Immortality of the Soul: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8092-immortality-of-the-soul “The belief that the soul continues its existence after the dissolution of the body is a matter of philosophical or theological speculation rather than of simple faith, and is accordingly nowhere expressly taught in Holy Scripture. As long as the soul was conceived to be merely a breath,1 and inseparably … Continue reading Jewish Encyclopedia statement on Immortality Soul
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. This phrase is commonly used to teach that at death a Christian transcends this world to be with Jesus in a bodiless state. But a bodiless state is definitely not what Paul … Continue reading Explanation of “Absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” in 2 Corinthians 5:8
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The Greek mind had great difficulty accepting the concept of the resurrection of the flesh. They had been steeped in Plato’s “immortality of the soul” doctrine and his claim that the flesh was the “prison of the soul,” and that all physical substance was inherently corrupt. To the Greeks, escaping the body of flesh and ascending into the “celestial spheres” as pure “spirit” was the goal. Consequently, the idea of the resurrection of the flesh meant permanent imprisonment in inherently corrupt matter, and permanent confinement to this material creation.
Resurrection is obviously required in order for the saints to live again[10] and obtain “eternal life.” A common misnomer that Christians have with regard to the resurrection is that our bodies will become inherently immortal. This is largely due to the influence that Platonism has had on Christianity. Platonism’s “immortality of the soul” teaches the existence of a non-corporeal “soul” that is itself inherently immortal. The Bible claims God alone possesses this quality. Man is dust, will return to the dust and only resurrection will provide him again with conscious life. After resurrection life will still be dependent on God. This is why Paul uses language concerning the Resurrection that indicates we will not possess immortality inherent to ourselves. The language he uses for our bodies after the Resurrection describes immortality as if it’s a garment to be worn over our flesh.
Living as a Christian in this World 