I'm taking some artistic liberty here, but in the words of Freddy Mercury from Bohemian Rhapsody, "Nothing really matters." What I mean is that we are in the middle of a hot debate in science and philosophy once again, over the concept of "nothing." Those of you who know me, know that once I get my mind tuned in upon something, I cannot turn it off until I have come to a resolution on said subject that I am investigating. This has been the case with several subjects (some of which I am still thinking through), but in the case of "nothingness", I have come to some resolution. This is fortuitous timing as well, especially since the Large Hadron Collider is being fired up today with the hopes of finding miniature black holes. The significance? Basically it will confirm some mathematical theories that the universe is eternal, or has always existed. Before we get into this, I want to break it down into two sections. First, we will look at the evolving picture of the concept that the universe created itself out of nothing, thus moving to the idea of an eternally existing universe (and in what "state" did it exists before the big bang). Second, we will look at how "nothing" is being defined (or redefined?) and see if it stands up to philosophical scrutiny. Update: I just discovered today that upon publishing this blog post, the latter half of it where I expound on the points disappeared. When I have time I will go back and rewrite it all.
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As a writer, it takes a certain amount of courage to write on controversial topics. Especially when your conclusions break with the traditional dogma of the day. Such has been the case with these posts. Since I have written my conclusions on ghosts, my blog has suffered another big drop off. But such is the way at times when you are trying to get people to reconsider ingrained thinking that gets in the way of actually seeing the texts for what it is. Yet the blunt fact of the matter is that what I am saying in these articles on ghosts is not innovative, nor is it new. These views go way back in history, but they have been buried under the current dogma of the "demonic deception" hypothesis which has its roots in the second century church father Tertullian. Yet his view wasn't common. Even Augustine (fourth century) held to a belief in ghosts. In fact, he once stated, "Some can be sent to the living from the dead, just as in the opposite direction divine Scripture testifies that Paul was snatched from the living into paradise. Samuel the prophet, although dead, predicted future events to King Saul, who was alive..." (The Care to Be Taken for the Dead 15:18). As we have seen in our posts on Purgatory, just because people in church history believed it, doesn't necessarily make it true. But as we have examined Scripture, this belief is justified; which is why that worldview is carried over from the OT to the NT and to the early church. I write all this to simply encourage those of you who are still reading to stick with it. We have not even begun to tap into the world of psychic phenomena. If you thought this was fascinating, just wait! Before we move on to discussing hautings, I am going to pause in my writing and take this next week to repost everything I have written so far in this series. This will allow some of you to catch up on any posts that you've missed thus far. As we turn to the pages of the New Testament, our study on ghosts is going to lead us to the Gospels. Though the New Testament does not have any record of an official "ghost story" like 1 Samuel in the OT, there are indicators that this world view was carried over...and never corrected. In fact, it might even seem to take if a few steps farther.
When we turn to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, belief in ghosts seems to be part of the disciples' worldview. This is seen in the narrative of Jesus walking on the water. After the feeding of the five thousand, both Matthew and Mark record that Jesus was mistaken for a ghost. When Jesus was walking on the water, they cried out, "It's a ghost!" Jesus then replies, "No, it is I, and by the way, there is no such thing as ghosts." Wait, no...never mind. He doesn't say that. He actually says, "Be of good cheer; it is I; do not be afraid" (Matt. 14:27). This would have been an opportune time for Jesus to dismiss their superstitious belief in ghosts, but he doesn't. I find this lack of correction telling, since there are many other instances in the Gospels where Jesus is constantly reteaching His disciples concerning the traditions of the day. Also, if this was such an important truth (that ghosts don't exist) why didn't he say anything? His silence doesn't necessarily mean that ghosts are human spirits, but it certainly leans that way. The term translated "ghost" is phantasma which transliterates directly into the English as "phantasm" (which is a cool move btw- '80's sci-fi fans do you hear me?). This word is unique to the account of Matthew and Mark. The verb form, phantazmo, means "to bring to manifestation." it is often used in the sense of an appearing of supernatural phenomena. When used as a noun, it literally means "apparition" or "ghost". This usage by Matthew and Mark is confirmed when we look at how the term was used elsewhere around this same time period. The ancient Greek satirist, Lucian of Samosata (120 AD-200 AD) wrote more than eighty known manuscripts. One such story is called "Lover of Lies" (Philopseudes in the Greek). This story is actually a story within a story, which includes the original story of The Sorcerer's Apprentice. It was written shortly after the NT (150 AD). Tychiades, the narrator, is visiting the house of Eucrates, his sick and elderly friend. The two end up arguing about the reality of the supernatural. Tychiaded does not believe, so several stories are told to the contrary. In this argument, we see the term "phantasm": "Eucrates pointed to me. 'We were only trying,' he said, 'to convince this man of adamant that there are such things as supernatural beings and ghosts, and that the spirits of the dead walk the earth and manifest themselves to whomsoever they will.' Moved by the august presence of Arignotus, I blushed, and hung my head. 'Ah, but, Eucrates,' said he, 'perhaps all that Tychiades means is, that a spirit only walks if its owner met with a violent end, if he was strangled, for instance, or beheaded or crucified, and not if he died a natural death. If that is what he means, there is great justice in his contention.' 'No, no,' says Dinomachus, 'he maintains that there is absolutely no such thing as an apparition.' 'What is this I hear?' asked Arignotus, scowling upon me; 'you deny the existence of the supernatural, when there is scarcely a man who has not seen some evidence of it?'" This ancient story shows us that the debate between naturalism and supernaturalism has been around for a long time. It also tells us that the Greek term, phantasm, is used for the spirits of the dead. Since this is the way the word was widely understood at the time, then it would be foolish for us to read a different definition into it when Matthew and Mark use it. The word meant "apparition" or "ghost", and that is how the Gospel writers are using it. This wasn't the only recorded instance in which Jesus had an opportunity to correct his disciples' worldview. After the resurrection, Luke records, "And while they were saying these things, he himself stood there among them. But they were startled and became terrified, and thought they had seen a ghost. And he said to them, 'Why are you frightened? And for what reason do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that I am myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.' And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet" (Lk. 24:36-40). This is the second time that the disciples mistake Jesus for a ghost. What is compelling is what Jesus does not say. In his book, Are Ghosts Biblical?, Eric James states, "Had Jesus rebuked or corrected them the first time, off the record, then surely the second time around He would have even more harshly, or made it excruciatingly clear that ghosts aren't real." (pg 30). I would also add that He doesn't tell them that ghosts are demons pretending to be humans. Rather than correcting their worldview or their belief on ghosts, Jesus instead distinguishes Himself from one! He implies that ghosts exists, but that He is not one because He has flesh and bones. One more narrative in the Gospels is worth pondering, and that is the transfiguration of Jesus. The setting is that previously, Jesus had tried to speak with his disciples about his coming death, yet they gave Him no solace. So, he brings Peter, James, and John up with Him on a mountain to pray: "As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightening. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." (Lk. 9:29-31). The thrust of this passage is to show the glory of Jesus, and provide for Him companionship with someone who understands what He has been talking about. It is God's way of both glorifying and comforting His Son. While this passage is not about ghosts specifically, it includes ghosts- the departed spirits of Moses and Elijah. It also shows us that it is possible for people to return to the land of the living if God allows. In yesterdays post on Samuel, I mentioned that the passage seems to indicate that the dead have some knowledge of the living. I went on to offer Hebrews 12 as support of this idea as well. We see something very similar here with Moses and Elijah. Even though they had been dead for centuries, they each knew that Jesus was about to die and bring in the fulfillment of all that is written in the law and the prophets. Even though they were in Paradise, they seem to have some knowledge of what was going on at the time. I don't know if the dead can see everything that happens, or only that which God allows. However, based upon 1 Samuel 28, the passage before us, Hebrews 12:1, and Revelation 6:9-11, it seems that the dead have some knowledge of what is going on. The next posts will be the last one on ghosts. In it, I will mention a few more things about ghosts and the afterlife. Then, we will move on to hauntings. Because I like asking questions, I want to start this post off with one: How many times does Scripture have to mention something for it to be true? I think those of you following this series would answer, "only once"- and you would be correct. In 1 Samuel 28, we have here at least one human ghost mentioned in very absolute, clear terms. In this passage a spirit medium from En-dor calls up the ghost of Samuel for Saul. The context of this chapter is interesting. Saul, having been rejected by God as king for his constant disobedience, finds himself in a conundrum. The Philistines are invading, and Saul is beside himself. Samuel has died, so Saul has no one to consult for guidance. King Saul has banned all the mediums from the land, but in desperation, he asks his men to seek out one so that he may contact Samuel. Here is the narrative from the text itself (copied from esvbible.org): In those days ithe Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” 2 David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.” 3 Now jSamuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him kin Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put lthe mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped mat Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped nat Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, othe Lord did not answer him, either pby dreams, or qby Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, r“Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at sEn-dor.” 8 So Saul tdisguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, u“Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, lhow he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, v“As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped win a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. 15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and xGod has turned away from me and yanswers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, forzthe Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 aBecause you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you band your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” 20 Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. cI have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22 Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.24 Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25 and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night. Saul knew that contacting the dead was absolutely forbidden by God, but his desperation and steady slide into rebellion seemed to cause him to justify his actions. The term "medium" here might bring to mind some of the new age phonies or John Edward from Crossing Over. However, this is not what the term meant in ancient Israel. The word "medium" here uses two words in the Hebrew, balat 'ob and means "owner of a spirit of the dead. But what is an 'ob?" it is basically the spirit of a dead human. This seems to be the basic scholarly consensus. In a latter post, we will talk more about mediums in the Bible, but for our purpose at hand, we just need to know what the word means. Since the word basically means "ghost", the Hebrew text implies that humans have a spirit of the dead associated with them. Considering that this word is used elsewhere in the OT, the Hebrew Bible strongly supports not only ghosts, but that the ghosts of the dead can indeed be contacted. This means that much of what is written today from an Evangelical perspective on the afterlife, as well as demonology is incorrect. Basically, our English translations have oversimplified the word, and shielded readers from a concept that just doesn't seem to fit the current paradigm.
This makes the narrative in 1 Samuel 28 even more uncomfortable for many. But why should we be afraid of what the Scriptures say? Let's now look at some conclusions that we can draw from this episode (Take from The Supernatural Worldview by Cris Putnam, but with my own added comments) 1). This is a real, historical event. All those gathered see Samuel's ghost, an the text relays Samuel's ghosts in a very real and objective way. This text gives support to the idea that ghosts -even the ghosts of believers- can appear to people. This means that we need to accommodate our worldview to these types of experiences, even if it is uncommon, or even if there are counterfeits. 2). Samuel was recognized by what he wore. This means that when ghosts do appear, they can retain both their physical features and any clothing they are associated with. 3). Though Samuel was in the underworld and was called up from the "ritual pit" (more on this later), he knew what was going on. This means that we must make some sort of allowance that the dead have some knowledge of the living. The book of Hebrews also seems to imply this. After the famous "hall of faith" in chapter 11, the author states, "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1). It seems that the reason the author is encouraging us to run with endurance, is because we are surrounded by such a great number of witnesses. This indicates that those who have died and gone before us have some sort of idea of what is going on down here. Even the martyrs in the book of Revelation seem aware that God has not yet executed vengeance for them yet. 4). Samuel prophesied from the grave. He told Saul that he and his sons would die the next day in battle. This prophecy came to pass. Two explanations are possible. First, it could have been revealed by God. Second, it could be that the afterlife has some sort of atemporal aspect to it, which means spirits may have access to the past. present, and future. 5). Mediums are for real. This account takes them very seriously. There seems to be the belief in the OT that spirits of the dead really can be contacted. Why would God forbid something in His word that can't really be done? In the words of Cris Putnam, "God does not trade in absurdities." Indeed, He doesn't. God's character does not change. The law against using mediums and necromancers was given in the covenantal context. Again, God's character does not change. Contacting the dead is seen by God as unfaithfulness and it is forbidden in very strong terms. The reason God tells us not to do something presupposes that it can be done- do not commit adultery; do not covet; do not bear false witness; do not contact the dead. This means that we must adapt or worldview to allow that there are some mediums today who are not fake, and can really contact the dead, and that the dead can communicate with the living. 6). The medium describes Samuel's ghost as a "god" or "elohim". This has been used to argue that this is proof that Samuel's ghost was a demonic apparition. This is the same word that is used for Yahweh, as well as the divine council members, and other beings in Scripture. How can a ghost be an "elohim"? In a paper presented to the Evangelical Theological Society, Dr. Michael Heiser argued, "The deceased Samuel who appears to Saul is an elohim. While this might seem strange to us, the notion that the departed dead were 'gods' is quite in concert with ancient Canaanite thinking." The Canaanites and the Israelites, while enemies, shared a common vocabulary. Heiser goes on to show that the word "elohim" is used of Yahweh, the divine council, demons, human ghosts, and angels. This means that we need to reconsider the typical rendering of "God" or "gods." Heiser argues that the one thing all these entities have in common is that they "all inhabit the non-human realm. That is, they are by nature not part of the world of humankind, a world of embodiment and nature." What this means is that the term "elohim" is not so much an ontological term as it is a metaphysical one. As Heiser says, it is a "place of residence" term. Samuel's ghost was an elohim because he came from the spirit realm. This understanding seems to make the most sense. 7). The "demonic deception hypothesis" fails. Not only that, but it is proved to be eisegesis. Eisegesis is imposing one's own presupposition on the the text, thus forcing it to say something it never intended. We should strive towards exegesis- seeking for the author's original intent for his original readers. In the case of 1 Samuel 28, Samuel is portrayed as a real human spirit. He is even perturbed that he was conjured up. There is no hint in this text that the spirit is an impostor. 8). The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the OT, preserves for us the ancient Jewish understanding of this text. They understood that it was really Samuel, "Saul died due to his evil acts, in which he had acted wickedly against God, against the word of the Lord, since he had not kept it; for Saul had inquired by the one who speaks from the belly to seek advice, and Samuel the prophet had answered him" (1 Chron. 10:13). Now, unless we want start attributing gross error to the Bible, this text clearly indicates that it really was Samuel the prophet. Wait, there is more. The apocryphal book of Sirach (200-175 BC) also preserves for us this same Jewish understanding. "Even when he lay buried, his guidance was sought; he made known to the king his fate, And from the grave he raised his voice as a prophet, to put an end to wickedness" (Sirach 46:20). Josephus, the famed Jewish historian, also relays the same thing, "To this his sad end did Saul come, according to the prophecy of Samuel." The Jewish understanding has always been that this was the ghost of Samuel. In the next post, we will turn our attention to the New Testament and see if it has anything to tell us about ghosts. The Psychic and The Supernatural: Ghostology 101- Debunking the Demonic Deception Hypothesis4/22/2015 As I have pointed out in the previous posts on ghosts, the usual response among Christians when it comes to ghostly apparitions is that they are demonic spirits pretending to be human. Before we go on to further discuss this idea, I want to make a few points up front. First, if we define demons as both the spirits of the Nephilim or spirits of the wicked departed, then they certainly would appear as departed human spirits, even changing their appearance to make you think they are someone else who has passed on. I fully embrace this idea. I definitely think that there are many instances when this happens. This means that while I agree that demons do appear as ghosts in order to deceive, I would nuance that position and say that demons are ghosts that deceive. However, as we have seen, not every ghost appearance fits this category. Those who would argue that every ghostly appearance is demonic usually hold to the opinion that demons are fallen angels who appear as humans in order to deceive. This is the position that I will be arguing against.
In researching who would be the best person to quote that defends the demonic deception hypothesis, I chose Ron Rhodes. If you have ever done any study on the occult from a Christian perspective, you will have come across his name. He is considered by many to be one of the leading experts in this area. In his book, The Truth behind Ghosts, Mediums, and Psychic Phenomena, he sums up this position well. In saying that some paranormal experiences can be sheer subjectivism, he makes this caveat, "Though alleged ghost encounters can be explained this way, people sometimes genuinely encounter a spirit entity - though not a dead human. Some people encounter demonic spirits who may mimic dead people in order to deceive the living (see 1 John 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:1-3)." I can't agree with such a blanket statement. First, it goes to far. Second, the text that he sights in 1 John 4:1 tells us to test the spirits. How do we test them? Verse two provides the answer, "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." While demons can definitely impersonate the dead, this verse assumes that all spirits can be tested. If all spirits are demonic, why should we even bother to test them in order to determine whether they are godly or ungodly? Why bother with a test if the answer is already "demonic"? This passage alone should keep us from making such a sweeping statement Rhodes makes. I fail to see how his second proof text applies. Paul is saying that people will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. The only way this fits is if one already assumes that all ghostly appearance are demonic. The text is making no claim about every ghostly appearance. Let's take this test from 1 John and apply it to all the cases I have mentioned thus far. Let's test the Skubish case; C.S. Lewis and J.B. Phillips. Let's test Koch as well. They definitely seem to pass the test. I hope by now that you can see that many Christians are giving either unsatisfying or false answers in this area. Let's pause right now and look at some objections to the concept of ghosts in general. Ghosts are commonly beleived to be the spirits of dead humans who are trapped here on earth and cannot move on to the afterlife. They are trapped and cannot move on because they seem to have unfinished business here on earth. Sometimes, the ghost is even unaware that they are dead. This type of understanding of ghosts defintaly seems to go against a biblical worldview. But should we accept such a definition? I don't. While there do seem to be ghosts that appear at times by divine decree, we are not required to accept the modern definition, nor are we required to accept that all ghosts are trapped human spirits. I have read some authors who have pointed out that the Bible never once says that ghosts are the trapped spirits of dead humans. They have also argued that never once do we see Jesus dealing with ghosts, or trying to help ghosts cross over. This is an argument from silence, and one that I don't find convincing at all. Why? The Bible doesn't mention a lot of things that we know exists. If we are going to argue from silence, let's do tit for tat. Scripture never teaches that demons pretend to be human spirits either. Just saying...Finally, if the understanding of the day was that demon spirits where the ghosts of both the Nephilim and the wicked departed, then Jesus most certainly dealt with ghosts, but not in the since of helping them pass over. Another argument against ghosts is that there is no way that God would abandon believers to roam the earth until the day of Judgment. I agree. However, this does not take into account the spirits of the wicked dead who are involved in wicked, violent, evil supernaturalism (like the occult, etc.). The presumption here is that trapped human spirits have to include Christians. There is no evidence of this, so no, it doesn't. This is a difficult subject, and I don't claim to have all the answers. Because it is so difficult, it is easy for us to want to retreat to cush answers. It is easy for us to want to proclaim that upon death, people go immediately to Hades or Paradise, and write every ghostly appearance off as demonic. But does the Bible demand this interpretation? I don't think so. As far as Christians go, I definitely think the Bible teaches that those who die in Christ go to heaven (see 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). Yet these verses don't really tell us anything about the intermediate state of the unbeliever, nor do they tell us the timing of when this happens for believers. It's not about whether or not the Bible is clear on the destiny of those who die, but the knowledge of the timing of when humans go to either Hades or Paradise. But doesn't Hebrews 9:27 say "And it is appointed for men to die once, and then after this the judgment."? it does, but the idea of "after" doesn't mean immediately. In fact, this verse doesn't even mention the intermediate state, since the "judgment" doesn't happen until the resurrection of the dead. In fact, the demons even understood this, In fact, they said to Jesus, "Have you come hear to torment us before the time?" (Matt. 8:29). This implies that the demons were experiencing a large degree of freedom, even begging Jesus at one point not to send them into the abyss (Luke 8:31). This leads to the question of what happens to the wicked dead. Despite common understanding, the Scripture does not present a fast and hard description of the timing of when they move on. In fact, as we have seen in our posts on the afterlife, the biblical text about it are scarce. The paucity of texts has caused many to argue for a concept of soul sleep. I don't agree with soul sleep, but the fact of the matter that there is a debate between scholars, who all admit that the evidence on the intermediate state is sparse, should cause us to hesitancy in being dogmatic. To further reiterate this point, I want to examine some proof texts that are used to debunk the theory of ghosts. The first is 2 Peter 2:9. Here Peter address the wicked. He states, "then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment." This verse would seem to indicate that the "unrighteous" would include all the unrighteous, both dead and living. The verb "keep" gives the idea of "to cause a state to continue or to cause to continue, to retain, to keep." This says nothing about the intermediate state. All it tells us is that God retains the wicked in a state of judgment. That judgment will be manifest on The Day. Who is to say that, out of judgment, God hasn't decreed some wicked spirits of the dead to roam the earth in a disembodied state until the final judgment? One thing that is clear from this passage is that God treats the righteous differently than the wicked, both while alive and dead. Also, this "retaining" to the day of Judgment does not demand that they are quarantined from the living (Cris Putnam, Supernatural). One of the things we looked at in the posts on the afterlife is that it seems like the wicked go to Hades. Apart from that, we know nothing about this place. This brings me to the second proof text- Luke 16:29. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus it says, "Besides, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us." This verse is used to argue that the dead can't escape, thus the only understanding of ghosts is demonic deception. However, two things need to be noted about his passage. First, the chasm is between Abraham's bosom and the rich man in Hades. it is not between the living and the dead. Also, the rich man can see what is going on, which means he is not totally isolated. Second, drawing theological principles from parables needs to center on the parable's main point. The point of this parable is that if people do not repent in response to Moses and the prophets, they will not repent if someone should rise from the dead. This means it is dangerous for us to build dogma on the details of this story, seeing that it was 1) a parable, 2) a common folk tale which contrasted the fate of the bad rich and the virtuous poor. The point of this post was to show that the demonic deception hypothesis does not adequately deal with the concept of ghosts. While it may explain some phenomena, it does not explain all phenomena. Furthermore, Scripture seems to be silent about both the timing of our passing over and the rules of the intermediate state. The demonic deception hypothesis has built its dogma off of silence. We should not hold any doctrine as credible if it is built on silence. Finally, if you reject the concept of Purgatory because it is basically built off of silence, then you should follow the same logic and reject the demonic deception hypothesis as an adequate way to deal with all the phenomena, since it too, is built off of silence. Yet the real question still remains: does the biblical worldview include ghosts? This is what we will look at in the next post, as we examine Scriptures that support this claim. If you are wondering who the lovely couple in this picture is, it is C.S. Lewis and his wife Joy. Just in case you haven't heard of C.S. Lewis (which is highly unlikely), he was a famous novelist, poet, theologian, literary critic, medievalist, broadcaster, lecturer, and most importantly, atheist turned Christian. Most of us Protestants know him from his books Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Outside of his famous books, many of us have barley ventured out to learn much about his life. One thing you may not have known about him is that he was single for most of his life, other than his two year marriage to Joy Davidson Gresham. She was an American writer from Jewish decent, who was also an atheist turned Christian. Soon after the two were married, Joy was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, and died a few years later in 1960. Such a tragedy devastated Lewis and shook him to his core. He was full of grief, and at times, angry at God. In order to deal with his grief, he did what he did best- he wrote. He wrote to deal with his pain and honor his wife. The book penned during this time is called A Grief Observed. The book was so full of raw emotion that his publisher released it under the pseudonym N. W. Clerk. It was only after Lewis' death that he was revealed as the true author. In the book he discusses his almost loss of faith due to the death of his wife. In this book Lewis says many shocking things, including relaying the story of the visitation of Joy from beyond the grave, or in other words, he claimed to have been visited by her ghost. In his writings, he refers to her as "H" for Helen: "I said, several notebooks ago, that even if I got what seemed like an assurance of H's presence, I wouldn't believe it. Easier said than done. Even now, though, I won't treat anything of that sort as evidence. It's not the quality of last nights experience- not what it proves but what it was- that makes it worth putting down. It was quite incredibly unemotinal. Just the impression of her mind momentarily facing my own. Mind, not "soul" as we tend to think of soul. Certainly the reverse of what is called "soulful." Not at all like a rapturous reunion of lovers. Much more like getting a telephone call or a wire from her about some practical arrangement. Not that there was any "message"- just intelligence and attention. No sense of joy or sorrow. No love even, in our ordinary sense. No un-love. I had never in any mood imagined the dead as being so-well, so business like. Yet there was an extreme and cheerful intimacy. An intimacy that had not passed through the senses or emotions at all." (A Grief Observed, 85-86). Notice what he is stating here about this experience- and this is of the utmost importance. Her appearance did not occur in an emotionally high state. Rather, the entire experience was sort of detached, even clinical like. This should cause great pause to all those who would question this experience and write it off as a hallucination of an emotionally distraught man, blinded by grief. In fact, Lewis goes on to critically examine the hypothesis that she was a hallucination: "If this was a throw-up from my unconscious, them my unconscious must be a far more interesting region than the depth psychologists have led me to expect. For one thing, it is apparently much less primitive than my consciousness. (Grief, 86). He goes on to describe her presence : "Above all, solid. Utterly reliable. Firm. There is no nonsense about the dead. When I say "intellect," I will include will. Attention is an act of will. Intelligence in action is will par excellence. What seemed to meet me was full of resolution." (Grief, 87). This entire experience went on to strengthen Lewis' faith and help him move on with God. So much so, that it seems that Lewis made is own ghostly appearance to a friend who was deeply discouraged. The man pictured above is J.B. Phillips. If you are wondering where you've heard that name before, it is because he actually wrote his own translation of the New Testament, which was widely used. Phillips was an English bible scholar, minister, author, and of course, translator. During the second World War, he was working a minister for the Church of the Good Shepherd in London. While serving there, he noticed that the youth did not understand the King James Version of the Bible. Therefore, he took on the daunting task of translating the New Testament. So difficult was the task, that it wouldn't have been completed with out some encouragement from beyond the grave. Soon after Joy's death, C.S. Lewis began to develop heart problems. At one point, he actually fell into a coma. The heart problem eventually led to his death. Lewis died one week before his sixty-fifth birthday. The date was Friday, November 22, 1963. If that date sounds familiar, its because it was the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. In his book, The Newborn Christian, J.B. Phillips describes how he was depressed, and about to give up on his translation. That is, until something paranormal took place. "A few days after [Lewis'] death, while I was watching television, he 'appeared' sitting in a chair within a few feet of me. He was ruddier in complexion than ever, grinning all over his face and, as the old fashioned saying has it, positively glowing with health. The interesting thing to me was that I had not been thinking about him at all...He was just there - 'large as life and twice as natural.'" (pg 214). Lewis made one brief statement, "J.B., it's not as hard as you think!"- and then disappeared (Marie A. Conn, C.S. Lewis and Human Suffering: Light among the Shadows, 1). At the time of this first visit, Phillips wasn't aware that Lewis had died, since all the news was focusing on JFK. He would then find out that Lewis died the day before his special appearance in his home. In fact. two weeks later, Lewis appeared again with the same message, "J.B., It's not as hard as you think!" As a result, Phillips took heart and believed that it really wasn't as hard as he thought, thus finishing his New Testament translation. You've heard of C.S. Lewis, and maybe J.B. Phillips, but you have probably never heard of the man in the photo above. His name is Kurt E. Koch, and he was a noted German theologian, minister, and evangelist. The man was very smart, earning a doctor of theology from Tubingen University. His specialization in ministry was ministering to those involved in the occult. He authored over 100 books and went to more than 65 countries to preach the gospel. He was an extremely gifted man. All of his travels and ministry to those involved in the occult created quite a list of strange, paranormal and supernatural events that he observed. Koch both believed in ghosts and claims to have seen many strange things in his ministry. In gathering eye witness accounts, he talked with a Protestant minister who recounted for Koch this rather odd experience: "A Protestant minister had a remarkable experience, while he was preparing his sermon, one Saturday evening. Suddenly the door opened and his deceased predecessor, whom he was able to recognize from a photograph, came into his study. The pastor was startled by this extraordinary visitation and did not know if he was suffering from a hallucination, or if the vision was something real. The dead pastor spoke to him. He complained that he could find no rest in the world beyond. The pastor asked him whether he could help him in some way. The ghost replied that the reason he could not find rest was because of a sordid matter concerning a bequest. He would not be free from his torment until the wrong had been put right. He told his amazed colleague that, together with his church council, he had made an unjust decision about a will. As a result, several of his church members had lost an inheritance they should have received from America. The ghost asked the pastor to come with him to take the relevant file from the filing cabinet. The ghost led the way to the record office and found the relevant file among a pile of papers. Taking the papers. the ghost explained the circumstances to the pastor. Then the phantom disappeared. The pastor immediately took steps to put the matter right, and went to visit the elderly former members of the church council. A meeting of the present council was called, and the matter put right. From that time on, the ghost never again appeared in the minister's house, although for years strange footsteps and other phenomena had been observed there. I realize this story raises difficult theological problems. Is it really possible at all that a man who is dead can come back from the life beyond to put right something that he has done wrong here? Our understanding of the Bible's teaching would normally make us say no. On the other hand, this remarkable experience allowed a family to gain their rightful inheritance." (Koch, Occult ABC: Exposing Occult Practices and Ideologies, 78). In closing out this post I would like to point out a few things. First, just as the Kubish story from yesterday's post, these experiences challenge the common Christian answer to these experiences- that they are Satanic and demonic. Explain to me why Satan would want to encourage the faith of C.S. Lewis when he was thinking about giving up on God? Imagine how much Satan would have to gain in trying to turn Lewis away from the faith, not towards it. Why would Satan want to encourage J.B. Phillips to finish a Bible translation so that people could better understand God's word? Why would Satan want to make sure justice was done and people got the inheritance that they deserved? He doesn't, and he wouldn't. These testimonies should make us leery about saying all ghosts are Satanic.
Second, if one doesn't allow for ghosts in their worldview, then these experiences don't make sense. Some might be tempted to say they were angels. If that is the case, then these "angels" are really no better than demons, since their appearance is causing deception, and making people believe they are seeing the ghosts of dead Christians. If God is a liar and His messengers are messengers of deception, then we might as well through the Bible out of this conversation. The fact of the matter is that only a worldview that allows for ghosts can make any sense of these, and hundreds or more experiences like them. In the next post, I am going to offer some detailed critiques of the view that ghosts are demonic impostors. On September 14th, 2011, the show Paranormal Witness (which is probably one of the most credible shows when it comes to the paranormal) aired an episode that was called "Haunted Highway" (season 1, episode 102). Yet this wasn't the first time the story of "Haunted Highway" had hit the airwaves. Back in 1997, the show Unsolved Mysteries was the first to pick up on this story. So incredible are the events that happen, two television shows have aired it. Not only that, in his book, The Supernatural Worldview, Cris Putnam was actually able to interview the family members and acquire more information from this astounding case that didn't make the tv shows. What I relay to you in this post will be information that is taken from both tv shows, and Cris Putnam's interview. The photos above is also taken from Cris Putnam's research on the case.
This odd story centers around twenty-four year old singe mother Christine Skubish, and her three year old son Nick (pictured above), who went missing off of Highway 50 outside of Placerville, Ca. On Sunday, June 5th, 1994, she and Nick were moving from their home in Sacramento to start a new life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains about fifteen miles outside of Placerville. Christine had just earned her paralegal certification and was getting ready to start a new carrier. Not only that, but she also had plans of marrying Nick's father, who lived around that area. On June 8th, Christine's stepfather, Dave Stautzenbach, received a telephone call from one of her friends saying that she had expected Christine to arrive in town on Monday, but it was now Wednesday morning. Deeply concerned, Stautzebach called the police to file a missing persons report. He then started checking with hospitals along highway 50- the route Christine was traveling- to see if she and Nick were there. Unfortunately, no one had seen her or heard from her. At first, the police didn't expect much from this report, and thought it would just be another routine "missing persons" that turns out not to be a "missing person". But man, would they ever be wrong. In his interview with Karen Nichols (Christine's aunt), Cris Putnam relays more of her story. Karen wanted to set the record straight, because some of her story is not presented with accuracy. On the show, Karen calls Dave and relays to him a dream that she had. The show does not present the details of the dream accurately, so Karen relays to Cris the real details in the interview. Karen Nichols has had several premonitions before, but the one she relays here is astounding. To let you know that Karen is not crazy, she once had a premonition that one of her relatives was going to get cancer. She relayed this information to the relative weeks before the actual diagnoses. The close family member eventually died from the cancer. Karen relayed to Cris in the interview that these premonitions are not something she tries to do; they just come to her. Such is the case with Christine and Nick Skubish. Here is Karen's account of the first dream she had on the night of the accident: "Monday morning about 3 a.m., June 6, 1994, I had a dream of riding in the backseat of a car at night. I could see the silhouette of a child in the passenger seat and a girl driving, I could see the reflection of the headlights and the hood of the car. I could tell we were on a dark road because there were no streetlights, and outside it seemed to be mountainous. That morning, I spoke to my mother and my sister and asked if they had heard from Chrissy. They said 'No,' but I knew she was going to stop by a friends house in Carson City, Nevada. So, even though I felt a bit uneasy, I continued to push it out of my mind and told myself everything was OK." After still not hearing from Christine the next day, the following night, and into Tuesday morning, Karen had another dream: "That night when I went to sleep, I had the same dream, exactly as the night before, and I repeated the same activities as the day before, calling to check on Christine, with the same disappointing results. It was now Tuesday, June 7, and my concern grew stronger, and I felt very anxious. My hear felt heavy, and I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I knew something was very wrong." The third dream, however, is the most disturbing, and it definitely seems as though the ghost of Christine was contacting her in her dreams in order to save Nick, who was still in the woods at this time. Karen calls Christine her "sister" because they were so close, but she is really Christine's aunt: "That night I had another dream that was different than the other two. This dream was more of a catastrophic nature. I was in my sister's house and there was a horrible wind. This wind had so much force that the trees were completely bent in half. I was standing in front of the window and looking out into the yard. It was a big yard, as my sister lived on sixteen acres with many tall pine trees. It was nighttime, and all of a sudden, the winds increased to hurricane-like winds. I could hear the sound of glass breaking and popping and metal scraping. I could even see sparks. I looked over in the yard and I could see Nicky standing in the middle of the yard. I also saw my sister trying to get to him. There was so much debris blowing around and glass shattering and metal that looked like it was curled up. I was trying to help my sister, but I couldn't find my shoes. I was barefooted, and I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to her because of all the glass that was on the ground. I finally found them, and when I opened the door, the wind stopped. I ran to her and she was just standing there with Nicky. Nervously, I was laughing, and I turned her towards me and asked if she was all right. When I looked into her eyes, they were blank and there was no life in them. Her face was inexpressive. She looked like she was in a trance, because she didn't look at me but through me. I asked if she was okay, and she said, 'No.' I said, 'Are you going to be okay?' She looked at me with very haunting eyes and with a melancholy expression and again said, 'No.'" This dream occurred Wednesday morning, June 8th. That evening Deputy Strasser got the missing persons report. When Thursday rolled around, and there were no new developments, Karen rallied the family to search the road side for Christine and Nick. Karen was intense in her efforts to convince the family that Christine had been in a wreck, and that Nick survived. "I could feel him." She stated in her interview with Cris Putnam, "I could feel that he was alive. I didn't feel Chrssy, but I did feel Nick." Karen convinced her family, and they printed up fliers and began distributing them along Highway 50. Karen, who lived 500 miles away, rented a car and set out to find Nick. While traveling with her husband, about two hours into the trip, Karen states, "...I just couldn't find the words to pray. Then there was a groaning in my spirit, and I began to hear an utterance that I couldn't understand. I believe it was the Holy Spirit. I began to hear a man's voice; it was dynamic and forceful, and he was praying. He was demanding and he was rebuking, Even though it was strange, I understood every word. He was covering Chrissy and Nicky with the blood of Jesus. He was sending God's angels to surround them. It sounded like heaven was being called down with all the glory and love and protection. I do not believe I ever experienced such power before. I felt like I was enveloped in peace and warmth. I heard this for what seemed the entire trip, but then, at one point, I couldn't feel Nicky any longer. I told my husband he could slow down...it was over. Nicky was gone. I could no longer feel him." Karen believed that Nick had died. As Cris will point out in his interview with Nick, there seems to be confirmation of this. As you might have guessed, Nick did survive. In the investigation, the police came to the conclusion that Christine fell asleep at the wheel. She ran off the road, and the car plummeted forty feet down an embankment, which made it impossible to see the car from the road. In his interview with Cris, Nick relays that he remembers much of the accident, as well as those nights in the woods. He remembers the roof being ripped off the car, the slide down the embankment, seeing his mom, and getting out of the car. He had no food or water for five or six days. He had a concussion, and went through severe malnutrition and dehydration. It was a miracle that he survived. But how was he found? If the car couldn't been seen from the highway, and Nick was lost in the woods, how was he located? There is a reason this story is called "Haunted Highway." On the show, Paranormal Witness, Deborah Hoyt, an unrelated person, describes awakening in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 11th. She felt an overwhelming urgency to go home. Based on this premonition, she convinced her husband to get up and drive down Highway 50. On the way home to Lake Tahoe, she saw what seemed to be a dead, naked young woman on the side of the road. The way she described this woman matched exactly those of Christine Skubish. Deborah and her husband pulled over to a gas station and called 911 and reported it. When the police arrived, Deborah led the officer to Bullion Bend, but there was no sign of the white, nude woman. The officer searched and searched, but told Deborah that they had found nothing, and that she should just go home. As Cris relates in his book, The Supernatural World View, during this time, Nick was in the car next to his dead mother's broken body. After talking to the officer who responded to Deborah Hoyt, Deputy Strasser became convinced that the apparition and the Skubish disappearance were related. While Nick was in the car, he relates that angels took care of him: "...Take the silhouette of a person, just the form, if you will. And make that form an essence of light, just light radiating from the form, but no physical features, no hands, no clothes...just light." Nick goes on to relay that he got out of the car and went to the road, but after no cars came by, he returned to the car and his dead mother. Nick also believes that the apparition was his dead mother, and that she was desperately reaching beyond the grave to save his life. Debrah Hoyt was not the only person to reported seeing Christine's apparition. The police received several other calls from travelers reporting the same thing- a naked, dead woman- and they all gave the same description of her features, which matched Christine. Such reports lead to Deputy Strasser to come out to the scene again. When he did, he found Nick's shoe on the side of the road. Minutes later, Karen and her husband showed up, because they saw the shoe as well. This lead Strasser to find both the car and the boy. Remember how Karen said she could no longer feel Nick's life force? There is some truth to this. While in the hospital, Nick had a NDE (Near Death Expereince) while in the hospital. Karen states: "When I walked in the hospital room, Nicky sat straight up and looked at me, his little eyes as big as saucers, and said, 'Aunt Kiki, Aunt Kiki; my mommy died!' I said, 'Yes, Nicky she did.' Then he said, 'I died too, but I wasn't afraid because I was with Jesus and His angels, but I couldn't stay. I had to come back here.' He also said that Jesus' angels were there with him in the car. I asked where they were, and he said, 'There were three- there was two by the car and one on the road.' I didn't say anything. I couldn't speak. I just held him and thought back to the time when I couldn't feel him anymore, and said, 'Well there it is.'" So let's recap the supernatural and paranormal things that happened in this story: 1) Karen had ESP dreams about the accident 2) Christine and Karen had after-death communication with each other. 3) At least three witnesses reported seeing an apparition of Christine that pointed to the scene of the accident. 4) Angels that were near the car and by the road at night. 5) Nick's NDE 6) Nick was able to survive without food and water for 5 days in temperatures over 100 degrees. Another interesting thing is the the coroners report notes how well preserved Christine's body was. Just another interesting fact about this case. According to the family, though she had some challenges, Christine was a Christian, and she was seeking the Lord and trying live in obedience to Him. Also, this entire experience led to the conversion of Nick Skubish. So, how do Evangelicals respond to this? As I have mentioned before, such "ghost" experience and psychic phenomenon like ESP get dismissed as Satanic deception or demonic activity. Yet that paradigm does not fit this experience. Why would Satan try to save a little boys life? Why would he send his messengers to preserve the boy? In fact, look at the fruit of this entire experience. It lead to the conversion of Nick Skubish. Surely Satan is not an evangelist. Rather, what it seems like is that God allowed the departed spirit of a loving mother to intercede with passing travelers to get their attention. He also allowed her to communicate in dreams to her aunt. Why is this so hard for us, as Christians, to accept? Without the ghost of Christine communicating to people, Nick would have died. Instead, he lived, and through this experience, became a Christian. As we will see in later posts, the biblical world view does allow for these types of experiences. If you want to read this story in all its detail, you can get Cris Putnam's book, The Supernatural Worldview on Amazon for around $10. If you are still not convinced by this post, in the next one, I will give several more ghost stories from credible witnesses. Ok, we are finally moving on to one of the most anticipated sections of this entire series. We are on to ghosts! This is the section that many of you have been chomping at the bit to get in to. Well, here we are. Before we begin, I want to ask you, the reader, a question: Do you have a ghostology? You may have never thought about it, since you have never seen this heading in a systematic theology book, nor heard it talked about in a Bible study, small group, or Sunday school class. Whether you have thought about it or not, you do have a ghostology- you have a belief about ghosts and a reason for those beliefs, and whether or not your theory is worked out in detail doesn't matter. We all have a ghostology. The problem for us Christians is that we are becoming dangerously irrelevant when it comes to the supernatural (I'm using this term now in a very broad sense to include the paranormal). Experiences with ghosts are being talked about all the time in our culture, yet we continue to ignore it like the elephant in the room. Guess what, it's not going away. You can also try and dismiss all of it as Satanic, but that won't work, and I would also say it is a very intellectually dishonest position at that. Such a broad categorical dismissal is why Christianity is starting to become irrelevant in the conversation. There are both stories and experiences that seem to severely discredit the theory that all ghostly encounters are Satanic, and to continue to do so will cause Christianity to be on the outside looking in on a subject that we should be the front runner. "But the Bible doesn't..." Hold on right there. Are you absolutely sure that the Bible does not mention ghosts? Are you 100% positive that the biblical authors' worldview didn't include ghosts? I'm not asking you what "so and so" said, or what you "heard from someone else". I am asking you, the reader, have you ever examined the Bible without the lens of the traditional dogma that all ghosts are Satanic appearances meant to deceive? If not, then that is what I am asking you to do in this next series of post.
Some Christians will immediately laugh at the entire subject, waving their hand and saying that such an endeavor is a waste of time and is built purely on conjecture- thus emphasizing my point as to why we are becoming irrelevant. Those of you who know me, who have ministered with me, and have followed my writings know that I am not the type of person to devote time to meaningless activity or conjecture. You also know that If I am going to argue for a position, I have very good reasons for what I am arguing, and am going to present you with well thought out reasons.In other words, I'm not a "quack". All that to say, if there are those who laugh at such a post, it is because they have never taken the time to intensely investigate such matters. Furthermore, this is not a subject that I am writing about on a whim. I have spent years studying this. Such study has led to hard questions, which when I thought I found answers, led to more hard questions. I have done diligent study on this topic, and hope that you will benefit from the fruit of my labors. Why have I spent so much time on a subject that most Christians ignore? For one, to put into perspective some of my own experiences, as well as the experiences of other friends and people that I know. Second, I believe that Christians are missing out on being a relevant voice to a discussion that we should own. Not many people are venturing out in doing what I am doing, and I am convinced it is because they are blind to all that I have been saying thus far. Yet I will venture out on this subject because I believe in engaging our culture with the Gospel, and this is a prime avenue. I will venture out, because I am convinced that even though what I present here is not mainstream (simply because people won't look deeply enough into it) it will be one day. I want to help pave the way to that "one day." Therefore, I am going to give you a crash course in Ghostology 101. I might not win over every person to my point of view, but I can guarantee that I will give you reason enough to doubt your own, which will hopefully lead you on to further study. Here is how these posts will unfold: First, we are going to consider some actual ghosts sightings. Now, I am not talking about what you hear on some of these shows on tv, where you have no idea of the credibility of the witness. I think paranormal investigation has its place and can be useful, but many of the shows on tv give it a bad name. Granted, some of these testimonies may be true, but considering the fact that many of these shows have been busted for faking things, it makes them very suspect. What I am talking about are eye witness accounts from police and sheriff deputies while trying to find missing persons; I am talking about Christians such as C.S. Lewis and J.B. Phillips. I am going to give you what I think are some of the most credible accounts around. Second, we are going to examine the Bible stripped of our traditional concepts of ghosts, or in the words of Micheal S. Heiser, we are going to look at the "Naked Bible." We are going to remove our dogma of "Satanic ghosts" and see if the Bible gives us any other view. Though Satan can do these things, does that mean every instance is Satanic? Finally, we are going to talk about how if the concept of ghosts as departed human spirits is real, how does that fit in to what we learned about the afterlife (which is why I covered the afterlife first)? Also, throughout these post, I am going to answer many common objections to the view that I will be advocating. I hope you're ready, because this is going to be a wild ride. I have been looking forward to this section, so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it. Before we examine the passages that are usually used to support the concept of Purgatory, there are three major theological questions we have to consider. First, all Christians agree that sanctification is not complete in this life, and that in order for us to dwell in the presence of God fully, all remaining sin must be purged from us. The question is, does this happen right after death, or is it a process that the soul goes through? Second, what are we doing in the intermediate state? If we are conscious (which I believe we are), are we engaged in any activity? Are we still growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ ,etc? Finally, if this purification process involves pain in suffering (which often times sanctification does) is this an affront to the suffering of Christ on behalf of sin? These are question we will seek to answer after we have briefly examined whether or not the Bible supports the concept of Purgatory. Based on the previous post, I will specifically be examining the idea of soul sanctification and Purgatory proper (a state-not a place- that a person may remain in, which involves some punitive suffering, cleansing, etc.).
The Apocrypha Belief in prayers for the dead and the concept of some sort of purgatorial existence dates back to 2nd century BC Judaism. In the book of 2nd Maccabees it states, "For if he (Judas Maccabaeus) were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore, he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin" (2 Mac. 12:44-45). The Catholic church depends heavily on this passage to justify its concept of Purgatory. What are we to make of it? First, we would call into question the cannonicity of the book. Second, the context of the passage is that of the final resurrection. So, just for the sake of argument,let's say I admit that 2 Maccabees is an inspired document and should be included as a part of sacred Scripture. This being the case, the text only speaks of the faith of Judas on the day of the resurrection, and not the intermediate state. Conclusion- this passage has nothing to do with Purgatory at all. The concept is not there. The New Testament One passage used to support Purgatory is Matthew 12:31-32. This is where Jesus refers to "the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit." He states that this sin will not be forgiven in "this age or the age to come." The argument is then made that since this passage refers to a sin that cannot be forgiven in "the age to come," the inference then, is that there are some sins that can be forgiven in "the age to come." This expression does denote the afterlife. The emphasis, however, falls on the afterlife, without any mention as to "when" in the afterlife. Also, if we consider both the Jewish doctrine of the day, and what Jesus taught elsewhere, sins not forgiven in this life or the world to come seems to refer to sins that are both punished here and in Gehenna. The text therefore teaches that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit not only affects your life on earth, but also where you end up for eternity. Again, there is no concept of Purgatory in this text. Another passage used to support Purgatory is Matthew 5:25-26. In this parable, Jesus basically says that anyone who does not forgive will be held in prison, and will not get out until he has paid the last penny. The inference is that the "prison" here refers to the afterlife, which means that one can exists in a state of "limbo" until all sins are dealt with. Paying the last penny here has nothing to do with paying for sins in the afterlife. In Roman law, the plaintiff could go before the judge and bring the accused along with him. The defendant could however, settle the matter on any terms with the plaintiff as they proceeded to the tribunal. However once they reached the tribunal, no further attempts at reconciliation could be made; the issue would be settled according to law. Jesus is encouraging people to settle their differences before it reaches the judge. The third and final passage we will look at is 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. In these verses Paul is discussing how each believer's work will be tested by fire to see if it is genuine. He states, "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself will be saved; yet as through fire." The inference is that a person goes through a purging fire, and thus they and their works are purified. This purifying is supposed to happen in the intermediate state. There is one huge flaw in this interpretation- in the context it refers to the Day of Judgement, not the intermediate state, "...for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire." As most scholars point out, "the Day" is Paul's shorthand term for the final judgment. Therefore based on what we have seen, there is no biblical basis for the concept of Purgatory. With this established, let's now go back to discussing those theological questions we mentioned at the beginning. Are our souls sanctified immediately upon death, or must we go through a process like here on earth. etc.? I believe Scripture teaches that immediately after death, we are purged from all remaining sins as we enter the presence of the Lord. With that said, I also believe that in the presence of the Lord, we will be free from sin and pain, but still be able to progress in our walk with God. Hebrews 12:23 says that when we as believers come before God in worship, we also come to "the spirits of just men made perfect." The dead saints are presented as already being made perfect in the presence of God. Revelation 14:13 also indicates that those who die immediately enter into rest, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from this point onward; yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow them." In Scripture, "rest" is not presented as inactivity, but as satisfaction in labor or joy in accomplishment. Revelation 7:14 confirms this as well, because the saints are "before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple." Based on these passages, the intermediate state seems to be the place where we are prepared for our habitation in the New Heavens and the New Earth. Some may argue that since I believe as such, I really do believe in Purgatory. Not so. The view espoused above is held by many protestants, and is not like any form of Purgatory because: 1) Purgatory says we must continue to be cleansed from sin after death; the above view says that our souls are made perfect upon death. 2) Purgatory says that some sort of pain is involved with this sanctification process; the view above says that believers have entered into a state of rest. 3) Purgatory implies that their is a limit on how one experiences the presence of God; the view above says we dwell directly in God's presence upon death. 4) Some forms of Purgatory believe in punitive retribution for venial sins; nothing of the sort is in the above view. In fact, Christ has taken all punishment for us on the cross. Which is why, upon death, we are immediately made perfect and brought into Gods' presence. 5) Some forms of Purgatory say their is a "spiritual fire" we have to pass through; the above view does not adhere to this at all. The only mention of this type of fire is on the Day of Judgement, when our works shall be tested. So, while I believe we will be very active in the afterlife, as well as continuing to grow in the Lord, I do not see a place in Scripture for the concept of Purgatory, no matter what nuanced view a person takes of it. A few weeks ago I posted this question on Facebook, "To all my friends, no matter your Christian denomination affiliation, you are welcome to answer the following questions: what do you think about the doctrine of purgatory? Is it necessary or not? Feel free to use both scripture and tradition to support your view." Such a question elicited quite of number of responses. Some were funny, but most were in opposition to the doctrine. If you haven't figured it out already, I'll go ahead and admit that my question was very intentional, and was meant to prove a point. The point is not that I think the doctrine of Purgatory is correct (because I don't), but that most of us Protestants have a very narrow, one sided understanding of the doctrine. The picture on this post is from Dante's Inferno. It captures well how Purgatory was viewed in his day, as well as how many Protestants still understand the doctrine. When we here the word "purgatory", most of us Protestants think of an actual place that is meant to be a state of limbo between heaven and hell, in which people have to undergo further purification from their sin, which often includes suffering. This was indeed the idea in the Middle Ages, and also during the time of the Reformation (more on this later). But did you know that this is not how the concept started off, nor is it how it is viewed today by most who hold to a belief in Purgatory (even if they don't call it that)? For this last topic in the "Afterlife" section of The Psychic and The Supernatural, I am going to do two post on Purgatory. This first post will be a history of the development of the teaching from the early church to the present. In the next post, I will examine the so called Biblical evidence of the concept of Purgatory (noticed I said "concept", since the word itself is not mentioned in either Scripture of the Apocrypha), and examine some theological concepts and categories that need to be discussed. The Roots of Purgatory The concept of Purgatory is actually birthed from another belief/practice, namely, prayers for the dead. The idea of praying for the dead is found in other religious traditions, including Judaism (more on this in the next post). The idea is that if the dead need our prayers, then there must be a state in which they exists that they have not reached full sanctification yet. Over the centuries, this concept developed into what we call Purgatory. It also must be noted that praying for the dead was an early church practice that was very common, and continued in both the Orthodox East and Catholic West after the Great Schism. One of the earliest examples of praying for the dead is found in the 2nd century AD by the tomb inscription of Bishop Abercius. The Early Church Fathers and Purification After Death Many of the Church Fathers held to a concept of purification by fire after death. This purification was not punishment, but rather it was sanctifying- to prepare us to be in the presence of Christ. Irenaeus (c. 130-202) mentions a place where the souls of the dead are kept until the Day of Judgment. Following him, both Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215) and Origen (c. 185-254) are the ones who really emphasized a purification after death. Origen specifically argued that the souls of the elect immediately entered the presence of God upon death, unless not totally purified. If they need more purification, they would be baptized in a "spiritual fire" that would cleanse them. The Latin Father, Tertullian (c. 160-225), also held to a form of purification after death. He believed that only martyrs went straight to heaven after death. The rest of the dead where sent to a generic holding place, where the wicked suffered and the righteous experienced various stages of and places of bliss. Others such as Cyprian, John Chrysostom, and Augustine both attested to this belief and developed the idea further. Augustine seemed to be the one who would really lay the framework for what would later be developed into a full-fledged doctrine of Purgatory, In Augustine we see the concepts of praying for the dead, Eucharist for the dead, good works for the dead, and alms for the dead. Early Middle Ages During this period, Gregory the Great would also be a major proponent of the doctrine. In the 6th century, he wrote what is called the Dialogues. In it he argues that for Christians who have "lesser faults", there is a purifying fire that they must go through prior to the Day of Judgment. It is also during this period that people like Bede, Boniface, and Fursa claimed to have visions of Purgatory. High Middle Ages It was during this time that the East-West Schism happened (1054), and the church of the day was divided into Orthodox East and Catholic West. In the West, the doctrine of Purgatory and purification by fire would continue to develop even more. By the time the 12th century rolls around, the Latin word "purgatorium" is officially being used to refer to the process/state of purification in the intermediate state. Pope Innocent IV was actually the first to use this term, and it wasn't until 1254. It is also during this time that a major shift in thinking happens in regards to the doctrine of Purgatory. Up until this time, "purgatory" was thought of as simply a state or a process in which one had to pass through in order to complete the sanctification process so that they could be totally fit for heaven. Such concepts were not an affront to the atonement. Many who supported the concept of a "purifying fire" believed that though Christians were forgiven of their sins, their sanctification was not complete in this life. In order for their sanctification to be complete, they had to pass through this purifying fire (although Augustine might be the exception to this). Then they would be fit for the full presence of God in heaven. Yet sometime between 1170-1200 AD, Purgatory moves from being a state or process that one goes through, to being an actual place that one goes to upon death. Though vestiges of this concept of Purgatory as a place might could be drawn from the writings of Augustine and Gregory the Great, it wasn't until this time period that the shift took place. One of the great contributors to this is Thomas Aquinas. It is in his writings that we see what we would know as the "classic" form of the doctrine of Purgatory. For Aquinas, Purgatory was the place a Christian would go in order to be purified from any unforgiven guilt or venial sins. This purification would include punishment and pain on behalf of those sins. His concept of Purgatory would influence the First Council of Lyons in 1254, which pretty much adopted this same idea. Late Middle Ages It is during this time period that Purgatory became a primary doctrinal focus. It is also during this period that the concept of indulgences and other practices on behalf of the dead became paramount. An indulgence is a remission before God, through the Church, of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. They can be purchased for oneself or some else who has already died. By the time Dante rolls around, Purgatory is presented as a mountain (see pic below). Such was the view during the Protestant Reformation. The idea of indulgences merited strong rebukes from the Reformers. John Calvin vehemently opposed both indulgences and the idea of Purgatory. Martin Luther, though rejecting the idea of indulgences, did not part ways with the doctrine of Purgatory until much later (1535). Modern Day Formulations of Purgatory
While most Eastern Orthodox churches reject the Catholic concept of Purgatory, some do hold to some sort of purification after death (like the Church Fathers). For them, it is more of a continual growth in the knowledge of God, and does not include any pain or suffering. Most Protestants reject any form of Purgatory of purification after death, though John Wesley stated that he thought believers who went to Abraham's' Bosom would continue to grow in holiness and knowledge of God (much like the E.O. position). But what about the Catholic Church? What do they presently teach about Purgatory? In 1999 Pope John Paul II refereed to Purgatory as "condition of existence", which means that it is most likely not a physical place. The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, first published in 2005, affirms that Purgatory is a state rather than a place. Therefore, it seems that the Catholic Church has tried to distance itself from the concept of Purgatory that was popular during the late Middle Ages and Protestant Reformation. In closing out this post, we have seen that there is much more to the doctrine of Purgatory than meets the eye. If you are reading this, and you are a Protestant (which most of my readers are), than I offer this humble word of advice: If we are going to engage in any effective dialogue about Purgatory, it is essential that we get out of the Late Middle Ages. Hardly anyone believes that anymore. We need to update our view of Purgatory by understanding the exact things that I have presented in this article. If we are going to debate this doctrine, the areas of debate lean more towards prayers for the dead, what happens in the intermediate state, and are we continuing to be sanctified in the intermediate state. Worth discussing also is the fact that if someone does hold to some sort of punitive suffering in Purgatory, the question we need to press them with is "why isn't Christ's suffering enough?" We will deal with these questions and more in the next post. My goal for this post was to simply help Protestants see that the doctrine of Purgatory is more than what we are told that it is among our little circles. I hope this post was beneficial for you, and that it opened your eyes to some things you might not have known before. |
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