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The Soul Does Not Sleep in Death
By Paul
The theory that the individual is unconscious between death and resurrection is sometimes called soul sleep, because of the outward similarity between physical death and sleep, and because the Bible speaks of the departed as asleep.
The argument for unconsciousness in death was long based largely on the former premise, since men are apparently unconscious when they sleep, but this has been practically disproven and few now deny that in sleep men are simply conscious in another way.
At any rate, the Scriptures which describe death as sleep refer to the body, not to the "inner man."
Dan. 12:2 speaks of "them that sleep in the dust of the earth." In Matt. 27:52 we read that "many bodies of the saints which slept arose." Stephen prayed: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" and then "fell asleep" and devout men carried him (i.e., his body) to his burial (Acts 7:59,60; 8:2). Thus too, "David . . . fell asleep . . . and saw corruption" (Acts 13:36).
In I Cor. 15 Paul, by inspiration, has much to say about the body. He refers to the body of the grain (Vers.37, 38) to the flesh of men, beasts, fishes, birds (Ver.39) to "celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial" (Ver.40) and to the bodies of believers. Concerning their physical death, he uses the phrase: "It is sown. . . it is sown... it is sown," clearly referring to the body (Vers.42-44). And it is in this connection that the apostle exclaims: "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep . . ." (Ver.51).
It is important to note the fact that nowhere in Scripture do we read of a soul sleeping. We do read of men, sleeping, but, as we have seen, the body, like the soul and spirit, is sometimes called the man.
Thus it is not the soul, nor the spirit, nor the whole man that sleeps at physical death, but only the body. It is the body which is "sown" and shall be "raised",' which "sleeps" and shall be awakened (I Cor.15:42,51). Not once does the Scripture speak of soul sleep, but always of body sleep.
About the Author
Learn more about Jesus Christ at Extend Kingdom of God.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/24196.html
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| Some other articles by Paul | Death Not a Cessation of Conscious Existence
Death is not extinction or suspension of personal existence, nor even of conscious existence.
Such sallies as "The dead are dead" or, "How can the dead be alive?" are mere ...
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