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

Explore the views on soul and destiny in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, including the beliefs of Israelites and early Christians. Discover the concepts of resurrection, immortality, and the afterlife.

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

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  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

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