What About Lazarus?
Most professing Christians believe the basis for the doctrine of the "immortality" of the soul is found in Christ's parable of Lazarus and the rich man. But, most do not realize what the Bible actually says about this parable! You will see that the beggar and the rich man BOTH DIED (Luke 16:22). Space does not permit a full, detailed explanation of this parable here. If you have not yet read the amazing booklet, Lazarus and the Rich Man, then write in for it right away!
Some astounding questions would be precipitated if the pagan doctrine of the immortal soul were true. WHY, if the "soul" immediately departs to go to its "heavenly reward" at death, did Jesus Christ resurrect His beloved friend, Lazarus?
WHY, if the whole purpose of Jesus Christ was to SAVE OUR SOULS, did He call Lazarus BACK into the frail, human body, when He had been experiencing "heavenly bliss" for FOUR WHOLE DAYS? Does this make sense? Is it logical?
The answer is obvious!
Jesus did not TEACH any such doctrine of the "immortality of the soul" at all! Rather, He taught that the "soul" would perish unless it repented, and showed that God had the power to BURN IT UP in Gehenna fire, which is the second death!
What About the Early Church?
The major teaching of the early New Testament Church centered around Jesus Christ — and His resurrection from the DEAD!
Paul, in His inspired letter to the Corinthians, explained, "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain!" (I Cor. 15:12-14)
But — WHY would a resurrection of the body be needed, if the SOUL were already in heaven? The answer is SIMPLE — the entire New Testament proves it — THE SOUL DOES NOT GO TO HEAVEN — IT DIES, AND GOES TO THE GRAVE!
The only real HOPE of a Christian, as taught by the original inspired Church, was to attain to the resurrection! They knew and understood the only WAY to attain eternal life was through a resurrection from the dead. "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I MIGHT ATTAIN unto the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10-11). Paul repeatedly explained this great mystery, and preached it unceasingly to the Gentile Christians of his day. Paul said, "Christ died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3), and went on to explain, in the entire fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians, that the dead must be raised, or else our entire faith is vain (verses 16-17); that the physical man is earthy (verse 47); and that a change via a resurrection is necessary before we may have eternal life! (verse 52).
On the Day of Pentecost, when the Church was built, God inspired the Apostle Peter to say, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both DEAD and BURIED, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day" (Acts 2:29).
Peter went on to say, "For David is not ascended into the heavens . . ." (verse 34). Did you notice it? David, a man after God's own heart, was NOT up in heaven!
Of course! Jesus Christ also tells us, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13).
What About "Soul" in the New Testament?
But didn't the New Testament Apostles talk of "saving human souls”? Some will ask, For example, we read in the opening days of the true Church: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41).
But remember, your Savior said souls can be DESTROYED. Then what is the answer? The simple truth is that the souls spoken of as having repented and come into the Church is merely an English expression which means "persons" or "lives"! The Greek proves it!
What "Soul" Means
Believe it or not, there is not one single expression in the entire New Testament of your Bible where the word "soul" can have anything whatsoever to do with immortality, eternal life, extra-physical life, or anything other than mortal, temporary life!
Soul in the Greek, comes from psuche, which means "breath." The word comes from the root psucho which is the Greek verb, "to breathe." Thus, it corresponds exactly to the Hebrew nephesh which means the temporary life of animals!
Biblical Examples
See the Companion Bible, Appendix 110, for the usage of psuche throughout the New Testament. The word is used for the lower animals twice, exactly as the Hebrew nephesh can mean the life of lower animals. Two scriptures for reference are found in Revelation 8:9 and 16:3, where the word is rendered "life," and "soul," with reference to the life of lower animals.
Psuche is used of man as an individual (just as we speak of a ship going down with every soul on board, or of so many lives being lost in a railway accident), and appears 14 times in the New Testament as soul. Psuche, used of the life of man, which can be lost, destroyed, saved, laid down and so on, occurs 58 times, and is rendered life and soul interchangeably. (See Ap. 110, Companion Bible)
Having proved the usage of both the Hebrew and Greek words, we can see there is not one single place in the entire Bible where soul has anything to do with immortality!
A Deception of Satan
Satan the devil, the great deceiver, who has succeeded in blanketing the whole world in false doctrines such as this (Rev. 12:9), has not always used the same beliefs to deceive!
At this present time, most men believe in his fable of the immortality of the soul. Therefore, it is easy for him to have his demons and evil spirits masquerading as the "departed souls" of human beings! Many people have actually seen or heard extra-physical and supernatural manifestations which have been responsible for perpetuating this pagan doctrine even further.
During the days of Saul, however, the people did not believe in the "immortality" of the soul! Therefore, when Satan wished to deceive anyone by means of a supposed "calling back from the grave," he used the entire BODY in the form of an apparition, not just a voice or rapping which is supposed to represent the departed spirit!
Read, in your own Bible, the account of Saul's visit to the witch of Endor. Saul, in his desperation, wanted to seek a woman who had a familiar spirit (demon), instead of God! Instead of masquerading as the departed soul of Samuel, the spirit masqueraded as the RESURRECTED BODY of Samuel! (Read I Sam. 28, and see our article on spiritism)
Solomon knew the man died exactly as did the beast: "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, SO DIETH THE OTHER; yea, they all have one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all is vanity" (Eccl. 3:19).
Did you read that with your own eyes, in your own Bible? Your Bible says the death of a man is just like the death of a dog or a cat!
"All go unto ONE PLACE: all are of the DUST, and all turn to dust again" (Eccl. 3:20).
David, under inspiration of God's Spirit, said the same thing, "Put not your trust in . . . the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his THOUGHTS perish" (Psalm 146:3-4). The consciousness perishes — not continues to exist in a different place!
"For the living KNOW that they shall DIE: but the dead know not anything!" (Eccl. 9:5)
What About Hell?
But you have assumed people in heaven can hear the shrieks of the tortured people dancing, leaping, writhing in supreme agonies in hell, haven't you?
Where did you ever read any such thing in the Bible? If you have not yet written in for the booklet on Lazarus and the Rich Man and the article, "There Is a Real Hell Fire!" which explain this false concept thoroughly, then do so immediately.
Now did Jesus ever say anything about a hell fire? To be sure! But Jesus did not describe a place where the wicked are tortured forever and ever. Let's notice what He did say. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt. 25:46). Notice Jesus' words. He said the wicked would receive eternal punishment, not eternal punishing, and there is a great difference. The "wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23) and the death, which is the absence of life, is for ALL ETERNITY. It is eternal punishment by remaining DEAD for all eternity — not remaining alive and being tortured in a fictitious, burning hell-fire!
Remember Jesus' warning to fear Him who has power to DESTROY the soul in Gehenna fire (Matt. 10:28).
The Prophet Malachi gives us a description of this fire when he says, "For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven: and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be STUBBLE: and the day that cometh shall BURN THEM UP, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch" (Mal. 4:1). Notice! They are to be burnt UP, totally consumed in the fire — not tortured by some kind of fire that never burns. "And ye [speaking to the righteous] shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ASHES under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal. 4:3). There! Do you see now? The wicked will be consumed, and their remains will be just the ashes and vapors left from the fire that burns them up. They will be dead, for all eternity!
Only God Is Eternal
Your Bible tells you that ONLY God has immortality. "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen" (I Tim. 6:16). The word "immortality" is used ONLY in FIVE PLACES in the Bible: Romans 2:7; I Cor. 15:53, 54; I Tim. 6:16 and II Tim. 1:10. STUDY those scriptures. In each case, immortality is something that is brought to light, that must be obtained, that God ONLY has, and in no case is something man already possesses!
God's Plan
Jesus Christ proclaimed the coming of the world-ruling Kingdom of God. He told Nicodemus a man must be BORN into that Kingdom, which is also a family, the family of God! (See John the 3rd chapter)
The entire message of the New Testament surrounds being born into that world-ruling family by a resurrection from the DEAD. Jesus Christ was resurrected from the DEAD, and said the time is coming when ALL the dead are to be resurrected. The pagan ideas of men, perpetrated by Satan, the arch-deceiver of the world, have kept men BLINDED to the overawing GLORY that awaits every true believer! God's plan is being fulfilled with every passing day. His plan is to ultimately give as His free GIFT ETERNAL LIFE to mortal, sinning human beings — after they have repented of their sins and begun to keep His laws.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the DEAD shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. . . . Marvel not at this for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves (not in heaven or hell) shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of LIFE, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:25-29).
You do not have an immortal soul! You are physical, fleshly, and susceptible to DEATH! The ONLY way to live for all eternity is to REPENT, or else you will finally perish! (Luke 13:3)
The decision is yours — and it will be a decision for all eternity! May God grant you will make the right choice!