[mfblume]

The context of the dead knowing nothing is about goings on in earth. And those who sleep are seeing an emphasis on the BODY, not the soul.

James said the body without the spirit is dead. He was making a point about faith and works, but he used an already established and well known fact to make the point. That fact was the body is dead without the spirit. This means the element that is DEAD is BODY in that context.

I believe the human spirit is somewhat dead as well in other contexts of the issue, but not the ones listed in this thread. Our spirits are born of God's Spirit. How does that work for those who think the spirit is not anything more than whatever they claim it is? And a backslider can see his or her spirit die a SECOND TIME, which is what Jude meant about twice dead, and plucked up by the roots.

But since our spirits, not bodies or souls, are born again, as per Jesus, then the human spirit is something more than what folks are saying in this thread. The human spirit is the part of a human being that facilitates us with a spiritual consciousness. We are aware of the spiritual realm because we have spirits, just like our bodies cause us to be aware of the physical realm of earth. And that is the reason the dead know not anything. Death in the bible is defined as the spirit and soul leaving the body. The DEAD, therefore, in reference to PEOPLE are those whose bodies died and spirits and souls departed those bodies.

But the SOUL does not sleep.

Now, I am not saying the soul is immortal. I never said that. I believe the souls are immortal for believers. But I never made a claim about sinners. In fact, I DO NOT KNOW about sinners. I never put much thought into that, since it seems too impractical a study to engage in.

But in reference to the dead not knowing anything, that is in reference to what their bodies can tell them about earth, since the body is what causes us to be aware of the physical realm.