Immortality: A Biblical Doctrine? Part 1

Immortality: A Biblical Doctrine? Part 1

Immortality is a new teaching coming to fore by the sermons of preachers such as Kobus, Kobus Jr., Kirby and few others. These preachers use Bible texts to validate their new found doctrines. They acknowledge that this is a new teaching. However, Paul clearly said in Galatians 1: "8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" For Paul, anyone who preaches a Gospel other than the one which was preached by the apostles is to be accursed. Any teaching which was preached other than the one which preached is a heresy (false teaching). Thus, any doctrine, new or old must be Bible based, acknowledged by the apostle's kerygma written in the Scriptures. If Immortality is a legitimate doctrine of Christianity it must be from the Bible. If it is not it should be declared as a heresy and a false teaching.

Immortality preachers use several verses to validate their doctrine. In a series of posts this blog will expose the authenticity of the doctrine. First passage is John 11:21-26. Kobus and Kobus Jr. in their videos in Youtube mention that John 11 clearly speaks about immortality. John 11:21-26 is about Lazarus story in which Jesus was conversing with Martha about life after death. The verses are as follows: 21 Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"  (Jn 11:21-26). Interesting the immortality preachers stop with v. 26, which says, "everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. " Kobus Jr. asks the question Jesus says whoever believes in Him will not die. Thus, for Kobus Jr. Jesus taught immortality because people who believe in Jesus will NEVER die. However, he forgets that this statement of Jesus is connected with another phrase in that verse, which is "Do you believe this?" Jesus was asking this question to Martha. And Martha answers to this question and says, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world" (Jn 11:27). She does not just believe in Jesus but She even proclaims with theological affirmations such as "You are the Christ,"  "the Son of God," "even He who comes into the world." This believing of Martha should mean that she should NEVER die as promised by Jesus (Jn 11:26). However, sadly we cannot find Martha any where in the world at present. It should mean that this Martha who believed in Jesus must have died. 

As it is obvious that Martha had died there must be two conclusion: Either Jesus was telling a lie or Jesus was talking about another kind of death. I do not believe that Jesus lied. His words were truth. If so, Jesus must have talked about another kind of death, spiritual death, which is frequently mentioned in the book of John. Life and death were philosophical concepts in the Hellenistic world and so in many Greek writings it carries symbolic meaning rather than literal meaning. John who is obviously more influenced by Hellenistic worldview than many other New Testament writers could have used a symbolic meaning of death here rather than a literal one, as Martha seemed to have died unless Kobus and family are hiding her somewhere... Therefore, Jn 11:26 cannot be a proof text for Immortality doctrine. 

The problem with immortality teachers is that they interpret the text in alienation to its literary context. They simply took 11:26 devoid of its context which appeared as if Jesus was teaching about immortality on earth. But 11:27 makes it clear that though Martha fully believed in Christ she did not live forever, she died. It shows that Jesus did not teach the doctrine of immortality on earth doctrine in Jn 11:26.

Problem like this arise because of the lack Biblical knowledge in the body of Christ. Pastors are not equipped with hermeneutics, the art of interpreting Scripture. It is therefore imperative that we learn how to interpret the text in context so that we can avoid false teachings, which Paul warned in Galatians 1:8-9.

More about Immortality Doctrine will be published in this blog in the near Future.