Wrested Scriptures (Part 2 of 0)

Wrested Scriptures – Part one

A Christadelphian Handbook of Suggested Explanations to Difficult Passages

A new publication is presently being compiled to deal with difficult passages. It is the hope of its author, Bro. Ron Abel, that many Christadelphians will avail themselves of a copy so as to better equip them to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” Almost all the errors of Christendom are based on difficult passages. By difficult, it is meant those areas where the meaning is obscured, or the language or terms are figurative in nature. The more obscure the passage, the more room one finds for speculation. The false doctrines, taught all about us, are due mainly to the efforts of some to accommodate a pet theory. By offering a plausible explanation, which is in harmony with one’s theory, it is claimed to be proved.

This can be a very deceptive and misleading procedure, however. The basic principles of the Truth are not to be founded upon (though they may find support through) obscure passages. Every tenet of the true gospel will find ample support in Scriptures totaling lacking in ambiguity. Further, we must be very careful that any explanation which we place on a particular passage is in harmony with the truth as it appears in other portions of the Bible.

The following excerpts from Bro. Abel’s book will serve to illustrate the simple, yet direct way it handles difficult passages.

Immortality of the Soul

Preliminary Points

  1. It is useful in discussion to lead the conversation by well-chosen questions which guide the disputant to the desired conclusion without having to tell him so. This approach reduces the “loss of face” which can be a barrier to further profitable discussion. This is especially true of discussions on the death state in which the loss of loved ones may prejudice a reasoned consideration of the evidence. The following questions are samples:
    a) How can it he said that Christ brought immortality to light (2 Tim. 1:10) if man has been immortal since Adam?
    b) How can immortality be sought for (Rom. 2:7) if it is already a present possession ?
    c) If Adam had an immortal soul, why was he thrust out of the garden that he might not live forever”? (Gen. 3:22).
    d) If souls of the righteous go to heaven at death, why a resurrection? (Usually the reply is, ”for the purpose of Judgment,” but this implies that souls are rewarded first, and then judged!)
  2. The doctrine of the immortality of the soul destroys the arguments whereby the New Testament writers affirm the resurrection of the dead.
    a) “If Christ be not raised . . . then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” (1 Cor. 15:­17, 18). But how can these dead saints be said to be sleeping if their souls (the real saints) are already in heaven, and how can it be said that these saints would perish unless Christ be raised, if their immortal souls go to bliss at death?b) The Apostle Paul said, “If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what ad­vantageth it me, if the dead rise not?” (1 Cor. 15:32). If the soul is immortal (and hence can enjoy heavenly bliss separated from the body) why does the Apostle stress “if the dead rise not”? Why the concern for the body if the soul can enjoy bliss without the body ?

Rachel’s Soul Departs

Gen. 35:18 “And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died).” Problem: It is argued from this passage

that at death the soul departs. Since it must depart to somewhere, the somewhere is said to be either heaven or hell.

Solution:

  1. To say that the souls of dying per­sons depart is to say nothing about whether or not the soul is immortal, or where, if any place, it might depart.
  2. In everyday speech it is appropriate to say “X lost the sight of his right eye” or “X lost his hearing after the acci­dent”. To use these expressions is not to imply that the eyesight was re­moved to another location or that the hearing departed to another abode. Likewise, “her soul was in departing” does not imply that the soul went to heaven, hell or anywhere else. The ex­pression is synonymous with “her life was ebbing”.
  3. The Hebrew word, “nephesh” ren­dered “soul” in this passage is trans­lated “life” in one hundred other passages. E.g., Ex. 4:19; 21:23; 21:30. 1

 Samuel 28—The Witch of Endor

Problem: This passage is used by Spiritualists to give Scriptural support to their idea that living people can communicate with the souls of the “departed.”

Solution:

  1. This passage provides evidence for neither “heaven going” nor “immor­tal soulism”.
    a) Samuel (a righteous man) came “lip” out of the earth, not down from heaven. (vs. 15).
    b) The witch saw an old man, not an intangible soul. (vs. 14).
    c) Samuel said, “Why hast thou dis­quieted me . . .?” This indicates that he was not enjoying the bliss of heaven, but rather the sleep of death. (cf. . Job 3:17; Ecc. 9:5, 10; Jn. 11 esp. vs. 11, 24, 25, 44).
  2. Some have suggested that this passage in Samuel is really a fake seance. The following evidence is usually given:
    a) The king saw nothing
    b) The witch said that she saw an old man with a mantle. (vs. 14). This was an ambiguous description. Was Samuel the only old man to wear a mantle?
    c) Samuel was buried at Ramah, not Endor. (1 Sam. 25:1).
    This explanation, however seemingly plausible, cannot be accepted because of its inability to explain the predictions made by Samuel, vs. 19.
  3. A more convincing explanation to the events in this chapter is the following:
    a) God raised Samuel for the occasion in order to rebuke a fool according to his folly.1
    b) This accounts for the precise predictions of verses 15-19, as well as the surprise of the witch (when she cried with a loud voice”, vs. 12), when suddenly confronted by an unexpected
  4. Two objections to this explanation must be considered:
    a) Would God raise Samuel in these circumstances after instructing Israel: “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God”? (Lev. 19:31). God could have used the witch as He did the lying prophet of Bethel. (1 Kings 13). In so doing, it no more implies sanction to the witch’s activities than it does to Beelzebub in Jesus’ allusion, (Matt. 12:27) or to the belief of the Pharisees in Luke 16:19-31.
    b) Samuel was buried at Ramah, not at Endor where the resurrection would have taken place. The rejoinder to this is simply that for God, there is no more difficulty in re-assembling Samuel in Endor than to transport Philip from the Gaza Road to Azotus. (Acts 8:39­40).
  1. God punished Saul with death. “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the Son of Jesse.” (1 Chron. 10:13, 14).