Man’s Nature and Destiny

THE DOCTRINE OF THE RESURRECTION DESTROYS THE THEORY OF THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL

The important inquiry now arises respecting the popular view. If the real being, the intelligent, responsible entity, ceases not its life and consciousness at death, but continues on in a more enlarged and perfect sphere of existence and activity, what need is there of the resurrection of the body? If the body is but a trammel, a clog to the operations of the soul, what need that it should come back and gather up its scattered particles from the silent tomb, and re-fetter itself with this material robe? MND 204.2

Wm. Tyndale, defending the doctrine of Martin Luther, that the dead sleep, addressed to his opponent the same pungent inquiry. He said:- MND 205.1

“And ye, in putting them [departed souls] in heaven, hell, and purgatory, destroy the argument wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection.... If the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be not in as good case as the angels be? and then what cause is there of the resurrection?” MND 205.2

Andrew Carmichael (“Theology of Scripture,” vol. 2, p.315) says:- MND 205.3

“It cannot be too often repeated: If there be an immortal soul, there is no resurrection; and if there be any resurrection, there is no immortal soul.” MND 205.4

Dr. Muller (“Ch.Doc.of Sin,” p.318) says:- MND 205.5

“The Christian faith in immortality is indissolubly connected with a promise of a future resurrection of the dead.” MND 205.6

We now propose to show that the resurrection is a prominent doctrine of the Bible; and if this can be established, it follows, upon the judgment of these eminent men, that the immortality of the soul cannot be true. We need not stop to notice that impalpable and groundless theory which makes the resurrection take place immediately at death, by supposing it to be the rising of the soul from the earthly house of this tabernacle, and its entering at once into its spiritual house; this to be inhabited, and the former abandoned, forever. For in this case there is no resurrection; since the soul lives right on, and does not die at all. The resurrection which the Bible brings to view is a resurrection of the dead. It cannot be applied to anything that continuously lives, however many changes it may pass through. A person must go down into a state of death before he can be raised from the dead. Hence this theory is no resurrection at all, and so is at war with all the Bible says about the resurrection of the dead. Moreover, it is utterly impossible to harmonize this with the many references to the general resurrection at the end of the world. MND 205.7