Absent=Present?

Absent=Present?
by Dr. John H. Roller

Many who oppose the doctrine I’ve been explaining in these e-tracts (soul sleep) have told me, “The Bible says, ‘to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.’ Doesn’t that prove you wrong once and for all?” Since I’ve stated many times that my purpose is to discover and promote what the Bible teaches, I will now say that if the Bible says that, I will give up this teaching. But it DOESN’T say that!!

When issued this challenge, my first response is to ask, “In what verse?” Unfortunately, many people – even many preachers – are unable to locate the book, chapter and verse they claim to be quoting. This is a sad commentary on the level of biblical literacy in the Christian community. “Heretics” (such as John Roller) are able to simply deny that the Bible says something and walk away from the conversation “victorious” because their challengers can’t open a Bible and point to a statement they believe is found in it.

In this case, the problem goes even deeper than mere ignorance of biblical references. I have 76 different versions of the Bible in my personal library, and NOT ONE of them contains the words “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” The statement, as quoted, simply ISN’T in there!

The verse to which my opponents are referring is 2 Corinthians 5:8, where the Apostle Paul writes, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (KJV). Please notice two things: 1) My opponents have substituted the word “is” for the word “and”; 2) My opponents have quoted only a part of the verse as if it were the whole verse. Both of these errors have radically altered the meaning of the apostle’s statement.

The first point reminds me of what former U.S. President Bill Clinton is reported to have said during a Congressional investigation into his alleged misconduct in the Monica Lewinsky matter: “It all depends on what your definition of the word ‘is’ is.” While I was never a supporter of President Clinton’s political views, and while I was thoroughly disgusted by the revelations that were made about his personal life, I absolutely agree with his understanding of the importance of definitions. As his most famous critic (radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh) was fond of saying, “Words have meanings.” I don’t agree with everything Limbaugh says either; but once more I have to say I agree with that statement. Even the little word “is” has a meaning, and it is different from the meaning of the little word “and.”

The importance of this distinction comes out when the second point is examined. My opponents have ignored the importance of the words “willing rather.” Paul has stated a WISH, not a theological truth, in this famous verse. If I were to say that I was “willing” to move to Australia “rather” than to continue living in the United States, would that make me a resident of Australia? No, it wouldn’t. There are many things one might PREFER to be true that are simply not true. Paul is saying he WISHES he COULD be “absent from the body” (whatever that means) AND simultaneously “present with the Lord” (whatever that means), but he is NOT saying that such “IS” what happens when one dies.

Even to WISH that his death would mean that his “soul” had separated from his body and gone to heaven to be with Jesus seems to me to be uncharacteristic of Paul (in general) and directly opposed to what he is writing in this passage (in particular). Only four verses earlier in this chapter, he had specifically denied that he desired to be “unclothed” (meaning, for his “soul” to exist in a bodiless condition) and stated that he preferred to be “clothed upon” (that his present mortal body, without going through the dying process, would be instantly changed into an immortal body, as he had described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). Why would he now suddenly change his mind and state that he wished that what he had just denied would actually occur?

In my opinion, Paul’s expression “absent from the body” doesn’t refer to death at all. The “body” he’s referring to isn’t his own mortal body (from which he can never be “absent” since it is exactly the same thing as he himself); he’s referring to what he has elsewhere called “the body of Christ” – that is, the organized, visible fellowship of Christian believers. As a result of his relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:5), which relationship is “guaranteed” to him (that’s the meaning of the word translated “earnest” in the KJV) by the presence of the Holy Spirit (in that same verse), he is so “confident” (verse 6) that he can endure life “at home in the body” (living in fellowship with other Christians) even though it means being “absent from the Lord” (because Jesus isn’t here, visible, among us; he’s in heaven) – as he says (parenthetically) in verse 7, “we walk (live) by faith, not by sight” – because he knows that even if he weren’t in personal contact with those other Christians (I think that’s what he means by “absent from the body”) he would still have the sense of God’s blessing on his life (that’s what he means by “present with the Lord”).

After all, if you think of “the Lord” as the Holy Spirit (rather than as Jesus), it isn’t possible to be ANYWHERE that can’t be described as “present with the Lord.” David knew this when he wrote Psalm 139:7-12. The World English Bible puts it this way:
Where could I go from your Spirit?
Or where could I flee from your presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!
If I take the wings of the dawn,
and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there your hand will lead me,
and your right hand will hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me;
the light around me will be night;”
even the darkness doesn’t hide from you,
but the night shines as the day.
The darkness is like light to you.

2 Corinthians 5:8 does NOT teach that “to die” means that “your soul separates from your body and goes to heaven to be with Jesus.” It teaches that you can sense God’s blessing on your life even when you are isolated from other believers. That truth should be very comforting to many of you, especially those who don’t have the privilege (as I do) of waking up every Sunday morning and driving to a nearby church building where Christians will gather to worship the Lord and precious biblical truths (like those contained in these e-tracts) will be faithfully preached.

For more information, contact:
Dr. John H. Roller
johnroller@faithbiblechristian.com.