Another chance?

This question was brought to my attention a couple of days ago: Is there any other chance for people who did not hear the gospel and died already, do they have a second chance after death?

First, there are a lot of people who are much, much smarter than I am who have attempted to answer this question. The recommended search keywords to use are: "doctrine second chance," "second probation," etc.

One such resource can be found here, it was written by John M. Frame. This is the complete URL: http://www.frame-poythress.org/frame_articles/1984Second.html

I was taught that the first thing to consider when trying to answer a question is to find out "the question behind the question."

1. Was the question raised out of concern that God may be deemed unfair for sending people to hell without allowing them to hear the gospel?

If so, here are a few points to consider:

a. John 3:18 and similar passages teach that Jesus is the only way to salvation, but people are not condemned to hell for not believing in Jesus. Actually, they are already condemned because of their sin.  (Rom. 3:23; 5:12-17; 6:23)

b. In fact, if ignorance if a better chance to enter heaven, we might as well engage in a gospel cover-up program. Let's stop evangelism, burn all Bibles, and close all churches. After a certain period, no one would have heard of Christ and everyone will be one their way to heaven because it would be much easier to accept the gospel and believe in Jesus in the environment of after death when one has experienced eternity.

c. According to the Scripture, no one can claim innocence because "He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,  that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:26-27).

d. Why do we stop at second chance? Third chance, anyone? Fourth? One hundredth? It would get more ridiculous as we went on and on. This go against all the urgency to proclaim the gospel and the call to righteous life as taught by the Bible. If there is a second chance, one would break free of all moral constraints and do whatever one heart desires.

2. Was the question raised because of texts like Matt. 12:32; I Pet. 3:19; 4:6 were interpreted to be teaching a second chance death?

First, let's take a look at Matt. 12:32,

Matthew 12:32   "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (NASB)

Matt. 12:32 does not say that any sins will be forgiven after death, only that some will not be. Let me explain what I mean, from the context it is clear that the Pharisees are ascribing to Satan what the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, is healing the a demon-possessed man. And the Pharisees did it willfully and deliberately.

Instead of supporting the second chance doctrine, this passage actually teaches that for the Pharisees, that was their only chance.

Next, let's take a look at I Pet. 3:19; 4:6,

1 Peter 3:18-20   18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;  19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,  20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. (NASB)

NAU 1 Peter 4:6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. (NASB)

These are two of the most difficult verses in the Scripture, from the time of Clement of Alexandria, about A.D. 200, till now, there have been multiple different interpretations on these verses. But our focus will be on whether these verses teach the doctrine of second chance as claimed by its supporters.

Consider this list of points, which by no means is complete:

a.  3:19: What is mean by the word also? Please see the sequence of action words "put to death," "made alive," (3:18) and "went and made proclamation (or preached)." These are references to Christ's death on the cross, resurrection, and post-resurrection activities (before His ascension).

b. 3:19: There word translated "made proclamation" or "preached" is the Greek word kerysso, which elsewhere in the New Testament is used in relation to preaching of the Gospel and also proclaiming something. It is very interesting that this word is only used once in the book of 1 Peter. The same thing can be said about the Greek word used in 4:6 (and 1:12, 1:25), euangelizo. It can mean just to proclaim a good news but in New Testament it would be almost always be translated as proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. To those who tend to want to interpret this verse as teaching a second chance for salvation, this is not enough to persuade them. Because of that, let me add this point. I find it strange that Peter was not interested in defining the content of the preaching in 3:19.

c. 3:19: Who are the spirits now in prison? They were once disobedient during the days of Noah.  If there is a second chance, why is it only given to those in the days of Noah? This just does not fit into the context.

d. 3:19: There is no forgiveness for the sin of deliberate disobedience (Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26).

e.  3:19: The story of the rich man and Lazarus clearly shows that there is no second chance after death, man's destiny is sealed (Luke 16:19-31).

f. 4:6:  As have been mentioned above, this verse was translated correctly in relation to the preaching of the Gospel, but pay attention that the verb "preached" is in past tense. In Greek, it is in the aorist tense which points to a completed event in the past. NIV translates this verse by adding the word now to the phrase those who are now dead to emphasize that the recipients of the Gospel was once alive but now dead.

g. 4:6: The point of 4:4-5 is that people will be judged for their actions while living, whether they are living or dead. For those who rejected Christ will be punished and for those who accepted Christ will be rewarded, regardless whether they are living or dead.

h. 4:6: though they are judged in the flesh as men, the persecutors thought that by punishing believers to the point of death, they (the believers) deserved it and were defeated. Not so, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God, which means in God's eyes, they (the martyred believers and those who died a natural death) are living in the spirit eternally because of what the Gospel has done to their lives. Note the contrast of one-time past-tense of "judged" and "present and on-going tense of "live."

To rightly interpret 3:19, one has to really pay attention to the context, this passage covers v.8 through 22. Peter was addressing believers who were suffering because of their faith. Peter reminded them of Christ and everything He had done to them and the hope for the coming victory of Christ (v.22). Believers were saved because of all Christ has done, is doing, and will do (v.21).

This is what I think is the interpretation of 4:6: The believers who were still alive when Peter wrote this book were concerned about the believers who have died, especially those who died not of persecution, because they thought that death is punishment for sins (Gen 2:17; 3:19; Rom 5:12;6:23). Peter is trying to tell them that in God's eyes these dead believers are alive in the spirit forever because the Gospel has been preached to them and they were saved because of their faith in Christ. God will judge all the living and dead people and this judgment is imminent, urgent and final.

Therefore, I do not think the doctrine of second chance is able to find any support from the Scripture.

 

~oOo~