Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T.

1. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • The Jewish & Christian views on ongoing life (cf. Plato & the Greek view) • The Hebrew Bible • Israelites believed in some sort of ethereal existence after death in a place called Sheol. • Not a desirable existence -- is one of lethargy & inactivity, & borderline consciousness Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 1

2. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Resurrection in the Hebrew Bible appears late • Daniel 12:2 - ca. 165 B.C. • “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 2

3. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • II Maccabees 14:46 - ca. 140 B.C. • A faithful Jew is martyred by the Romans & “invoking him who disposes of life and breath to give them back again, he died.” Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 3

4. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • When will the resurrection take place? • At some unspecified future time. • But there is only a whisper of resurrection in the Hebrew Bible. Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 4

5. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • There are other views of afterlife in the late books of the Hebrew Bible • Death is final -- Ecclesiasticus 17:27-28 Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 5

6. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Immortality -- Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-5 - 1st century B.C., probably written by a Hellenized Jew • “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them . . . They are at peace . . . There is hope in immortality.” Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 6

7. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Resurrection in the N.T. • Locus classicus: I Corinthians 15 & II Corinthians 5:1-10 • I Cor. 15:12-57: “Now if this is what we proclaim, that Christ was raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? . . . But the truth is that Christ was raised Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 7

8. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • to life, the first fruits of the harvest of the dead. . . . But you may ask, how are the dead raised? In what kind of body? What stupid questions! . . . sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.” Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 8

9. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • 2 Cor. 5:1-10: “We know that if the earthly frame that houses us today is demolished, we possess a building which God has provided--a house not made by human hands, eternal and in heaven. In this present body we groan, yearning to be covered by our heavenly habitation put on over this one . . .” Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 9

10. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Are three possible intepretations of N.T. texts • 1. Immediate resurrection • 2. Extinction & then recreation • 3. Intermediate state resurrection -- persons are temporarily spirit without body, but the future resurrection will reincarnate them; seems to require some sort of dualism Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 10

11. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Early Christianity -- all accept resurrection but have different interpretations of it • Origen (c.185-c.254) - resurrected person is entirely spiritual • Jerome (c.347-420) - literal bodily resurrection • Augustine (354-430) - resurrection of a transformed earthly body Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 11

12. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Medieval Christianity • One representative figure: Aquinas (1225-74) • Soul without the body is emaciated, incomplete (Cf. Plato - soul is complete by itself) • The complete person is both soul & body • Probably combines resurrection & immortality Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 12

13. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Oscar Cullman’s famous comparison of the death of Socrates & the death of Jesus (“Immortality of the Soul and Resurrection of the Body?” Theologische Zeitschrift (1956)) • Socrates - faces death with peace, even looks forward to it • Jesus - faces it with dread • Suggests the difference between immortality & resurrection Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 13

14. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Immortality -- • Greek in origin • Bound to dualism • Natural • Spatial (here/there) Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 14

15. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • Resurrection • Hebrew & Christian in origin • Does not require dualism • Requires special intervention of God • Future event (past/future) • To Linda Badham essay Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 15

16. Soul & human destiny in the Hebrew Bible & N.T. • “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them . . . They are at peace . . . There is hope in immortality.” Soul & destiny in the Hebrew Bible, N.T., & early Christianity ~ slide 16