Thoughts On The Paranormal

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Aquila

The soul lives on after death. Prior to the resurrection we read:

Revelation 6:9
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

So then they live on under the altar? I thought they would be in Abraham's lap? Or up the block on the streets of gold?

Paul wrote,

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The context of the passage clearly indicates Paul was looking forward and talking about the resurrection.

2 corinthians 5

1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

The context is the resurrection. Death is the 'unclothing', resurrection is the being 'clothed upon'. He specifically states the Christian hope is NOT TO BE UNCLOTHED, but to be CLOTHED UPON.

When does this happen? When is 'mortality swallowed up of life'?

1 Corinthians 15
51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

A prooftext without context is a spooftext.

Notions of "soul sleep" are doctrines of devils.

It was the serpent who introduced the doctrine of the immortal soul - 'ye shall NOT surely die' - way back in the Garden.