cbwhite:
Jehovah’s Witnesses also believe in the death of the soul, akin to soul sleep. We could look at the Gospels for clear proof that the human soul does not die or sleep, even if the body does.
“’…he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey…’ 1 Peter 3:19 Peter tells us that after his death, Jesus went to preach to the spirits in prison. Now if souls cease to exist at death, why were these souls alive?”
18 ¶ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Christ died for our sins. It’s easier to see this from the cross, but what about the people how died before the cross? Christ was brought back to life by the Holy Spirit, and through the Holy Spirit Christ worked for salvation of those before the cross.
Verse 20 says that only 8 souls survived the flood.
cbwhite said:
“‘…I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. He is the God of the living, not of the dead.’ Matthew 22:32 This verse makes it clear that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are not in fact, dead!”
23 ¶ The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
27 And last of all the woman died also.
28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33 And when the multitude heard
this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
34 ¶ But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
Matthew 22:23-34
