Christians, how does YOUR denomination reconcile that the ancient Hebrews believed in only a single afterlife?

Question

Additionally, ancient Hebrews thought that the afterlife was a shadow of this life, similar to classic Greek & Roman views on Hades.


Hell, in its current form, was invented by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages to fill seats.

Just curious as to whether your current denomination has tried to fill in this logical oddity. I know that two Christian denominations (Roman & Orthodox Catholicism) have tried, but that's the benefit (or curse) of having to hash out the original Christian canon.

For a change, I want serious answers. Father Guido/Zebra/and other atheists/agnostics with a strong knowledge of church history feel free as well.

Wooderson, which Christian denomination holds that view? Just curious.

Answer 1

I'm a Christian, and I don't believe in the current, popular idea of hell. In the Old Testament, hell is obviously the grave. The New Testament doesn't deal with the idea of hell enough to make me think that it has changed.

Answer 2

This is a tough one.

Most Christians don't even know that ancient Hebrews believed in the belly of Abraham, and not in their current view of Heaven.

Most Christians actively choose not to learn about Jewish tradition, because it is too foreign to them. They rely on european/christian interpretation of the Old Testament as fact rather than asking real Jews what verses in the OT really mean.

Most protestant denominations adhere to the Catholic version of a heaven and hell, and don't dig too deeply into Hebrew beliefs. It is easier that way.

Answer 3

The books of the Apocrypha have been for sure written in the previous couple of centuries earlier the easy era. they are actually not seen area of the Hebrew scriptures, yet nevertheless they teach the form of submit-Exilic Jewish theory. One compelling reason became into the stated flaws in the Deuteronomic outlook that the honest are continuously rewarded and that the evil continuously go through. with the aid of fact a brilliant many virtuous adult men died youthful or undesirable whilst evil adult men died wealthy with many descendants, some Jewish intellectuals borrowed from the Greeks the assumption of the "soul", a private essence that could desire to exist self reliant from the physique, and doubtless, after dying. in spite of the fact that not a classical Israelite theory, it allowed the deity's justice to proceed to be intact. by potential of the time of Jesus, this theory had unfold significantly between Jews, which includes the pharisees. Biblical purists such with the aid of fact the sadducees rejected such suggestions, yet their party did not proceed to exist the perfect diaspora of 70 CE.

Answer 4

Nabert said,

"The "Old testament" does not teach that there is an "afterlife" God told Moses that no man could see God and live."

Actually, Jesus did teach such a thing in the Gospels. When arguing with the Saducees about the resurrection, he quoted Genesis demonstrating that God is not a God of the dead but of the living. He is the "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob..."

Therefore they must be alive.

In John's Gospel Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus long before Jesus was born.

We also have the account of Moses and Elijah appearing to Jesus in front of the disciples.

The idea of no life after death until the resurrection or "soul sleep" is based on 18th & 19th century Liberal theology.

Answer 5

The "Old testament" does not teach that there is an "afterlife" God told Moses that no man could see God and live. Moses and all of the other righteous ones of the pre Jesus era looked forward to a promise. That promise is outlined in the book of Genesis in the entire first two chapters. If Adam and Eve had remained faithful, they would never die and they would have enjoyed life in paradise. Just because they chose to exercise their free will in the wrong way, does not change God. He still intends for righteous human kind to live in a paradise earth forever. That is what Armageddon is for. Rev. 21:3&4

Answer 6

You're right -- and the Christian view is reconcileable with that. People die and go to the grave (gehenna, sheol, hell), which is a shadowy afterlife but not one of punishment per se. Then when judgment day comes, God judges the living and the dead according to what they have done. Those that are not named in the Book of Life will be tossed in to the Lake of Fire to suffer the second death. Those that are written in the Book of Life shall be with God forever and ever, Amen.

Not too complicated.

Answer 7

Why would any Christian denomination feel any obligation to support jewish concepts of an afterlife? Is there a copyright issue here? And how did our atheist brainiac determine the Church's motives in developing a more intelligent concept than the jews? Were you there? They wanted to "fill more seats"? You think you're "knowledgeable"? I think you're laughable.

Answer 8

Actually there are shades of a modern concept of afterlife in Daniel, which of course was written after the Babylonian Exile and the contact with Zoroastrianism


but your point is well taken

Answer 9

well I'm not fluent but to my knowledge, he who believith in me shall have everlasting life,

basic break down,

Believe+In me(me= the son of god)=everlasting life,

now to go a little deeper,

notice that the quotable equation does not have a contingency for denomination,

however not one sect of Christianity denies he lived, There is debate as to the accuracy of the text of his life, but No denial,

Answer 10

The Jewish belief in a single afterlife is what Christians believe. Why would we have to justify it, or reconcile it to our own beliefs?

"Hell" in its current form still means "grave."
"Lake of Fire" in Revelation more accurately depicts eternal damnation.