# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S519
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

A STATEMENT ON DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND IMMORTALITY
A Position Paper

Introduction

In 1962 the Cleveland convention of The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod received some expressions of
doctrinal concern regarding certain theological specu-
lations in the area of eschatology (“the last things”),
especially as these touched questions of death, the soul,
resurrection, and immortality (Reports and Memorials,
1962, p.161). The convention sketched the general
framework within which these questions should be
answered (Proceedings, 1962, p.106) and further re-
solved to refer these specific questions together with
others “to the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations, to pastoral conferences, and to congregations
for further study.” (Res. 3-16B, Proceedings, 1962,
p. 105)

The commission now offers the following position
paper to the members of the Synod in a fraternal effort
to meet the concerns reflected in the questions addressed
to the Synod. While several scholarly essays were pre-
sented to the commission on these topics, the commis-
sion believes that the needs of the Synod will be served
best by a concise treatment. This study addresses itself
most specifically to the following concerns: Does the
Bible teach that man has an immortal soul, which Christ
died to save, and that, when a Christian dies, his soul
goes to a blessed life with God? and: Does the Bible
teach a physical resurrection of our flesh? (Reports
and Memorials, 1962, p. 161)

I. The Biblical Witness
A. THE CONCEPT “SOUL”

The Biblical language concerning man’s soul does
not provide the basis for constructing a clear picture
of the nature of man’s being. Thus Scripture speaks of
man as consisting of body and soul (Is. 10:18: Matt.
10:28); of flesh and spirit (1 Cor. 5:5); of mind and
flesh (Rom.7:25): of spirit, soul, and body (1 Thess.
5:23; see Heb. 4:12): while in other Passages it speaks
of him as a unitary being (Gen. 2:7), to use a contem-
porary expression. The Old Testament frequently uses
“soul” (nephesh) as a synonym for the total person.
(Gen. 12:5; 34:3; Ex. 1:5; Lev. 4:2; Joshua 11:11: and
so forth)

B. DEATH

Scripture teaches that death is the penalty for sin
(Gen. 3:14-19) and that this penalty affects all men in
their bodies and souls (Matt. 10:28; 1 Cor. 15:42-50).
Many passages in the Old Testament stress the dreadful
character of death by speaking of it as eternal destruc-
tion and by using other metaphors of finality (Ps. 92:7:
Prov. 10:25; Is. 26:14: and so forth). At death the soul
is not annihilated, but neither does it possess immor-
tality by virtue of any natural or inherent qualities.
Man’s eternal existence, either in the state which Scrip-

508

ture calls life or else in the state which it calls death,
is determined by his relationship to Jesus Christ, cru-
cified and risen.

C. LIFE AFTER DEATH
1. The Old Testament

The Old Testament Scriptures contain many refer-
ences to the continuation of life after death. For ex-
ample, the patriarchs believed that after their death
they would be “gathered to their fathers in peace.”
This expression did not imply interment in a family
grave, for it is used of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
Moses, even though they were buried far from the
land of their fathers (Gen. 25: 8-10; 35: 29; 49:33; Num.
27:13: Deut. 32:50). The expression “he was gathered
to his people” or “he slept with his people” shows the
intense hope of the Israelite to be united with his an-
cestors, even in death. Our Lord summarized the Old
Testament hope when He reminded the Sadducees that
God was not the God of the dead but of the living.
(Matt. 22:32)

Sheol, despite its often grim and shadowy char-
acter, was a place of continued existence in some form
(Job 26:5-6; Num. 16:30: 1 Sam. 2:6). Some passages
describe sheol as a place of darkness (Job 10: 20-22); or
a place to hide (Job 14:13): or a place of hopelessness
(Is. 28:18) from which there is no return (Job 7:9).
Other passages contain a more Positive affirmation
about life after death and assure the pious Israelite
that God will not abandon His saints in death but will
abide with them, deliver them from sheol, and receive
them to glory. (Ps. 16:9-11; 49:15: 73:24)

2. The New Testament

Jesus knew that death could not annihilate Him but
that He would arise and through His rising destroy the
power of death (John 11:25 ff.; 14:6; Mark 9:30-32: see
Acts 2: 22-28; Rom.1:4; Eph.1:20). St.Paul cherished
this same confidence (Phil. 1:23: 2Cor. 5:8). Other
passages describe the departed faithful as being with
God. (Matt. 22: 29-32; Rev. 6:9-11)

The New Testament speaks of the departed faithful
as existing in a conscious and blessed state which at
the very least can be described as the persistence of
the individual’s identity before God. The faithful are
described as being in the presence of God and of en-
joying peace and rest with Him. They are also de-
scribed as sleeping (1 Thess. 4:13 f.) or of being in the
tombs (John 5:28 f.: Matt. 27:51-53). The inspired writ-
ers speak of death variously as the separation of body
and soul (Gen. 35:18) or as the departure of the spirit
(Acts 7:59; Luke 23:46) or as the passing of the “I,”
the total person (Phil. 1:23), “to be with Christ.” The
New Testament also teaches the physical resurrection
of the body in several passages (John 5:28f.; Rom.