Jesus has supported immortal soul!?

Mr Bean

He fully supported Pharisees, knowing well their teachings regards
immortal soul.

Yet he supported them in their dispute with Sadducees.

He told masses to observe their teachings but not their works.

My Polish friend has come with such idea and I think it's a big one.

Peace...

Mysterious

He supported their teaching of the law and the prophets but not their teaching of their own philosophies. The immortal soul concept was not contained in the books of the law afaik. I also don't recall him supporting them against the Sadducees, though it could have been about the resurrection. The Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection but the Pharisees did and since the resurrection was according to the Hebrew prophets Jesus would have back them in that instance. But I don't recall a situation offhand.

I would not also say he fully supported them. In fact on more than one instance he condemned them. He called them blind guides, hypocrites, and offspring of vipers. He likened them to whitewashed graves that looked clean but were full of dead men's bones. And he condemened them for teaching the traditions of men, of which the immortal soul was considered one of them.

Euphemism

Mysterious... the Sadducees' denial of the resurrection was actually based on a denial of the immortality of the soul. (see Acts 23:8)

If one assumes that the illustration of the rich man and Lazarus was in fact spoken by Jesus, then I find it very hard to support the idea that he didn't believe in some sort of spirit that survives death. Peacefulpete had a good thread about that recently.

peacefulpete

see the thread entitled "why do JWs not believe in hell?" and my thread about hades being a temporary residence for souls awaiting final judgement. yes the immortal soul was well established as a Jewish teaching in the first century CE. The Saducees were holdouts, they refused to adopt the idea as well as other teachings that came from Persian sources like the existance of angels and the resurrection.

Mr Bean

Matthew 23:1-3

1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4

Since Pharisee were believers in immortal soul... 'observe and do'!

He has never condemned them for their belief in immortal soul.

Peace...

Mysterious

'observe and do ' pertains more to actions than beliefs. He was encouraging them to keep the law.

Euphemism

Mysterious... an argument from the negative is not conclusive, of course, but if Jesus did think that the immortality of the soul was a pagan and pernicious doctrine, doesn't it make sense that he would condemn it publicly, and that condemnation would be recorded? However, none of the gospels--even John, who deals the most with theological matters--have such a statement.

While Jesus criticized the Pharisees' legalism, I really can't think of any occasion where he criticized their theology.

simwitness

While Jesus criticized the Pharisees' legalism, I really can't think of any occasion where he criticized their theology

But, wasn't the pharisees theology so entrenched in legalism that they were, in essence, one and the same? By criticizing thier legalistic approach, or focus, wasn't he in fact criticizing the theology?

Euphemism

I'm not sure that I see that, simwitness. While I suppose it's true that the Pharisees' theology included their legal interpretations, I don't see how their concepts on such matters as the immortality of the sould could be described as 'legalistic'.

lurk

If one assumes that the illustration of the rich man and Lazarus was in fact spoken by Jesus, then I find it very hard to support the idea that he didn't believe in some sort of spirit that survives death. Peacefulpete had a good thread about that recently.

it doesnt mention a immortal soul though.so was he calling back a soul to a body or was he simply reanimating a machine that stopped working?

like rebooting a computer after its crashed ...all the information is still stored on it and it carrys on working as normal.

however the idea that 144,000 humans go to heaven and where theres a flesh body theres a spirit body ..begas to ask ...if information is removed from the body transfered into a none physical life form.isnt that the same as a soul ?

passing technicall and religious nit picking over the form and make up of a soul whats the differance between removeable human essence and a soul?

Jesus has supported immortal soul!?

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