One God Report 43) Where does the Bible Say We Go When We Die? (Hint: Not to heaven), Interview with Pastor Sean Finnegan
“Where do we go when we die? Or, What has the Greek Philosopher Plato got to do with Christianity?”
Interview with Pastor Sean Finnegan
Sean Finnegan is pastor at Living Hope Community Church in Latham, New York. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Atlanta Bible College where he teaches courses in Church History, Apologetics, and Basic Bible Doctrine, and he is the host of the Restitutio Podcast. Website:
Additional Resources on the topic “Christians don’t go to heaven, but await the resurrection to the kingdom of God”:
Restitutio podcast: Conditional Immortality
https://restitutio.org/2019/02/14/164-theology-3-conditional-immortality/
Restitutio podcast: Challenging Conditional Immortality
https://restitutio.org/2019/02/21/165-theology-4-challenging-conditional-immortality/
Topics and questions addressed in this episode:
1. Most Christians today think that those who believe in Jesus, when they die, their soul or self separates and goes to heaven. Is this biblical and if not, where did Christians get this idea from?
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2. Explanation of the Greek philosophical view of Plato that "death is the separation of the soul from the body". Most Christians think Plato’s description of death is in the Bible.
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3. If people don’t “go to heaven” when they die, what is the biblical view of what happens to a person when they die?
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4. Is the human soul or self immortal? What is meant by “conditional immortality”?
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5. As examples, two main passages that Christians point to as evidence that “when you die you go to heaven”
Luke 23:43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Punctuate differently: “Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise”
2 Corinthians 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
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6. If people’s souls don’t separate from their bodies at death and go to heaven, that is a lie, no? How does this lie deflect from what is real? A different hope. What is the biblical hope for a believer in God and Jesus?