The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

VIII. Three Afrikaans Theologians Voice Conditionalist Positions

We can conclude this chapter with a trio of excerpts from three representative Afrikaans writers in South Africa, spread over a period of fifteen years. Here again we find striking similarity of statement on the part of these Dutch Reformed leaders. They are in line with the Christian spokesmen of other lands, languages, and faiths, whom we have been surveying. Note these key statements: CFF2 970.1

1. SEMINARY PROFESSOR KEET-NO INNATE IMMORTALITY IN BIBLE

First, Dr. BENNIE B. KEET, professor at the Dutch Reformed Seminary at Stellenbosch Theological Seminary, declared in 1945 that the soul is not immortal, for at death the whole man dies: CFF2 970.2

“When a man dies, it is not only the body that dies, but the whole man dies, so that his body and soul is in the state of death. Thus says the Scriptures in several places where it speaks of the soul that dies.... THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL AS SUCH IS NOT SPOKEN OF IN THE SCRIPTURES.” ⁵⁹ CFF2 970.3

2. PRETORIA’S PROFESSOR MARAIS-SOUL RESTS IN “REALM OF DEATH.”

Writing in 1957, in Die Brandwag (“The Watchman”), Prof. BEN MARAIS, professor of theology at Pretoria University, in the Union of South Africa, asks and answers a related question in a Dutch Reformed periodical article, denying that discarnate souls go to heaven at death: CFF2 970.4

“But where exactly does the soul go after death? Does it directly go to heaven? No. If we understand the Bible correctly it goes to the place designated in the Old Testament as sjeol [sheol], and in the New Testament as hades and is translated in the Afrikaans Bible as ‘Doderyk’ (Realm of Death).” ⁶⁰ CFF2 971.1

3. CAPE TOWN PASTOR HEYNS-WHOLE MAN IS “PREY OF DEATH.”

The final excerpt, dated 1960, is from Dr. J. A. HEYNS, Dutch Reformed pastor at Rondebosch, Cape Town. He says that the entire man falls a “prey” to death: “Further, as sin was not limited to a part of man, but brought the whole man under its power, so man falls-body and soul-as the prey of death.” ⁶¹ CFF2 971.2

That calls for resurrection of the whole man as his only hope. So the mortality of man and the tarrying of the whole man (soul and body) in the intermediate state of death, avowedly Conditionalist positions, are stressed by these three Afrikaans spokesmen. CFF2 971.3