And Contingent Immortality,
Determined By The Literal Rendering Of The Terms
"Eternal Life" And "Eternal Death."
London:
William Kent & Co., 23 Paternoster Row.
Oxford: Alden's Printing Works,
Corn-Market And New-Inn-Hall Street.
1873.
PREFACE.
DEAR CHRISTIAN READER,
In commending these pages to your earnest perusal, it is not with the conviction that they contain any literary merit: they are a few plain thoughts upon a subject that has come to the front in the questions of the day, and constitute a humble endeavour to direct the mind to a Scriptural rather than a rationalistic basis for determining the points at issue. I feel that the questions in dispute are immensely important, and (assuming the correctness of the deductions contained herein) the view here presented does remove some very serious objections which may be brought against the popular theory of future punishment. I do not think that any apology is needed for one not in holy orders attempting to throw light upon sacred subjects, neither is the anonymous mode of publication at all times the best adapted for the dissemination of truth. With an earnest hope that this small brochure may be of some assistance to Christian students,
I am, dear Christian Reader,
Yours very sincerely, Charles Underhill
Oxford, 1873.
One of the principal difficulties in presenting the questions of future punishment and of contingent immortality in a satisfactory light to the ordinary reader, is the practice now so common of rendering scriptural words in a figurative sense. This practice has become so habitual in dealing with certain subjects, that it is almost impossible to disabuse the mind of the secondary application of the words. There may be in some cases justification for giving metaphorical applications to Scripture words; still it should always be made clear in what sense the words are used; care should be taken not to press the figures unduly, and by no means should the two senses be confounded one with another. Bishop Hooker says:—"I hold it for a most infallible rule in exposition of Sacred Scripture, that when a literal construction will stand, the farthest from the letter is commonly the worst; there is nothing more dangerous than this licentious and deluding art, which changes the meaning of words as alchemy doth or would do the "substance of metals, making of anything what it pleases and bringing in the end all truth to nothing."
We propose to discuss the question of "Life only in Christ" upon the basis of this canon of interpretation laid down by Bishop Hooker.
It is usual with theologians to compare what they call " spiritual life" with life animal and vegetable; it is common also to speak of intellectual life, social life, political life, etc., etc. Now it is obvious that these phrases are metaphorical. Life is essentially one. Its manifestations are various: there are the mental, moral, emotional, as well as the physical developments of life; but these various developments do not constitute so many separate lives, they are but various features of the same life. To apply the term " life " then to any of its separate parts or manifestations, is to give the term a secondary or figurative meaning, which should never be confounded with the word in its actual or real sense. When a man runs swiftly, he may be said to fly; but the flying differs essentially from the flying of birds: the word " fly " is used in two different senses. So likewise the moral change which takes place at conversion, if designated life, should be carefully distinguished from real life; this confusion of terms has done incalculable mischief, and has thrown an almost impenetrable mist over the subject we are now discussing.
In the present brief paper we propose,—
I. To trace the origin of the phrase "spiritual life," and its converse, "spiritual death."
II. To shew some of the results attending the figurative application of these words.
III. To give proof from Scripture that these terms "life" and "death" are invariably used in their literal sense.
1. We shall trace the origin of the phrases "spiritual life" and "spiritual death."
The discourse of our Lord with Nicodemus has been the principal scriptural source from which the notion of " spiritual life " has been drawn: "Ye must be born again." 'Tis true the phrase "spiritual life" does not occur in this passage, or indeed anywhere else in the sacred Word; yet it is not an unfair inference, that as the birth of a child is the origin of natural life, so spiritual regeneration is the commencement of spiritual life. Granting this, nevertheless it must be kept in mind that a figurative birth can only produce a figurative life. We are not dealing with life in its essential condition, simply with some of its manifestations,—with certain feelings and emotions which for the sake of argument we have admitted may be called "life." The feelings and emotions are real, the change of heart towards God is real; but to apply the word "life" to these feelings and emotions is to use the word in an unreal sense: it is a figure of speech, and a figure not used by inspired writers.
This point will perhaps be made clearer by supposing a case. Let us imagine the utter destruction of a man's life,—of his existence: what then would become of his emotional nature, or indeed of any of the manifestations of life? they would of course cease. Thus we see that feelings and emotions, although they may be called "life," have no independent existence of their own; or in other words, the term "life" is a misnomer.
We believe that the truth taught by our Lord is this: Man is a mortal creature: " that which is born of the flesh is flesh," and " all flesh is grass," etc. Whatever may have been the capacities of his nature when first formed by God, he has by sin forfeited all right to live. Death, or destruction, is the penalty now resting upon him. This destruction is aggravated, and will be far more fearful, in the case of those who have despised the mercy of God; but however that may be, complete destruction awaits the ungodly. Mercy now interposes, and declares that " God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." There is one thing, however, essential to the obtaining of this promise, and that is a new heart and a right spirit. Nicodemus, a master in Israel, should have known these things,—things so often taught in Jewish scriptures. When this change has been accomplished by the Holy Spirit, it is very appropriately described as a new birth— 'tis the commencement of a new career, in fact a new life. The prophet Ezekiel says (chap. 18.31), "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." Life and death are the issues, and are dependent upon this moral change. Can there then be any doubt as to the meaning of the figure employed—"being born again"? and is there the slightest necessity for the invention of the theory of "spiritual" life and death?
II. We shall chew some of the results attending this figurative application of the words " life " and " death."
1. The phrase " spiritual death," if grammatically defined, does really involve the denial of man's moral accountability. A dead man is not a responsible being; he cannot think, feel, or perform any action, good or bad; if a man be partially dead, say paralyzed in hands or feet, his responsibility ceases as far as his hands• or feet are concerned. So likewise, let the mental and moral faculties be impaired, and responsibility is limited in the same ratio as the man has sustained injury. It must be the same in the case of " spiritual death;" the common-sense meaning of the words must be that in spiritual matters the man is not accountable; he is dead, all spiritual functions have ceased and determined. This conclusion may be objected to, but the words literally mean this or nothing; and everyone knows that this is just the use that the Hyper-Calvinist makes of them.
There is a passage in Ephesians 2.1, which is thought to sustain this use of the phrase, to which we must devote some notice: "Dead in trespasses and sins." This term is forensic,—dead in the eyes of law. "He that believeth not is condemned already;" he is walking in sin and disobedience, with a sentence of death hanging over him. Verses 5 and 6 confirm this view. Christ as man's substitute was put in man's place; He bore this sentence of condemnation, "He died unto sin once." The sinner was dead in sin; he was walking sinfully, with death resting upon him. Christ " died unto sin; " that is, He bore the penalty of sin. But now comes the manifestation of the Divine mercy: the sinner, having accepted the gospel by faith, becomes one with Christ. Christ, as the federal Head of the redeemed family, or second Adam, being raised from the dead, having satisfied sin's penalty, death, the believer is raised up with Him (i.e. in principle, or in God's purpose), and also exalted with Christ (i.e. in the purpose of God). God speaks of things that are not as though they were. This is a common mode of speech in Scripture; see Romans 8.30: "Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom Ho justified, them He also glorified"—not "shall glorify," but "glorified:" it is the past tense; in the Divine purpose it is already done. The Christian, like other men, must die; but the resurrection of Christ guarantees to the Christian a resurrection to life, and the exaltation of Christ is an earnest of the exaltation of the believer: the matter is as sure as though it were already accomplished. Many explain the passage experimentally only; our view has the double advantage of being based upon fact, the fact of Christ's resurrection and exaltation, and the certainty of the expectation secures the spiritual experience as well.
2. Another result of giving a figurative meaning to the words "life" and "death" is, that the statements of Scripture respecting the Christian's actual and eternal existence are imperiled. The Scriptures do not supply us with two sets of terms, one relating to figurative life and the other to literal life. We have but the words simply, "life" and "death," "eternal life," "eternal destruction;" these words are very frequent, and if they are to be understood figuratively, that is of man's moral and spiritual condition, then we have no language to express man's eternal existence.
It is assumed by some that man is naturally immortal, and admitting this, that the case is sufficiently met if the Word of God secures man's eternal happiness: this assumption, however, we deny. We do not intend now to enter upon this question of " natural immortality," as its advocates have entirely failed to establish the doctrine from Scripture; but we deny that man is naturally immortal, and we think by the time we have reached the end of these remarks we shall have satisfactorily, although indirectly, proved this theory to be erroneous. We distinctly affirm, therefore, that immortality is the portion only of those who believe in Christ.
But again, it may be objected, if "life" signifies a moral change, and "eternal life" an eternal moral change, then the person who is the subject of this change must necessarily have an eternal existence. We reply to this argument, that it is a common practice, both in ordinary language and in scripture phraseology, to apply the word "everlasting" to things and persons that are not continuous in their existence. For instance, property bequeathed to a man and his heirs "forever," does not affirm the eternity of the man or his heirs; simply the enjoyment of the property as long as the man and his heirs exist. Also in Scripture we are informed that the land of Idumeah and the city of Bozrah were to be burnt with unquenchable fire (Isa. 34.10): "It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up forever." The prophet Isaiah does not affirm the eternity of those cities, nor of the fire that consumed them. In like manner, a man may be assured that he shall be made happy for ever. This dead, having satisfied sin's penalty, death, the believer is raised up with Him (i.e. in principle, or in God's purpose), and also exalted with Christ (i.e. in the purpose of God). God speaks of things that are not as though they were. This is a common mode of speech in Scripture; see Romans 8.30: "Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified"—not "shall glorify," but "glorified:" it is the past tense; in the Divine purpose it is already done. The Christian, like other men, must die; but the resurrection of Christ guarantees to the Christian a resurrection to life, and the exaltation of Christ is an earnest of the exaltation of the believer: the matter is as sure as though it were already accomplished. Many explain the passage experimentally only; our view has the double advantage of being based upon fact, the fact of Christ's resurrection and exaltation, and the certainty of the expectation secures the spiritual experience as well.
This does not necessarily affirm his eternal existence: it merely predicates that he shall be happy as long as he does exist, leaving the question of his continuous existence to be determined upon other and independent grounds. Besides which, we must most strenuously protest against the practice of substituting other words than those given us by inspired writers. Men have no right to read " eternal happiness" for " eternal life." God has given us the word " life;" what right has any one to substitute " happiness " instead? We again impress upon the reader that it is a serious matter to take from the words " eternal life " their literal meaning. The effect is, as we have shewn, seriously to imperil the glorious fact that the believer in Christ is immortal, what he shall live for ever.
3. Another result of denying the literal and grammatical meaning of the words "eternal life," is to deny the fact of man's physical redemption. It is admitted by all Christians, that redemption involves something more than an emotional change,—the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is an article of faith, though practically ignored by many who hold this "spiritual" system; it is also believed that the child of God, raised from the dead, will live forever. Upon what passages of scripture are these expectations grounded? There must be some portion of the Word that speaks of "eternal life" in the literal sense, or else these hopes are a delusion. "Yes," say some, "man is naturally immortal." Well, where does the Bible say so? Show us the scriptures that teach man's natural immortality, and we shall then have some basis for our hopes. We know of none; but we do know of scores that promise eternal life to the regenerate. If, then, our expectations of immortality are well-founded, it follows that the phrase "eternal life" must be understood literally, and not figuratively; it follows yet farther, that if the, phrase "eternal life" be literal, then immortality is the gift of Christ to believers, and not natural to all men. There is no escape from these conclusions.
The importance of physical redemption is very strongly stated by our Lord in Matthew 16.26, 26: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose hie life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own life (the same Greek word as in the previous verse)? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?"
III. We shall give proof from Scripture that these terms "life" and "death" are invariably used in their literal sense.
1. With regard to the word "death."
Death, as the penalty for disobedience, is first mentioned in Genesis 2.17. Divines have thrown considerable obscurity round this passage: they affirm that the sentence "Thou shalt surely die," means "death temporal, death spiritual, death eternal;" an unbiassed consideration of the passage will show that this is a pure invention. The Lord Himself explains the nature of the death, in Genesis 3.19: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." This explanation is endorsed by the Apostle Paul (Rom. 5.12): "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." This view is further confirmed by the atonement made by Christ. Christ bore man's penalty. "He was made a curse for us." Did Christ die spiritually? Did Christ die eternally?
Either the Savior bore the full penalty, or He did not. If He did not, then there can be no redemption for man; if He did, then the original penalty for sin was literal death, temporal death, under the Divine displeasure. Having established that the original penalty was death temporal, one or two conclusions flow out of this fact.
(a) That one feature of redemption must inevitably consist of recovery from death. It is appointed by God that men once shall diel notwithstanding the intervention of mercy. There is indeed one element removed in the case of believers,—they do not die under the Divine displeasure; still, as the body is destroyed by death, redemption involves resurrection; hence we see the relation of resurrection to salvation, "I am the resurrection and the life;" in fact, resurrection to life is salvation.
(b) The fact of a resurrection to life affords a solution of the meaning of the words we are discussing, "life" and "death." The two words are antithetical, and if "death" literally means death, which we have seen it does, "life" must literally mean life; and hence we are prepared to find that the great blessing conferred upon us by the Gospel is that of life. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear." " In Him was life," etc., etc. We are prepared also for the further statement, that this life is everlasting.
2. With regard to the term "life," we shall now supply a few passages taken from many, in which the word can only be rendered in a literal sense.
First passage, John 12.25: "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." This passage admits only of one interpretation, and that is the literal: the life which a man loves and loses, and which he is reprehensible for loving, is not his spiritual life; for that he cannot lose. The life which a man hates is not his spiritual life, for that would be sinful. The word "life" in the first two clauses of the verse being literal, determines the sense of the word in the third clause; the life, therefore, which a man keeps to eternity is the same which he hated for Christ's sake, and would have lost had he loved it.
Second passage, John 6.49: "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead"
Verse 61. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever." The Savior is here speaking of Himself under the figure of bread, and it is declared of those who figuratively eat this bread (which means believing), that they shall live forever. This living for ever is contrasted with the Israelites dying in the wilderness: if the dying in the wilderness be literal, so likewise must the living for ever be. This conclusion is inevitable.
There is an apparent difficulty in this passage, though not affecting the argument; inasmuch as the believer in Christ dies, in common with the Israelite. The explanation, however, is this: —The manna which Moses gave the Israelites did not secure for them eternal life: Christ the true manna, does. Union with Christ guarantees a resurrection to life. See verse 39, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." See also Luke 18.30: "And in the world to come life everlasting."
Third passage, 2 Cor. 5.14, 15: "For the love of Christ constrained us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." The argument of the Apostle is this, —that the fact of Christ's dying for all men, indicates clearly that the punishment of death was due to all men. They were dead in the eyes of the law. Christ therefore put Himself in their place; and His object in so doing was, that they which live, having been delivered from death, should not live to themselves, but for the glory of Christ. Christ's death being literal, so was the death under which sinners stood condemned; and the death being literal, so must the life be.
Fourth passage, 2 Tim. 1.10: "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life-and immortality to light through the Gospel." This passage is generally accepted in the literal sense. The death which is abolished, and the immortal life brought to light, it is not disputed, are both literal; but those who differ from us lay great stress upon the phrase, "brought to light;" and they infer from these words that man, who had possessed immortality from the beginning, had only lately by the Gospel discovered that fact. Indeed this verse is supposed to be the stronghold of the doctrine of natural immortality. Well, we join issue with them upon their rendering of the words "brought to light by the Gospel." We ask, how old is the Gospel? Surely the Gospel is not of yesterday! It does not date its commencement with the preaching of the Apostles. We read, Heb. 4.2, "For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them (the Jews): but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Again, in Galatians 3.8: "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham." In fact, the gospel is as old as the fall of man. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen. 3.15.)
We believe therefore most truly that the gospel hath brought life and immortality to light, and hath abolished death. This is the very thing we are contending for,—that immortality is only made known and to be obtained through the gospel; and it is the gospel, and the gospel only, that has from the very beginning shed light upon man's future destiny: dimly, it may be, under the law, but now with greater effulgence under the dispensation of the Spirit. The doctrine of the resurrection to life, we have it on the testimony of Christ Himself, was declared to Moses at the bush; Job believed in it, so did Abraham, and all the Old Testament Saints. What need we more? These four passages (and many more might be added) clearly establish our proposition that the literal rendering is the only possible one, that "eternal life" means eternal life in the strict sense of the words; and that it is the distinguishing feature of the gospel that it confers "eternal life," or immortality, upon those who receive it. Hence it follows:-
1st. That immortality is not natural to man, but is obtained by the Gospel.
2nd. That those who reject the Gospel do not possess, nor ever will possess, immortality.
3rd. That the fact that immortality belongs only to those who are in Christ, determines the nature of future punishment, which is usually expressed in Scripture by such phrases as these,—to "perish," “shall utterly perish," "shall be destroyed," "destroy both soul and body in hell," "shall be burnt up like chaff with unquenchable fire," "punished with everlasting destruction," etc., etc.
4th. That the doctrine of eternal torment involves the hypothesis that God by a direct act of power confers on the wicked the quality of endurance for the express purpose of tormenting them, seeing that without Christ they do not possess immortality.
These conclusions are clear and logical; and we ask believers in Christ solemnly to ponder them, and consider whether it is not high time that a doctrine which so fearfully distorts the true character of our gracious and loving God as the doctrine of eternal torment should be expunged from the orthodox creed, —a doctrine that has hindered thousands from accepting the truth, and indeed rests like a cold specter upon the hearts of the godly themselves.