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A Biblical Defense of Conditional Immortality
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Visit author’s web site at www.jewishnotgreek.com

INTRODUCTION

Believe what the Jewish Apostles taught—not what the Greek Philosophers taught.

Book

Additionally: Author may be contacted at Hisgraceandtruth@juno.com
Note: All articles are evangelical (Messianic Jewish) in nature and not pertaining to any specific denomination.



Why Conditional Immortality is true and "perish" really means "perish."

Summary:

•   Why tradition about the fate of the lost, (as torment forever) is unbiblical and not hermeneutically correct.

•   Why "Conditional Immortality" is absolutely true and all unsaved souls will one day be "destroyed".

•   Why there is "no immortal soul" doctrine in the Bible for the lost at all.

A CHALLENGE TO THOSE WHO DISAGREE. We are so persuaded of our position, and so confident in the Scriptural evidence presented, that we honestly do not believe that anyone who shares our faith in the final authority of Scripture will be able to cling to endless torment after reading this entire publication and the suggested readings.

Note: All articles are evangelical (Messianic Jewish) in nature and not pertaining to any specific denomination.

* It is clear that PLATO and many Greek philosophers taught the soul was indestructible.

* ..."The belief in the immortality of the soul came to the Jews from contact with Greek thought and chiefly through the philosophy of Plato, its principal exponent…" The Jewish Encyclopedia ( "immortality" )

* ..."Among major schools of Greek thought, only Epicureans denied the soul's immortality." (Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament, Downers Grove, Inter Varsity Press, 1993, p.374)

* ..."immortality of the soul, as normally understood, is not a Biblical doctrine…" (The International Bible Commentary, second edition, Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1986, p.60 column 2)

* ..."It is a truism that Plato's teaching has profoundly influenced Christian anthropology." (Forward by F.F. Bruce, The Fire that Consumes, Edward Fudge .)

Summary of above:

Except for the Epicureans, Greek philosophers taught of the soul's natural immortality - without God.

* However, the scriptures clearly teach the soul is destructible and immortality is a gift.

*....."Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body….." (Matthew 10:28)

*....."There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy…" (James 4:12)

*....."who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:"        (2 Tim 1:10)

Summary of above:

Jesus and James taught the soul was destructible and Paul taught that immortality is brought through the gospel.

Greek Philosophers or Jewish Biblical Authors—Whom do you believe and why?

Top of Page | Chapter One

Comment Script

Comments

A Growing Advocates of Conditional Imortality
There is a growing number of evangelical scholars who are coming to the belief that man is not naturally immortal, and that the ultimate fate of the wicked will be utter and complete destruction. They are finding the case against eternal torment convincing, or at least are calling for "a fresh, radical and unbridled examination of the biblical data." [Powys, D.J., The Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Debates about Hell and Universalism, in Nigel M. de S. Cameron (ed.), Universalism and the Doctrine of Hell (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 1992] p. 135

By 1992 it had become obvious that most Christians no longer regarded it as heresy. The global evangelism Lausanne Conference, approved a revised Statement of Faith to allow for Conditional immortality or annihilationism. Well known evangelical leaders such as, John Stott, John W. Wenham, Clark Pinnock, Edward Fudge, Basil F. C. Atkinson, Archbishop William Temple, Oscar Cullman and Stephen Travis are some of its supporters.

A report by the Evangelical Alliance Commission on Unity and Truth Among Evangelicals (ACUTE) produced a short book (approx. 150 pages) in 2000 on the nature of Hell. It was the result of a two-year study on "Hell" by a working group of ACUTE which comes to this conclusion and recommendations:

"We recognize that the interpretation of hell in terms of conditional immortality is a significant minority evangelical view. Furthermore, we believe that the traditionalist-conditionalist debate on hell should be regarded as a secondary rather a primary issue for evangelical theology."

"Although hell is a profoundly serious matter, we view the holding of either one of these two views of it over against the other to be neither essential in respect of Christian doctrine, nor finally definitive of what it means to be an evangelical Christian."
(cited by Sylvia Penny, Book Review, The nature of Hell, Search mag., Feb/Mar 2002, The Open Bible Trust, p.7)

#1 - Brando P. Bobier - 01/11/2010 - 22:01
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