The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

VIII. Union’s Brown-Not Greek Innate Immortality but Resurrection

Presbyterian ROBERT MCAFEE BROWN ⁶³ of Union Theological Seminary, in his The Bible Speaks to You, in chapter seventeen, “The Facts of Life-and Death,” has a significant section titled “Why Not ‘Immortality of the Soul’?” This, Brown urges, should be “examined,” because many people “confuse it with the Christian answer.” Concerning the subtleties of Greek Immortal-Soulism, he states:
“It [“immortality of the soul”J comes from the Greeks, and when Greek thought and Hebrew-Christian thought came into contact in the Early Church, the Greek view often seemed to predominate. This view says, in effect, that there is a portion of me, my soul, that will continue to exist. During my lifetime here on earth this immortal soul is lodged in my mortal body. What happens at death is that my body dies and turns to dust, while my immortal soul is released and made free so that it can continue its immortal existence without being hamstrung by confinement in a body.” ⁶⁴ CFF2 903.1

1. GREEK AND BIBLICAL CONCEPTS IN TOTAL CONFLICT

The Greeks considered the body a “nuisance,” “the prison house of the soul.” Earthly life was regarded as “an unpleasant interlude in the life of the soul,” to be done with “as quickly as possible.” In fact, the whole “aim of life” was to “get rid” of the body “in order to resume a free and unfettered existence in eternity.” But, says Brown, according to the Bible, “we have been created by God for fellowship with him”—and “eternal relationship with him.” ⁶⁵ Then he adds: CFF2 903.2

“The Bible also takes it for granted that something has gone wrong. Our sin, that is, our persistent desire to place ourselves rather than God at the center of life, has disrupted the relationship and seriously hampered its fulfillment both as a present reality and as a future possibility. It is for this reason that the Biblical writers stress a notion that is difficult for us to understand-the connection between sin and death. Sin is a way of talking about tile fact that our relationship with God has broken to pieces. Death is a way of talking about the fact that life itself has broken to pieces, life which was God-given. Both sin and death thus stand as threats to the relationship between man and God.” ⁶⁶ CFF2 904.1

But beyond the grave comes resurrection. That changes everything. CFF2 904.2

2. PAUL’S EMPHASIS ON RESURRECTION, NOT SOUL SURVIVAL

Turning then to the message of St. Paul, Brown says:
“He [Paul] does not talk about ‘immortality of the soul’ as though only part of us were significant to God. He talks about ‘resurrection of the body,’ suggesting that our bodies are important in God’s sight. I am not a total personality without my body. Neither are you. The body is a part of what makes me me, and you you.” ⁶⁷ CFF2 904.3

3. “TOTAL PERSONALITY” RESTORED BY RESURRECTION

Then, under “The Facts of the Case,” Brown sets forth various “facts“:
“Fact one. The Bible recognizes the reality and finality of death. It does not try to avoid the problem. It does not minimize the fact that we die and that our bodies decay. It looks this fact squarely in the face.... CFF2 904.4

“Fact two.... Belief in eternal life is a consequence of belief in God.... [He is] Lord of life and death.” CFF2 904.5

“Fact three. Eternal life is a gift. It is not something that is earned. Fellowship with God is not something of which we are ‘worthy.’ It is God’s gift, bestowed upon us despite the fact that we are not worthy. We can refuse it, but not demand it.” ⁶⁸ CFF2 904.6

Stressing the fact that “eternal life” is by “resurrection” Brown adds:
“Rather than speaking of immortality of the soul, the New Testament, as we have seen, speaks of eternal life as something that will be accomplished by the power of God, who will raise up and transform the total personality of the individual; not just the soul, but all that is distinctive about him. Both Old and New Testament agree that the body and soul cannot be split apart. They are not two very different ingredients, poorly fused together. They form a unity. We are ‘psychosomatic’ persons (psyche-soul, soma-body). We are not just one or the other; we are both, together and indissolubly.” ⁶⁹ CFF2 905.1

We have a “foretaste” of eternal life now, because “eternal life is a partial reality here and now” ⁷⁰ —the “new life” in Christ in preparation for eternal life forever. Such was Brown’s view. CFF2 905.2