Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: pjr12345

I will.
But I am going to do it carefully.

Remember when Jesus says that God is not the God of the dead but the God of the living, in the context of the God of Abraham and of Isaac?

Apparently Isaac and Abraham are still living, somewhere, and are not dead at all. That's the point.

Remember Jesus' parable of the man who dies and speaks to Abraham? Is Jesus making up a story?

Anyway, a proper, more fleshed out response will follow in time. The short answer is that the holy dead are not dead.


610 posted on 01/28/2007 6:26:07 PM PST by Vicomte13 (Et alors?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 590 | View Replies ]


To: Vicomte13

In regards to the dead and death,..I've found Scripture to make far better sense when describing dead or death as having a meaning of "a state of existence involving separation" as opposed to the 20th century philosophical perspective of death as a state of non-existence.

Then when considering man is made in body, soul, and spirit in rebirth, but in body and soul prior to salvation, the issue of death focuses more upon the separatio of soul from the body, or possibly spirit from soul and body.

In other contexts it might be the separation of man from God or possibly our spirit from God (this latter interpretation might not be consistent due to God having create spirit life in us).

Insofar as God being a God of the Living and not of the dead, this also nicely explains how we as men with an old sin nature, might fail to properly understand Scripture if we interpret it without being in fellowship with God through faith in Christ.

For example, God doesn't need us to perform His plan or His Will. If we are separate from Him, He is a God of the Living and His Word is only clearly understood through faith in Him, by the enabling work of God the Holy Spirit in us. He isn't sanctifying us when we fall out of fellowship with Him, so until we rreturn to Him by His protocols as provided in 1stJohn 1:9, He still isn't sanctifying us.

This doesn't mean He is less in control, but merely that serving the dead to Him, has no utility or good, i.e. it might be considered PONEROS, good for nothingness, a type of evil, alien to His nature.

In regards to Isaac and Abraham, they were indeed in paradise, and now that the perfect sacrifice has been made, reside in heaven with Him, indeed alive in the spirit and with some type of transitional body recognizable by others.

Hope this helps.


614 posted on 01/28/2007 7:31:03 PM PST by Cvengr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 610 | View Replies ]

To: Vicomte13

Sounds great... doesn't mean you should pray to them.


617 posted on 01/28/2007 7:51:07 PM PST by pjr12345
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 610 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson