The After Life
Christian beliefs about the afterlife vary between
denominations and individual Christians, but the vast majority of Christians
believe in some kind of heaven, in which believers enjoy the
presence of God and other believers and freedom from suffering and sin.
Views differ as to whether those of other faiths or none at all will be
in heaven, and conceptions of what heaven will be like differ as well.
A slightly lesser majority of Christians believe in the existence
of hell, where unbelievers or sinners are punished. Views differ as to
whether hell is eternal and whether its punishment is spiritual or physical.
Some Christians reject the notion altogether.
Catholic Christians also believe in purgatory, a temporary place of
punishment for Christians who have died with unconfessed sins.
For more specific Christian views about the afterlife,
following are doctrinal statements from several different Christian
denominations and organizations on the afterlife. Click on the linked
title for the source of the quote.
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their
translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church. The second coming of
Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed
by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one
thousand years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national
Israel, and the establishment of universal peace. There will be a
final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to
their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with
the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to
the everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death. We, according to His promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.
At the end of the age, the bodies of the dead shall be raised. The
righteous shall enter into full possession of eternal bliss in the presence of
God, and the wicked shall be condemned to eternal death.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to
everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgment
and everlasting conscious punishment.
We believe, according to the Scriptures, that there shall be a resurrection from the dead, both of the just and of the unjust, (Acts 24:15)
and that God hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in
righteousness, by Jesus Christ whom He hath ordained. (Acts 17:31) For, as
saith the apostle, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor 5:10). We sincerely believe,
not only a resurrection in Christ from the fallen and sinful state here, but a
rising and ascending into glory with Him hereafter; that when He at last
appears we may appear with Him in glory. But that all the wicked, who live in
rebellion against the light of grace, and die finally impenitent,
shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation. And that the soul of
every man and woman shall be reserved, in its own distinct and proper being,
and shall have its proper body as God is pleased to give it. It is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; (1 Cor 15:44) that being first
which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual.
... We believe that the punishment of the wicked and the blessedness of the
righteousness shall be everlasting, according to the declaration of our
compassionate Redeemer, to whom the judgment is committed, "These shall go
away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (RV,
Matt 25:46)
Also they [Lutheran churches] teach that at the Consummation of the
World Christ will appear for judgment, and will raise up all the dead; He will
give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but
ungodly men and the devils He will condemn to be tormented without end. They
condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments
of condemned men and devils. They condemn also others who are now spreading
certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly
shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere
suppressed.
We believe that, just as God raised Jesus from the dead, we also will be
raised from the dead. At Christ's glorious coming again for judgment, the dead
will come out of their graves"--those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
condemnation." The righteous will rise to eternal life with God, and the
unrighteous to hell and separation from God. Thus, God will bring justice to
the persecuted and will confirm the victory over sin, evil, and death
itself.
We look forward to the coming of a new heaven and a new earth, and a New
Jerusalem, where the people of God will no longer hunger, thirst, or cry, but
will sing praises: "To the One seated on the throne and to the
Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!
Amen!"
If there is a Presbyterian narrative about life after death, this is it:
When you die, your soul goes to be with God, where it enjoys God's glory and
waits for the final judgment. At the final judgment bodies are reunited with
souls, and eternal rewards and punishments are handed out. As the Scots
Confession notes, final judgment is also "the time of refreshing and
restitution of all things. “And it is clearly the case that both the Scots
Confession and the Westminster Confession of Faith want to orient the
present-day life of believers around this future. But the Bible spends more
time focusing on new life here than on life after death. So do all our more
recent confessions. Although the Confession of 1967 mentions life after death,
it does so only briefly. Its focus is on new life now and on the church's
ministry of reconciliation.
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its
appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally
and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will
judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the
place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and
glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven
with the Lord.
God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and
fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, the presence
of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in that kingdom
which has no end.
The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshiping, and
adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a
fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but
repugnant to the Word of God.
Roman Catholicism did not begin at a specific point in history, like the
Protestant denominations. In its long history, the church has evolved into a
distinctive branch of Christianity with beliefs, practices and organization
that differ from both Protestantism and Orthodoxy. (Comparison Chart: Catholicism and
Protestantism)
Roman Catholicism is by far the largest Christian group. With more than
one billion adherents, Catholics constitute about half of the world's
Christians. [2] Catholicism is the majority religion of Italy, Spain, and
nearly all Latin American countries. In 2001, about 24 percent of Americans
identified themselves as Catholic, making Catholicism the largest Christian
denomination in America (if the Protestant denominations are counted
individually). The next largest denomination, Baptists, was claimed by 16
percent of Americans. [3] Yet if Protestants are considered as one group,
Catholics remain a minority among America's Christians. (See Religion
Statistics)
Catholics and Protestants
Roman Catholic beliefs do not differ drastically from those of the other
major branches of Christianity - Greek Orthodoxy and Protestantism. All three
main branches hold to the doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus
Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and so on. But on more minor doctrinal
points, there are clear Catholic distinctives in belief.
Distinctive Roman Catholic beliefs include the special authority of
the pope, the ability of saints to intercede on behalf of believers, the
concept of purgatory as a place of afterlife purification before entering
heaven, and the doctrine of transubstantiation - that is, that the bread used
in the Eucharist becomes the true body of Christ when blessed by a priest.
Distinctive Catholic
Practices
Catholic Mass
With the possible exception of some Anglican churches, the Catholic
liturgy tends to be more formal and ritualized than its Protestant
counterparts. Services follow a prescribed liturgy and priests wear more
elaborate vestments than most Protestant ministers. Catholics usually celebrate
the Eucharist more often than do Protestants, usually weekly. In Catholicism,
the Eucharist is called the Mass.
Catholic Sacraments
Catholics observe seven sacraments, which are religious rituals believed
to be commanded by God and effective in conferring grace on the believer. There
are several Catholic monastic orders, the most well-known being the
Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, and Augustinians. Catholic monks and nuns
take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and devote themselves to a simple
life focused on worshipping God.
Unlike their counterparts in both Protestant and Orthodox churches,
Catholic priests take vows of celibacy. This practice is rooted in the papacy's
early connections with monasticism, but has become controversial in recent
years in part as a result of child abuse scandals.
Other distinctive Catholic practices include veneration of
saints, use of the crucifix, and the use of rosary beads in
prayer.
History of Catholicism
Roman Catholicism traces its history to the apostles, especially
the Apostle Peter. St. Peter is considered the first pope, and every pope
since him is regarded as his spiritual successor. This gives the leader of the
church spiritual authority and provides a means for resolving disputes that
could divide the church. Through trials like persecution, heresy, and the
Reformation, the notion that the church leadership represents the continuation
of an unbroken line from the apostles and their teachings ("apostolic
succession") has contributed to the survival of Christianity.
However, the idea of the "pope" did not exist from the
beginning of the church. It was not until several centuries after Christ that
the church began to develop into the "Roman Catholic Church" as we
think of it today, with its particular doctrines, practices, and hierarchical
system of authority. Thus Catholics and non-Catholics alike are able to claim
they are most faithful to the message of the apostles and the early church.
From the Catholic perspective, the early church is faithfully continued in the
developments of later centuries, while non-Catholics tend to regard the church
as having corrupted the original message of Christianity.
In the years of persecution prior to the Emperor's conversion, the
church was focused primarily on survival. There were prominent church leaders
whose authority was recognized - primarily those who had known the apostles -
but no central authority.
But with the conversion of Emperor Constantine in 318 AD, the
church began to adopt a governmental structure mirroring that of the Empire, in
which geographical provinces were ruled by bishops based in the major city of
the area. Soon, the bishops of major cities in the empire emerged as
preeminent, including the bishops of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, Rome,
and Constantinople. It was natural that Rome would eventually become the most
important of these. It was not only the capital of the empire, but the city in
which the apostles Peter and Paul were believed to have been martyred.
The Roman bishop Leo I (440-461) is considered the first pope by many Protestant and secular historians, as he was the first to claim (according to them) ultimate authority over all of
Christendom. In his writings one can find all the traditional arguments for
papal authority, most notably that which asserts Christ had designated Peter
and his successors the "rock" on which the church would be built.
Leo's claims were strengthened greatly by his own impressive career as
Bishop of Rome. In 445 he earned the express support of Emperor Valentian, who
said the Bishop of Rome was the law for all. In 451, he called the important
Council of Chalcedon, which put to rest Christological issues that had been
plaguing the church. In 452, he impressively saved Rome from Attila the Hun. It
is said that the Pope met the warrior at the gates and somehow persuaded him to
spare the city. Legend has it that Attila saw Peter and Paul marching
along with Leo to defend their city. In 455 he was not as successful with
Vandal invaders, but led negotiations with them and succeeded in preventing the
burning of Rome (it was, however, plundered).
Roman Catholic beliefs do not differ drastically from those of the other
major branches of Christianity - Greek Orthodoxy and Protestantism. All three
main branches hold to the doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the
inspiration of the Bible, and so on. But on more minor doctrinal points, there
are clear Catholic distinctives in belief.
Distinctive Roman Catholic beliefs also includes the special authority of
the pope, the ability of saints to intercede on behalf of believers, the concept
of purgatory as a place of afterlife purification before entering heaven, and
the doctrine of transubstantiation - that is, that the bread used in the
Eucharist becomes the true body of Christ when blessed by a priest.
Concluding remarks:
History, although scant on the subject of papal authority, is not silent; and the early Church, despite Protestant protestations to the contrary is much more on the side of historical Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy than it is on the side of historical Protestantism.
