Don,
I'm sorry but you are mistaken about the soul. God said in many instances I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob which means though their bodies expired their souls never did. When a Christian dies he is suddenly absent from the body but present with the Lord. When Paul was transformed into the third heaven His body did not go up there but the real him, spirit and soul did.
Jesus said it is better to cast off a hand or a foot and enter into life maimed than to perish "seemingly whole".
In the story of the rich man and lazarus we see what happens to a person after he dies. That rich man had complete use of his faculties, which were greatly magnified since it wasn't now dulled by the flesh. He could remember, feel, thirst, recognize lazarus, in fact he even recognized Abraham and that having never even met him before.
Chris |
