THE INTERMEDIATE STATE, Theology of Paul the Apostle, Affirmative Statement #5

Theology of Paul the Apostle

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.

Excerpted from the book “Biblical Anthropology” 

by Bishop Jerry L Hayes

Propositional statement:

Be it resolved: The Scriptures teach that man is created with a material body and an immaterial soul (substance dualism). The body is mortal and returns to dust, the soul is immortal and continues to live after the death of the body; further, that the soul is conscious and active, though disembodied.

Affirmative Statement #5

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.

The Apostle Paul Taught and Believed In The Continuity Of The Life Of The Soul After The Death Of The Body: The blessed Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:2ff, “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” Here the Apostle is accounting an actual personal experience that took place ca. A. D. 43; this would have been before his first missionary journey. It is clear that Paul is taken out of this world to the “third heaven” the “Paradise” of God. There he is given revelations that he could not speak of directly. This is enlightening information and perhaps a periscope into the theological prowess Paul demonstrated throughout his writings. As tempting as it is to pursue that particular thought, I will not do so here, because our intention is to continue to ferret out Paul’s teaching on the soul. 

We know from out text that the Apostle believes the soul has consciousness away from the body. He tells us as much in his statement, “whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth.” To Paul, then, his soul could possibly travel from one place to another, even leave planet earth and journey to the Heaven of God without the body. To Paul, then, his soul could possibly be consciously aware outside the body and process information heard, even “unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” From this text, alone, if we had no other, we know that Paul believes and teaches the Substance Dualism of man: body and soul; and further, that the soul is the seat of personal identity. He tells us this when he writes “I knew a man …whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: … he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, … .” The “man,” it was the “man” that was caught up to Paradise — perhaps out of and away from the body. The “man,” it was the “man” that heard unspeakable words — perhaps out of and away from the body. 

It would be proper at this point to mention that one should not extrapolate from this one text that the Apostle believed or is advocating soul migration - that souls can leave the body at times other than at death. No. From Paul’s account we should understand that when he suggest that he may have been out of his body he is intimating death. There is no reason to think he meant anything other that death. He writes to the Corinthians of his many beatings and stoning[1]; no doubt it was one of these times he is referencing.

Both Paul and Peter considered their fleshly bodies as nothing more than tents (σκηνώμα, skênōma) — temporary dwellings for the true self[2], to be vacated at death.

Death was not an enemy that Paul feared; for he knew that to be separated from the body meant that his soul (his real self) would be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Therefore, from a prison cell he wrote to the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. … For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” (Philippians 1:21, 23).

The case, then, is closed as to what the Apostle Paul taught about whether or not a man’s soul has existence apart from the body.  In Paul’s theology, the human person is a soul that has a body. Further, from the Apostles’ writings we are made to understand that the soul of man functions and is conscious when out of the body. 

Apostolically Speaking,
☩☩ Jerry L Hayes

End Notes

1. 2 Corinthians 11:21b-27, But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. (NLT)

2. See, 2 Corinthians 5:1 and 2 Peter 1:13-14.


Read more epistles from the Bishop on the subject of The Intermediate State of the Soul at the links provided here:

The Intermediate State of the soul, Part One; An Examination of Soul Sleep, aka Christian Mortalism
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-intermediate-state-of-soul-part-one.html

Substance Dualism and the Immortal Soul
http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/10/substance-dualism-and-immortal-soul.html

Intermediate State of the Soul (Substance Dualism and the Immortal Soul #2)
http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-intermediate-state-substance.html

Intermediate State of the Soul (Substance Dualism and the Immortal Soul #3)
http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-intermediate-state-substance_15.html

Intermediate State of the Soul (Substance Dualism and the Immortal Soul #4) Jesus Preaches to Spirits in Prison
http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-intermediate-state-substance_16.html

Intermediate State of the Soul #5 (The Theology of Paul the Apostle)
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-intermediate-state-theology-of-paul.html

Intermediate State of the Soul #6 (The Rich Man Is Conscious In Hell)
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/10/intermediate-state-of-soul-rich-man-is.html

This essay is excerpted from the Bishop's book "Biblical anthropology."
Biblical Anthropology is a study in what the Bible teaches concerning the origin, nature (ontology), history and destiny of mankind. Reviewed in this work is the debate over whether or not the human being is bipartite—such as only body and soul, or tripartite—such as body, soul and spirit. Biblical Anthropology addresses the question of whether or not the soul is mortal or immortal; that is, does the soul have existence apart from the body.  What, exactly happens at death? Will there be a resurrection of the body, and if so what nature will the resurrected body take?  These are important questions addressed in this book. Bishop Jerry L Hayes presents a very orthodox view of Christian biblical anthropology which relies heavily on holy Scripture with a generous sprinkling of quotes from the ancient churchmen such as Athenagoras, Tertullian, and Augustine to name a few. 
Order your personal copy of this classic work on biblical anthropology by clicking the link provided here:
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