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Ephesians 5:14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

This is your soul sleep...

Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

So Paul is standing in the cemetery encouraging the souls of dead people to awake and rise??? Telling them not to get drunk??? To redeem the time and be filled with the Spirit???

I would suggest the sleeping dead in these verses are not dead at all...Just dead to Jesus Christ...

1 Thessalonians 4:13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

SOMEbody has to be the DEAD IN CHRIST that rise from tombs when Jesus returns.

These people who are dead in Christ are a different group than those in Eph 5:14...These people are actually dead...Dead Christians...But it is not their souls who are sleeping...It is their dead bodies that are said to be sleeping...And yet;

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Sleeping/dead Christians God will bring with him to the Rapture...

Consider Lazarus and the rich man...Lazarus went to Paradise while the rich man was in torment, after they died...And since a dead body can not feel pain nor pleasure it is speaking of their souls which are certainly not asleep...

The point is, many of us have searched the scriptures diligently and found things that others have not...ALL scripture must be able to be reconciled...I usually try to do that when I post scripture and I certainly do not 'cherry pick' scripture to create a false truth or doctrine as you suggest I do...Some of my positions are based on scriptures that many people don't like to discuss...

I have been on this board since 1998 as a born again, Independent Baptist Christian...I don't cherry pick verses...Do you???

...I don't cherry pick verses...

What are these you just posted??

I don't cherry pick verses...Do you???

Did reply 271 look cherry-picked?

Bravo! I was gonna cite the same passage in 1 Thess 4 and the passage in 1 Cor 15 but you did it better ...

I have been on this board since 1998 as a born again, Independent Baptist Christian...

This Wesleyan bows to your 3 1/2 month seniority status.