Is the Soul Immortal?—No. 5.
By C. W. Stone
The evidence obtained from the record of man's creation and fall is sufficient to satisfy the candid truth-seeker, who will always decide according to the Bible evidence, that the soul is the entire man that God made out of the dust of the ground; and that when a man dies he returns to the ground out of which he was taken, as unconscious as were his atoms before he was created. “But,” says one, “if it can be proved by Bible testimony that man does possess an immortal principle, a deathless spirit, capable of living in conscious, intelligent activity without the body, it is certain that he was created with such, although the history of his creation fails to mention it.” That may be true; but the history of man's creation not only fails to mention such a thing, but furnishes abundant evidence that such is not the case, as we showed in articles No. 3 and No. 4. Furthermore, the Bible is not divided against itself on this question; and we find no evidence within its lids that man has any part or appendage capable of living after the body dies. We will examine briefly some of the chief texts upon which the advocates of the natural immortality of the soul base their theory. “So God created man in his own image.” Gen. 1: 27. The claim built upon this text is that man was created, not in the physical image of God, but in his moral image; and therefore man is immortal. Far-fetched as this conclusion is, it is based upon another popular error; that God has no physical form. So they argue that as God has no personal form, the image here spoken of must be the likeness of his moral attributes. Allowing for a moment that God has no form, let us see how much their argument is worth. If the assertion that man is made in God's image is assurance that he is possessed of his attributes, what a wonder it is that more of these faculties do not exhibit themselves! God is immortal, cannot die. Man is the same; therefore, as it is evident that his body dies, he must have an immortal spirit or rational part that does not die. God is all-wise, so is man! God is almighty, omniscient and omnipresent; so is man! If one of these conclusions is good, they are all good. Why select that one of God's attributes, immortality, and make the image to consist wholly of that? Expressed in a syllogism the popular argument stands thus:— Major premise: God is immortal. 1 Tim. 1: 17.
Minor premise: Man is created in the image of God. Gen. 1: 27.
Conclusion: Therefore man is immortal. This is easily quashed by another equally good, thus:—- God is omnipotent.
- Man is made in God's image.
- Therefore man is omnipotent.
This conclusion is obviously absurd; and yet it is as legitimate as the first. The second time the word image is used it expresses the physical likeness between father and son, and furnishes a good comment upon the relation asserted to exist between God and man in Gen. 1: 27. “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image.” Gen. 5: 3. No one would think of applying this language to any but physical resemblance. But is it true that God has no form? Our friends say that this is the case, for God is a spirit. John 4: 24. The Bible says also that the angels are spirits. Heb. 1: 7, 14. The angels are always spoken of as having bodily form. In bodily form and always in human shape have they appeared to men. Three angels came to Abraham's abode. He had water brought to wash their feet, and his wife baked cakes and prepared them a good meal which they ate under the shade tree that stood by Abraham's door. And yet these were spirits. God is a spiritual being in the highest sense, and as such he must possess a bodily form as the instrumentality for the manifestation of his powers. He has a spiritual body. “There is a spiritual body.” 1 Cor. 15: 44. Now do you ask what kind of a body a spiritual body is? I will point you to an example. Our Saviour had a natural body. This was laid in the tomb. “It is sown a natural body.” 1 Cor. 15: 44. The third day he arose. He came from the tomb to die no more. He came forth with an immortal body. “It is raised a spiritual body.” 1 Cor. 15: 44. Our Saviour had, after his resurrection, a spiritual body. There was no difference in its form. The same marks that were made upon his natural body existed upon his spiritual body. There was the mark made by the spear; there were the prints of the nails in his hands and feet. St. John 20: 25, 27. He assured them that he had flesh and bones, and called for something to eat, and ate it before them. His spiritual body is the pattern after which the spiritual bodies of the saints will be fashioned. Phil. 3: 21. We do not think that there was any blood in it. The life principle was something else. “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Cor. 15: 50. His blood was shed upon the cross by the soldier with the spear. Having now an idea of the spiritual body of Christ, we can better understand the form of God; for Christ is declared to be in the image of God, and in his form. Paul, speaking of him, says, “Who is the image of the invisible God.” Col. 1: 15. Also: “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” How could Christ be in the form of God and yet God have no form? Again, speaking of Christ: “Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” etc. Heb. 1: 1–3. Here is an inspired statement that God is a person; and to give an idea of his form it is stated that Christ, just as we conceive of him as ascended up bodily on high, is the express image of it. God has shown parts of his person to mortal eyes. Ex. 33: 21–23. He told Moses that he would put him in a cleft of the rock and cover him with his hand while he passed by; then he would remove his hand and Moses might see his back parts. Has he a face? back parts? hands? If not, what is the use of language? Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders, saw the God of Israel. Ex. 24: 9–11. “And there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone.” Has he feet, or is the statement that these persons saw them a falsehood? Daniel saw God, in vision. He describes the very hair of his head. “The hair of his head was like the pure wool.” Dan. 7: 10. When God created man in his own image, he made him in the likeness of his own personal form.