Letters    

ON THE DOCTRINE OF HELL, AND EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT

Dear L. H.                                                                                                        January 4, 1988

     ...On the doctrine of Hell, and everlasting punishment, your position is the same as that of Herbert W. Armstrong. When you deny the truth of everlasting punishment in Hell, you must also deny the truth of everlasting bliss in Heaven, if you are consistent.

     You state the doctrine of Hell is of Roman Catholic origin, and that it did not exist until the 3rd century. In the verses you cited, you were strangely silent about Luke 16:19-31; and Revelation 14:9-11; the latter of which states, "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night...." One has to be conscious to be tormented. But, you cannot use these Scripture portions because of intellectual dishonesty. If this is not the case, then you must admit your error and repent, for if God does not give you the gift of repentance, you will continue in your theological perfidy.

ON CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY, OR THE SLEEP OF THE DEAD

Dear R. W.                                                                                                  November 9, 1992

     ...The Bible does not say, "All in Adam die," but "As in Adam all die ..." (I Corinthians 15:22). By definition, "death" means "a separation." So, a physical death is the separation of the breath of life from the body, and a spiritual death is the separation of the soul from the presence of God.

    The Bible speaks of three kinds of death. Since the Fall, the descendants of Adam are all appointed to die physically. This is on account of Adam's sin. So, Jesus plainly said, "Lazarus is dead;" and every man, be he never so pious a saint, will die physically.

    Second, as the New England Primer said it,

In Adam's fall                                                                                                     We sinned all.

   The moment Adam sinned, he, and all his future posterity, became spiritually dead; i.e. all men in Adam became separated from God. This is the state of every sinner until he is regenerated. He "abides" in death. In the event that he is never converted, he will face eternal death; i.e. he will be separated from God throughout eternity.

    The meaning of "life" is as much at issue here as is the meaning of "death." In the Bible, "life" does not always refer to what we term "animal life" but rather it speaks of happiness and prosperity, i.e. a blessed life. This is the reason Scripture says one can be "dead" while she "lives" (See: I Timothy 5:6).

   When you say, Death is His "weapon" you are not accurate: death is His penalty for sin, and for this reason, we are all going to die physically, because all have sinned.

    When you say, "Jesus tasted total death for every man..." do you mean he tasted death for unbelievers, or for the saints? Since every epistle in the New Testament is addressed to believers, if you mean the latter, I concur.

    I fear you have imbibed the Adventist doctrine of the "Sleep of the Dead." Solomon wrote, " ...or ever the silver cord be loosed (the spinal cord), or the golden bowl be broken (the head), or the pitcher be broken at the fountain (the heart), or the wheel broken at the cistern (again the heart?). Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:6,7). So, Paul wrote, "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the lord: ...We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (II Corinthians 5:6,8).

   The Psalmist wrote, "For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks" (Psalm 6:5)? Although the saints cannot praise God among the living when once they are in the grave, yet, as John Gill states, "It does not follow from hence that the soul either dies, or sleeps with the body, and is inactive until the `resurrection morn', neither of which is true; or that the souls of departed saints are unemployed in heaven; they are always before the throne, and serve the Lord day and night ..." (Commentary, on Psalm 6:5, p. 608). Must go. I thank you for your friendship over the years.

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