yourself. In Matthew 22:42-45, Jesus claims to be the "Lord" of Psalm 110:1. He allows Thomas to address Him as "My Lord and my God" in John 20:28.

He is the "everlasting Father" and "The mighty God" of Isaiah 9:6.

According to His own words in John 10:11-14, He is the "shepherd" of Psalm 23:1, Psalm 80:1, and Ezekiel 34:12.

God is the "saviour" in Isaiah 43:3, 43:11, 45:15, 45:21, Hosea 13:4, Luke 1:47, and I Timothy 4:10, yet this same title is given to Jesus Christ in Luke 2:11, Philippians 3:20, II Timothy 1:10, and II Peter 2:20.

God is the "Rock" of Deuteronomy 32:4, 32:15, 32:18, 32:30-31, I Samuel 2:2, and Psalm 18:31, yet this title is given to the Lord Jesus Christ in I Corinthians 10:1-4, I Peter 2:7-8, and Romans 9:33.

God is "light" in Psalm 27:1 and Micah 7:8, and then Jesus is "light" in John 1:4-9 and in John 8:12.

In Isaiah 44:6 God says, "...I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." In Revelation 1:17 Jesus Christ says, "...Fear not; I am the first and the last."

The Scriptures are clear: Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament.

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Jesus Claimed Equality with God​

Jesus says in Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" If Jesus Christ isn't Deity, then why did He include Himself in the Holy Trinity?

Jesus says in John 14:9, "...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" Is the Father someone other than Jesus Christ? No, not according to Jesus Christ.

In John 10:30, Jesus says, "I and my Father are one." Isn't that clear enough?

Philippians 2:6 says that Jesus was in the "form of God", and that he thought it not robbery to be "equal with God"!

The Jesus Christ of the New Testament claimed to be "one" with God and "equal" with God.​

Jesus Christ is Omnipresent​

Only God has the ability to be everywhere at once, yet Jesus Christ claims this ability.

In Matthew 18:20, He says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." How could this be possible if Jesus were not Deity?

The same is true in Matthew 28:20 where Jesus says, "...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." How could He be with each individual Christian always and be in Heaven at the same time? He is God, for only God has such attributes!

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Jesus Christ Is Omnipotent​

That is, He is all powerful. He has all power.

Revelation 19:6 states, "...the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Then I Timothy 6:15 says that Jesus Christ Himself is "...the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;" If Jesus is the ONLY Potentate, then He must be the One of Revelation 19:6, God Almighty!

Also see Colossians 2:9-10, Revelation 2:26, and Matthew 28:18.

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Jesus Christ Is Omniscient​

To be omniscient is to have all knowledge, unlike normal men. The Bible declares that Jesus was indeed omniscient.

Unlike normal men, Jesus Christ had knowledge of specific details about His own death. In Matthew 16:21, Jesus said that He would go to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the scribes and the elders, be killed, and then be resurrected the third day. He repeats this prophecy in Matthew 20:19.

Matthew 17:27 offers the account of Jesus knowing of a certain coin in a fish's mouth before the fish is caught!

He knew specific details about a woman's life whom He had never met (John 4:16-19). He also had all knowledge about Nathaniel in John 1:47-49.

Friend, Jesus Christ is Deity because He is omniscient.

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Jesus Christ Has Creative Powers​

John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." The "Word" is the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:14; I John 1:1-3; 5:7), and John 1:3 says that all things were made by Him!

Colossians 1:16 says, "...by him were all things created..." Consider Hebrews 1:1-3: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" You see, by Jesus Christ the worlds were made, and by Jesus Christ all things are upheld. He has the power to create and sustain the universe.

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Jesus Christ Has Power Over the Elements of Nature​

In Matthew 14:25, Jesus literally walks upon the sea, and in Luke 8:24, He rebukes the wind and it obeys Him. How could He perform such tasks if He weren't God? It must be understood that Jesus didn't pray for God to calm the sea; He calmed the sea Himself.​

Jesus Christ Received Worship​

If we're wrong in teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, then He must have been wrong in allowing people to worship him. Jesus Himself said, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Mat. 4:10) Why would He say this at the beginning of His ministry and then spend His ministry allowing people to worship HIM?

In Acts 10:25-26, and in Revelation 19:10, worship of anyone other than God Himself is forbidden, yet Jesus willingly received worship throughout His public ministry (John 20:28; Mat. 8:2; 9:18; 15:25; 28:9; John 9:38). If He isn't Deity, then why didn't He correct those who worshipped Him?

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Jesus Christ Forgave Sins​

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jer. 31:34) According to these words, it is GOD Who has the power and right to forgive sins. However, the New Testament says that Jesus Christ has this power.

Please notice Mark 2:5-11: "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house."


Jesus Christ is God, because only God can forgive sins. It's true that He took on the form of a man for thirty-three years on this earth, but He was still God. He was God manifest in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16).​

Jesus Christ Had Power Over His Own Life and Death​

How many people do you know who have the ability to lay down their own life and then take it up again? Jesus had this power.

Consider John 10:17-18: "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."


Jesus had the power over His own life and death! When He died, He willingly gave up His own spirit (Luke 23:46).

According to His own words in Revelation 1:18, Jesus Christ has "the keys of hell and of death." How could He possibly have such power if He were not God?

Friend, make no mistake about it: the Lord Jesus Christ is Deity. He came to this earth and suffered in human flesh for thirty-three years. He lived a perfectly sinless life, and then laid that life down as an eternal payment for your sins. Mohammed didn't pay for your sins, because Mohammed wasn't God. Buddha didn't pay for your sins, because Buddha wasn't God. You can't pay for your sins, because you aren't God. Only Jesus Christ is sinless, because only Jesus Christ is God. He Alone can save your soul from the eternal fires of Hell.


"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

Friend, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour? Have you been born again? If not, be sure and call or write today for your free copy of Understanding God's Salvation Plan. Nothing in your life is more important than your eternal destiny, and no one can help you more than the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Deity of Jesus Christ

 

[The Learner]

https://ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/19_1_PDFs/Explaining%20Diety%20Brown%20Fixed.pdf

Scripture Testimony to the Deity of Christ: Upholder of all Things - Summary (#52420) - BTP

Scripture Testimony to the Deity of Christ: Upholder of all Things - Summary (#52420)

bibletruthpublishers.com

The Deity of Jesus Christ (HTML)

Article by Michael Bremmer from Biblical Perspectives Volume 9, Number 25

thirdmill.org

What are the different names and titles of Jesus Christ? | GotQuestions.org

What are the different names and titles of Jesus Christ? What do the different names given to Jesus reveal about Him?

www.gotquestions.org

 

[The Learner]

25 Important Bible Verses That Say Jesus Is God

Bible verses that say Jesus is God If anyone tries to tell you that Jesus is not God in the flesh close your ears because anyone who believes that blasphemy will not enter into Heaven. Jesus said if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. If Jesus wasn't God how could

biblereasons.com

 

[The Learner]

Deuteronomy 18:7
And this Levite may serve in the name of the Lord his God, the same as all his brother Levites who are on duty before the Lord.

Deuteronomy 21:5
The priests, the descendants of Levi, must also go there. (The Lord your God has chosen these priests to serve him and to bless people in the name of the Lord. The priests will decide who is right in every lawsuit and whenever someone is hurt.)

1 Samuel 17:45
David said to the Philistine, “You come to me using sword, spear, and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel. You have said bad things about him.

2 Samuel 6:18
After David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful.

2 Chronicles 33:18
Everything else Manasseh did, his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are all written in the book, The Official Records of the Kings of Israel.

Ezra 5:1
At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo began to prophesy in the name of God. They encouraged the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.

Psalm 118:26
Welcome to the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” The priests answer, “We welcome you to the Lord’s house!

Psalm 129:8
May no one walking by those wicked people ever say, “May the Lord bless you! We bless you in the name of the Lord.”


Jeremiah 2:8
“The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ The people who know the law did not want to know me. The leaders of the people of Israel turned against me. The prophets spoke in the name of the false god Baal. They worshiped worthless idols.”

Jeremiah 11:21
The Lord said to me, “Those people from Anathoth are planning to take your life. They are telling you not to prophesy in the name of the Lord or they will kill you. This is what I have to say about them:

Jeremiah 26:9
How dare you say such a thing in the name of the Lord! How dare you say that this Temple will be destroyed like the one at Shiloh! How dare you say that Jerusalem will become a desert with no one living in it!” All the people gathered around Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord.

Zechariah 13:3
Whoever continues to prophesy will be punished. Even their parents, their own mother and father, will say to them, ‘You have spoken lies in the name of the Lord, so you must die!’ Their own mother and father will stab them for prophesying.

Matthew 21:9
Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. They all shouted, “Praise to the Son of David! ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Praise to God in heaven!”

Matthew 23:39
I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Matthew 28:19
So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Mark 11:9
Some of them were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. Everyone shouted, “‘Praise Him!’ ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Luke 13:35
Now your home will be left completely empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Luke 19:38
They said, “‘Welcome! God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord.’ Peace in heaven and glory to God!”

John 12:13
They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus. They shouted, “‘Praise Him!’ ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ God bless the King of Israel!”

Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, “Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God will forgive your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:18
So the Jewish leaders called Peter and John in again. They told the apostles not to say anything or to teach anything in the name of Jesus.

Acts 8:16
These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them. This is why Peter and John prayed.

Acts 10:48
So Peter told them to baptize Cornelius and his relatives and friends in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Acts 19:5
When these followers heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 5:4
Come together in the name of our Lord Jesus. I will be with you in spirit, and you will have the power of our Lord Jesus with you.

1 Corinthians 6:11
In the past some of you were like that. But you were washed clean, you were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Ephesians 5:20
Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

James 5:14
Are you sick? Ask the elders of the church to come and rub oil on you in the name of the Lord and pray for you.

 

[The Learner]

Matthew 28:19
So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Note all three are part of the same name of God.

 

[The Learner]

Are you serious? Why are there literally thousands of separate denominations all with different ideas, if there is agreement?
The only things they agree on are the very core of beliefs that they hold n common...none of which originated in God’s word. Why do you think “few” will be saved when the judgment comes? (Matt 7:13-14)

JW’s are NOT a denomination of Christendom.....we identified their doctrines as originating in pagan religions, so we removed ourselves from “Babylon the great”, which we believe encompasses all manifestations of false worship....the devil authored all of them, (he doesn’t care how he gets ya....as long as he gets ya) so in obedience to Revelation 18:4-5 we withdrew from the disunited (but accepted by the masses) “church” system, just as the first Christians had to withdraw from apostate Judaism into which Jesus the man was born....but he exposed them for what they were. (Matt 15:7-9)

Types and shadows are there if you know what you’re looking at....but there is also a “blindness” that Paul speaks of. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) Not a blindness of the eyes, but of the mind.

The 20,000 denominations is based on a social definitions of denominations. Using that denomination defintion JW's will have in Germany alone there are 2,887 or over 2,000 JW denominatitons:

"- There are 175,558 members in Germany, meaning about 1 in 500 Germans are Jehovah's Witnesses, according to the denomination's website, which was updated in January. In total there are 2,003 congregations and 884 places of worship, called Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses."

Factbox: Jehovah's Witnesses: some facts about their history and community in Germany

Here are some facts about the Jehovah's Witnesses and their community in Germany, shaken by a mass shooting at a Jehovah's Witness hall in Hamburg on Thursday.

www.reuters.com

I communicated with the authors/editors of the Encyclodpedia that is often quoted. Even Catholic Apologetists, have exposed the difference in definition.

 

[The Learner]

I will look for my correspondence on the encylopedia if it is still on my computer.

 

[Aunty Jane]

Denominations are in agreement in their own organizations. Of course they don’t agree with everything in another denomination

The fact that there ARE 'denomination' is the first problem here.....was Christianity supposed to be divided up in to bickering factions?
What a ripe environment for the truth to be sacrificed. Look what happened between the Pharisees and the Sadducees? They were at odds but were only united in their condemnation of Jesus. They rejected the many oral traditions observed by the Pharisees as well as other Pharisaic beliefs. They did not believe in the resurrection or in the existence of angels.
Talk to Jewish people today and you see the same attitude.....they will tell you that any question asked will get ten different answers....and they will all be right.

Most 'denominations' seem to see other 'denominations' in Christendom (those who subscribe to the same core of beliefs as all in Christendom do) as saved.....but unless there is agreement across the board, (according to 1 Cor 1:10) there is no 'umbrella' guaranteeing that any who stand under it, (if they cannot agree on what is the totality of scriptural truth) will be acceptable in their worship. Jesus will make that judgment....but when he does, there will be no turning back. We have to be certain that we have the whole truth.....not just hoping that we do, but confident that we do. Confidence comes from knowing what we believe and why we believe it. It comes from knowing the scriptures and being able to answer all questions taking in the totality of scripture in our replies.

Does your denomination accept that all who claim to be followers of Christ, are saved? If you do, what is the criteria that makes their worship acceptable even when there is no agreement on many things?
If not, on what basis do you think they are disqualified?
When Jesus comes as judge, he has already told us that "few", not "many" will be saved.....who are the "few" in your understanding? (Matt 7:13-14; 21-23) On what basis are these "few" saved?

Listening to those here on these threads, we see you all backing one another up, but you adhere to different versions of the truth.....can there be different versions of the truth? Does Jesus accept those many versions? Or are the divisions in Christendom proof that God's spirit is not among them? Does he give one truth to some...and another truth to others...?

What do you say to that...please be honest...

 

[strepho]

There is misconceptions about hell and lake of fire. There two different subjects. Hell is Hades or sheol. Its holding place for the spirtualty dead or wicked. Luke chapter 16:22. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into abraham bosom; the Richman also died and was buried. 16:23. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment and sees Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. Lazarus is in paradise with abraham and the saints. The Richman is in hell, called sheol. The torment is feeling shame, sadness and fear. Their is gulf that separates paradise and sheol. Neither side can cross over. Those in sheol, are waiting for judgement day. They will be judged by their works. Jesus is the judge. I documented, and explained this subject. ABEDAH in Hebrew means = Hades. CHEDEL in Hebrew means = state of the dead.

 

[Patrick1966]

Jack simply believes Jesus who warned us of the "everlasting fire", Hell fire"!

Mistranslation.

Mathew 25:46 ESV
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Mathew 25:46 YLT
And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during

God works with us through ages. Those condemned are sent for a period of time, such as an "age", not FOREVER.

 

[Patrick1966]

Just because a person quotes Jesus doesn't me they understand accurately what Jesus was saying. Anybody can quote Jesus.

Sadly, Jesus has been misquoted and mistranslated many times in most mainstream English bibles.

 

[Patrick1966]

What is death Jack? Isn't it, the cessation of all functions of life, so, the opposite of life? (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19) Isn't it true that the Bible has the same original-language words for “death” or “dying” and are applied to humans, animals, and plants? (Ecclesiastes 3:19; 9:5; John 12:24; Jude 12; Revelation 16:3) However, for humans and animals doesn't the Bible show the vital function of the blood is maintaining life, stating that “the soul of the flesh is in the blood?” (Leviticus 17:11, 14; Genesis 4:8-11; 9:3, 4) Both humans and animals are spoken of as ‘expiring,’ that is, ‘breathing out’ the breath of life (Hebrew - nish math chai yim). (Genesis 7:21, 22; compare Genesis 2:7) And the Scriptures show that death in humans and animals follows the loss of the spirit or active force of life (Hebrew- ruach chai yim) Genesis 6:17; 7:15, 22; Ecclesiastes 3:19.

So from a biblical view point was is death? It's of interest to note what is known scientifically of the death process. In humans, for example, when the heart stops beating, the blood ceases to circulate nourishment and oxygen (obtained by breathing) to the billions of body cells.The World Book Encyclopedia (1987, Vol. 5, p. 52b) says: “A person whose heart and lungs stop working may be considered clinically dead but somatic death may not yet have occurred. The individual cells of the body continue to live for several minutes. The person may be revived if the heart and lungs start working again and give the cells the oxygen they need. After about three minutes, the brain cells, which are most sensitive to a lack of oxygen, begin to die. The person is soon dead beyond any possibility of revival. Gradually, other cells of the body also die. The last ones to perish are the bone, hair, and skin cells, which may continue to grow for several hours.” So while the vital importance of breathing and of the blood in maintaining the active life-force (ruach chai yim) in the body cells is evident, at the same time it is also clear that it is not the cessation of breathing or of heartbeat alone but the disappearance of the life-force or spirit from the body cells that brings death as referred to in the Scriptures.(Psalm 104:29; 146:4; Ecclesiastes 8:8)

In the scriptures the dead are shown to be “conscious of nothing at all” and the death state to be one of complete inactivity. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalm 146:4) Those dying are described as going into “the dust of death” (Psalm 22:15), becoming “impotent in death.” (Proverbs 2:18; Isaiah 26:14) In death there is no mention of God or any praising of him. (Psalm 6:5; Isaiah 38:18, 19) In both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures, death is likened to sleep, a fitting comparison not only because of the unconscious condition of the dead but also because of the hope of an awakening through the resurrection. (Psalm 13:3; John 11:11-14) The resurrected Jesus is spoken of as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death.”(1 Corinthians 15:20, 21)

The Interpreter's Bible (Vol. II, p. 1015), commenting on 1 Samuel 25:29, observes that “the idea of man as consisting of body and soul which are separated at death is not Hebrew but Greek.” (Edited by G. Buttrick, 1953) Similarly, Edmond Jacob, Professor of Old Testament at the University of Strasbourg, points out that, since in the Hebrew Scriptures one’s life is directly related with the soul (Hebrew, nephesh), “it is natural that death should sometimes be represented as the disappearance of this nephesh. (Genesis 35:18; 1 Kings 17:21; Jeremiah 15:9; Jonah 4:3). The ‘departure’ of the nephesh must be viewed as a figure of speech, for it does not continue to exist independently of the body, but dies with it (Numbers 31:19; Judges 16:30; Ezekiel 13:19). The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, edited by G. Buttrick, 1962, Vol. 1, p.802 says, "No biblical text authorizes the statement that the ‘soul’ is separated from the body at the moment of death.”
The point is that these people who are not Jehovah's Witnesses and many others agree that Adam and Eve, and all human beings after them when they died, ceased to exist as living souls, or living persons. Jesus came to humanity in the likeness of the first Adam. So when Jesus sacrificed his human life the only begotten Son of God didn't exist as a living soul or living person for parts of three days. Death is the opposite of life.

Do you believe that faithful Christians immediately go to Heaven upon their physical death?

 

[Patrick1966]

Billions, if not trillions, have gone to the afterlife with no knowledge whatsoever of Jesus, or the Gospel.
Since God is omniscient, he knew this would happen. Since he is omnipotent, he can do something about it.
Since he is merciful and compassionate, he will demonstrate love to those he created in his own image. (his children)
Since he is just, he will justify all by the finished work of the Atonement. Everyone is already saved by that work.

Romans 5:18-19
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,
so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,
so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's an amazingly unbiased presentation of the three main views.

Well said. Thanks for the video. I'll check it out!

 

[Patrick1966]

Almost seems like you deny Hell fire that Jesus clearly taught.

Most Christians have believe in the false doctrine of a "forever" Hell based on the erroneous translations found in most English Bible versions. People sent there only go for a period of time, not FOREVER.

Mathew 25:46 YLT
And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during

 

[Patrick1966]

I will continue to defend the Christian Bible against attackers.

Which version do you like to read most?

I enjoy the ESV for it's ease of reading, but I also double-check the ESV against the YLT on a number of verses because I know that the ESV has a number of mistranslations of the ORIGINAL scriptures written in Greek.

 

[BARNEY BRIGHT]

Do you believe that faithful Christians immediately go to Heaven upon their physical death?

The scriptures contradict that belief. People both righteous and unrighteous sleep in death until the resurrection begins

 

[Patrick1966]

The scriptures contradict that belief. People both righteous and unrighteous sleep in death until the resurrection begins

Incorrect my brother.

John 3:16
Young's Literal Translation
16 for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.​

 

[Aunty Jane]

There is misconceptions about hell and lake of fire.

The first misconception is that “hell” is hot. The “fire” in the “lake” is figurative like the place...”fire” is symbolic of total destruction.

There two different subjects. Hell is Hades or sheol. Its holding place for the spirtualty dead or wicked.

Depending on which translation you use, “hell” is “Sheol”, “hades”, “Gehenna”, “Tartarus” and “the lake of fire”....
Yet these are distinctly different terms that have different meanings. “Hades” is the Greek equivalent of “Sheol” in Hebrew, which is the common grave of mankind. Rather than a place where souls are alive, these dead souls are “sleeping”.
The ancient Jews (as opposed to the latter day members of Judaism in Jesus’ day) did not have a belief in an immortal soul. For them the dead slept in an unconscious condition until the resurrection which they expected in the future. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) This was a restoration of life, not a continuation of it.

Luke chapter 16:22.

Reading this parable, it becomes clear that it is not literal, but is Jesus contrasting the Pharisees, (pictured by the rich man) with the poor beggar (who pictured the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”) to whom he was sent.

And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into abraham bosom; the Richman also died and was buried.

So the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man died and was buried.

So what does “Abraham’s bosom” mean to those who heard Jesus give his illustration. In Bible times the “bosom” alluded to one’s reclining in front of another person on the same couch at a meal. It was a position of favour. To be in the “bosom position” of another at a banquet was to occupy a special place of favor with that one. So the apostle John, whom Jesus dearly loved, “was reclining in front of Jesus’ bosom,” and in such a position he “leaned back upon the breast of Jesus” and privately asked him a question at the celebration of the last Passover. (John 13:23, 25; 21:20)

16:23. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment and sees Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.

Since Jewish scripture did not have any mention of conscious existence in “sheol”, this pictures how the Pharisees were now dead to God and his son, and the beggar was blessed with the position of favour because of accepting Jesus as Messiah....they had completely changed places.

Ask yourself if heaven and hell are within seeing or speaking distance to each other.....Or whether a drop of water on someone’s finger would really cool anyone in a blazing fire?

Lazarus is in paradise with abraham and the saints. The Richman is in hell, called sheol. The torment is feeling shame, sadness and fear. Their is gulf that separates paradise and sheol. Neither side can cross over.

Note that Lazarus is not in heaven, but in paradise. At the time when Jesus gave that parable not a single soul had gone to heaven. (John 3:13) “Sheol” was a place where the dead rested, they were not conscious or active. Abraham was in Sheol but he was not conscious. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 0)

The torment of the Pharisees was in losing their status and being shown up as hypocrites by this Jesus and his apostles. He sentenced them to Gehenna. (Matt23:33)
The gulf that separated them was not able to be bridged. The Pharisees and the Sadducees had made up their minds that nothing was going to take their inheritance from them as “sons of Abraham”.....yet what did John the Baptist tell them?
Matt 3:7-10...
When he caught sight of many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the baptism, he said to them: “You offspring of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, produce fruit that befits repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10 The ax is already lying at the root of the trees. Every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

When the Pharisees orchestrated the murder of Jesus, the ax fell and those Pharisees died towards God, but the “lost sheep” found favour in the eyes of their God and took the favored place. These became “the Israel of God”....a new spiritual nation, made up of both Jewish and Gentile disciples of Christ. (Gal 6:16)

Those in sheol, are waiting for judgement day. They will be judged by their works. Jesus is the judge. I documented, and explained this subject. ABEDAH in Hebrew means = Hades. CHEDEL in Hebrew means = state of the dead.

Sheol/ hades is the grave where all the dead sleep. A resurrection is what the dead are promised and there are two separate and distinct resurrections mentioned in the Bible. The “first resurrection” is for the elect....those who will rule with Christ in his Kingdom as “kings and priests”...(Rev 20:6) But these were not to be resurrected until Christ’s return.....and the general resurrection of the dead takes place after the Kingdom has taken over as earth’s only rulership. Daniel foresaw what would take place in this “time of the end”. ( Daniel 2:44) God’s Kingdom will end all corrupt human rulership and replace it with the rulership that will bring us back to the conditions that God gave mankind in Eden....the original paradise.

As King of God’s Kingdom, Jesus will resurrect the dead....those who did good and bad will all come back to a cleansed earth and a new beginning. (John 5:28-29) and Revelation 21:2-4 will see its fulfilment...

“I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

Those who have remained faithful and not allowed their faith to be corrupted as the first century Jews were, will have so much to look forward to.....but for the Pharisees and those who emulate them....it will not end well.

 

[Aunty Jane]

Incorrect my brother.

John 3:16​

Young's Literal Translation​

16 for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.​

Look again.....what does it say that you are reading right over...?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

What is this really saying? Those who put their faith in the sacrifice of Christ will not PERISH, but have “everlasting life”.....this is not “eternal life” as some translations render it, because something “eternal” has no beginning or end...only God can carry that designation, but “everlasting life” is what God offered the humans in the very beginning of their existence.....literally “life without end”......even though their lives did have a beginning.

The “tree of life” in the garden was the means by which they would gain “life without end” in their mortal flesh. “Mortal” doesn’t mean humans had to to die....only that they could if they broke God’s law.

Sin brought death because they were evicted from their garden home and the way to the tree of life was barred....guarded by angels and a flaming sword to keep the humans away. (Gen 3:22-24)

Sometimes the truth is hidden in plain sight......