The Unpardonable Sin (Part 3)

This is the third of a five-part series through which I have been trying to share my thoughts on the subject of the “Unpardonable Sin.” It is my hope that these words will give comfort, and inspiration, to those who have chosen to separate themselves from their brethren. I truly believe they are not lost to us forever!

Questions to Ponder (Continued)

Q...“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him...”

More than thirty years ago I was asked to leave the congregation of the Worldwide Church of God. For many years thereafter I allowed bitterness and anger to separate me from my God, from His word, and from His mercy. In my petulance there were many times when I made a conscious effort to blaspheme all that I had once believed -- “including the Spirit of God!” I can remember several times singling out what I perceived to be “the Spirit” for specific blasphemy in order to show my disdain and rejection of all that I believed to be wrong with God, His Church, His ministers, and their teachings. This foolishness of mine seems beyond doubt to be a perfect example of the Bible definition of the “unpardonable sin.”

The memory of that time shames me and I have deeply repented of such immaturity and stupidity many, many times -- but does my repentance matter? If I was indeed guilty of committing the “unpardonable sin” then according to Matthew 12:31-32 repentance is useless! How many others have done something equally, or similarly stupid? How many brethren have “fallen asleep” without experiencing a heartfelt repentance for their sins -- have they damned themselves for all eternity? Have I damned myself for all eternity?

Q...“Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed -- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

If the passage which reads “...and the dead will be raised incorruptible...” means that the dead will be raised “as spirit-beings,” then there can be little hope for those of our brethren who die unrepentant -- BUT ONLY IF the resurrection and the change to spirit takes place at one and the same time...!

The word “incorruptible” in this passage comes from the Greek word “aphthartos” and according to Strong’s Concordance the English word “incorruptible” could just as easily have been translated “uncorrupted.” When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead did Lazarus rise up as a spirit-being, or was his body resurrected from the dead uncorrupted?

If the saints are first raised from their graves in a resurrection with their physical bodies uncorrupted, then perhaps the change from mortal to immortal will take place at a later time. How clearly do we understand what the Bible teaches about the resurrection of the saints? Is it possible that further study may help our understanding to become just a little more perfect?

The Resurrection of Jesus

Before considering the resurrection of the saints, we need to understand all that can be known about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Perhaps if we allow ourselves to question that which we have previously accepted as truth we may learn something new and thereby add to our understanding -- and to our faith!

Let’s begin by asking how much time went by from the instant of Jesus’ death until the moment he rose from the dead. I have discussed this question with far greater depth in a previous posting to this blogsite entitled “Three Days and Three Nights.” Please do not assume that you already know the answer to this question!

The only direct proof Jesus ever gave to the scribes and the Pharisees that he was the Messiah is recorded in the New Testament book of Matthew:

Matthew 12:38-40 “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Master, we would see a sign from you.’ But he answered and said unto them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’”

Q…Was Jonah dead the entire time he spent in the belly of the great fish?

The story of Jonah does not specify how long he was dead, but it does specify how long he was in the belly of the great fish before being vomited out. What I want you to realize is that according to the Bible -- Jonah was not dead for the entire three days and three nights he spent inside the fish!

Jonah 2:1 “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God -- from the fish’s belly!”

Some might suggest that Jonah had drowned minutes before being swallowed by the great fish and was resurrected to life minutes before being spewed out of its mouth. Similarly, they may say that Jesus died some time before being laid in his tomb and was resurrected to life some time before leaving it. In either case, the reasoning is based on the belief that Jesus “was dead for three days and three nights” -- but was he? Is it even necessary for us to believe that he was? Surely all that matters is that he spent three days and three nights “in his grave” and that he rose from the dead “…the third day!”

There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus did indeed spend exactly “three days and three nights in his grave”; but we must not automatically assume he was dead for this length of time. Do yourself a favor and list all of the scriptures where Jesus himself refers to how much time would pass from the moment of his death to the time of his resurrection. For example:

Luke 24:46 “And [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Thus it is written, and thus it [was necessary for] Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead “the third day!’”

Jesus said many times that he would rise from the dead “…the third day!” Does this mean exactly three days; less than three days; or more than three days? Whichever way you understand this point: if Jesus did in fact rise from the dead “the third day,” then the moment of His resurrection and the moment he left His tomb “cannot be one and the same!” Jesus died some time before being placed in his tomb -- in order to rise from the dead “the third day” his resurrection must have taken place some time before leaving that tomb.

I believe that a more perfect understanding of how long Jesus was dead before his resurrection is vital to a better understanding of the resurrection of the saints; however, I must leave any further discussion of this for another time. I’m sure each of you, at one time or another, has answered this question to your own satisfaction; but I hope you will be willing to search it again, this time with even greater depth and sense of purpose than before. Anyone who believes they may benefit from reading the previous posting entitled “Three Days and Three Nights” will find it in the “Archives” of this blogsite.

Our ministers seem convinced that in the resurrection we will be raised from the dead as perfect spirit-beings, already endowed with everlasting life; if we study 1st Corinthians 15:35-49 we may even accept such a belief as being biblically proven. But can this belief stand up to an in-depth study of the entirety of the Bible?

With few exceptions, we have been taught that the resurrected body of Jesus was spiritually perfect and that his appearance was so changed as to be completely unrecognizable; while at the same time suggesting that he occasionally changed from his spirit form to that of the physical form he had at the time of his death -- but what does the Bible actually say?

Shortly after the resurrection of Jesus we find him in conversation with two travelers:

Luke 24:15-16 “So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.”

Notice carefully what it says: “But their eyes were “restrained” that they should not know him.” Does this not suggest that if their eyes had not been “restrained” they would have been able to recognize him as Jesus?

Now see what it says in verse 31 of that same chapter: “And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” Does this not support the previous scripture? The only reason these travelers did not immediately recognize the resurrected Jesus was because their eyes had been closed to that recognition -- it was not because he was no longer recognizable as Jesus! When their eyes were opened -- they saw Jesus as he was and recognized him!

Some time later, the disciples were together in a locked room when Jesus joined them:

Luke 24:36-39 “And as [the disciples] thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: ‘Peace be unto you.’ But they were terrified and afraid, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them: ‘Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see -- for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have!’”

We mortals are always looking for immediate results in everything we see, and do, and hope for. The Almighty and Everlasting God has taken many billions of years to bring us to this point in His work of creation and yet there is an expectation among members of the Church that we will soon come to perfection “…in the twinkling of an eye.” How foolish and shallow we mortals can sometimes be!

Let’s return to 1st Corinthians for a moment:

1st Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

The teaching of many scriptures is clear and specific that the saints will one day receive salvation as a gift from God. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What may not be quite so clear is exactly when and how that change to immortality will take place.

The passage from 1st Corinthians 15 seems to pinpoint the time for the change from mortal to immortal as taking place “at the last trump”: however, I would point out that in order to be changed from mortal to spiritual -- we must first be mortal! Notice: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: ‘We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed -- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’” Paul said he was relating a mystery -- it was (and remains today) a mystery!

Contrary to the teaching of the ministry it is my belief that the saints will rise up in a physical resurrection, with bodies “uncorrupted” -- prior to their change to immortality! It is also probable that my understanding of the timing of the last trump will not agree with the teaching of the ministry; but more about this later.

We need to determine whether Jesus may have been raised from the dead in a physical resurrection (his physical body not having seen corruption) before presenting himself to His Father -- then perhaps we’ll be able to take this thought another few steps forward.

Keep in mind the words of Paul when he quoted from the Psalms: “[David] seeing this before spoke of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in [the grave], neither did his flesh see corruption.” Notice: “…neither did “his flesh see corruption!” What difference would it make whether the flesh of Jesus did or did not see corruption if he was going to be resurrected from the dead -- as a spirit-being?

Later we may consider scriptures such as Job 19:26 where Job says: “And though after my skin worms destroy my body, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” Yes! You can check the original inspired text for yourself; Job does indeed say “…in my flesh I shall see God!” Job knew that one day he would live again with his fleshly body uncorrupted!

Note: Next week I hope to present “Part 4” of my thoughts on “The Unpardonable Sin.”