Straight To Heaven

Since Christ's death men have taught we go straight to heaven, claiming the resurrection is past.

1 Corinthians 15:12

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 

2 Timothy 2:18

Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. 

 There are different forms of this doctrine, and I don't claim to know all people's nuances. I do believe the general thesis is an error. We, our whole being, doesn't go straight to heaven. Our eternal bodies aren't given to us at the point of our death. The most we can say is our spirit or soul or mind are with Christ at death. It is not our final state. The idea that we go straight to heaven and receive a new body then isn't correct. We must wait for Christ's coming.

Some teach the temporary place of death revealed by Christ in Luke 16:39 and following, the Rich man and Lazarus, they teach this was ended by the death of Christ. I have seen videos stating this. It can't be true since I Cor 15 was written 20 years later. I Cor. 15 is a chapter affirming a future resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:23

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 

The rest are at the coming of Christ. Luke 16 does have a change, in the chapter they were believers in Abraham but after the cross we must believe in Christ and the Cross. This change doesn't do away with a temporary resting place to await the resurrection. That was thru assumption only.

Some see man as a soul that lives on, and in their view it is the soul that lives eternally. This minimizes what man's complete presence really means. We became living souls in Genesis, but man is more than a soul or spirit/soul. Our being includes the body. People who believe we live as a spirit eternally without a body deny a bodily resurrection. Christ and the apostles clearly taught a bodily resurrection.

John 5:28

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

John 5:29

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 

Some believe this was fulfilled when Jesus died, the graves around Jerusalem were opened and the dead were seen around Jerusalem, but John 5 says "all who are in the graves", not just those around Jerusalem. Plus, 20 years after Christ's death Paul wrote of the resurrection future. He taught it was future.

1 Corinthians 15:44

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 

1 Corinthians 15:49

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 

Thus, our bodies will be raised as spiritual bodies and those still living will be changed into spiritual bodies. Our complete being will not be present with Christ until the resurrection. Though our spirit is protected by God after death, we aren't complete beings until given our spiritual bodies. We aren't complete and therefore not in heaven as a complete being. We don't go straight to heaven as a complete spiritual being upon death, not until the resurrection.

Are we raised a spiritual body or a physical body. It seems a physical body as Christ was, then we are changed.

1 Corinthians 15:46

Howbeit that [was] not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 

1 Corinthians 15:51

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

Our spirit doesn't necessarily change when departing the body, so the change is something other than our spirit.

Christ was raised physically and then changed into a spiritual body. We will follow this order it seems. Whether dead or living, we are to be changed into spiritual beings after the resurrection of our physical bodies. The resurrection does not guarantee eternal life, those raised in Jerusalem could die again. Lazarus could die again without a bodily change.

1 Corinthians 15:54

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

The resurrection doesn't keep us from dying if left a mortal being, we must be changed into a spiritual being. Jesus affirmed the body and soul can be destroyed. Not after being made immortal.

Being with the Lord upon death is that part of man that is spirit, not the total man that we will eventually be. 

Being raised in some sense means to awaken from sleep. It is more about awakening the mind from sleep. In the resurrection our minds will be awakened to a new reality, our bodies and minds will be incorruptible. In death we sleep in a sense. In the resurrection our minds and bodies come to life.

1 Corinthians 15:52

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

This word raised is different than resurrection. Abirim Publications lexicon describes it this way.

The verb εγειρω (egeiro) means to awaken, incite, rouse or rise. There's no proper English equivalent of this verb but it indicates the opposite of being inactive and inattentive (or asleep) and is as such used figuratively to describe a becoming alert or focused, or getting underway on a journey or perhaps en route to an understanding.

Our verb is often translated with terms like "rise" or "awaken" but the emphasis lies on the gathering up of one's scattered thoughts or unconscious attentions and bundling these into a unified purpose.

This requires the joining of mind and body. This verse is the one men use to deny a physical resurrection of our bodies, but it shouldn't be used that way. We will be resurrected and raised. Two separate things perhaps. Perhaps the same act but being raised is about consciousness of our new journey. Soul sleep may be a temporary state since we are brought back to being awaken. The Jehovah's Witness view of eternal sleep is clearly false.

The story in Luke 16 of the rich man and Lazarus can also be misunderstood. In the story they are conscious, but are not awakened to the resurrection reality. They haven't experienced it yet. It seems they haven't experienced Christ yet. Perhaps at the cross they became conscious of the cross, but that doesn't mean raised to all realities. It doesn't mean they have their immortal bodies yet. 

Sleep as in our earthly state of sleep can have dreams and states of consciousness. When Jesus said Lazarus wasn't dead but sleeping he may have given us a clue that death can offer partial consciousness and awareness. Suffering and comfort being possible.

Luke 16:39 and Matthew 25 show the same judgment before and after the resurrection. The sheep and goats are separated just as the rich man and Lazarus were separated. Lazarus had faith with Abraham whereas the sheep had faith in Christ. In both cases judgment was rendered based upon faith and love of your brethren. It wasn't faith alone.

Many believe this separation of the rich man and Lazarus ended at the cross, paving the way for going straight to heaven, since Matthew 25 seems to disagree with this conclusion it is doubtful. Plus Apostles writing years later spoke of a future resurrection and the awakening of our consciousness to a new life.

I Thess 4:16 also refutes the idea of going straight to heaven as a complete soul, since it says Jesus will descend from heaven for the resurrection, it is doubtful we have complete spiritual souls before then. Why descend from heaven if we are already there? We clearly must wait for that event and Christ's coming to receive our complete persons. 

The term "ever be with" uses a word meaning whole, it can be whole time or even whole person, perhaps both. Our complete person will be with Christ eternally. When Paul said he would go to be with the Lord he did not mean as a complete glorified person, since he states he will be absent from the body.

2 Corinthians 5:8

We are confident, [I say,] and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

We go to the Lord for comfort and safe keeping, but must be confident our death will be overcome, and new glorified persons will be raised. Paul mentions the inward man, which is renewed day by day, it is the inward man that moves on to be with the Lord. The inward man will await a glorified body to be given at the resurrection. The inward man can be with the Lord. without us being in our final state. This distinction must be clear.

We will have to wait.

Philippians 3:10

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Philippians 3:11

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

Philippians 3:20

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 

Philippians 3:21

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 

Again we see it is when Christ returns that our fleshly bodies will be changed, not at our death. We don't achieve our completed state at death. Plus, we don't know where we will be or how we are kept, we just know we will be in good hands.

All of Paul's resurrection chapters were written 20 years after the cross. So there is nothing that should be misapplied to say we go straight to our final destination at death based upon the cross, all were written well after the cross. I Thess 4:15-18, I Cor.15, Phil 3, Romans 6 Most of these are misapplied to be the rapture or some other event.

Jesus spoke of the resurrection as meeting a different world, not this one. We must be counted worthy through faith and love, and the cross.

Luke 20:35

But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 

Luke 20:36

Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.