Hello again DB7, I stated what I believe, so I think it best that we agree to disagree at this point about the sleep of the soul (in part, at least, because I don't believe that anyone's salvation rests upon getting that particular doctrine right or not).
That said, the verses/passages that you posited for us have little to nothing to do with the Intermediate State and what happens during that time to the souls (not the bodies) of believers. And while I certainly disagree with your interpretation of the verses that I posited for us in my first post above (verses/passages that support a conscious, Intermediate State of the soul), here again, I will agree to disagree, principally because I don't believe that there is a compelling reason to continue the discussion.
Finally, if you are asking me who the better exegete is, you and/or the theologians from a couple of cults, or the theologians from the whole of the historic Christian Church (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, etc.), I've already told you where I stand in regard to that .. with the Church.
~Deut
p.s. - As you know, the church, as a whole, bickers and argues endlessly about a great many things, but when the ENTIRE Christian Church stops bickering and stands as ~one~ (w/o any variation of belief) concerning a particular doctrine, I would think it prudent, for any who disagree with us, to take the time to go back and consider, or consider again, why we continue to believe & teach what we do.
.
That said, the verses/passages that you posited for us have little to nothing to do with the Intermediate State and what happens during that time to the souls (not the bodies) of believers. And while I certainly disagree with your interpretation of the verses that I posited for us in my first post above (verses/passages that support a conscious, Intermediate State of the soul), here again, I will agree to disagree, principally because I don't believe that there is a compelling reason to continue the discussion.
Finally, if you are asking me who the better exegete is, you and/or the theologians from a couple of cults, or the theologians from the whole of the historic Christian Church (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, etc.), I've already told you where I stand in regard to that .. with the Church.
~Deut
p.s. - As you know, the church, as a whole, bickers and argues endlessly about a great many things, but when the ENTIRE Christian Church stops bickering and stands as ~one~ (w/o any variation of belief) concerning a particular doctrine, I would think it prudent, for any who disagree with us, to take the time to go back and consider, or consider again, why we continue to believe & teach what we do.
.
Thanks!
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