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Reated Holistically: Sola Scriptura Hermeneutic Is Applied
Reated Holistically: Sola Scriptura Hermeneutic Is Applied
Reated Holistically: Sola Scriptura Hermeneutic Is Applied
89
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, !e AnteNicene Fathers; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1989), 1:531 (5.6.1).
90
Bavinck, God and Creation, vol. 2 in
Reformed Dogmatics, 530.
91
G. C. Berkouwer, Man: !e Image of God,
in Studies in Dogmatics Series, 1st ed.
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962), 276.
the body, but this way of thinking overlooks the fact that the entire Bible was
wri"en by Jews, who thought wholistically of humans, even though the New Testament was wri"en in Greek. !is means
that the word psych (soul), though it is a
Greek word, has a Hebrew meaning: the
seat of the will, desires, and aections,
or it is used to refer to a person or self
rather than an entity separate from the
body. !is warns against any mechanical
understanding of the New Testament
from classical Greek or contemporary
Hellenistic influences, since the writers
were Hebrews.92 Many biblical and theological scholars fail to grasp the Hebrew
meaning of psych, so the Greek meaning
supersedes the Hebrew meaning, and as
a result, a pagan interpretation replaces
the biblical interpretation. If the biblical
sola Scriptura hermeneutic is applied,
allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture,
then the Hebrew meaning is preserved.
!eology has been influenced by the
Greek translation of the Old Testament
and Greek categories (see my Systematic
!eology, volume 2, chapter 6). Both influences took theologians away from the
Hebraic thinking of Scripture. In 1950
George A. F. Knight referred to a number
92
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
In
93
94
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
commentary on His words you will certainly die (Gen. 2:17b), which is opposed
to Satans claim: You will not certainly
die (Gen. 3:4a). !e spirit/breath that
returns to God is not a soul that survives
ral gi".
!ere is a breadth of meaning to the
Hebrew and Greek terms for soul in Scripture. !ey can denote various human
emotions and inner powers.
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
In creation there were only good emotions, for human creation was also
included in the pronouncement, God
saw all that he had made, and it was very
good (Gen. 1:31).
Soul comes from the Hebrew word
nepe. O"en nephesh refers to desires,
appetites, or passions (cf. Deut 23:24;
Prov 23:2; Ec 6:7), and is sometimes translated appetite (Prov 23:2; Ec 6:7). It may
refer to the seat of the aections (Gen
34:3; Song 1:7; etc.), and at times it represents the volitional part of man, as when
translated pleasure ( KJV) in Deut 23:24;
Ps 105:22; Jer 34:16.96
95
Walter Elwell, ed., Soul, in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker, 1988), 2:1987.
96
Siegfried H. Horn, Soul, in Seventhday Adventist Bible Dictionary, vol. 8 in
Commentary Reference Series (Washington,
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
ty: An Examination of the Nature and Meaning of Life and Death as !ey Are Revealed in
the Scriptures (Taunton, MA: Phoenix
Press, n.d.), 3.
99
Soul, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible,
2:19871988.
100
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
and of God it says, If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and
breath, all humanity would perish
together and mankind would return to
the dust (Job 34:1415).
Scripture is clear that there is no life
a"er death; there is no such thing as a
surviving soul, because the soul is not
immortal. #e idea of possessing an
immortal soul now in life and a"er death
is another cosmic controversy counterfeit to get humans to believe they already
have through natural means what is only
available through supernatural means in
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
Christ slept in the grave until His resurrection, as all the dead do, and promised
His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them in heaven and
would return in His second advent to
take them to be home with Him then, not
before (John 14:13). In fact, Christ speaks
of the final resurrection when the dead
will hear the voice of the Son of
God (John 5:25b) and all who are in the
graves will hear his voice and come
outthose who have done good will rise
to live, and those who have done evil will
rise to be condemned (John 5:2829;
6:44a).
#e incarnate Christs promise to His
disciples is consistent with what He said
to Adam: you will certainly die (Gen.
2:17b) if he were to eat the forbidden
fruit. It was Satan, the tempter of Eve,
who questioned Christs words, saying
You will not certainly die (Gen. 3:4a).
#e idea of living on a"er death began
with Satans first lie in recorded Scripture, and is countered by Christs first
warning in Scripture and His later teaching on the final resurrection. It is not
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
from? It comes from Satans contradiction of Christ, and has been present since
ancient times. We will note three examples.
already
death?
"e
warned
end in
quickly
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
believed that the soul is the eternal element in humans, and sequentially lives
in dierent bodies until it is eventually
purged of evil.103 Augustine ( 354430),
perhaps the most influential theologian
of all time, posits that God made a separate soul to put into Adams formed
die (Gen.
3:4a),
which
contradicted
103
102
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
106
ing, why should those born p 118 thousands of years before the final judgment
have to suer so much longer than others? Does Scripture portray this about
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
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aorist verbs focus on the future resurrection and judgment as one event.107 Furthermore, Pauls verses above mention
death as a sleep, and it doesnt ma"er if a
death.
person sleeps one night or p 119 thousands of years, it still feels like a moment
between death and the resurrection to
107
Norman R. Gulley, Systematic !eology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012).
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:47 PM August 25, 2016.
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