<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter P. Snyder Q: What happens when a person dies? Do body and soul, or just soul go to heaven? Is it instantaneous or is there a period of being "dead" before rising? We hear that with Jesus "on the third day He arose again from the dead." Was Jesus "dead" for three days before he arose to heaven? Is there a judgment "trial" before God, deciding on whether one goes to heaven or hell? Where are the relevant biblical passages that answer these questions? A: At death, body and soul are separated. The story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16) illustrates the instantaneous nature of our departure to heaven (or hell, in the case of unbelievers). The body remains dead until the end of time. Other than Enoch and Elijah, the only Person we know to have entered heaven bodily before the end of the world was Jesus. In the case of Jesus' death, since he is true God, we know that he was and is always with the Father. Yet according to his human nature, he remained dead in the tomb until the third day. He did not bodily enter heaven until the fortieth day (Acts 1), which the Christian Church still celebrates as Ascension Day. Hebrews 9:27 states, "[I]t is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment." This is not cause for Christian fear, for verse 28 continues, "Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." Judgment is elsewhere spoken of, most notably in the Gospel according to Matthew in the chapters immediately preceding Jesus' suffering and death. All will be raised from the dead, souls joined anew with bodies. Here, mention is made of "works," yet it is clear from Scripture that the "works" of the believer are not what saves, but rather evidence of his confidence in Jesus' saving work and fruits of faith. The Christian knows that he has already undergone judgment: His sins are declared damnable by God's Holy Law, yet are completely removed by his love for us in Christ Jesus. The unrepentant sinner is also judged, for he does not believe and is thus condemned. What happens on the Last Day is a ratification of what already exists: The sheep (who are already saved) stay with the Shepherd, while the goats (who were already not of his flock) are banished forever. Q: Many people tell me that I should leave my church and join theirs. Assuming I agree that I can't remain in mine, which should I join? If mine isn't the one true church, which one is? A: The third article of the Apostles' Creed states, "I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting." Note that "catholic" means "universal"---in other words, the One Church. Martin Luther explained, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life." Here we see that the True Church is one gathered and sustained by the Holy Spirit, working through the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins. The Nicene and Athanasian Creeds similarly show that the Catholic Church is the work of God, and that only believers are its true members. Thus, the Church is not tied to one geographic region, language, or other artificial barrier. Belief is the Scriptural requirement for membership; unbelief is the Scriptural barrier. The Church is composed of believers---adult or infant, male or female, none of these matter (cf. Galatians 3:28); however, no unbelievers are in the True Church, even though they might belong to earthly congregations. Now, where do you begin your search? I would look at what various churches claim. Some insist that if you don't have a clergy which can be traced by laying-on of hands back to the Apostles, you have no true church. Some make membership the result of some sort of "cooperation" between God and man. That is, God does so much and I do so much, and together, I get saved. Some establish complex rules and regulations for behavior and tell you that if you do or don't do certain things, you either join yourself to the true church or separate yourself from it. I understand the true Church as "Apostolic" not because of direct descent from Peter or another Apostle, but because Apostolic doctrine is taught in truth and purity (Acts 2:42). I look for the "marks" of the Church---Gospel, Baptism, Absolution (forgiveness of sins), and Lord's Supper. You can exclude any manmade rules, regulations, or ordinances, since they are of the Law and not of Grace. It is by grace you are saved, through faith (Ephesians 2:8--9). To re-ask your question, "Where would I find a church which preaches and teaches in accordance with Christ's Holy Gospel, which freely forgives sins according to the commands and promises of God, which practices Trinitarian baptism and confesses baptismal regeneration, and which takes at face value the words of Christ instituting his Supper and acts accordingly?" Look at the words and deeds of the individual congregation and its members and those of the body to which it belongs, and you will start separating the wheat from the chaff. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.