ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER No. 171

“The Debate over Human Nature and Destiny”

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,

Retired Professor of Theology and Church History,

Andrews University

INDEX OF TOPICS OF THIS NEWSLETTER

• How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe

• Good News on My Liver Cancer Recovery

* Providential Remission of my Liver Cancer

• How to Contact the Center for Cancer Care

• THE DEBATE OVER HUMAN NATURE & DESTINY

(The Essay of this Newsletter)

• Announcements of Services and Products

* New DVD recording of Prof. Jon Paulien’s lectures

on Revelation scheduled to be released by May 30, 2007.

* Special offer on the book Immortality or Resurrection?

together with a special CD album.

* Special offer on all the 6 DVD/CD albums

with Dr. Bacchiochi’s lectures and publications

* Incredible New Offers on Hitachi Projectors

* The Smallest and most Powerful Remote Presenter

* Does your church or School Need a Screen?

* A New Townhome Community near the campus of

Andrews University

* Bed and Breakfast in London, England

* TAGNET new Web-hosting offer

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GOOD NEWS ON MY LIVER CANCER RECOVERY

In writing this report on the providential recovery from my colon cancer surgery and liver cancer treatments, my heart overflows with gratitude to God for giving me a new lease on life. Words fail to express my gratitude for all the prayers you have offered on my behalf. It is hard to believe what you see on the image of the PET/CAT scan taken on April 24, 2007. The image shows that the presence of cancer in my liver has been reduced by almost 80% after three treatments. To see the impressive color image of the PET/CAT scan, click on this link: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/colon/

To appreciate how the Lord has answered the many prayers offered on my behalf, let me take you back to the beginning of this emotional roller coaster experience. Two days after our family celebrated my 69th birthday on January 29, 2007, a colonoscopy revealed that I had an advanced stage of colon cancer that required immediate surgery. After the colon cancer surgery on February 20, 2007, my family members were told by the surgeon that the cancer had metastasized to the liver, infesting 90% of the organ. The prognosis was bleak. Unless God performed a miracle, I had only a few months or at most two or three years to live.

My family members decided not to tell me such a devastating prognosis. They felt that such heartbreaking news would crush my spirit and prevent any possible recovery. But, a few days later, I heard the same prognosis from the oncologist of the Cancer Treatment Center in Kalamazoo. After looking at the Cat Scan of my liver which I brought to him on a CD, the oncologist told my wife and I in frightening terms that my liver cancer was stage 4, that is, the worse stage, that allows a patient to live only for a short time, somewhere between a couple of months to a couple of years. The only treatment he could offer me was chemotherapy, which could prolong my life for a few months or years at best.

The impact of the consultation was evident on my wife, Anna, face, which turned very sad. In fact on our ride home we were both pretty silent. We were only hoping that the next day consultation at the Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, Indiana, would be more hopeful. Incidentally, the first thing I did when I got home was to set up an appointment with a lawyer to prepare a living will.

The Consultation at the Center for Cancer Care

          I learned about the Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, Indiana, from an email message I received from Vladimir Radivojevic, a Seventh-day Adventist who serves as Assistant to the President of this medical institution. He subscribes to our ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER and he wrote to reassure me of his prayers for my recovery.

When I noticed in his salutation that he was the Assistant to the President of the Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, I called him to find out what his center had to offer. He reassured me that his center is staffed by leading oncologists who are conducting clinical trials on various forms of cancer. Moreover, the Center has all the latest equipment for the treatment of cancer under one roof.

We set up an appointment for Wednesday, March 7 for a consultation with Dr. Seza Gulec, who is a Nuclear Oncologist and a pioneer in what is called microspheres embolization. The consultation lasted about two hours and we came out of the meeting with renewed courage and hope. My wife was smiling again.

During the two hours consultation, Dr. Gulec projected on a screen the images of my liver CAT Scan taken at Lakeland hospital in St. Joseph, Michigan. He confirmed to us that the condition of my liver cancer was serious (stage four), but curable. To prove it, he projected the images of similar cases he had treated with liver cancer worse than mine. He explained to us how he plans to attack the cancer cells in my liver with a combined strategy of chemotherapy and microspheres embolization. He showed us with pictures how this procedure has worked in other 15 cancer patients who have been part of his clinical study. Half way through his presentation I told Dr. Gulec: “You have made me a believer of your strategy. There is no need for us to take more of his precious time. I am ready to sign the consent form and set up the appointment.”

My wife and I wish to thank God for leading to this Center for Cancer Care, which is less than one hour away from our home. What we appreciate about this Center is their clinical studies on different forms of cancer. They are committed to test new procedures for cancer patients like me, whose conditions are viewed as hopeless.

Microspheres Plus Chemotherapy not Usually Recommended

Surprisingly, most cancer treatment centers have NO on-going clinical studies for advanced forms of liver cancer. I spoke with oncologists from Loma Linda Medical Center, M. D. Anderson in Dallas, and Chicago University Cancer Center. They all confirmed that they treat cancer simply with chemotherapy, not with a combined procedure of chemo and microspheres. In fact, they advised me against using such procedure, because it could destroy my liver.

I reported these conversation to Seza Gulec, MD, the Nuclear Oncologist, who leads the team that is treating me. I asked him what he thought of the advice to treat my liver cancer first with chemo, and later with microspheres, if it should prove necessary. He explained to me that the reason these oncologists oppose his procedure, is because they do not know yet how the combined use of chemo and microsphere works. He is a pioneer of this combined method. In fact, he was the main presenter on May 4-5, 2007, at the Third Annual Clinical Symposium on “Nuclear Medicine,” held in Chicago. He invited me at this symposium to share the results of my treatments with reporters. I interacted with several doctors eager to learn about this new procedure.

How my Liver Cancer Was Treated

To get a more accurate picture of the presence of cancer in my liver, Dr. Gulec asked me to take a combined PET/CAT Scan on March 19, 2007, at their Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, Indiana. The images of this scan are quite revealing. The three dimensional images show that the left lobe of the liver was 70% affected by cancer cells, while the left lobe about 50%. You can see the image by clicking at this link http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/colon/ There is no question that my condition was serious.

The strategy adopted by Dr. Seza Gulec consists of both chemotherapy and microspheres. On Monday, March 26, I was infused with a special brand of chemotherapy. Then on the following day, microbeads were placed with a catherer on the left lobe of the liver which was badly infected with 70% cancer cells. I am told that these beads are like micro atomic bombs that attack aggressively cancer cells. Two weeks later, on April 9, I received a second infusion of chemotherapy. This completed the first round consisting of two chemo and one miscrospheres procedures.

On April 23, I underwent another PET/CAT scan to see what the chemo/microsphers procedures had accomplished. The results surpassed our fondest expectations. At a consultation held on April 30, Dr. Gulec showed to my wife, our daughter Loretta (who is Professor of Nursing), and myself, the difference between the PET/CAT scan image of my liver taken on March 19 before the treatments, and the image of the same scan taken a month later on April 23 after the treatments. The difference between the two is incredible. The image of April 23 shows an almost 80% reduction of cancer cells in my liver. Take a look at the image by clicking at this link http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/colon/

To eliminate the remaining cancer cells, we decided at the consutation that I would undergo two additional chemo procedures. Then I will take another PET/CAT scan to verify that my liver is free from cancer. At that time we will decide if additional treatments are necessary.

The Lord is Giving me a New Lease on Life

It is hard for me to believe that the Lord is giving me a new lease on life in a most unexpected way. Two months ago the prognosis was bleak: only a few months to live. Today the prognosis is hopeful. The battle against the liver cancer is being won and the Lord is pleased to add years to my life to make it possible for me to continue my ministry of biblical research and proclamation of Bible truths in many parts of the world.

Seven Important Lessons Learned from this Cancer Experience

This cancer experience has taught me seven important lessons which I would like to share with you.

First, life and health are a divine gift that we cannot take for granted. Every day we ought to thank God for a new opportunity to live and to serve Him.

Second, when confronted with a disease regarded as incurable, we need to maintain a positive outlook, trusting in God’s ability to heal us. If we allow discouragement to overtake us, our capacity to fight disease is greatly impaired. Throughout my whole experience, I never lost faith in God’s ability to heal me.

Third, the prayers of fellow believers are heard and answered by God. Let us claim the promise of James 5:16: “Pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effect.” Only eternity will reveal how the prayers of countless believers in different parts of the world, have contributed to my healing process.

Fourth, do not accept the first diagnose and/or the first proposed treatment with unquestionable trust. Remember that your local doctor or specialist, may have a limited understanding of your medical problem. Ask God to lead you to a specialist who can diagnose your medical condition and offer you the help that you need. I believe that the Lord led us to the Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, Indiana, because He knew that there I could receive a chemo/microsphere treatment not readily available elsewhere.

Fifth, be willing to use both the conventional and unconventional resources available to you. Some Adventists warned me against all forms of radiation therapy, urging me to use exclusively supplementary natural products. Some believers on our campus who have followed this advice, are already resting in their tomb, awaiting resurrection morning. I believe in the efficacy of some natural product to strengthen the immune system. In fact I am taking several of them every day. But I also believe in benefiting from the dedicated research of scientists whom the Lord has led to find better treatments for “killer” diseases.

Sixth, our ultimate goal is not to seek desperately to prolong our life, but to live every day, honoring God in all our endeavors. Ultimately, what counts is not how long we lived, but how we lived. How many lives have we touched with the love of God? What legacy are we leaving to our family members and fellow believers? Great men of God like Paul lived a relatively short and painful life, yet his teachings and commitment to the mission of the church, are still influencing million of Christians.

Seven, seek to understand what lesson is the Lord trying to teach you through your disease. In my case I sensed that the unexpected diagnosis of cancer in my colon and liver, was a wake up call from God, telling me: “It is time to slow down Sam. At 69 years of age, you are no longer a teenager. You can no longer afford to work during the week 15 hours a day, and then fly every weekend to conduct seminars.” I plan to take heed to this wake up call, by changing my life style. I will devote more time to exercise and rest, and reduce my travels to only two weekend seminars every month.

How to Contact the Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, Indiana

Several subscribers have asked me how to contact the Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, Indiana. Until now I have hesitated to provide any information, because I wanted to see my results of the chemo/microspheres treatments. Before recommending this Center, I wanted to be sure that their clinical studies do produce the results they promised.

The Pet/Cat scans done on Arpil 23, 2007, have dispelled any doubt, since they show an almost 80% reduction in the cancer activity in my liver. Click at this link to see the image that speak for itself http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/colon/

To express my gratitude to God for leading me to this unique Center for Cancer Care, I decided to forward the name, address, and phone number of any cancer patient contacting me, directly to Vladimir Radivojevic, a Seventh-day Adventist who serves as Assistant to the President. Vladimir has reassured me that he will go the second mile to help any cancer patient I will forward him.

For example, at this time the Center does not have yet a shuttle service to the South Bend, airport, which is 30 miles away. But Vladimir has reassured me that he will arrange personally for any arriving patient to be picked up at the South Bend airport. He will also reserve a FREE room at the Care House, a most comfortable place where I have stayed several times.

If you or a person you know needs cancer treatment, feel free to email me their name, address, and phone number. My email is <sbacchiocchi@biblicalperspectives.com> I will forward your information to Vladimir, who will contact you directly. He will put you in contact with an oncologist who will be able to tell you if you qualify for one of the several clinical cancer studies being currently conducted.

Some of the cancer patients I met, have come to the Center for Cancer Care in Goshen, Indiana, after being unsuccessfully treated at major cancer centers in different parts of the USA. Like me, they have experienced positive results and have an encouraging experience to share.

The Center is a modern stone structure built four years ago. It is attached to the Goshen General Hospital that was totally renovated and inaugurated on April 16, 2007. The Center for Cancer Care houses under one roof all the sophisticated equipment needed for cancer treatment. You will be esspecially pleased by the friendly, caring, and compassionate attitude of the doctors and supporting staff.

UPCOMING SEMINARS FOR THE MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE

Gradually I am rescheduling some of the invitations I had to cancel because of the colon cancer surgery and liver treatments. Here is a list of the upcoming weekend seminars for the months of May and June:

MAY 11-12: UPLAND INDONESIAN SDA CHURCH

Location: The church is located close to Loma Linda, at 11100 Cedar Avenue, Bloomington, CA 92316.

For directions and information call Pastor Gary Strunk at 909-790-6042

MAY 25-26: MURRIETTA SPRINGS SDA CHURCH

Location: The church is located half way between Los Angeles and San Diego at 32477 Starbuck Circle, Murrietta, CA 92562

For directions and information call Pastor Lyndon Parsons at 951-313-1668.

JUNE 8-9: TYLER (TEXAS) SDA CHURCH

Location: 2935 S. Southeast Loop 323, Tyler, Texas 75701.

For directions and information call Pastor Elton DeMoraes at 903-258-5757

JUNE 29-30: ENGLAND - CHELMSFORD SDA CHURCH

Location: 43 Roman Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 OHA.

For directions and information call Elder Cliff Hilton at 01376 334 848

JULY 6-7:ENGLAND - TOTTENHAM W GREEN SDA CHURCH

Location: 253-255 West Green Road, Tottenham, London N15 SED

For directions and information call Elder Orville Baxter at 01992 621 599

“The Debate over Human Nature and Destiny”

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,

Retired Professor of Theology and Church History,

Andrews University

The belief in conscious life after death is one of the greatest deception of our times. Such a belief is promoted today not only by the Catholic and Protestant teachings on the immortality of the soul, but also by the polished image of mediums and psychics, the sophisticated “scientific” research into near-death experiences, and the popular New Age channeling craze with the alleged spirits of the past.

Over a century ago Ellen White predicted: “Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions” (Great Controversy, p. 588). Both of these errors are spreading today like wildfire. The vast majority of people have come to believe Satan’s lie that no matter what they do, they “shall not die” (Gen 3:4) but become like gods by living for ever. This lie has fostered a host of heresies such as spiritualism, communication with the spirits of the dead, praying for the dead, the intercession of the saints, purgatory, eternal hellfire, the worship of Mary, indulgences, etc. All of these heretical beliefs fall automatically like dominos when the belief in conscious life after death is proven to be foreign to scripture.

In my book Immortality or Resurrection? A Biblical Study on Human Nature and Destiny, I have shown that the belief in conscious life after death derives from a Greek (Platonic) dualistic view of human nature which is negated by the Bible. The dualistic view maintains that human nature consists of a material, mortal body and a spiritual, immortal soul. The latter survives the death of the body and transits to heaven, or purgatory, or hell. At the resurrection, the soul is reunited with the body. This dualistic conception of human nature has had an enormous impact on Christian life and thought, affecting people’s view of human life, this present world, redemption, and the world to come.

To challenge the prevailing deception of conscious life after death and the host of heresies derived from it, I have devoted one year of my life to diligently examine what the Bible actually teaches regarding the make up of human nature. The findings of my research have been published in my book Immortality or Resurrection? A Biblical Study on Human Nature and Destiny, which has been favorably reviewed by dozen of scholars of different denominations. You can read a samply of their comments at the end of the newsletter. The fundamental question that I am addressing is this: Is human nature dualistic, consisting of a mortal body and an immortal soul that leaves the body at death? Or, is human nature wholistic, consisting of an indivisible person where the soul is the animating principle of the body, both of which cease to exist at death until the resurrection?

The Importance of this Bible Study

What Christians believe about the make-up of their human nature largely determines what they believe about their ultimate destiny. Those who believe their nature is dualistic, that is, consisting of a material, mortal body and a spiritual, immortal soul, generally envision a destiny where their immortal souls will survive the death of their body and will spend eternity either in the bliss of paradise or in the torment of hell. For some, like Catholics and others, the possibility also exists that pardonable souls can be purified in purgatory before ascending to Paradise.

On the other hand, those who believe their nature is wholistic, consisting of an indivisible whole where body, soul, and spirit are only characteristics of the same person, generally envision a destiny where their total mortal person will be resurrected either to eternal life or eternal death. The two different destinies envisioned by a dualistic or wholistic view of human nature could be characterized, as suggested by the title of the book, Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead?

Objectives of This Study

The objectives of this study are twofold. The first is to establish the Biblical view of human nature. We shall learn that the Bible sees human nature as an indivisible unity. This truth has been accepted in recent years by many scholars of all persuasions. In the Bible there is no dividing of a person into body and soul, or body, soul, and spirit. All of these are components or characteristics of the same person. The dichotomy of body and soul derives from Platonism and not from Biblical revelation. The Biblical view of human nature is wholistic or monistic, not dualistic. The Platonic view of the body as the prison of the soul is foreign to the Bible and has done great harm to Christian spirituality, soteriology, and eschatology.

The second objective of this Bible study is to examine how the Biblical view of human nature relates to our present life and ultimate destiny. There is a tendency in scholarly studies to examine in isolation either the Biblical view of human nature (Biblical anthropology) or that of human destiny (Biblical eschatology). Seldom are attempts made to study the correlation between the two. Yet, the two cannot be studied in isolation because the Biblical view of human nature determines the view of human destiny.

Dualistic View of Human Nature is Under Massive Attacks

The Biblical view of human nature and destiny has attracted considerable scholarly attention in recent years. Leading scholars of different religious persuasions have addressed this question in articles and books. A survey of the studies produced during the last fifty years or so, reveals that the traditional dualistic view of human nature has come under massive attack.

Scholars seem to outdo one another in challenging traditional dualism and in affirming Biblical wholism. Reading the scholarly literature in this field, one almost gets the impression that Christianity is coming out of a stupor and is suddenly discovering that for too long it has held to a view of human nature derived from Platonic dualism rather than from Biblical wholism.

Unfortunately, our Seventh-day Adventist Church has largely failed to capitalize on the widespread scholarly rejection of the dualistic view of human nature. In researching for my book Immortality or Resurrection? I could not find a single Adventist publication that capitalizes on recent scholarly studies that expose the deception of conscious life after death. In many ways my book represents an attempt to make up for this missed opportunity by helping Christians at large recognize that our fundamental Adventist belief in the unconscious state of the dead, is finally being accepted as a biblical teaching by numerous Bible scholars of different persuasions. Somebody counted over 400 scholars cited in my book.They include such wellknown scholars as George Eldon Ladd, Oscar Culmann, John R, Stott, and Clark Pinnock.

Two Basic Views of Human Nature and Destiny

There are two basic Christian visions of human destiny which originate from two fundamentally different views of human nature. The first is based on the belief of the immortality of the soul, and the second on the belief of the resurrection of the body.

Classical Dualism

The classical view of human nature is largely derived from the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. The emphasis of these philosophies is on the distinction between the material and spiritual components of human nature. In Platonic thought, human nature has both a material and a spiritual component. The material component is the body, which is temporary and essentially evil; and the spiritual component is the soul (psyche) or the mind (nous), which are eternal and good.

The human body is transient and mortal while the human soul is permanent and immortal. At death, the soul is released from the prison house of the body where it was entombed for a time. Historically popular Christian thought has been deeply influenced by this dualistic, un-Biblical understanding of human nature. The far-reaching implications of the classical view of human nature for Christian beliefs and practices is inestimable. We reflect upon them shortly.

Biblical Wholism

The Biblical view of human nature is essentially wholistic or monistic. The emphasis in the Bible is on the unity of body, soul, and spirit, each being part of an indivisible organism. Since the Biblical wholistic view of human nature is explained at great length in my book Immortality or Resurrection? A Biblical Study on Human Nature and Destiny, In this Bible study I simply refer here to two significant differences with the classical view. The first is that the wholistic view of human nature is predicated on the belief that the material creation of this world, including that of the human body, is “very good” (Gen 1:31). There is no dualism or contradiction between the material and the spiritual, the body and the soul, the flesh and the spirit, because they are all part of God’s good creation. Redemption is the restoration of the whole person, body and soul, and not the salvation of the soul apart from the body.

A second contrast with the classical view is that human nature was not created innately immortal, but with the capacity of becoming immortal. Human beings do not possess a mortal body and an immortal soul; they have a wholistic mortal body and soul which can become immortal. Immortality or eternal life is God’s gift to those who accept His provision of salvation. Those who reject God’s plan for their salvation ultimately will experience eternal destruction, not eternal torment in an ever-burning hellfire. The reason is simple. Immortality is given as a recompense to the saved, not as a retribution to the unsaved.

Here is God’s Good News. Although Adam and Eve were created mortal (with the possibility of becoming immortal by partaking of the Tree of Life) and we today are born mortal, we can receive immortality if we accept God’s gift of eternal life. Immortality is a divine gift and not an innate human possession. It is conditional upon our willingness to accept God’s gracious provision for the salvation of our total nature, body and soul. Thus the Biblical view is also referred to as conditional immortality, because it is offered on God’s terms and conditions.

The Body-Soul Debate

The belief in conscious life after death is propagated today in sophisticated ways through mediums, psychics, “scientific” research into near-death experiences, and New Age channeling with the spirits of the past. The outcome of all of this is that the body-soul question is attracting unprecedented attention even in the scholarly community. A survey of the scholarly literature produced in recent years clearly shows that this question is being hotly debated by leading scholars of different religious persuasions.

The central issue is whether the soul can survive and function apart from the body. In other words, is human nature so constituted that at death the soul, that is, the conscious part, leaves the body and continues to exist while its “container” disintegrates? Traditionally, the vast majority of Christians have answered this question in the affirmative. They have believed that between death and the final resurrection of the body, God preserves the existence of their human disembodied souls. At the resurrection, their material bodies are reunited with their spiritual souls, thus intensifying the pleasure of paradise or the pain of hell.

This traditional and popular view has come under massive attack in recent years. An increasing number of leading evangelical scholars are abandoning the classical, dualistic view of human nature which sees the body as mortal, belonging to the lower world of nature, and the soul as immortal, belonging to the spiritual realm and surviving the death of the body. Instead, they are accepting the Biblical wholistic view of human nature in which the whole person, body and soul, experiences death and resurrection.

Several factors have contributed to the abandonment of the classical dualism on the part of many scholars. One of them is a renewed study of the Biblical view of human nature. A close examination of the basic Biblical terms used for man (body, soul, spirit, flesh, mind, and heart) has led many scholars to recognize that these do not indicate independent components, but the whole person seen from different view points. “Recent scholarship has recognized,” writes Eldon Ladd, “that such terms as body, soul, and spirit are not different, separable faculties of man but different ways of viewing the whole man.”

Virtually any part of the body can be used in the Bible to represent the whole human being. There is no dichotomy between a mortal body and an immortal soul that survives and functions apart from the body. Both body and soul, flesh and spirit in the Bible are part of the same person and do not “come apart” at death.

Dualism under Attack

Numerous Biblical scholars in recent times have argued that Old and New Testament writers do not operate with a dualistic view of human nature, but with a monistic or wholistic one. The outcome of these studies is that many today are questioning or even rejecting the notion that Scripture teaches the existence of souls apart from bodies after death.

Church historians support these conclusions by claiming that a dualistic view of human nature and the belief in the survival of disembodied souls were brought into the Christianity by Church Fathers who were influenced by Plato’s dualistic philosophy. This explains why these beliefs became widely accepted in the Christian church even though they are foreign to the teachings of the Bible.

Philosophers and scientists also have contributed to the massive assault against the traditional dualistic view of human nature. Philosophers have attacked traditional arguments that the soul is an immortal substance that survives the death of the body. They have proposed alternative theories according to which the soul is an aspect of the human body and not a separate component.

Scientists, too, have challenged the belief in the independent existence of the soul by showing that human consciousness is dependent on and influenced by the brain. At death, the brain ceases to function and all forms of consciousness stop. To scientists the cessation of all mental functions at death suggests it is highly unlikely that the mental functions ascribed to the soul can be carried out after death.

These concerted attacks on dualism by Biblical scholars, church historians, philosophers, and scientists have led liberal and even some conservative Christians to reject the traditional dualistic view of human nature. In his book Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting, John W. Cooper summarizes the outcome of this development, saying: “Liberals rejected it [dualism] as old-fashioned and no longer intellectually tenable. And some conservatives Protestants argued that since we ought to follow the Scripture alone and not human traditions, if anthropological dualism is a human tradition not based on Scripture, we ought to reform our confessions and purge them of such accretions of the Greek mind. The soul-body distinction has come under attack from many directions.”

Dualists Are Concerned

These developments have raised serious concerns on the part of those who find their traditional dualistic understanding of human nature severely challenged and undermined. Cooper’s book represents one of many attempts to reaffirm the traditional dualistic view by responding to the attacks on dualism. The reason for this response is well expressed by Cooper: “If what they [scholars] are saying is true, then two disturbing conclusions immediately follow. First, a doctrine affirmed by most of the Christian church since its beginning is false. A second consequence is more personal and existential–what millions of Christians believe will happen when they die is also a delusion.”

There is no question that modern Biblical scholarship is causing great “existential anxiety” to millions of sincere Christians who believe in their disembodied souls going to heaven at death. Any challenge to traditionally cherished beliefs can be devastating. Yet, Christians who are committed to the normative authority of Scripture must be willing to reexamine traditional beliefs, and change them if proven to be unbiblical.

Strong emotional reactions are to be expected from those whose beliefs are challenged by Biblical scholarship. Oscar Cullmann, for example, found himself bitterly attacked by many who strongly objected to his book Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead? Incidentally, the book is largely drawn from the Ingersoll Lecture on the Immortality of Man delivered in 1955 at Harvard University’s Andover Chapel. He wrote: “No other publication of mine has provoked such enthusiasm or such violent hostility.” In fact, the criticism became so intense and so many took offense at his statements that he deliberately decided to keep silent for a time. I should add that Cullmann was not impressed by the attacks against his book because he claims they were based not on exegetical arguments, but on emotional, psychological, and sentimental considerations.

Tactics of Harassment

In some cases, the reaction has taken the form of harassment. Respected Canadian theologian Clark Pinnock (he wrote the Foreword to my book) mentions some of the “tactics of harassment” used to discredit those evangelical scholars who have abandoned the traditional dualistic view of human nature and its related doctrine of eternal torment in a fiery hell. One of the tactics has been to associate such scholars with liberals or sectarians like the Adventists. Pinnock writes: “It seems that a new criterion for truth has been discovered which says that if Adventists or liberals hold any view, that view must be wrong. Apparently a truth claim can be decided by its association and does not need to be tested by public criteria in open debate. Such an argument, though useless in intelligent discussion, can be effective with the ignorant who are fooled by such rhetoric.”

Despite the tactics of harassment, the Biblical wholistic view of human nature which negates the natural immortality of the soul and, consequently, the eternal torment of the unsaved in hell, is gaining ground among evangelicals. Its public endorsement by John R. W. Stott, a highly respected British theologian and popular preacher, is certainly encouraging the trend. “In a delicious piece of irony,” writes Pinnock, “this is creating a measure of accreditation by association, countering the same tactics used against it. It has become all but impossible to claim that only heretics and near-heretics [like Seventh-day Adventists] hold the position, though I am sure some will dismiss Stott’s orthodoxy precisely on this ground.”

Stott himself expresses anxiety over the divisive consequences of his new views in the evangelical community where he is a renowned leader. He writes: “I am hesitant to have written these things, partly because I have great respect for longstanding tradition which claims to be a true interpretation of Scripture, and do not lightly set it aside, and partly because the unity of the worldwide evangelical community has always meant much to me. But the issue is too important to be suppressed, and I am grateful to you (David Edwards) for challenging me to declare my present mind. I do not dogmatize about the position to which I have come. I hold it tentatively. But I do plead for frank dialogue among evangelicals on the basis of Scripture.”

Stott’s plea for a “frank dialogue among evangelicals on the basis of Scripture” may be very difficult if not impossible, to realize. The reason is simple. Evangelicals are conditioned by their denominational traditional teachings, just as much as the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. In theory, they appeal to Sola Scriptura, but in practice, Evangelicals often interpret Scripture in accordance with their traditional denominational teachings. If new Biblical research challenges traditional doctrines, in most cases, Evangelical churches will choose to stand for tradition rather than for Sola Scriptura. The real difference between Evangelicals and Roman Catholics is that the latter are at least honest about the normative authority of their ecclesiastical tradition.

To be an “Evangelical” means to uphold certain fundamental traditional doctrines without questioning. Anyone who dares to question the Biblical validity of a traditional doctrine can become suspect as a “heretic.” In a major conference held in 1989 to discuss what it means to be an evangelical, serious questions were raised as to whether such persons like John Stott or Philip Hughes should be considered evangelical, since they had adopted the view of conditional immortality and the annihilation of the unsaved. The vote to exclude such theologians failed only narrowly.