“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God…repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead…” (Hebrews 5:12, 6:1-2).
Just as every language has an alphabet and every sport has its fundamentals, God’s revelation—both Old and New Testaments—has first principles which are foundational to a correct understanding of God and His will. Hebrews 6:1-2 identifies six. Each will be given its own consideration.
The Scriptures’ answer to Job’s timeless question of “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14) is a resounding “YES!”
Though most of the teaching on humanity’s immortality and future resurrection are found subtly in the Old Testament, the New Testament is quite plain.
Though your body dies when your spirit separates from it (James 2:26), your spirit never dies. It is relocated to the unseen place (called Sheol in the Old Testament and Hades in the New Testament). Your spirit will remain there until the hour when Jesus’ voice calls all in the graves to come forth (John 5:28-29). Your immortal spirit will be re-united with your body which was formed from the dust of the earth when God created humanity (Genesis 2:7). When that reunion has been completed, your mortal body will become immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53), and you will be fully equipped for an everlasting existence in heaven or hell (Matthew 25:46).
The immortality of your soul, the certainty of your appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27), and the universal resurrection of every human from their bed of death are essential facts of this elementary principle of God’s word and His Son.
