The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1
- Contents- Acknowledgments
- Table of Contents
- Charts
- Dedication
- From Author to Reader
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Prologue
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Part I-Biblical Norm Set Forth in Old Testament-Earliest Comprehensive Evidence on Life, Death, and Destiny
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CHAPTER TWO: Man Created in the Image of God
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CHAPTER THREE: Prohibition, Probation, Temptation, and Fall
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CHAPTER FOUR: The Gospel of Genesis 3:7
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CHAPTER FIVE: The Penalty of Death for Disobedience
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CHAPTER SIX: Redemption in the Period of the Sacrificial Altar
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CHAPTER SEVEN: Eternal Destruction Is Decreed—Doom of Wicked
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CHAPTER EIGHT: Prophetic Witness Concerning the “Last Things”
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CHAPTER NINE: Technical Terms and Usages Preclude Innate Immortality
- An Examination of Nephesh, Neshamah, and Ruach
- I. Must Understand Key Old Testament Terms Through Usage
- II. Meaning of Nephesh in the Hebrew of the Old Testament
- III. Nephesh as Translated in the English Versions
- IV. Ruach and Neshamah Have a Variety of Meanings
- V. Relation of “Spirit” or “Breath” to Life and Death
- VI. Fundamental Distinction Between Man and Beast
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CHAPTER TEN: Weak Arguments Formulate Unworthy Platform
- I. She’ol’s Most Suitable Rendering Is “Gravedom”
- II. Origin of “Gehenna” (Ge Hinnom) Symbol of Final Destruction
- III. Three Supporting Citations Break Down Under Scrutiny
- IV. Isaiah’s Parabolic Taunting Ode on King of Babylon
- V. Ezekiel’s Parabolic Dirge Over Pharaoh of Egypt
- VI. Saul Deceived by Necromancy of Medium of Endor
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Part II-Comprehensive Witness of the New Testament-Consummating Testimony of Christ and the Apostles on the Origin, Nature, and Destiny of Man
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CHAPTER ELEVEN: Christ’s Infallible Testimony on Life Versus Death
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CHAPTER TWELVE: Coordinates All Aspects of Life, Death, and Destiny
- I. Significance of Christ’s Life and Death in Plan of Redemption
- II. Pivotal Place of Christ’s Teachings on Life, Death, and Destiny
- III. Sets Pattern for Eschatological and Chronological Sequence
- IV. Transcendent Events Mark “End of the World”
- V. Apostles’ Descriptions Agree With Christ’s
- VI. “Sleep” of Death Followed by Resurrection “Awakening”
- VII. The Resurrection Provision Pivotal in Christ’s Teaching
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Christ’s Great Parable of the Lost Opportunity
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Gravity of Ascribing False Teachings to Christ
- I. Josephus Illuminates Dives-Lazarus Story
- II. Literalism Violates Consistency, Vitiates Christ’s Witness, Overturns Scripture Testimony
- III. Gravity of Ascribing False Teaching to Christ, Embodiment of Truth
- IV. Major Area of Disagreement Between Christ and Pharisees
- V. Conclusion: Immortal Soulism Collapses Under Scrutiny
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Christ’s Majestic Answer to the Penitent’s Plea
- I. Problem Text (Luke 23:43): Penitent Thief—“Today”—and “Paradise”
- II. Three “Heavens and Earths”—Past, Present, Future
- III. Penitent Neither in Kingdom Nor in Paradise That Day
- IV. Meaning Completely Altered by Position of Comma
- V. Determining Evidences on the Technical Side
- VI. Most Sublime Episode of Christ’s Redemptive Career
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Christ Portrays Doom of Wicked as Utter Destruction
- I. Seventeen Graphic Illustrations of Doom of Wicked
- II. Christ’s Meaning of “Eternal” Fire, Punishment, Damnation
- III. Christ’s Explicit Teachings on “Hell” Examined
- IV. “Hades”—True Understanding Based on NT Usage, Not Pagan-Romanist
- V. Problem Text (Mark 9:43-48): “Their Worm Dieth Not”
- VI. Sin’s Punishment Does Not Continue Through All Eternity
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Theologian Paul on Life, Death, and Immortality
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Paul’s Leading Problem Passage (2 Corinthians 5:1-9)
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CHAPTER NINETEEN: Paul’s Other Problem Passages
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CHAPTER TWENTY: Unique Witness of Epistles of Peter and John
- I. Peter’s Portrayal of Cataclysmic End Events
- II. Problem Text (1 Peter 3:19)—Preaching to “Spirits in Prison”
- III. Christ Truly “Died” According to Prediction, Fulfillment, Attestation
- IV. Problem Text (2 Peter 2:4)—Fallen Angels Detained in “Tartarus”
- V. John’s Epistles: Life in and Through Christ Is Central Thought
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Revelation-Inspiration’s Supreme Portrayal of Human Destiny
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Apocalypse Reveals Final Fate of Wicked
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Greek Terms and Usages—“Psuche” (Soul); “Pneuma” (Spirit)
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Terms and Usages: “Aion” and “Aionios”
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Terms and Usages: “Immortal,” “Incorruption,” “Immortality,” “Eternal Life”
- I. “Immortality”—Springs From God, Bestowed on Man
- II Athanasia, Aphthartos, Aphtharsia—Restrict Innate Immortality to God
- III. The Five English Uses of Immortal/Immortality Examined
- IV. Problem: “Eternal Life” and “Immortality”—Differences, Similarities, and Relationships
- V. Eternal Life—Present Possession, but in Christ
- VI. Immortality—God’s Alone, Man’s to “Put On” at Advent
- VIII. Believers Predestined Heirs of Eternal Life Hereafter
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Technical Terms: Sleeping, Waking, Resurrection
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Terms and Usages: Final Disposition of the Wicked
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Summing Up the Case for Biblical Conditionalism
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Part III-Historical Development of Innate, Immortality Concept (900 B.C. to the Time of Christ)-Rise of Platonic Postulate and Penetration Into Jewry
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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: Greek Philosophy Reaches Summit of Pagan Thinking
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CHAPTER THIRTY: Sophists React Against Conflicting Speculative Schools
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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: Plato—Pagan Fountainhead of Innate-Immortality Streams
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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: Pagan Philosophy’s Basic Arguments for Immortal-Soulism
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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Immortal Human Souls Part of World-Soul
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: Skeptical Reactions Erupt Against Platonism
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: Pathetic Despair Predominant Among Roman Thinkers
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: Alexandrian Jews Forsake Ancestral Platform
- I. The Tragedy of the Great Departure
- II. Character and Significance of Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Teachings
- III. Historical Background of Jewish Captivities and Decline
- IV. Triple Exposure to Immortality Postulate in Three Captivities
- V. Alexandria-Intellectual Center of Learned World
- VI. Process Whereby the Jews Changed Their Anthropology
- VII. Source of Revolutionary Concepts of Unseen World
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: Alien Note Injected Into Inter-Testament Writings
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CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: Innate Immortality Established by Last Century B.C
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CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: Majority Adhere to Historic Conditionalism
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CHAPTER FORTY: “2 Esdras” Maintains the Conditionalist View
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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: Neoplatonism’s Development—Jewish, Pagan, and Christian
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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: Philo Judaeus Fuses Platonic Philosophy With Judaic Doctrine
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CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: Dead Sea Scrolls-Permeated Throughout With Conditionalism
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Part IV-Historical Conflicts Compass the Early Centuries (A.D. 150 to A.D. 500)-Positions of Subapostolic and Ante-Nicene Fathers, and Post-Nicene Developments Eventuate in a Theological Trilemma
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CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: Subapostolic Writers Consistently Conditionalist
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CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: Immortality Bestowed at Advent, Wicked Destroyed
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CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: Immortality a Gift; Death Is Utter Destruction
- Hermas—Portrays Issues of Eternal Life and Utter Destruction
- I. Two Destinations Portrayed in Multiple Forms
- II. Polycarp—Resurrection Is Immortality’s Sole Gateway
- III. Conditional Resurrection the Determining Factor
- IV. Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus—“Immortal Soul” and “Eternal Fire” Problems
- V. Summarizing Conclusion Concerning the Apostolic Fathers
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CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: Justin Martyr Augments Subapostolic Conditionalism
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CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: Justin on Final Annihilation of the Wicked
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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: Tatian, Theophilus and Melito—Continue Conditionalist Witness
- I. Tatian—The Soul Is “Not Immortal” but “Mortal”
- II. Tatian’s Confession of Faith on Soul, Here, and Hereafter
- III. Theophilus of Antioch—Man Created a Candidate for Immortality
- IV. Immortality Conferred on Righteous; Destruction Is Fate of Wicked
- V. Melito of Sardis—Death a Long Sleep; Immortality Regained Through Christ
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CHAPTER FIFTY: Gnostic-Manichaean Perversions Compel Restatement of Truth
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CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: Irenaeus of Gaul—Conditionalist Champion on Western Outpost
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CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: Irenaeus Voices Preponderant Belief of Church
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CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE: Novatian of Rome—Conditionalist Opponent of Cornelius
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CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR: Arnobius of Africa—Last Ante, Nicene Conditionalist Spokesman
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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: Athenagoras—First Ecclesiastic to Assert Innate Immortality
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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: Tertullian—Projector of Eternal-Torment Corollary
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CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN: Tertullian Holds Wicked Ever Burn but Never Consume
- CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT: Universal Restoration Substituted for Eternal Torment
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CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: Rise and Spread of Neoplatonic Restorationism
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CHAPTER SIXTY: Origen—Projector of Universal Restoration Theory
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CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE: Origen’s Multiple Departures From the Faith
- I. Adopted Heathen Transmigration Fallacy
- II. Allegorizing Substituted for Literalism
- III. Spiritualizes Second Advent, End of World, and Millennium
- IV. Holds Every Immortal Soul to Be Restored
- V. Recapitulation: Twin Fallacies of Tertullian and Origen
- VI. Subsequent Churchmen Are Divided Between the Conflicting Schools
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CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO: Lactantius—Emitting Light Amid Encroaching Darkness
- I. Historical Setting of Interest in Man’s Nature and Destiny
- II. Immortality—Lost Through Sin; Restored Through Christ
- III. Christ the Source of Our Immortality
- IV. Immortality Not Inherent, but a Gift
- V. Conditionalism Placed in Eschatological Setting
- VI. Immortality’s Place in the Prophetic Outline
- VII. Pitfalls Lurk in Abbreviated Epitome
- VIII. Significance of Lactantius’ Conditionalist Witness
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CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE: Athanasius—Then Conditionalism Into Eclipse
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CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR: Augustine—Immortal-Soulism’s Hour of Supremacy
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Appendixes
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Bibliography
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Subject Guide