Death as a Part of Life

Foundation Doctrine of Christ

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

(Hebrews 5:12-14)

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.

(Hebrews 6:1-3)

As revealed in these scriptural passages, there are six foundational doctrines to the Christian faith. Because they are foundational, every believer should have a clear understanding of each doctrine and live by them. The six doctrines are: repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Those who have a clear understanding of these doctrines and live by them will have a sure foundation and will not be deceived by false teachings they may encounter in their Christian walk.

Scripture reveals that these doctrines are the milk of God's word, meaning all newborn believers should feed on them and understand them. However, even mature adults drink milk as part of their natural diet, and in the spirit, that principle remains the same. Therefore, it is good for mature believers to revisit the foundational principles of Christ from time to time to ensure their foundations remain solid. In this teaching, we will examine the doctrine of resurrection of the dead, which is the fifth of the six foundational doctrines listed in these passages.

Nature of Death   

It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

(Hebrews 9:27)

Before we can discuss the resurrection of the dead, we must first understand the nature of death itself. The passage quoted above declares that it is appointed for men to die once. In other words, everyone experiences death—for, as the saying goes, death is a part of life.

Because death is inevitable, it is essential to understand its true nature—whether it signifies a final end or a passage into another existence. This scripture provides the answer, for it goes on to state that judgment follows death. This confirms that death does not mark the cessation of existence, but rather the continuation of existence in another form.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23)

We have established that mankind continues to exist even after death. The question then arises: in what form does this continued existence take place? The apostle Paul provides the answer in the passage quoted above. In it, he identifies the three components of God’s creation of man: spirit, soul, and body. In other words, God created mankind as a triune being.

To better grasp this concept, we may describe humanity’s creation in the following way: man is a spirit, he possesses a soul, and he dwells in a physical body.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

(Genesis 2:7)

The passage quoted above gives us further insight into the creation of man. It first declares that God formed man from the dust of the ground. In other words, God used the soil of the earth to create man’s physical body.

The passage then continues, stating that God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. In other words, it was at this moment that God imparted man’s spirit and soul into his physical body.

It is therefore evident that while man’s body originates from the earth, his spirit and soul come directly from God.

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, And to dust you shall return."

(Genesis 3:19)

In the passage quoted above, the Lord explains what happens to our physical bodies when we die. He declares that because our bodies are made from the dust of the earth, at death they will return to dust once again.

In other words, the human body is mortal; it is not an eternal creation of God. Scripture refers to our present physical bodies as tents (2 Peter 1:13). A tent is a temporary dwelling, and in the same way, we now live in temporary bodily structures.

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

(Ecclesiastes 12:7)

We have seen from Scripture that man’s body originates from the ground, while his spirit and soul come directly from God. The passage quoted above shows how this process is reversed at death: the body returns to the ground, and the spirit and soul return to God who gave them.

It is therefore evident that although the human body is mortal, the spirit and soul are eternal creations of God—they never cease to exist. In other words, after death, man continues to exist in spirit.

From the passages discussed in this section, it is clear that the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead refers specifically to the resurrection of the human body. It is important to note that everyone - both believers and unbelievers - will experience the resurrection of the dead.

As an aside, I discuss the subject of the spirit, soul, and body of man in greater detail in my series Man, the Image of God.

Michael E.B. Maher

Resurrection of the Dead

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