Loading...Here is an interview I did about a year ago on the American Freethought Podcast, hosted by John C. Snider. The focus was on my book on heaven and hell. Among other things it deals with key questions such as whether the Bible clearly teaches that humans have eternal souls (hey, what else could be goin’ on inside me otherwise?) and that heaven and hell are literal realities.
Luke 8:52 Now they were all weeping and mourning for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.”
She was neither in heaven or hell. She was from God’s view only asleep.
The great influx of non-Jews into the Christian church eventually produced a hybrid which became something that would not have been unrecognizable to the early Christians. Thus the Trinity, immortal soul, hellfire etc. became the pillars of a church not truly Christian.
John 9:4 “We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
John 9:5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
Night fell on the Christian church when Christ’s early disciples died.
Linda,
Why can’t Christians see that this passage, like John 6:36-40 before it, shows that Jesus is limiting Christ, TOO? We all must “do the works of Him who sent us [C. Sinaiticus, no sent ME] while living.” Masters and disciples must be CONCURRENTLY living. “As long as” is pretty clear, too. Would he really say that if he was the Light after he DIED? http://Www.rssb.org
Love it, such a helpful book! 👏🏻👏🏻
So when Jesus speaks to the penitent thief crucified beside him in Luke 23 and tells him “I say unto you, you shall be with me in paradise this very day,” are we dealing with a later interpolation/addition imaging a blessed afterlife for their respective souls as soon as they die, or do you think that Jesus somehow really thought that perhaps his execution would usher in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth later that very day?
It certainly is a later tradition, but it’s not an interpolation or addition into Luke’s Gospel. It’s Luke’s own view, which had developed out of the earlier one that the only future afterlife would come with the resurrection of the body. I talk about this in one of my chapters in Heaven and Hell, if you want to read more about it.
Very interesting
Read your book a long time ago, looking forward to the next one for a general audience ( very general like me) I think on Revelation.. only I won’t kindle it this time.
Reading a book on the iPhone although cheaper is not as satisfying
I like a real book.
What does 1 Samuel 28 say about ancient Jewish conceptions of the afterlife? It appears that at least some Jews believed that some aspect of us with whom we could have a coherent conversation once revived lives on past death.
I”m afraid other readers of your comment won’t know what you’re referring to! Could you explain the passage and your question about how it relates to the afterlife. .
The idea is that Saul has a conversation with the the deceased Samuel. You get the idea that death was not unpleasant since Samuel was annoyed at being revived. There is some essence of Samuel that is still there and capable of coherent thought without being resurrected into a physical body. I was just curious about what does this say about ancient Jewish thought on the afterlife.
Right. I talk about this in my book HEaven and Hell. THe thing about Samuel is that he *does* appear in an actual body. IN fact, he’s wearing the same clothes he wore when he died. It’s interesting that the text says nothing about where he came *from* (other than down below, which appears to be his tomb), or why he is angry about being raised up. Was he having a good time down there? Is it like having water thrown on your face when you’re in a deep sleep? My sense is that peole read the passage — at least I know I myself always did — with assumptions about him being down in Sheol or up in heaven and rather enjoying himself. But the more I looked at it, the more I realized the text actually doesn’t say anything about that. Anyway, you may want to check out my longer discussion in the book.
Hell fire is mentioned in the following verses for a sin not related to the first commandment.
(Matthew 5:27-30)
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit
adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a
woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery
with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of
your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw
it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members
than that your whole body go into hell.
YOu may want to look up “Gehenna” on the blog. The word does not mean what people today mean by hell. Look it up and you’ll see.
we have a similar word in our scripture jahannam. Gehenna might be an adjective to describe more than one thing.
But what is meant by the verses (Matthew 5:27-30) is jahannam in the afterlife
because no human knows what everyone is doing from sins to punish the sinners. The one who knows everything is the one jesus is refering to that he will thrown them into jahannam he knows the evil of their eyes, hands, and legs that lead them to commit fornication. Jesus is fixing the society to make the children of israel ready in the future to follow the prophet for all mankind.
Gehenna consistently refers to the valley to the SE of Jerusalem that was considered desecrated because human sacrifice had been practiced there. Jesus is warning his hearers that if they are condemned they will not receive a decent burial but will be tossed into a godforsaken place so that their corpses will be defiled.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a
woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
No human Knows The sinful Intention of The Heart and the eye. There will be another gehannam for sure. The prophets told the truth they foretold of the prophets that will come and believed of the previous prophets.
The one who will guide into all truth has already came and established The truth. he already informed of the things to come. Jesus peace be upon him knew the people at his time will not bear the truth in its pure form for a long time. Thats why the prophet that he gave good news about that the revelation he will recieve will abide with us up until before the Hour.
i questioned A Rabbi about gehinnom his response:
Geh Hinom (the valley of Hinom) was a place near Jerusalem that practiced idolatry and killing of infants before David (pbuh) conquered it. However that valley was only a symbol of the real fire that aways those who do not repent in the hereafter. “The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: ‘Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?’ ” (Isaiah 33:14)
so my understanding not the rabbi is that jesus peace be upon him was not refering to the gehinnom that was just a symbol. rather he is reffering to the one in the hereafter where satan and all who are arrogant and have made their desires and brains their god and didnt follow jesus teachings from among the jews at his time who had the true gospel from god. because jesus peace be upon him was sent to children of israel only. the Goodnews to be spread to all the world cause the last prophet will be for all of the world
Dr Ehrman, if Jesus didn’t teach there was another realm/ kingdom we go to after death, what did he mean when he told his disciples about his “Father’s House with many rooms” where he was going to prepare a place for them?
YEs, it’s an important verse. IT’s only in the Gospel of John, which is not recording the actual words of JEsus and his views in light of later understandings of him and his teachings. (It’s the last Gospel written and has a very distinctive portrayal; by the time it was written, Christians were indeed saying that after death they would go to live with God in heaven, even if this was not Jesus’ own view.)