p. 12 | THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL by C. W. Stone

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jan 4, 1877

THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL

By C. W. Stone

Is the Soul Immortal?—No. 14.

THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL.

Paul uses one or two expressions which, though they prove nothing one way nor the other in relation to the intermediate state, are appropriated by the advocates of man's natural immortality, and presented in a very taken-for-granted style as conclusive arguments in support of their theory. An instance occurs in 2 Cor. 12:1-4. Paul says, “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth), such an one caught up to the third heaven.”

The only way in which any proof may be tortured out of this passage is to make it affirm that it is possible for a man to be caught up into the third heaven, out of the body. That being the case, the next step is to reason that there is in man, conscious, rational entity, which constitutes the real man, and which can live and exercise its senses out of the body. The third step is the gratuitous assertion that this entity is deathless.

Suppose for a moment that this is all true. The separation of the soul from the body is death, our friends say. Then, when Paul's soul was taken from his body up into the third heaven, Paul died, of course. His body lay upon the earth, a corpse. After awhile the soul returned to the body, took up its former abode, and Paul lived on as before. Then Paul's record concerning himself must be that he died, went to Heaven, and after awhile had a resurrection. It could not be otherwise.

But who will accuse Paul of making such a statement as that? We read of those who were raised from the dead—the widow's son, Lazarus and others; but where is it recorded that during the time they were dead they were in Heaven? Where is it stated that they saw or heard anything during this time?

But it is time that we should consider Paul's language more closely. We see nothing in the words under consideration that justifies the conclusion that a man may literally be caught up to Heaven out of his body. But does not Paul say that a man (himself, without doubt) was caught up into the third Heaven? Yes. And does he not say that he could not tell whether in the body or out of it? Yes; and right here it is proper to inquire what he means by “out of the body,” instead of taking it for granted that he refers to an immortal soul that can live out of the body, especially as we have not yet found that such a thing exists.

Paul uses an expression in 1 Cor. 5:3, which would indicate that his body was in one place while his spirit was with the Corinthians in another place. To the Colossians he says, “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order,” &c. This indicates that Paul's soul was absent from his body and present with the Colossians beholding their doing, just as surely as the passage under examination proves that his soul went to Heaven leaving his body on earth. In either case Paul must have died and had a resurrection. However, since our early training does not affect our judgment in this case, we can readily understand that Paul means simply that his mind was with the Colossians, or that the Colossians were in his thoughts; and in thinking of their order and steadfastness, he could seem to be present with them.

So it is in this other case. Paul did not know but that he was caught up bodily into the third heaven. That might be the case; but probably he had a vision, and so real did the heavenly view seem to him that he really did not know but he was transported directly to heaven. He says, “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 12:1. Then it seems that he rather inclined to call it a vision. In that case, as with the visions of Daniel, he was caused to see things that were in Heaven. Daniel saw the Ancient of Days, yet he was not transported into his presence. Daniel and John were caused to see huge beasts rising out of the land and out of the sea, as symbols of earthly governments; yet they were not taken to any place where these things were really occurring, for there was no such place.

We conclude then that Paul had a vision of heavenly scenes. That his mind seemed to be caught up into the third heaven; and so vivid was the scene presented to him that he could not say that he was not really taken there bodily. He was there in spirit, as he was with the Colossians in spirit only in a far higher sense, as the angel of God was doubtless with him, taking possession of his thoughts, and giving him a vision of ineffable glory.

C. W. STONE.