29. Greek Philosophy Reaches Summit of Pagan Thinking |
529 |
I. Greek Thinking Exhausts Uninspired Speculative Reasoning |
529 |
1. Imprinted Immortal-Soulism on World Thought |
529 |
2. First Confined to Poets and Philosophers; Never Generally Held |
531 |
3. Early Teaching Portrays Joyless Afterworld |
531 |
4. Five Stages in Philosophical Development |
531 |
5. This Chapter Based on Recognized Authorities |
533 |
II. Preliminary Stage—Initiated by Poets, Cults, and Mysteries |
534 |
1. Homer: Persistence of Life Beyond Death |
534 |
2. Transmigration Theory Introduced by Dionysiac Cult |
536 |
3. Orphics: Permeated With Pantheism and Reincarnationism |
537 |
III. Philosophical Developments—Ionic, Eleatic, and Pythagorean Positions |
540 |
1. Ionian School: “Air,” “Water,” “Fire,” “Infinite” |
540 |
2. Eleatic School: Philosophy Becomes Pantheistic |
541 |
3. Heraclitus: Soul Is Immortal Spark From Eternal Fire |
543 |
4. Pythagoras: Eternity of Soul and Successive Transmigrations |
545 |
30. Sophists React Against Conflicting Speculative Schools |
547 |
I. Paralleling Tragic and Lyric Poets Buttress Positions |
547 |
1. Tides of Poetic Opinion Ebb and Flow |
547 |
2. Pindar: Soul Is “Image of Eternity” |
548 |
II. Inevitable Reaction Under Compromisers, Atomists, and Sophists |
549 |
1. Empedocles: Doomed by Sin to Transmigrations |
549 |
2. Anaxagoras: Dualism and Dissolution of the Soul |
551 |
3. Atomists: Conscious Existence Disappears at Death |
553 |
4. Sophists: Bring Speculative Philosophy to a Standstill |
554 |
5. Such a Survey Justifiable and Essential |
556 |
6. Unparalleled Impact of Grecian Philosophy |
557 |
31. Plato—Pagan Fountainhead of Innate-Immortality Streams |
558 |
I. Interest Centered in Origin, Nature, and Destiny of Soul |
560 |
1. Supreme Attempts to Interpret Riddle of Life |
560 |
2. Impact on Jewish and Christian Thought |
560 |
3. Background and Essence of Plato’s Immortal-Soulism |
562 |
4. Present Life One Episode in Endless Sequence |
562 |
5. Three Main Arguments of Indefeasible Immortality |
563 |
II. Complex Involvements of Plato’s Immortality Postulates |
564 |
1. Origin and Nature of the Cosmos |
564 |
2. Conflicting Recitals of Creation of Man |
564 |
3. Epitome of Plato’s Concept of Soul |
566 |
4. Twofold Souls, Fixed Number, arid Transmigration |
568 |
5. Weird Aggregation of Platonic Concepts |
569 |
6. Mythical Tale of the Judgment Invoked |
569 |
7. Dualism Involved in “Two” Eternal Souls |
571 |
32. Pagan Philosophy’s Basic Arguments for Immortal-Soulism |
573 |
I. The “Phaedo”—Peak of Plato’s Teaching on the Soul |
573 |
1. Immortal-Soulism Not Originally Held by Plato |
573 |
2. Distinctive Angles of Three Dialogues |
574 |
3. “The Soul Is the Man” |
574 |
4. Socrates Welcomes Death as “Initiation” to Afterlife |
575 |
5. Death Declared “Final Step” Into “True Being” |
575 |
6. Death: “Separation” of Soul From “Body” |
576 |
7. Popular View: Soul Perishes at Death |
576 |
8. Living Are Born “Only From the Dead” |
577 |
9. Soul Declared “Immortal,” “Indestructible,” “Indissoluble” |
577 |
10. Postulate of Soul’s Pre-existence Involved |
577 |
11. Souls Must Have Existed Before Birth |
578 |
12. “Soul” Invisible, Unchangeable; “Body” Visible, Changing |
579 |
13. Souls “Imprisoned” in Succession of Animal Bodies |
579 |
14. Soul “Wears Out” Succession of “Many Bodies” |
580 |
15. Soul as Instrumental “Harmony” Argument Dismissed |
581 |
16. Soul’s Immortality Connotes Indestructibility |
582 |
17. Fancied Fate of Incorrigibly Wicked |
582 |
18. Drinks the Hemlock and Faces “Journey” |
584 |
33. Immortal Human Souls Part of World-Soul |
585 |
I. “Phaedrus”—Mythical Flights of Composite Winged Souls |
585 |
1. Crucial Conflicts Between “Parts” of Soul |
585 |
2. Tripartite Division of Soul Built on “Myth” |
585 |
3. “Fault” in “Wings” and “Black Steed” |
586 |
4. Soul Not “Derived,” Hence Not “Destructible” |
587 |
5. “Two Souls“: One “Good,” One “Evil” |
587 |
6. “Self-motion” Is “Essence” of Soul |
588 |
7. “Immortal Soul” Plus “Mortal Body” Equals “Living Being” |
588 |
8. Wing Their Way With the Gods |
589 |
9. Vicissitudes of Disembodied Souls and Wings |
589 |
10. Time Schedule of Progressive Incarnations |
589 |
11. Second Incarnation After Thousand Years |
590 |
12. Souls Become Like the Gods They Follow |
591 |
II. “Timaeus”—“Human Soul” Diluted Part of “World-Soul” |
592 |
1. Plato’s Theory of Universe and Man |
592 |
2. “World-Soul” With Stars as “Divine Souls” |
593 |
3. Dualism: Evil Will Never Cease to Be |
594 |
4. “Soul” Is Source of All Motion |
595 |
5. “Intermediate” Existence Between “Being” and “Becoming” |
595 |
6. Immortal Part of Man Fashioned by Primal Creator |
596 |
7. Successive Births in Scale of Transmigratory Degradation |
597 |
8. All Animated Life Included in “Living Beings” |
598 |
9. Man’s “Immortal Soul” Declared Housed in Head |
598 |
34. Skeptical Reactions Erupt Against Platonism |
599 |
I. Aristotle Abandons Plato’s Postulate of “Personal” Immortality |
599 |
1. Questions Plato’s Reasoning on Immortality |
600 |
2. Aristotle in Sharp Contrast With Plato |
601 |
3. Soul Is the “Principle of Life” |
602 |
4. Only Divine Reason Is Immortal |
602 |
5. Separated Soul Has No “Independent Existence” |
603 |
6. Tripartite Nature: Body, Soul, and Mind |
604 |
7. Rohde Summarizes Aristotle’s Position |
604 |
8. Zeller on Pre-existence, Incarnations, and “Personal Immortality” |
604 |
9. Westcott Agrees With Zeller, Rohde, and Draper |
605 |
10. Other Scholars Agree in Foregoing Evaluations |
605 |
11. Centuries-old Conflict Over Aristotle’s Position |
606 |
II. Widespread Opposition by Stoics, Epicureans, and Skeptics |
607 |
1. Stoicism: Materialistic Pantheism; Ultimate Loss of Personality |
607 |
2. Periodic Reabsorptions Into Deity |
608 |
3. The Soul a Fragment of the Divine |
608 |
4. Eternal Soul-Essence Loses Personal Individuality |
609 |
5. Hopelessness and Inadequacy of Stoicism |
610 |
III. Epicureanism—Gross Materialism and Cessation of Soul |
610 |
1. Death Brings Permanent Cessation of Life |
610 |
2. World Formations Result of Blind Chance |
611 |
3. Pleasure Canonized Without Restraint |
612 |
4. Separated Soul Utterly Ceases |
612 |
5. May Reappear as Another Person |
613 |
6. Irreconcilable Clashes Between Stoics and Epicureans |
613 |
IV. Skeptics—Pyrrho Undermines Basis of Immortal-Soulism |
614 |
35. Pathetic Despair Predominant Among Roman Thinkers |
617 |
I. Widespread Revolt Against Platonic Positions |
617 |
1. Barren Comfort of Stoics, Epicureans, and Skeptics |
618 |
2. Manilius: Holds a Fatalistic Pantheism |
619 |
3. Cicero: Vacillates Between Belief and Doubt |
619 |
II. Lucretius—Bleak Materialism and Eternal Death-Sleep |
621 |
1. Book Synopsis Reveals Stark Materialism |
622 |
2. The Terrifying Issues of “Death” |
623 |
3. The “Idle Fancy of Fools” |
623 |
4. “Rarified Wind” Leaves Body at Death |
624 |
5. Both Spirit and Body Are Mortal |
624 |
6. Ridicules “Immortal Spirits” Seeking Bodies |
624 |
7. Death: Eternal Sleep With No Awakening |
624 |
III. Skepticism, Pantheism, Emanation, Refusion—All Intermingled |
625 |
1. Catullus and Horace: Death, Sleep of Eternal Night |
625 |
2. Vergil: Spark of World-Soul Fire Returns to Source |
626 |
3. Ovid: Divine Spark Gave Being to Man |
626 |
4. Seneca: Uncertainty and Contradiction Mark Witness |
627 |
5. Pliny: Pantheistic Universe; Man Part of God |
627 |
6. Epictetus: Refusion of Soul Immediate at Death |
628 |
7. Plutarch: Idea of Annihilation Is Intolerable |
628 |
8. Marcus Aurelius: Soul Reabsorbed Into World-Soul |
629 |
9. Tacitus: Believer in Fatalistic Principle |
629 |
10. Conclusion: Both Views Lead to Extinction of Personality |
630 |
36. Alexandrian Jews Forsake Ancestral Platform |
632 |
I. The Tragedy of the Great Departure |
632 |
II. Character and Significance of Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Teachings |
633 |
1. Prophets Followed by Priests and Priestly Struggles |
633 |
2. Apocryphal and Apocalyptic Writings Appear |
637 |
3. Pseudepigrapha Invokes Prestige of Former Prophets |
638 |
4. Influenced by Thinking of Surrounding Nations |
639 |
5. Apocrypha Excluded From Palestinian Canon |
639 |
6. Extensive Coverage Justified and Imperative |
640 |
III. Historical Background of Jewish Captivities and Decline |
640 |
1. Subjugation by Babylon, Then by Persia |
640 |
2. Syrian Oppression and Maccabean Revolt |
641 |
3. Rome’s Dominance, Jerusalem’s Destruction, and the Diaspora |
641 |
IV. Triple Exposure to Immortality Postulate in Three Captivities |
643 |
1. Egyptian Immortal-Soulism and Transmigration |
643 |
2. Persian Retributionism and Deadly Dualism |
644 |
3. Greek Immortalism Based on Philosophical Speculation |
644 |
4. Antiochus Seeks to Replace Jewish Usages With Grecian |
644 |
5. Apocryphal Writings Emerge During Maccabean Period |
645 |
6. Pagan Dualism Makes Its Impress |
646 |
V. Alexandria—Intellectual Center of Learned World |
647 |
1. Alexander’s Vision of Greek Intellectual Dominance |
647 |
2. Ptolemies and Seleucids Struggle for Mastery |
647 |
3. Hebrew Students Inducted Into Greek Learning |
649 |
VI. Process Whereby the Jews Changed Their Anthropology |
649 |
1. Shifting From the Ancestral Foundations |
649 |
2. Presented Religious Views in Philosophical Setting |
650 |
3. Transmitted From Jews to Christians |
650 |
4. Philo Fuses It Into a System |
651 |
VII. Source of Revolutionary Concepts of Unseen World |
652 |
1. Revolutionary Concepts Developed in Time of Maccabees |
652 |
2. Persian Impact Strengthens Resurrection Concept |
653 |
3. Speculations Crystallize as to Intermediate State |
653 |
4. Climax Reached in Platonic Concepts Under Philo |
654 |
5. Eternal-Hell Concept a Pagan Invention |
655 |
6. Successive Exiles Leave Permanent Impress |
655 |
37. Alien Note Injected Into Inter-Testament Writings |
657 |
I. Pseudo-Sibyllines-—“Mortal” Man’s Role in Drama of the Ages |
659 |
1. A Reflection of One View of the Soul |
659 |
2. Portrayed Drama of the Judgment |
660 |
II. Fateful Destiny of AH Mankind Portrayed |
661 |
1. Man Is Mortal; God Is Immortal |
661 |
2. Fateful Judgment Day Tries “Mortal” Men |
662 |
3. Resurrected After Fire Reduces to Ashes |
662 |
4. Four World Powers and Eschatological End |
663 |
III. Variant Positions Presented by Minor Writers |
664 |
1. “Tobit“: Grave Is Eternal in Annihilation Effects |
664 |
2. “Sirach“: No Remembrance in the Grave |
664 |
3. “Judith”—Supports Eternal-Torment Concept |
665 |
IV. Differing Books of Maccabees Exemplify Divergencies |
666 |
1. “2 Maccabees”—Innate Immortality With Prayers for Dead |
667 |
2. Believes Both in Immortality and in Resurrection |
667 |
3. Prayer to and Sacrifices for the Dead Commended |
667 |
4. Vicarious Suffering Expiates God’s Anger |
668 |
5. Hope of “Seven Brothers” Based on Resurrection |
668 |
38. Innate Immortality Established by Last Century B.C |
671 |
I. “The Book of Jubilees”—Soul Survives; Resurrection Abandoned |
671 |
1. Innate Immortality Already Firmly Established |
672 |
2. Body Rests; Spirit Lives On Independently |
672 |
II. “4 Maccabees”—Presses Immortal-Soulism Beyond All Predecessors |
673 |
1. Men Go to Respective Rewards at Death |
673 |
2. Righteous Immediately Received Into Heaven |
674 |
3. Wicked Punished With Eternal Torture |
674 |
III. “The Wisdom of Solomon”—Strange Combination of Glaring Contradictions |
675 |
1. Curious Admixture of Truth and Error |
676 |
2. Immortality Is for the Righteous Only |
676 |
3. “Translation” of Some Is Alluded to |
677 |
4. Destruction of Wicked Is Utter End |
677 |
5. Immortality Is Fruit of Righteousness and Obedience |
677 |
IV. Innate Immortality and Noxious Involvements |
678 |
1. Unabashedly Avows Innate Immortality |
678 |
2. “Wisdom” the Source of Immortality |
679 |
3. The Righteous Only Seem to Die |
679 |
4. Assumes Pre-existence of the Soul |
680 |
39. Majority Adhere to Historic Conditionalism |
681 |
I. “Ethiopic Enoch”—Underworld Torments End in Annihilation |
681 |
1. Somber Scenes of Judgment Day Depicted |
682 |
2. Resurrection Expressly Portrayed |
682 |
3. Wicked to Be Utterly Consumed |
683 |
4. Torments of Accursed in Underworld |
684 |
II. “Slavonic Enoch”—Eternal Heaven and Unending Hell for Immortal Souls |
685 |
1. First Jewish Propounder of “Six-Thousand-Year” Theory |
685 |
2. Souls Prepared for Eternity Before World’s Formation |
686 |
3. Free Will, Death, Punishment, and Reward |
686 |
4. Righteous “Live Eternally” in Paradise |
686 |
5. “Merciless Tortures” Are “Eternal Inheritance” of Wicked |
686 |
III. “Syriac Baruch”—Conditionalist View; Righteous Sleep Till Resurrection |
687 |
1. Death, Sleep, and Resurrection |
688 |
2. Eschatological View of the Last Things |
688 |
3. Righteous Dead Sleep Until Messiah’s Return |
689 |
IV. Sets Forth the Conditionalist School of Immortality |
689 |
1. Epitome of Baruch’s Hope of Judaism |
689 |
2. Prays for End of Mortality and Corruption |
690 |
3. Coming Judgment and Messiah’s Advent |
690 |
4. Resurrection and Assemblage of Righteous Dead |
690 |
5. The Dust Gives Up the Dead |
691 |
6. The Punishment of the Wicked |
691 |
7. Body Raised Immortal and Incorruptible |
691 |
8. A “Terminable Retribution” Indicated |
692 |
40. “2 Esdras” Maintains the Conditionalist View |
693 |
I. “2 Esdras”—Immortalization of Righteous and Destruction of Wicked |
693 |
1. History Explained in Light of Original Sin |
694 |
2. World’s End, Final Judgment, and Results |
694 |
3. “Mortal” World Succeeded by “Immortal” Age |
695 |
II. Documented Evidence of Ezra’s Conditionalist Position |
696 |
1. “Mortal Man” in a “Corruptible World” |
696 |
2. “New Age” and the Intermediate State |
696 |
3. Righteous to Live, While Ungodly Perish |
697 |
4. General Resurrection and Final Judgment |
697 |
5. “Sleepers” in the “Dust” Called Forth |
697 |
6. The Wicked Are Doomed to Destruction |
697 |
7. Wicked, as a “Flame,” Ultimately “Extinguished” |
698 |
8. “Treasures of Immortality” Made Manifest to Ezra |
699 |
9. Wicked Brought to “Death by Torment” |
699 |
10. Wicked Perish Because of Disobedience |
700 |
11. Ezra’s Single Prophecy Deals With Eschatology |
700 |
12. Time’s Last Hours, and Mortality |
701 |
41. Neoplatonism’s Development—Jewish, Pagan, and Christian |
703 |
I. Alexandria—Seat of Two Paralleling Schools |
703 |
1. Greek Philosophy Takes Root in Roman Empire |
703 |
2. Neoplatonic School Result of Eclectic Choice |
704 |
3. Alexandria the Center of Conflicting Cultures |
705 |
4. Pagan Neoplatonisrn Becomes Anti-Christian |
706 |
II. Pagan Neoplatonism—Greek Philosophy’s Last Stand |
707 |
1. Philo: Precursor, Builds Upon Emanation Theory |
707 |
2. Lucius: Asserts “World-Soul” Principle |
708 |
3. Numenius: Incarnations Punishments for Previous-Life Sins |
708 |
4. Ammonius: Lays Foundations for Neoplatonism |
709 |
5. Plotinus: Orientalism. Dualism, Emanation, Reabsorption |
709 |
6. Porphyry: Skeptic, Vet Holding to Universal Soul |
713 |
7. Iamblichus: Mytchology, Astrology, Necromancy |
713 |
8. Julian: Suppresses Christianity, Exalts Paganism |
714 |
9. Proclus: Mystic Union of Soul With Deity |
714 |
III. Paralleling Christian Catechetical School |
715 |
1. Alexandrian Center Exerts Powerful Influence |
715 |
2. Characterized by Speculation and Allegorization |
716 |
3. Shadows Deepen Into Midnight of Middle Ages |
716 |
42. Philo Judaeus Fuses Platonic Philosophy With Judaic Doctrine |
718 |
I. Alexandria, Seat of Two Paralleling Schools |
718 |
1. On Borderline of Old and New |
718 |
2. Blends Various Views Into Single System |
719 |
3. Pre-eminent Champion of Immortal-Soulism |
719 |
II. Basic Features of Philo’s Teaching Concerning Man |
720 |
1. “Revelation” the Distinguishing Principle of Neoplatonism |
720 |
2. Philo’s Concept of God Was a Synthesis |
722 |
3. Greek and Hebrew Thought Blended by Allegorization |
722 |
4. Strange Conflicting Concepts of Logos |
723 |
5. Flash Pictures of Philo’s Immortal-Soulism |
724 |
6. Philo’s Responsibility in the Great Departure |
726 |
III. Scope and Significance of Philo’s Innovation |
727 |
1. Contrives “Agreement” of Biblical and Philosophical “Truth” |
727 |
2. Strikes at Origin and Destiny of Man |
728 |
3. Genesis Narrative of Creation Vitiated |
729 |
4. Like All Living Creatures Man Has “Animal” Soul |
730 |
5. Man Also Has Immortal “Rational Soul” |
731 |
6. Curious Theory of “Unbodied Souls” |
732 |
7. Role of Unbodied Soul-Angels |
733 |
8. Definition and Function of Rational Soul |
734 |
9. Immortality Defined as “Eternal Persistence” |
734 |
10. Resurrection and Immortality of Soul |
735 |
11. Definitive Meaning of “Fatherland” of Soul |
735 |
12. Souls Return to Realm of “Unbodied” |
736 |
13. Merges Immortality and Resurrection |
737 |
14. Endless Punishment of the Wicked |
737 |
15. Attested by Scholarly Authorities |
739 |
16. Twin Streams Merge at Alexandria |
740 |
43. Dead Sea Scrolls—Permeated Throughout With Conditionalism |
741 |
I. Timing and Teaching of Essene Brotherhood |
742 |
1. Views of the People of the Scrolls |
743 |
2. Like Waldenses of Medieval Times |
743 |
3. Approaching End of Present Age |
744 |
4. Major Emphasis Is on Last Things |
745 |
5. Prominent Place Given to Angels |
745 |
II. Comprehensive Witness of Scrolls on Man’s Nature and Destiny |
746 |
1. Sinners “Perish”; Righteous “Destined” for “Life Eternal” |
746 |
2. Righteous Stand in God’s Presence Forever |
746 |
3. Man Created for Eternity |
747 |
4. No “Escape” for Wicked in “Final Doom” |
747 |
III. Fate of Wicked Is Utter Extinction |
748 |
1. Wicked to Be “Found No More,” “Cut off.” Wiped Out |
748 |
2. Burned Until They Be “Destroyed” |
749 |
3. Righteous “Never Die”; Wicked “Wither” |
749 |
4. Angels Brought to Judgment and Hell |
750 |
IV. Eternal Redemption and Utter Extinction |
750 |
1. “Dust” Return to “Dust” |
750 |
2. “Perdition Eternal” vs. “Enduring” for All Time |
750 |
3. Iniquity Cannot Exist in God’s Presence |
751 |
4. “Mortal Flesh” Redeemed Forevermore |
751 |
V. Wicked Cease and Wrong Disappears Forever |
752 |
1. Wicked Will Cease to Exist |
752 |
2. Final Clash of Good and Evil |
752 |
3. “Everlasting Redemption” vs. “Annihilation” |
752 |
4. Wrong Will Disappear Forever |
753 |
5. Significance of the Great Digression in Jewry |
753 |