The common Christian teaching, and the widely accepted belief among even those who reject Christianity is that all humans will go on living forever consciously in some form after this life. Within the Christian community it is reasoned that since every soul is going to go on living forever, it just becomes a matter of location, in Hell or in Heaven. As for non-Christians who are not atheists, most of them believe they are destined for heaven or at least a better life here on earth after being reincarnated.
Those who have not done the Biblical research may be surprised to learn that this unending existence (immortality) is never guaranteed to all in Scripture nor is it said to be an inherent attribute of humans. The most common way traditional teachers support the idea that we all have immortal souls is by referencing the passage of Scripture that says we are created in God’s image. But if we use this passage to support this, we could use the same logic to claim any other attribute of God’s that does not inherently belong to humans. We could just as reasonably claim that we are omniscient and omnipresent (or at least that we would take these on after physical death), since we are afterall created in the image of God. But this is simply not a reasonable use of Scripture. The fact is, the Bible never states or implies that we have or will gain immortality unconditionally and universally. It actually confirms just the opposite as you will see shortly. The first time in Scripture that we are said to have been made in God’s image is in Genesis 1:26. The Oxford New English Bible translates it this way: “Let us make man in our image and likeness to rule the fish in the sea, the birds of the air..”, the cattle, and so on. There is nothing here about possessing innate immortality of the soul. It is about rulership, and this makes sense. We are in God’s image in that as God has dominion over the entire universe, we have been given dominion over the earth. We are like God in many ways, by His design. But immortality is not something we innately have in common with Him.
There is much evidence that all souls will continue existence after their physical death for a time, but for those who have rejecting the call of God on their lives and thereby have rejected salvation, this postmortem existence is finite and ends in destruction as eternity begins. So, what about eternal hell? The Bible does not teach this either. There are about twelve or so primary passages of Scripture that are being misused to maintain this idea, and Biblical Judgment will offer sound rebuttals to all of the arguments that these verses uphold the traditional idea that God will maintain souls in a state of suffering in an eternal hell. The book will also point the reader to multiple passages that have either been ignored or redefined in order to maintain the traditional view. Beyond this, two full chapters in the book are devoted to providing ample Biblical evidence that no souls have immortality unless and until it is granted to them by God, and that this happens only for believers, and only after this life. The Biblical evidence for this is extensive, beginning all the way back in the Garden of Eden, and I won’t summarize much of it here. It is discussed extensively in Biblical Judgment. But here are a few passages to consider:
1Timothy 6:14b – 16 …our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His own time will reveal the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the only One having immortality, living in light that cannot be approached, whom no one of men saw, nor can see; to whom be honor and everlasting might. Amen. (italics for emphasis)
From this verse we can see that only God has immortality as an inherent attribute. Of course this doesn’t mean that he will not grant it to others. The Bible makes it clear that he will, but it never gives any hint that unbelievers are or will become immortal. This promised inheritance of eternal life is for believers only. Let’s look at some passages.
2 Timothy 1:10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
According to this verse, Jesus Christ, through His death, brought about the possibility of immortality for those who were subject to death. It is not an innate attribute for humans.
John 6:50-51 “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (italics for emphasis)
This seems very clear. If we accept Christ’ sacrifice, we will not die. If we do not, the implication is that we would die.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Because all men will die physically, and we know that Paul died, this law of death that he claims to be free from could only be the death of the soul.
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
This verse really drives home the idea that there is no way the lost can go on existing forever. It is a little tedious to process, but the Greek word that is being translated as “incorruption” is aphtharsia, and Strong’s Concordance has as two of its primary definitions, “general unending existence” and “immortality”. There is a move by some to try to disconnect “immortality” from the idea of “general unending existence”, but they are the same thing. There is nothing in the Greek words for incorruption or immortality itself that denotes a blessed eternal life, only an existence that has no end, the very thing that traditionalists claim even for non-believers. Let’s begin by looking at the context of the verse. And first let’s note that Paul is speaking to “brethren”. Then in the very next verse, he tells the brethren that what he is doing is revealing a mystery, the mystery that some would be changed physically at the time of the rapture, and also that those believers who had already died would be raised, but with a body that cannot perish. These are both part of inheriting the general unending existence that Paul spoke of in verse 50, and this is not a promise for the lost, but for the saved. Scripture never anywhere maintains that the lost will go on existing anywhere, but clearly maintains that death, ceasing to exist, is their ultimate end.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This free gift of eternal life (an existence that goes on for eternity) is contrasted with death in this verse, and because we know that all die physically, we can again reasonably assume that it is the death of the soul that is being referenced. And the context of the fates is that the fate will be permanent – either permanent death or permanent life. We can take this at face value and believe it, or we can continue to redefine death and imagine all sorts of things that this could mean. It is my hope that we will begin to look at the plain language of the Bible and put our trust in it.
The verses we've looked at here are only the tip of the iceburg, and are not even the strongest arguments for the innate mortality of the human soul. Biblical Judgment: A Scriptural challenge to the traditional view of Hell and Immortality covers this topic extensively.
I should note that some well-known traditionalists have tried in vain to teach around such clear language as what we’ve looked at above, some even going so far as to claim that one could go an existing forever consciously without technically having “immortality.” I address this claim extensively in Biblical Judgment and show that such arguments have no merit in light of Scripture. Also in the book, I address the cases for universal immortality made by two of the more prominent Christian teachers of today, Michael Easley and John Macarthur, and show how their arguments too will not hold up to scrutiny.
Please do not get the wrong idea. The book I’ve written is not a bash against mainstream Bible teachers or preachers. I love listening to sermons – on the radio and internet. I love to learn, and I’m thankful to those who have given their lives to teach God’s Word. In fact, the reason I’m aware of these people’s arguments is because I regularly listen to them, and do so in order to learn and grow. I respect Easley, Macarthur, and a number of other pastors and Bible teachers whose positions I will challenge in the book, although in the case of Macarthur, I will say that immortality/hell is not the only major issue that I have a disagreement over. My intention in writing and in challenging tradition is to expose the truth, nothing more. I take no pleasure in pointing out the flawed logic and misuse of Scripture by prominent Christians. That has been the most difficult thing about this whole process of composing this book. But it seems necessary and right nonetheless.
I hope you enjoy the book, and as you read through it, that it points you to Biblical truth, and a more intimate knowledge of the Savior.
