The same day the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry his wife and raise up children for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers with us. The first died after he married and, having no children, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second and third, on to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her.” Jesus answered, “You err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
-Matthew 23:23-32
My mother passed away in 2019. We knew her passing was near so, fortunately, locally and via Face Time we were able to have much of the family with her. She spent her last several years in a Catholic assisted living facility in the next town. My grandmother was in the same facility in the mid 1990s until she passed. In the intervening years, my mother would often visit residents and lead a singalong. She was well-known at the facility.
The overseers of this facility were primarily Irish nuns. Fairly conservative from what I could tell. I didn't interact with them much. I spent my time with the day to day staff. I only note that as this entry concerns a brief moment I had with the nun I assume was the Abbess.
When my mother finally breathed her last, this nun whispered in my ear, "She's with Michael now." "Michael" referring to my father who had passed away in 2014. Obviously at that moment, I wasn't going to engage in a theological discussion with the nun, but she should have known that was she was saying was, in light of long-standing, codified, common Catholic teaching, nonsense. Worse that that, it was terrible heresy deserving of condemnation (anathema).
If anyone says that after the grace of justification has been received the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out for any repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be paid, either in this world or in the other, in purgatory, before access can be opened to the kingdom of heaven, anathema sit [“let him be anathema” or excommunicated].
-Council of Trent (Sixth Session, Canon 30, fully affirmed in by the Second Vatican Council and the current Catechism of the Catholic Church
She was putting both my mother and father into heaven (in her understanding of it). This is not a study on the doctrine of Purgatory, but even if my father had somehow finished paying for his venial sins in God's torture chamber by then (five years being a rather light sentence, for the record), unless that nun somehow had a confirmed vision that my mother was a "Saint," my mom had just enter her own torture chamber.
As we noted in a previous study, the Catholic Church isn't quite sure what Purgatory is. Some say it is not necessarily a fire. These same teachers, who would point to "Saint" Thomas Aquinas and his Summa Theologica in defense of other aspects of their faith, would then be questioning his definitive statement that punishment in Purgatory is, indeed, "fire." But whatever they teach on any given day, it is stated that they do know this, "it is painful." But whatever it is, they must affirm the doctrine.
"Saint" Augustine (note that some Reformed theologians like RC Sproul hold Aquinas and Augustine among the greatest Christian thinkers and theologians despite this horrific denial of the work of Christ) had this to say of Purgatory (stating clearly as did Aquinas that Purgatory is a fire):
"This fire of Purgatory will be more severe than any pain that can be felt, seen or conceived in this world." -Augustine (xli De Sanctis, as quoted by Aquinas)
That being the fate of both my parents, it would not be a very fun reunion. The nun affirming my parents were both somehow already in heaven was a dual sin for which she will pay her own debt in fire (according to their own teachings). It could be argued she is excommunicated which carries and even greater danger according to her own church.
But we can expect such confusion (or deception) from the Catholic Church. In terms of Evangelical believers (who hold and affirm the complete and sufficient work of Christ), their confusion (although not as abhorrent to Christ) is also found in statements they say about the deceased.
My believing Father-in-Law passed away several years ago leaving a believing widow. She has moved into a Christian retirement village and is free to marry again. If she does not, I am certain (as I've heard the equivalent at other funerals) many will speak of her reunion with her late husband. But what if she had remarried? What do we say then? (The Catholic nun has this problem as well, but since their heresies are far greater, it is of less concern.)
This illogical (unbiblical) understanding of the state of the dead, namely that believers are in a bodiless, conscious state in what they understand as "heaven" immediately upon death, should be easily dismissed. But the latter error (which still presents the remarriage problem) poisons not only our understanding of death, but our appreciation of what Christ accomplished on our behalf (what he conquered for us). Our victory is in resurrection and the celestial body and in a future immortality.
There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. The glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
-1 Corinthians 15:40
For this corruptible will [future] put on incorruption [celestial body], and this mortal will [future] put on immortality. When this corruptible [terrestrial] will have put on incorruption [celestial], and this mortal will [future] have put on immortality, then [future] the saying that is written shall come to pass: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your sting?
O grave [Greek: "Hades," the state of the believing dead], where is your victory?"
-1 Corinthians 15:53-55
We have covered the issue of death before, but we note again here that the doctrine of bodiless entry directly into a mythical version of the real "heavenly places" makes the resurrection of no importance. The doctrine of the immortality of the soul leads to many errors ("making the word of God of no effect through your tradition" -Mark 7:13).
Next time we will briefly address why we cannot currently enter the heavenly places.
Back to our example from the surviving partner remarrying. Christ addressed this issue when the Sadducees tried to trick him. Their trick didn't work on him, but what would Evangelicals say today? Note the Lord goes straight for resurrection, not some mythological intermediary state.
Jesus answered, “You err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
In resurrection (when the believer becomes immortal after his time in the grave, the state of the dead, that is, in Hades, 1 Cor 15:55), there is no marriage. Now, I'm the first to admit I cannot grasp what that is like as I am now walking in a body of death for which God has provided the marriage relationship. But it is true nonetheless. In resurrection, we become like the angels in that particular aspect. That is, angels neither marry nor are given in marriage.
But the error of bodiless "souls" will be perpetuated until the end of all things both in both Catholic and Evangelical circles.
- Scripturally Comforting the Bereaved - Part 1
- Scripturally Comforting the Bereaved - Part 2
- Theological Rot of Heaven/Hell Thinking
- Hebrews 9:27, Once to Die and then the Judgment
- State of the Soul Upon Death
- Larry Ollison Misquotes 2 Corinthians 5:8 (w/video)
- The Rich Man and Lazarus
- Deconstructing Don Perkin's Introduction to "Hell"
- Heaven or Hell, Saved or Lost Thinking Will Destroy Your Bible Study (audio)
