Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 9:42–48; Mal. 4:1; Jude

7; 1 Tim. 2:5; Acts 2:29, 34, 35; 1 John 5:3–12.

Memory Text: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians

5:21, NKJV).

Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) wrote his famous work,

The Divine Comedy, about a fictional journey of the soul after

death. The soul went either to the inferno (hell) within the earth;

or to purgatory, where the human spirit can purge itself and become

worthy of ascending to heaven; or to Paradise, to the presence of God

Himself.

Though only a poem, fiction, Dante’s words ended up having a great

deal of influence on Christian theology, especially Roman Catholic

theology. The basic notion of an immortal soul’s going either to hell,

or to purgatory, or to Paradise is foundational to that church. Many

conservative Protestant denominations also believe in an immortal soul

that after death ascends either to Paradise or descends to hell. Indeed, if

the human soul never dies, then it has to go somewhere after the body

dies. In short, a false understanding of human nature has led to terrible

theological errors.

This week we will deal with some of these unbiblical theories, as well

as with the biblical view of what happens after death.