False Doctrines: Heaven Going and the Immortal Soul

Hiya guys

Well it's me, Sam, here to tell you people about false doctrines. Before I start I just want to tell you that if I start talking rubbish then feel free to change anything that you feel is incorrect. So let's begin!!!!!!

So last week at getting ready group we spent a lot of time talking about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. One of the first things we noticed was that in the NKJV bible it doesn't classify this passage as a parable as it doesn't follow the normal rules of other parables in the bible. Just for the sake of this blog I am going to refer to this passage as a parable because it is easier.

We all agreed that the meaning of this parable is to treat others as you would like to be treated yourselves. We also figured from this parable that if you don't believe in the Law of Moses then you won't believe in the "spirit" coming back from the dead. The "spirit" is the resurrection of the dead when Jesus comes back and God will set up his kingdom. Also, Christians would say it supports heaven and hell yet it mentions neither in this parable.

We also found that Jesus only gives the good person a name and not the rich man. We thought this could mean something. Jesus doesn't appreciate as much the rich man who only interests is himself as he does the the good person who's first interest is in God and Jesus. (I think that's right anyway)

Debbie had a list of references that have opinions from one of her friend's minister. We took a few and discussed them one at a time. The first passage we looked at was from John 5:39

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me"

This minister believes that the parable that this reference comes from is to emphasize heaven, hell and retribution after death. We can't argue that this parable is metaphorical and not just a parable.

From this parable Protestants believe that Jesus will come back and have a final judgement but we noticed that if you are in heaven and hell then you are already being judged but does the bible say we go to heaven and hell when we die?????????

In this passage Jesus sort of mocks the fact that the Pharisees believed in everlasting torment so it it was a tradition.

Quite a few people use passages like this to prove that heaven and hell are true but we as Christadelphians can counter argue this theory however we can't use it as proof anymore as we don't get anywhere just tangled up in a big arguement.

Heaven isn't mentioned at all in Luke 16 but some people put heaven in it which is probably why they misinterpret what the bible is really saying.

The next passage we looked at was from Ecclesiastes 12:5-7,14.

Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to his eternal home,
And the mourners go about the streets
Remember your creator before the silver cord is loosed
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

For God will bring every work into judgement,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

These verses doesn't mention heaven or hell either but it only mentions spirit as the breath of life. The idea of the breath of life was also written in Genesis 6:17.

"And behold, I myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die"

It also doesn't say that the "spirit" is good or bad so we really can't be sure. It also suggests we were a spirit to God before we were alive as the passage says "return" and you can't return to somewhere unless you've been before.

This passage also explains how when we die our breath returns to God, where we got it in the first place, and our bodies return to the ground and turn to dust which is back in the form we first originated in the very beginning, says nothing about our souls going to heaven and hell. Genesis 2:7 tells us how humans came to be in existence.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

We also brought up other points from other places in the Bible. Acts 2:34 says:

"For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in my right hand

The people that believe that our souls go to heaven when we die we as Christaelphians can argue that and say well why didn't David go to heaven????

One of the last passages we talked about last week was from Mark 9:42,43,46,48

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that will never be quenched....
Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched"

These verses are very often misinterpreted as many people think Jesus is talking about going to hell but Jesus is using hell as Gahena (I think that is how you spell it, I hope you guys know what I'm talking about though). The hell Jesus is referring to is symbolic for Gahena but many people take it literally, probably why they come to the conclusion that the Bible talks about what ell is like.

The minister that was mentioned earlier claims that hell is is for everlasting punishment however "hell" is for the unrighteousness so he jumps to conclusions too quickly.

Some facts about Gahena- it's history, none of the passages say the people will suffer so there is no such thing as everlasting torment, the whole hell theory has been misjudged, misinterpreted and twisted to suit myths and legends. The fire stays but the body doesn't.

The last set of verses we referred to was Jeremiah 7:31-32.

"And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I do not command, nor did it come into My heart.
'Therefore, behold, the days are coming' says the Lord, 'when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room' "

These verses talk about the Valley of Betalim and what happens to the people when they die there.

Overall, the people that say that the good people go to heaven and the bad people go to hell are totally mistaken, they have no prove to back up that theory, yet we have God and Jesus to prove that this believe is not true.

Famous quote of night:

"God has got his breath back" says Graham (sorry Graham just had to do it, funny times!!!)

Thank you for reading this and watch the blog space for any changes.